Mesa Prieta | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Mesa Prieta | |
| Coordinates: 35°28′26″N 107°03′12″W / 35.473951°N 107.053356°W | |
| Location | confluence of the Rio Grande and the Embudo Creek |
| Formed by | basaltic lava flow approximately 3.3 myr |
Mesa Prieta is a mesa in Sandoval County New Mexico. The mesa was formed by a basaltic lava flow approximately 3.3 myr. When the Rio Grande began to flow through the area, it eroded the softer sedimentary layers beneath the basaltic layer creating a mesa.[1] The sedimentary rocks include the Cretaceous Dakota Sandstone, Mancos Shale, and Gallup Sandstone.[2]
Rio Puerco flows south on the west side of the mesa. The Ojito Wilderness is to the east of the mesa, and Cabezon Peak is to the north.
- ^ "Mesa Prieta - The Place". www.mesaprietapetroglyphs.org. Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project. Retrieved 2019-07-01.
- ^ Dillinger, J. K., 1990. Geologic map of the Grants 30' x 60' quadrangle, west-central New Mexico, U.S. Geological Survey, Coal Investigations Map C-118-A. Map Scale: 1:100,000.