20 Critical Minerals Potential in the Land of Enchantment: Past Production and Future Potential

Global demand for critical minerals is increasing. These non-fuel minerals are essential for clean energy and high-tech industries. New Mexico's future critical minerals potential is being re-evaluated through USGS Earth MRI surveys and DOE-funded efforts.

Tuesday, 19 May 2026
8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Alvarado B

A New Volcano-Tectonic Perspective of the Northern Sacramento Range of New Mexico

Paper number: 20-8
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 10:50 AM – 11:10 AM

Authors

Abstract

New high-resolution aeromagnetic data were collected as part of US Geological Survey Earth MRI investigations of the south-central New Mexico portion of the North American Cordilleran mineral-rich alkaline igneous belt. Known volcanic systems, faults and dikes, as well as newly revealed features are clearly imaged in the geophysical data.  One potentially significant feature in the data is a previously unknown circular magnetic ring with a diameter of ~10 km centered around Church Mtn in the northern Sacramento Mountain Range, west of the town of Nogal, New Mexico. We propose this feature represents the structural margin of a newly identified caldera or a lithological contact. Magnetic lineaments radiating outward from the ring interior along the northern half delineate an apparent semi-radial dike swarm. Magnetic features associated with the Sierra Blanca Volcanics overprint the southern half of the magnetic ring.  The magnetic expression of the ring is roughly 650 m wide with amplitudes up to 75 nT.  All descriptors of the magnetics are at a relative observation elevation of 100 m above terrain.  A small portion of the northeastern ring sub-parallel to Nogal Creek is identified as a fault on previous geologic mapping.  The newly observed radial magnetic lineaments and northern half of the ring are below Quaternary alluvial deposits between Church Mtn and Carrizo Mtn to the north. If this is a radial dike swarm it may help constrain the stress field at the time of emplacement or other key aspects of the geodynamic setting. The lineaments are roughly 500 m wide, up to 10 km long, and have amplitudes of 15-25 nT.   Church Mtn, near the center of the ring, is expressed in the magnetics as a sharply bounded circular negative magnetic anomaly with a diameter of 3 km and a relative amplitude of 200-400 nT.  These newly recognized structures around Church Mtn support potential for undiscovered mineral resources.  The Nogal-Bonito district that includes the ring feature contains known Au, REE, Fe and Mo.  Geological and geophysical data that support these observations and hypothesis will be presented.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 4

doi: 10.1130/abs/2026RM-410650

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