Black Mesa Mountain
Encyclopedia
Black Mesa is a mesa
that extends from Mesa de Maya in Colorado
southeasterly 28 miles (45 km) along the north bank of the Cimarron River, crossing the northeast corner of New Mexico
to end at the confluence of the Cimarron and Carrizo Creek near Kenton
in the Oklahoma panhandle
. Its highest elevation is 5712 feet (1,741 m) in Colorado (37° 4'52.90"N, 103°20'41.08"W). The highest point of Black Mesa within New Mexico is 5266 feet (1,605 m) (36°59'55.61"N, 103° 9'51.70"W). In northwestern Cimarron County, Oklahoma
, Black Mesa reaches 4973 feet (1,516 m), the highest point in Oklahoma.
Black Mesa is found on six adjacent United States Geological Survey (USGS) 7.5 Minute (1:24,000) topographic maps (Dennis Canyon, Furnish Canyon West, Furnish Canyon East, Wedding Cake Butte, Goodson School, and Kenton).
The visual and map view appearance of Black Mesa is as an "inverted valley" because erosion
has removed the relatively soft sedimentary
strata
from either side of the resistant Raton basalt
of the lava
which originally had occupied and filled a river valley. The erupting lava filled a stream channel in the Pliocene
age Ogallala Formation. During the millions of years since the eruption, the adjacent rock of the Ogallala and older formations have been removed leaving the valley filling basalt perched atop a long ridge. Strata exposed along the mesa below the basalt and Ogallala include the Cretaceous
Dakota Sandstone
and the Jurassic
Morrison Formation
.
Abundant dinosaur
fossil
s have been recovered from the Triassic
and Jurassic
strata
in the area and a dinosaur trackway is located in Carrizo Creek to the north of the mesa.
It is home to Black Mesa Nature Preserve.
Mesa
A mesa or table mountain is an elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs. It takes its name from its characteristic table-top shape....
that extends from Mesa de Maya in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
southeasterly 28 miles (45 km) along the north bank of the Cimarron River, crossing the northeast corner of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
to end at the confluence of the Cimarron and Carrizo Creek near Kenton
Kenton, Oklahoma
-History:Kenton was founded in 1893 and served as the county seat for Cimarron County until the citizens of the county voted to move it to Boise City soon after statehood...
in the Oklahoma panhandle
Oklahoma Panhandle
The Oklahoma Panhandle is the extreme western region of the state of Oklahoma, comprising Cimarron County, Texas County, and Beaver County. Its name comes from the similarity of shape to the handle of a cooking pan....
. Its highest elevation is 5712 feet (1,741 m) in Colorado (37° 4'52.90"N, 103°20'41.08"W). The highest point of Black Mesa within New Mexico is 5266 feet (1,605 m) (36°59'55.61"N, 103° 9'51.70"W). In northwestern Cimarron County, Oklahoma
Cimarron County, Oklahoma
Cimarron County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Throughout most of its history it has had the smallest population and the lowest population density of any county in Oklahoma. As of 2010 census, the population was 2,475...
, Black Mesa reaches 4973 feet (1,516 m), the highest point in Oklahoma.
Black Mesa is found on six adjacent United States Geological Survey (USGS) 7.5 Minute (1:24,000) topographic maps (Dennis Canyon, Furnish Canyon West, Furnish Canyon East, Wedding Cake Butte, Goodson School, and Kenton).
The visual and map view appearance of Black Mesa is as an "inverted valley" because erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
has removed the relatively soft sedimentary
Sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rock are types of rock that are formed by the deposition of material at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause mineral and/or organic particles to settle and accumulate or minerals to precipitate from a solution....
strata
Stratum
In geology and related fields, a stratum is a layer of sedimentary rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguish it from other layers...
from either side of the resistant Raton basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
of the lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
which originally had occupied and filled a river valley. The erupting lava filled a stream channel in the Pliocene
Pliocene
The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
age Ogallala Formation. During the millions of years since the eruption, the adjacent rock of the Ogallala and older formations have been removed leaving the valley filling basalt perched atop a long ridge. Strata exposed along the mesa below the basalt and Ogallala include the Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
Dakota Sandstone
Dakota Sandstone
The Dakota Sandstone is a general term for an ill-defined early Cretaceous formation of the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains. It consists of sandy, shallow-marine deposits with intermittent mud flat sediments, and occasional stream deposits...
and the Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
Morrison Formation
Morrison Formation
The Morrison Formation is a distinctive sequence of Late Jurassic sedimentary rock that is found in the western United States, which has been the most fertile source of dinosaur fossils in North America. It is composed of mudstone, sandstone, siltstone and limestone and is light grey, greenish...
.
Abundant dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s have been recovered from the Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
and Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
strata
Stratum
In geology and related fields, a stratum is a layer of sedimentary rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguish it from other layers...
in the area and a dinosaur trackway is located in Carrizo Creek to the north of the mesa.
It is home to Black Mesa Nature Preserve.