Guadalupe Escarpment (as seen from highway between Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park), consisting of Upper Permian reefal and perireefal limestones.
Carlsbad Caverns (aka Carlsbad Cavern) in southeastern New Mexico, USA, is one of the world's most spectacular caves. The speleothem is abundant, large-scale, and magnificent. It has one of the largest cave rooms anywhere on Earth (the Big Room - 14 acres in size & 370' maximum height). Unlike many tourist-accessible caves, much of Carlsbad Caverns is self-guided. On top of all that, the geologic origin of Carlsbad Caverns (& nearby Lechuguilla Cave) is unlike that of almost any other cave.
Carlsbad Caverns is developed along the crest of Carlsbad Ridge. This ridge is part of the prominent Guadalupe Escarpment - a long, NE to SW-trending mountain range extending from southeastern New Mexico to western Texas.
Here's a nice roadcut of tilted Permian limestones with a couple of fault zones.
Locality: roadcut along northern side of Rt. 62/Rt. 180, southern foothills of the Guadalupe Mountains, far-western Texas, USA
Here's a nice roadcut of tilted Permian limestones with a couple of obvious fault zones.
Locality: roadcut along northern side of Rt. 62/Rt. 180, southern foothills of the Guadalupe Mountains, far-western Texas, USA.
These rocks are structurally tilted, Permian-aged limestones. The rubbly area at right is a fault zone.
Locality: roadcut along the northern side of Route 62/Route 180, southern foothills of the Guadalupe Mountains, far-western Texas, USA
Tags: Guadalupe Mountains Texas Permian limestone limestones structurally tilted fault faults zone zones
Here's a nice roadcut of tilted Permian limestones with a couple of obvious fault zones.
Locality: roadcut along northern side of Rt. 62/Rt. 180, southern foothills of the Guadalupe Mountains, far-western Texas, USA.