ARIZONAGEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Information toArizonans since 1889

Arizona Coal

Figure 1. Black Mesa and Kayenta mines.

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Operating Mines. Twocoal mines, the Black Mesaand the Kayenta, generateapproximately $40 millionin royalties annually to theNavajo Nation and the HopiTribe. Nearly 700 tribalmembers work at the minesand support facilities. Coalfor residential use is sup­plied to tribal governmentsfor distribution to Navajoand Hopi people.

The Black Mesa Mine,which opened in 1970,produces nearly 5 milliontons of steam coal annually.

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introduction of natural gas,local reservation schoolsused coal for heating,probably fewer than 10,000tons per year. Between1960 and 1970, Arizonamines produced fewer than1,000 tons of coal annually.Peabody Western CoalCompany, which beganmining on Black Mesa in1970, produced 13,192,000short tons, with an esti­mated value of $300 million,in 1996. From 1970-1996Peabody leases produced265 million tons of coal.

Production History. BlackMesa coal was mined forpottery firing as early as 900A.D. More than 100,000tons were mined between.1300 and 1600. Prior to the

New Information. Thewriters are completing astudy of the distribution andthickness of coal bedsbeneath Black Mesa, whichcovers 3,200 square mileswithin the Navajo and HopiReservations in northeasternArizona (Figure 1). Theyproduced a database ofinformation from more than230 subsurface and surfacelocations and constructedmaps that show coalthickness trends. Thesemaps can be used to locateareas that are favorable forexploration and develop­ment. The database andmaps may also be used toevaluate the potential forcoalbed methane. Resultsof the study will be releasedas Arizona GeologicalSurvey and U.S. GeologicalSurvey open-file reports, theavailability of which will beannounced in a future issueof A1'izona Geology.

J.D. Nations, R.L. Swiftand H.H. HavenNorthern Arizona University

• Investigate and documentgeologic processes andmaterials that might behazardous to the publicor limiting to land andresource management.

• Provide informationabout geologic processes,materials, and resources ina timely, courteousmanner.

• Map and describe thebedrock and surficialgeology of Arizona.Current emphasis is onthe Phoenix-Tucson urbancorridor, which contains 80percent of the State'spopulation.

GOALS

• Administer the rules,regulations, and policiesestablished by theArizona Oil and GasConservation Commission.

To provide objectiveinformation to enhance publicunderstanding of geologicprocesses, materials, andresources in Arizona and toassist citizens, businesses,governmental agencies,and legislators in makinginformed decisionsrelative to managing land,water, mineral, andenergy resources.

MISSIONI

Arizona Coal (continued from page 1)

Figure 2. Minillg coal on Black Mesa. Coai beds are visible in cut all left

GOVERNORJANE DEE HULL

ARIZONAGEOLOGICAL

SURVEY STAFFDecember 1998

Director and State GeologistLarry D. Fellows, Ph.D.

Assistant Directorof Administration

Rose Ellen McDonnell

Information and publicationsPeter F. Corrao

Jason A. MauneyGeorgeanna L. Meeker

Cathy L. MooreMary E. PasborgMary E. Redmon

Mapping and InvestigationsThomas G. McGarvin

Philip A. Pearthree, Ph.D.Stephen M. Richard, Ph.D.

Jon E. Spencer, Ph.D.Richard A. Trapp

Oil and GasSteven L. Rauzi

Contracted ProjectsThomas H. Biggs, Ph.D.

Charles A. Ferguson, Ph.D.Wyatt G. Gilbert, Ph.D.

Raymond C. HarrisJeanne E. Klawon

Robert S. Leighty, Ph.D.Steven J. Skotnicki

Geologyis pub/ishell {Jullrlerly by 'he ArizonaGeological Sun'ey fD provide in/ormationllboUl geologic materials llnd processes andtheir potential i",pacrs 011 'he developmel11lIl1l/llse ofArizona's land, water, mineral.GIld energ)' resources. We t'ncourage yourcomments and suggestions.

Desigu n"d layollt:

Peter F. Corrao

Copyright © 1998Arizona Geological Survey

416 West Congress 51., Suite 100Tucson. AZ 85701

(520)-770-3500

http://www.azgs.state.az.us

Arizolla GeologyWinter 1998

The coal is crushed andtransported 273 milesthrough an 18-inch-diameterslurry pipeline to SouthernCalifornia Edison's MohaveGenerating Station nearLaughlin, Nevada (Figure 2).

The adjacent KayentaMine, which began operat­ing in 1973, produces almost8 million tons of steam coalannually. The coal iscrushed at the mine andcarried 17 miles by aconveyer belt to storagesilos. From there it istransported 78 miles on theBlack Mesa & Lake PowellRailroad, a dedicated,electrified coal-haul railway,to the Navajo GeneratingPlant near Page, Arizona.

Occurrence and Quality.Black Mesa is underlain byrocks of Late Cretaceousage, including the YalePoint, Wepo, Toreva, andDakota formations and theMancos Shale. Coal seamsare present in the Dakota,Tareva, and Wepo.

The Wepo contains thehighest rank and quality ofcoal on Black Mesa as wellas the largest minablereserves. Although its coalseams average 4-8 feet inthickness, some are as manyas 20 feet thiclc Peabodyreported eight coal zones,some of which containmultiple beds that range incumulative thickness from24-91 feet. The thickest bedindicated is 18.6 feet. Theaverage net thickness ofWepo coal within thePeabody lease is 40 feet.The coal is subbituminolls,with an average ash contentof 7.3 percent, Btu perpound (dry) of 12,382, and

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sulfur content of 0.58 percent.The thickest and most

extensive coal in the TorevaFormation is in the south­eastern part of Black Mesa,where the average of 21measurements is 12 feet.The rank and quality of thiscoal, known from only afew sample analyses,averages 13.8 percent ash,12,338 Btu per pound (dry),and 1.09 percent sulfur.

Coal beds in the DakotaFormation average 2 feet inthickness, except inCoalmine Canyon and nearSteamboat, where they are7-9 feet thiclc Rank andquality of coal in theDakota, also known fromonly a few samples, aver­ages 11.9 percent ash,11,125 Btu per pound (dry),and 1.6 percent sulfur.

Reclamation. Reclamationis designed to preserve atraditional American Indianlifestyle by restoring minedland to hardy rangelandwith up to 10 times moreforage for grazing thannative range. Mining andreclamation proceed at thesame rate, about 500 acres

annually. Topsoil, removedbefore an area is mined, isreturned after mining iscompleted and the surfacehas been contoured. Thereclaimed land is also usedfor wildlife habitat andnative plants. PeabodyWestern has received anumber of awards formining and reclamation,including an Excellence inSurface Mining Award fromthe U.S. Department ofInterior's Office of SurfaceMining in 1996.

Acknowledgments. OurBlack Mesa studies havebeen supported by fourgrants from the NationalScience Foundation and onefrom the Mobil Corporation.Continuation of the projectand preparation of thisreport were supported byCooperative Agreement No.1434-HQ-97-AG-01897between Northern ArizonaUniversity, the ArizonaGeological Survey, and theU.S. Geological Survey,with funding from theNational Coal ResourcesData System Program.

Geologic Mapping Begins

Young Faultsin Arizona

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surficial mapping in thePicacho Mountains, SawtoothMountains, and SamaniegoHills will improve under­standing of the origin anddistribution of potentialmineral resources andoutline areas with elevatedrisk for land subsidence andearth fissures.

Funding from theSTATEMAP component ofthe National GeologicMapping Act has beenimportant to the AZGS.From 1992-1998 the AZGSproduced and released 71open-file reports that focusedon geologic mapping.Fourty-four of them werecompleted with partialSTATEMAP funding.

24-member AdvisolY Com­mittee has consistentlyrecommended that thehighest mapping priority begiven to the Phoenix-Tucsoncorridor, which contains 10percent of Arizona's land but80 percent of its population.

New mapping will bedone in areas nOlth and westof Tucson (Figure 3),because most of the Phoenixand Casa Grande areas havealready been mapped.Mapping of surficial geologyin the Catalina Mountainfoothills and adjacent to theTucson Mountains willimprove understanding ofthe nature and extent ofunstable soils and areas atrisk for flooding and debrisflows. New bedrock and

PROJECT NO.3Ninetysix Hills

33° 00' ===7""i"";:-<;'""P"""--------r--"T--.,...------'T"":-":"';:-<;'"~~

The Arizona GeologicalSurvey (AZGS) began its1998-1999 field season inOctober. New mapping willbe done under theSTATEMAP program inwhich State geologicalsurveys and the Federalgovernment contributematching funds as specifiedby the National GeologicMapping Act of 1992.Mapping priorities weredetermined by the ArizonaGeologic Mapping AdvisoryCommittee, members ofwhich represent the environ­mental and engineeringgeology community, mineralexplorationists, Arizonauniversities, and Federal andState land- and resource­management agencies. The

Figure 3. STATEMAP geologic mappillg projects currelltly ill progress.

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Just Released

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The Arizona GeologicalSurvey released the followinggeologic maps and repOltssince the Fall issue of ArizonaGeology was published:

Fieldguide to the geologyof Chiricahua NationalMonument, southeasternArizona: J. V. Bezy, 1998,Arizona Geological SurveyDown-to-Earth 8 (Pub.number DTE 8), 32 p. $6.95

Geologic map of theHumboldt Mountain 7.5'quadrangle, MaricopaCounty, Arizona:W. G. Gilbert, C. A.Ferguson, and R. S. Leighty,1998, Arizona GeologicalSurvey Open-File Report 98­11 (Pub. number OFR 98­11), 17 p., 3 sheets, scale1:24,000. $6.00

Geologic map of the NewRiver Mesa 7.5' quad­rangle, Maricopa County,Arizona: C. A. Ferguson,W. G. Gilbert, andR. S. Leighty, 1998, ArizonaGeological Survey Open-FileReport 98-12 (Pub. numberOFR 98-12), 29 p., 3 sheets,scale 1:24,000. $8.00

Compilation geologicmap of the Ray-Superiorarea, central Arizona:S. M. Richard and J. E.Spencer, 1998, ArizonaGeological Survey Open-FileReport 98-13 (Pub. numberOFR 98-13), 47 p., 3 sheets,scale 1:24,000. $15.00

This map was compiledfrom preViously publishedmapping, with new mappingadded in several key areas.Many faults and contactswere reinterpreted on thebasis of the new mapping.

Geologic map of theMaverick Mountain 7.5'quadrangle, MaricopaCounty, Arizona:S. J. Skotnicki andR. S. Leighty, 1998, ArizonaGeological Slllvey Open-FileReport 98-14 (Pub. numberOFR 98-14), 18 p. scale1:24,000. $5.00

Geologic map of theBoulder Mountain 7.5'quadrangle, Maricopa andGila Counties, Arizona:S. J. Skotnicki andR. S. Leighty, 1998, ArizonaGeological Survey Open-FileReport 98-15 (Pub. numberOFR 98-15), 17 p., scale1:24,000. $5.00

Geologic map of theTonto Basin 7.5' quad­rangle, Gila and MaricopaCounties, Arizona:C. A. Ferguson, S. J.Skotnicki, and W. G. Gilbert,1998, Arizona GeologicalSurvey Open-File Report 98­16 (Pub. number OFR 98­16), 15 p., 2 sheets, scale1:24,000. $5.00

Geologic description,sampling, petroleumpotential, and deposi­tional environment of theChuar Group, GrandCanyon, Arizona:B. H. Wiley, S. 1. Rauzi,D. A. Cook, E. H. Clifton,Lung-Cl1Uan Kuo, andJ. A. Moser, 1998, ArizonaGeological Slllvey Open­File Report 98-17 (Pub.number OFR 98-17),92 p.,2 plates. $15.00

Geologic map of theHedgpeth Hills 7.5'Quadrangle, Maricop~County, Arizona:

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R. S. Leighty andGaly Huckleberry, 1998,Arizona Geological SurveyOpen-File Report 98-18(Pub. number OFR 98-18)20 p., scale 1:24,000. $7.00

Geologic map of theBiscuit Flat 7.5' quad­rangle, Maricopa County,Arizona: R. S. Leighty andGaly Hucklebeny, 1998,Arizona Geological SllIveyOpen-File Report 98-19(Pub. number OFR 98-19),20 p., scale 1:24,000. $7.00

Geologic map of theUnion Hills 7.5' quad­rangle, Maricopa County,Arizona: S. D. Hollowayand R. S. Leighty, 1998,Arizona Geological SllIveyOpen-File Report 98-20(Pub. number OFR 98-20),22 p., scale 1:24,000. $7.00

Geologic map of the NewRiver SE 7.5' quadrangle,Maricopa County, Ari­zona: R. S. Leighty andS. D. Holloway, 1998,Arizona Geological SurveyOpen-File Report 98-21(Pub. number OFR 98-21),25 p., scale 1:24,000. $7.50

Geology and geologichazards of the CasaGrande area, PinalCounty, Arizona:J. E. Klawon, P. A. Pearthree,S. J. Skotnicki, andC. A. Ferguson, 1998,Arizona Geological SllIveyOpen-File Report 98-23(Pub. number OFR 98-23),26 p., 6 sheets, scale1:24,000. $15.00

See 'Just Released"continued on page 5

OrderingInformationYou may purchase

publications at the AZGSoffice or by mail. Addressmail orders to AZGSPublications, 416 W.Congress St., Suite 100,Tucson, AZ 85701.Orders are shipped byUPS, which requires astreet address for delivery.All mail orders must beprepaid by a check ormoney order payable inU.S. dollars to the ArizonaGeological Surveyor byMaster Card or VISA. Donot send cash. Add 7%sales tax to the publicationcost for orders purchasedor mailed in Arizona.Order by publicationnumber and add theseshipping and handlingcharges to your total order:

Shipping & HandlingCHARGESIn the United States:

Less than $2.00, add $1.002.01- 10.00, add 3.50

10.01- 20.00, add 5.0020.01- 30.00, add 6.2530.01- 40.00, add 7.0040.01- 50.00, add 8.5050.01- 100.00, add 10.75

101.01- 200.00, add 15.00Over 200.00, call

Other countries,request price quotation.

Shipping and handlingcharges include insurance.For rolled maps, add $1.00for a mailing tube.

If you purchase Open­File Reports, ContributedMaps, or ContributedReports at the AZGS office,allow up to two days forphotocopying.

Ari=,ollo GeologyWinter 1998

Frolll the DirectorGovernor Jane Dee Hulldesignated October11-18 as Earth ScienceWeek. In Tucson 20earth science groupsorganized about 40activities. The ArizonaGeological Surveycoordinated the sched­uling and arranged forpublicity. Other activi­ties were offered in thePhoenix area. In Mesa,Hawthorne ElementarySchool filled the entireweek with earth scienceactivities.

The American Geo­logical Institute (AGI) isto be commended forinitiating Earth ScienceWeek and providinginformation and assis-

"Just Released"(continued from page 4)

Quaternary fault data andmap for Arizona:P. A. Pearthree, 1998,Arizona Geological SurveyOpen-File Report 98-24(Pub. number OFR 98-24),122 p., 1 HD DOS disk,scale 1:750,000. $20.00

Geologic map of the Mesa30' x 60' quadrangle,Arizona: ]. E. Spencer,S. M. Richard, andP. A. Pearthree, compilers;S. M. Kneale, digitizer, 1998,Arizona Geological SurveyDigital Information Series 11(Pub. number Dr 11),version 1.0, 16 p., 3 DOSHD disks. $30.00

tance to facilitate it. Onepart of the AGI's missionrelative to publicationsand communications is to"inform the general publicof the importance of theearth sciences in daily lifeand the role geoscientistsplay in meeting societalneeds." Is there a moreappropriate way tomeet this objective thanthrough Earth ScienceWeek activities?

I polled the participantsafterward to see whetherthere is interest in holdingan Earth Science WeekOctober 10-16, 1999, and,if so, what can be done toimprove it. Almost allfavored doing it again.They suggested that more

Geologic map of portionsof the Theodore RooseveltLake 30' x 60' quad­rangle, Arizona:]. E. Spencer, P. A. Pealthree,and S. M. Richard, compilers;S. M. Kneale, digitizer, 1998,Arizona Geological SurveyDigital Information Series 12(Pub. number Dr 12),version 1.0, 12 p., 2 DOSHD disks. $30.00

Geologic map of portionsof the Globe 30' x 60'quadrangle, Arizona:S. M. Richard, compiler, andS. M. Kneale, digitizer, 1998,Arizona Geological SurveyDigital Information Series 13(Pub. number Dr 13),version 1.0, 13 p., 2 HDDOS disks. $30.00

time be allowed forplanning and that muchmore publicity will beneeded. Activitiesshould be scheduledthroughou t Arizona.Mark your calendars.

Special thanks aredue to Governor Hull forgiving official recogni­tion to Earth ScienceWeek and to thosemembers of the agen­cies, departments, andprofessional societieswho took their valuabletime to make the firstEarth Science Week asuccess.

Larry D. FellowsDirector andState Geologist

Geologic map of theFountain Hills-MountMcDowell area, MaricopaCounty, Arizona:S.]. Skotnicki, compiler,and S. M. Kneale, digitizer,1998, Arizona GeologicalSurvey Digital InformationSeries 14 (Pub. numberDr 14), version 1.0, 14 p.,1 HD DOS disk. $15.00

Heavy metals in surfacesoils and streambedsediments in the Wallapaimining district,northwestern Arizona, ahistoric mining district ina semiarid region:Ulrike Rosner, 1998, ArizonaGeological Survey Contrib­uted Report 98-A (Pub.

. number CR 98-A), 43 p. $8.00

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HighwayGeologySymposium

The 49th annualHighway GeologySymposium (HGS),held in Prescott inSeptember, was a hugesuccess. The totalnumber of registrantswas 202. The highestnumber of registrantsin the previous 48symposia was 140.Forty-two technicalpapers were pre­sented. Some copiesof the Proceedings andField Trip Guide arestill available forpurchase. The costfor each is $30.00 plusshipping and handling,which will vary withdestination. ContactRussell Glass, treasurerof the HGS for specif­ics at (828) 298-3874.

Nick Priznar,Arizona Department ofTransportation(ADon,MaterialsGroup, was theGeneral Chairman ofthe 1998 HGS. TheArizona GeologicalSurvey and theDepartment ofGeology, NorthernArizona University,were cosponsors ofthe symposiumwith ADOT.

The 1999 HighwayGeology Symposiumwill be held inRoanoke, Virginia.See page 6 for details.

DATA • INVESTIGA TIONS • INFORMATION • SERVICE

1999 MEETINGS

Chiricahua Mountains

Tucson Gem and MineralShow (TGMS). The TGMSwill hold it's 45th AnnualShow in the Tucson Con­vention Center February11-14,1999. Minerals ofMexico will be featured.For more informationcontact the TGMS office at(520) 322-5773.

The Arizona GeologicalSurvey will have a booth atthe show. Please stop by tosay hello and look at ournewest publications. Better

yet, stop in at our office,which is just a short walkfrom the Convention Center,meet our staff, and inspectall of the maps and reportson Arizona geology.

American Institute ofProfessional Geologists(AIPG), Arizona Section.The AIPG will meet at theArizona Geological SUlveyFebrualy 13 (Saturday) at9:30 a.m. Tom Fails,National President of the

The Field Guide to theGeology of the ChiricalwaMountains, written by JohnV. Bezy, National ParkService, tells non-geologistshow the features inChiricahua National Monu­ment were formed. Thebook, small enough to fit

AIPG, will be the featuredspeaker. After the meetingthe group will walk to theTucson Convention Center,just a couple blocks away,for a guided tour of theTucson Gem and MineralShow.

AIPG members fromother states who are inTucson to attend the Gemand Mineral Show areencouraged to attend themeeting and go on the tour.

easily in a backpack,includes photographs anddescriptions of 18 geologicfeatures that can be seenfrom the Sugarloaf Mountainand Echo Canyon trailswithin the ChiricahuaNational Monument. The32-page book, published as

Highway Geology Sympo­sium (HGS). The 50th

annual HGS will be May 20­23 at the Hotel Roanoke inRoanoke, Virginia. A callfor papers has been madewith January 15, 1999 as thedeadline for receipt ofabstracts. Contact SkipWatts at Radford University,Institute for EngineeringGeosciences, Radford, VA24141 for more details.Telephone: (540) 831-5652;e-mail: cwatts@runet.edu

Down-to-Earth 8, may bepurchased from theArizona Geological SUlveyfor $6.95 plus shippingand handling charges.Refer to page 4 of thisissue to determine howshipping and handlingcharges are calculated.

Arizona Geological Survey416 West Congress, Suite 100

Tucson, AZ 85701(520) 770-3500

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