Tucson Mts, Pima Co., Arizona, USA

‡Ref.: Jenkins, O.P., and Wilson, E.D. (1920) A geological reconnaissance of the Tucson and Amole Mountains, with Notes on the southern section of the Amole mining district, by M.A. Allen: Arizona Bureau of Mines Bulletin no. 106, 29 p.

Brown, W.H. (1939), Tucson Mountains, an Arizona basin and range type, Geological Society of America Bull.: 50: 697-760.

Whitney, R.L. (1957) Stratigraphy and structure of the northeastern part of the Tucson Mountains: Tucson, University of Arizona, M.S. thesis, 61 p.

Colby, R.E. (1958) Stratigraphy and structure of the Recreation Redbeds, Tucson Mountain Park, Arizona: Tucson, University of Arizona, M.S. thesis, 54 p. Contributions to Economic Geology, 1918, Part I, USGS Bull. 690.

Kinnison, J.E. (1958) Geology and ore deposits of the southern section of the Amole mining district, Tucson Mountains, Pima County, Arizona: Tucson, University of Arizona, M.S. thesis, 126 p.

Galbraith, F.W. & D.J. Brennan (1959), Minerals of Arizona: 85, 100.

Imswiler, J.B. (1959) Structural geology of the Safford Peak area, Tucson Mountains, Pima County, Arizona: Tucson, University of Arizona, M.S. thesis, 46 p.

Kinnison, J.E. (1959) Structure of the Saginaw area, Tucson Mountains, Arizona, in Heindl, L.A., ed., Southern Arizona Guidebook II, combined with the 2nd annual Arizona Geological Society Digest: Arizona Geological Society, p. 146-151.

Greenstein, G. (1961) The structure of the Amole Arkose north of King Canyon, Tucson Mountains, Arizona: Tucson, University of Arizona, M.S. thesis, 42 p.

Mayo, E.B. (1963) Volcanic orogeny of the Tucson Mountains (a preliminary report): Arizona Geological Society Digest: 6: 61-82.

Mayo, E.B., and McCullough, E.J., Jr. (1964) Emplacement of basement blocks in the Tucson Mountain Chaos near Tucson, Arizona: Arizona Academy of Science, Journal: 3(2): 81-86.

McCoy, S., Jr., (1964) A description of the limestone blocks of the Tucson Mountain Chaos, Pima County, Arizona: Tucson, University of Arizona, M.S. thesis, 45 p.

Horton, J.W. (1966) The geology of the Mam-A-Gah picnic area, Tucson Mountains, Pima County, Arizona: Tucson, University of Arizona, M.S. thesis, 59 p.

Knight, L.H., Jr. (1967) Structural geology of the Cat Mountain Rhyolite in the northern Tucson Mountains, Pima County, Arizona: Tucson, University of Arizona, M.S. thesis, 68 p.

Mayo, E.B. (1968) A history of geologic investigation in the Tucson Mountains, Pima County, Arizona, in Titley, S.R., ed., Southern Arizona Guidebook III: Arizona Geological Society: 155-170.

Anthony, J.W., et al (1995), Mineralogy of Arizona, 3rd. ed.: 215, 235, 282, 284, 343, 350, 382, 393, 395, 413, 414.

The Tucson Mountains lie in southeastern Arizona and occupy a large part of the eastern half of the Langhorne quadrangle, between latitude 32º00' and 32º30'N. and longitude 111º00' and 111º15'W. The range trends about NNW and is bordered on the eastern side by the shallow Santa Cruz Valley and on the west by a similar valley locally called the Altar, Avra, or Abra Valley. The city of Tucson is located at the east base of the central part of the range. The range is 25 miles long and about 10 miles wide in the central part, narrowing toward both ends.

The range consists of a series of folded and thrust-faulted Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks, upon the eroded and peneplaned edges of which lie a series of Tertiary effusives. A great thrust fault which can be traced almost the length of the range was nearly obliterated by the erosion which left the overthrust block represented by a multitude of small klippen on the pre-volcanic surface. Post-volcanic block faulting, tilting of the composite mass toward the east, and erosion have given rise to an escarpment along the western side of the range and a dip-slope on the east. Large intrusives in the west-central part, and transverse as well as longitudinal faulting throughout, have added to the complexity of the structure of the range.