Madera fossils. Photo by Shari Kelly
PEEC News:
- Space Limited For Fossil Outing Saturday
Geologist Patrick Rowe will lead another outing for PEEC, this time to look for fossils at Battleship Rock in the Jemez Mountains.
In this area Madera Limestone is prevalent, which has long been known for its wonderfully preserved marine fossils. The outing will meet at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 11 at the “old PEEC” at 3540 Orange St. It is free to attend, but registration is required.
The Pennsylvanian Madera Group, is a gray fossiliferous limestone interbedded with black shale. The Madera Group limestones and shales were deposited in a shallow ocean that covered northern New Mexico about 300 million years ago. The fossils preserved in the Madera Group include brachiopods, bryozoans, and crinoid stems.
From the vantage spot to which the group will hike, it is also possible to view the upper contact of the Madera Group with the overlying red Permian Abo Formation. These rocks indicate that the shoreline of the ocean moved back and forth across the Jemez Springs region for a time before the sea retreated toward the south approximately 290 million years ago.
Only 40 spots are available. Rowe’s outings are always very popular, so those interested are encouraged to register soon.
The Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) was founded in 2000 to serve the community of Los Alamos. It offers people of all ages a way to enrich their lives by strengthening their connections to our canyons, mesas, mountains, and skies.
PEEC will operate the new Los Alamos Nature Center, opening April 22. PEEC also holds regular programs and events, and hosts a number of interest groups from birding to hiking to butterfly watching. PEEC activities are open to everyone; however members receive exclusive benefits such as discounts on programs and merchandise. Annual memberships start at $35. To learn more, visit www.peecnature.org.
