# Kelly Limestone

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{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Short description|Geologic formation in New Mexico, United States}}
{{Infobox rockunit
| name           = Kelly Limestone
| image          = 
| caption        = 
| type           = [Formation](/source/Formation_(stratigraphy))
| period         = Tournaisian
| age            = {{Geological range|Tournaisian|Visean}}
| prilithology   = [Limestone](/source/Limestone)
| otherlithology = 
| namedfor       = [Kelly, New Mexico](/source/Kelly%2C_New_Mexico)
| namedby        = C.L. Herrick
| year_ts        = 1904
| region         = [New Mexico](/source/New_Mexico)
| country        = United States
| coordinates    = {{coord|34.090|N|107.196|W|display=inline}}
| unitof         =
| subunits       = Ladron Member<br/>Calosa Member
| underlies      = [Sandia Formation](/source/Sandia_Formation)
| overlies       = [Basement rock](/source/Basement_(geology))
| thickness      = {{convert|30|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| extent         =
| area           =
| map            = {{Location map+ | United States#New Mexico
| relief = 1
| width   = 250
| float   = center
| places  =
  {{Location map~ | United States#New Mexico
  | lat_deg = 34.090
  | lon_deg = -107.196
  | mark = Green pog.svg
  | marksize = 12
  }}
}}
| map_caption    =
}}

The '''Kelly Limestone''' is a [geologic formation](/source/geologic_formation) in [New Mexico](/source/New_Mexico), United States. Its fossil assemblage is characteristic of the [Early](/source/Early_Mississippian) to [Middle Mississippian](/source/Middle_Mississippian).<ref name=ArmstrongEtal1992>{{cite journal |last1=Armstrong |first1=A.K. |last2=Mamet |first2=B.L. |last3=Repetski |first3=J.E. |title=Stratigraphy of the Mississippian System, south-central Colorado and north-central New Mexico |journal=U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin |date=1992 |volume=1787-EE |doi=10.3133/b1787EE|doi-access=free }}</ref>

== Description ==
The Kelly Limestone consists of approximately {{convert|30|m||sp=us}} of marine [limestone](/source/limestone).<ref name=ArmstrongEtal1992/> It is found in the [Lemitar](/source/Lemitar%2C_New_Mexico), [Ladron](/source/Ladron_Peak), and [Magdalena Mountains](/source/Magdalena_Mountains) of west-central [New Mexico](/source/New_Mexico), US.<ref name=ArmstrongMamet1976/> The formation rests on [Precambrian](/source/Precambrian) [basement](/source/Basement_(geology)) rock and is overlain by the [Sandia Formation](/source/Sandia_Formation). The Kelly Limestone is divided into a lower Calosa [Member](/source/Member_(geology)) and an upper Ladron Member, which are separated by an [unconformity](/source/unconformity).<ref name=ArmstrongEtal1992/>

The Kelly Limestone likely correlates with the [Arroyo Penasco Group](/source/Arroyo_Penasco_Group) in northern New Mexico and the [Leadville Limestone](/source/Leadville_Limestone) of [Colorado](/source/Colorado).<ref name=ArmstrongEtal1992/> These were deposited in a major [marine transgression](/source/marine_transgression) (advance of the ocean across the continent) in the Mississippian.<ref name=ArmstrongMamet1976/>

== Fossil content ==
The formation contains fossil [conodonts](/source/conodonts) indicating that it ranges from [Tournaisian](/source/Tournaisian) to [Visean](/source/Visean) (Early to Middle Mississippian) in age.<ref name=ArmstrongEtal1992/>

The lower Caloso Member contains fossils of the [brachiopods](/source/brachiopods) ''[Beecheria](/source/Beecheria) chouteauensis'' and ''[Spirifer](/source/Spirifer) centronatus'' and the [fusulinid](/source/fusulinid)s ''[Latiendothyra](/source/Latiendothyra)'', ''[Medioendothyra](/source/Medioendothyra)'', and 
''[Tuberendothyra](/source/Tuberendothyra)''. The upper Ladron Member contains a diverse fossil assemblage, including brachiopods such as ''[Rhipidomella](/source/Rhipidomella)''  and ''[Linoproductus](/source/Linoproductus)'', [blastoid](/source/blastoid) [echinoderm](/source/echinoderm)s such as ''[Pentremites](/source/Pentremites) conoideus'', [cnidarian](/source/cnidarian)s such as ''[Zaphriphyllum](/source/Zaphriphyllum) casteri'', and numerous species of microscopic [algae](/source/algae) and [foraminifera](/source/foraminifera)ns.<ref name=ArmstrongMamet1976/>

==Economic resources==
The Kelly Limestone was the principal ore-bearing formation of the historic [Magdalena, New Mexico](/source/Magdalena%2C_New_Mexico) mining district. The ore takes the form of replacement deposits in the limestone produced by nearby [igneous intrusion](/source/igneous_intrusion)s.<ref name="LoughlinKoschmann1942">{{cite journal |last1=Loughlin |first1=G.F. |last2=Koschmann |first2=A.H. |title=Geology and ore deposits of the Magdalena mining district, New Mexico |journal=U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper |date=1942 |volume=200 |doi=10.3133/pp200|doi-access=free |hdl=2027/mdp.39015080069993 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> The best ore was found in the so-called "silver pipes" beds, which were dense [dolomitic](/source/Dolomite_(mineral)) limestone contrasting with the high-calcium limestone making up most of the rest of the formation.{{sfn|Loughlin|Koschmann|1942|p=16}}

== History of investigation ==
The formation was first named as the Graphic-Kelly Formation by C.L. Herrick in 1904 for exposures near the mining town of [Kelly, New Mexico](/source/Kelly%2C_New_Mexico).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Herrick |first1=C.L. |year=1904 |title=Laws of formation of New Mexico mountain ranges |journal=American Geologist |volume=33 |number=5 |pages=301–312 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p2tDAQAAMAAJ&dq=Herrick%2C%20C.L.%2C%201904%2C%20Laws%20of%20formation%20of%20New%20Mexico%20mountain%20ranges%20%20American%20Geologist%2C%20v.%2033%2C%20no.%205%2C%20p.%20301%20312.%20&pg=PA301 |access-date=January 11, 2022}}</ref> The hyphenated name was found objectionable, and the formation was renamed as the Kelly Limestone by C.H. Gordon in 1907.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gordon |first1=C.H. |year=1907 |title=Mississippian (Lower Carboniferous) formations in the Rio Grande Valley, New Mexico |journal=American Journal of Science |series=4 |volume=24 |issue=139 |pages=58–64 |doi=10.2475/ajs.s4-24.139.58 |bibcode=1907AmJS...24...58G |url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/d46587c91489d66a28a88bf9494d3b87/1/advanced |access-date=January 11, 2022|url-access=subscription }}</ref> In 1976, A.K. Armstrong and B.L. Mamet divided the formation into the Caloso and Ladron Members.<ref name=ArmstrongMamet1976>{{cite journal |last1=Armstrong |first1=A.K. |last2=Mamet |first2=B.L. |title=Biostratigraphy and regional relations of the Mississippian Leadville limestone in the San Juan Mountains, southwestern Colorado |journal=U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper |series=Professional Paper |date=1976 |volume=985 |doi=10.3133/pp985|doi-access=free }}</ref>

== See also ==
* [List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in New Mexico](/source/List_of_fossiliferous_stratigraphic_units_in_New_Mexico)
* [Paleontology in New Mexico](/source/Paleontology_in_New_Mexico)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

Category:Carboniferous formations of New Mexico
Category:Carboniferous southern paleotropical deposits
Category:Limestone formations of the United States

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kelly Limestone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Limestone) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Limestone?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.