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e coal field. The ro lu the Sangre de Cristo Dloua[alne along the western
<br />argln of the Trlnldn~tl field have been throat faulted, but Involve the coel-
<br />aring and younger [o motions only locally. Normal faults are no[ common
<br />the coal field, but leolBted groups o[ norwal faults of eptell dleplacement occur
<br />roughout [be area.
<br />Dada of coal occur throughout the Verlne]o and Raton formations, end thin
<br />ds of coal occur locally la the lowermost beds of the PoleoD Canyon [nrma-
<br />3n. The beds o[ cool dlRer In thickness end fa purity. Those In the Raton
<br />d Poleon Casyou formations ere, la general, more lentlculer lhaD [hose ID
<br />e Vernle]o forme[IoD. The coal le a aoaegglomerating high-volatile C bltuml-
<br />]ue coal In the northern Purt o[ the coal field, and an agglomereting high
<br />ladle A and D bltunllnotls coal In the southern part of the field. On an "ae
<br />calved" basis the healing value ranges from slightly more than 11,000 to
<br />gh[ly less Lhea 14,0(10 Btu. The orlglDOl reserves are estimated oa a "bed-by-
<br />d" basis and on a "coal-zone" basis to have been about 10,307 million short
<br />De. The original recoverable reserves baeed on an aversge percentage of
<br />covert' In cool mines of the western Unl[ed States are about 8,184 uJllloD
<br />sort tons. At ]east 2l8 million tone of coal had been mined by 1967, or about
<br />7 percent o[ the eetlnlated total recoverable reserves.
<br />INTRODUCTION
<br />LOCATION AND E%TENT OF T8E COAL FIELD
<br />The Trinidad coal field underlies nn area of nbotlt 1,100 square
<br />Liles in Huerfnno and Las Animas Counties (fig. 18) in the sotlth-
<br />entrnl part of Colorado. It is irregular in shape, the boundary ex-
<br />)nding from the Colorado-New itfexica boundary, northward along
<br />le front of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains almost to the Huerfnno
<br />.fiver; and thence soutlleastlvard to longitude 104°30' West near the
<br />tale line. The Trinidad cool field is tl)nt port of the Raton I14esa coal
<br />egion (Richardson, 1910, p. 379) that lies in Colorado, lvhelens [he
<br />Anton cool field is that pert of the coral region in Nett' ilfexico. Tllis
<br />sport describes the coal resources of file Trinidad coal field west of
<br />)ngitude 104°30' W.
<br />PIIRPOSE AND 6COPE OF REPORT
<br />The purpose of this report is to describe the coal deposits of the
<br />~rinidnd coal field, to evaluate the total coral reserves of the field, and
<br />7 synthesize information contained in recently published Geological
<br />urvey reports on cool resources of various parts of the coral field (see
<br />g. 18.) Geologic work was diverted priucipnlly toward describing,
<br />)ensuring, unrl trnciug the coal beds and enclosing strain to determine
<br />le coal reserves of the field. Attentiml was also given to the sedi-
<br />e.nt,nry, metamorpbic, and igneous rocks to determine the 6renernl
<br />eology, structure, and geologic history of the coal lield nnrl sur-
<br />ounfling regions.
<br />FIELDWOR% AND AC%NOWLEDODSENTB
<br />• 1'he fieldwork on which this heport is bnserl tens done dL~g the
<br />summers of 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1052, and 1056. Workers in the
<br />field included G. Ii. \Vood, Jr., R. B. Johnson, I). II. Enrgle, 11: T.
<br />3I'30'
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<br />Area o[ coal mope
<br />E:(PLANAT)ON
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<br />74inidad coal Geld
<br />I~t°unn 18.-Index map of the Trinidad tool Deld, Colorado, showing areas o[ recent coal
<br />reporln by the Oeologlml Hung; stonewall-Tercto area (wood, ]obneon, Eargle, and
<br />others, 10511. La Vels Brea (7obneon and Stephens, 1BS~e, 105{b), Oulnere. Cuchora
<br />rasa. end 8tonewnll area (R'ood, 7ohnson, and Dlaon, 1858), 6tarkrlUe-w'erlon area
<br />(wood, 7ohnsao, end Dl:on, 1BS7), wslaeoburg Brea (7ohnsan, 3858a ), sad Trloldad-
<br />Agullor area (Harbour and Dlaan, 1B5B).
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