Talk:Guadalupian

The Source of the Guadalupian is the Guadaloupe Mountains of Southern New Mexico, and West Texas. The Mountains are a Permian Reef ( Limestone ), that overlooks the Permian Basin ( Gypsum ). Only a portion of the Reef is exposed. Starting at Carlsbad, New Mexico, and proceeding westward, the reef climbs in an arc until it reaches a high point at EL CAPITAN just inside Texas.

The Majority of the reef is under Texas. It is about 400 miles long, but the portion east of Carlsbad New Mexico is buried under overlying layers of rock and soil.

The Portion west of Carlsbad is exposed limestone, (reef, fore reef, and back reef)and contains more than three thousand known caves and caverns. Many contain spectacular cave formations derived from both limestone and Gypsum.

Michael W. Clark, Golden, Colorado, USA.