Post burial alteration of the Permian Rustler Formation Evaporites, WIPP [Waste Isolation Pilot Plant] site, New Mexico: Textural, stratigraphic and chemical evidence

The Rustler Formation is a Late Permian (Ochoan Series) evaporite found in the subsurface and in outcrop in New Mexico and west Texas. The main rock types of the Rustler Formation are anhydrite, gypsum, halite, dolostone and siliciclastic sandstone and mudstone. Across the WIPP site, located in southeastern New Mexico, some of the Rustler rock types and their thicknesses change dramatically over short lateral distances. These lateral variations have mainly been attributed to post-burial dissolution of evaporites. The aim of the present study is to distinguish syndepositional features from post burial alteration features in the Rustler Formation. Four borehole cores of the complete Rustler Formation were examined. Primary sedimentary structures, textures and fabrics were identified, based on comparison with modern evaporite deposits. Vertical and lateral patterns of primary sedimentary features were recorded. From this information, depositional settings have been assembled which best account for the observed types of primary features and their vertical and lateral distribution. With this framework, post-depositional diagenetic overprints were identified in the Rustler Formation. The question of whether subsurface diagenetic alteration is presently active at the WIPP site is addressed