Locality: Carlsbad, Eddy County, New Mexico, USA
Description: Cross section of the Delaware Basin (Permian age). The Basin was formed by the cyclic evaporation of a shallow sea, leaving behind beds of evaporite minerals such as halite, gypsum, anhydrite and carnallite. Subsequent compaction and dehydration of the beds as more layers were deposited led to formation of sylvite in the McNutt member. The Delaware basin is bounded by the carbonaceous Capitan Reef. The final stage was deposition of the Dewey Lake red beds at the end of the Permian age.

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