Río Grande Rift (2)

Historical marker location:

I-40, Albuquerque, New Mexico

( Northwest of Intersection of I-25 on West I-40)

Albuquerque is situated at the juncture of two major blocks in the earth's crust. One block, the Sandia Mountains, is tilted upward toward the east along the Sandia fault. West of the fault, the Rio Grande Rift has dropped downward forming a great trough which has subsided 26,000 feet from the rim of the mountains.

New Mexico was one of the last territories to become a state, gaining statehood in 1912. Before that, it had been part of the Spanish Empire, Mexico, and the United States Territory of New Mexico.