Eastern Mojave Vegetation Golden's Changing Landscapes, Panel #2  
 

 

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  Colorado, Jefferson County, Golden, Triceratops Trail
Photographed 21 December 2019.

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Golden's Changing Landscapes
Mountains Rise Higher, Volcanoes Erupt
67-34 million years ago.
The birth of the present-day Rocky Mountains began with the uplift of large fault-bounded blocks. Rivers washed rock debris from the newly elevated mountains, depositing coarse sand and gravel at their base. These deposits are now preserved as the Arapahoe, Denver, and Green Mountain formations. 64 million years ago, volcanic eruptions near Golden produced lava flows that form North and South Table Mountains.

As uplift of the Rockies continued, strata originally deposited horizontally were tilted to near vertical.

55-34 millions years ago, The Laramie Rocky Mountains were eroded down to a gently sloping surface. Sediments, carried by rivers, buried the mountain front and spread across the eastern plains.

Erosion Sculpts the Landscape
34 million years ago to today.

The present-day Rocky Mountains were uplifted to their current elevations. Rivers cut into their present valleys removing softer rock and leaving more resistant rocks. This erosion created features such as the high mountains of the Continental Divide, the jagged rock formations of Red Rocks, Dinosaur Ridge, Green Mountain, and the Table Mountains

Sign sponsored by SCFD, the Colorado Scientific Society, and Dr. Robert Weimer.

Article records that use this photograph:

  • Triceratops Trail, Golden, Jefferson County, Colorado: 72000.
  • Field Notes: 21 Dec 2019.

Other photos about Geography - Golden, Colorado or Triceratops Trail.

 


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Date and time this page was prepared: 9/22/2024 4:51:20 PM