Colorado Geological Survey Research Notes

Here at the Colorado Geological Survey, our publications library is constantly evolving and growing. Our publications archive is always being updated, and new items are published to our website on a monthly basis. All this work is in pursuit of our mission statement:

To reduce the impact of geologic hazards on Colorado’s citizens, promote responsible economic development of mineral and energy resources, provide geologic insight into water resources, and offer sound geologic advice and information to diverse constituencies.

In short, we aim to bring the best of Colorado geoscience to the public. Most of our over 900 publications are free, and available for instant download from our publications library.

To further our mission of bringing Colorado geoscience to the public, we are introducing a new publication series: Research Notes!

But first… what are the different publication types we furnish here at the CGS? 

They include the following series, each with its own purpose and review requirements: 

B- Bulletin: publications covering varied geological topics (e.g., landslides, debris flows, radioactivity, geothermal, minerals) in a variety of formats, including reports, books, and bibliographies   

EG- Environmental/Engineering Geology: maps and reports covering environmental and engineering geology 

HA- HAZUS: earthquake hazard estimation reports 

IS- Information Series: predominantly mineral-resource and mineral-fuel related activity reports, bibliographies, directories, and inventories 

MI- Miscellaneous Investigations: publications covering varied geological topics (e.g., fault studies, cross sections, aeromag, geophysics), typically maps or reports 

MS- Map Series: maps covering general geology, coal resources, oil and gas, geothermal, mineral resources, geologic hazards, and water resources, typically one plate only 

OF- Open-File Reports: publications covering varied geological topics (e.g., geologic quadrangle maps, county groundwater reports; geochronology data packages), typically data, maps, and cross sections 

ON- Online Resources: GIS-based mapping resources 

OS- Oil Shale: series used in the 1970s for a series of seven oil shale studies and reports 

PO- Poster: series used for eight Colorado-specific geologic wall posters intended for educational outreach 

RS- Resource Series: mineral, mineral fuels, geothermal, and aggregate-related publications, may include reports, maps, directories, data, and cross sections 

SP- Special Publications: publications covering varied geological topics (e.g., dinosaurs, meteorites, glaciers, general geology) in a variety of formats, including reports, maps, books, and conference proceedings 

All these publication types have different content and review requirements. Many are modeled from USGS publication series. Some series are currently in production at the CGS, and some are defunct or deprecated (meaning that no new publications of this type are in production, nor do we anticipate there being any in the future). Our publication series with the greatest number of reports is the Open-File Report (OF-) series, which includes STATEMAP/geologic mapping quadrangles (post-1990s), county groundwater reports, miscellaneous maps, reports, and data packages. 

So, where does this new publication series Research Notes fit in?

As Research Notes publications are not subject to the typical Colorado Geological Survey review process, they carry the following disclaimer: 

“Research Notes are intended to provide members of the geoscience community with an avenue for publishing independent research and for supporting scientific exchange and the preservation of observations and interpretations. These publications have not been subject to the typical Colorado Geological Survey review process, but submissions are screened for general relevance and basic technical quality. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this publication are solely those of the individual author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the Colorado Geological Survey, the Colorado School of Mines, or their employees.” 

We acknowledge that not all geological research fits perfectly into a journal paper or a geologic map (for example). Research Notes are meant to capture these informal reports, field observations, and other miscellaneous pieces of information. They provide a venue for concise, observation-driven geologic contributions that still meet basic standards of scientific credibility. While not peer reviewed in the traditional sense, all submissions are screened for scientific plausibility, technical clarity, relevance, and proper documentation. Speculative or unsupported material will not be accepted. Appropriate submissions may include field observations, short analytical case studies, preliminary mapping notes, stratigraphic descriptions, or documentation of unusual geologic features.

Our first set of Research Notes publications (RN-01 through -04) was authored by Dr. Keenan Lee, Professor Emeritus of the Colorado School of Mines Department of Geology and Geological Engineering. These four reports cover mapping of glacial and flood deposits in southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico, across several river systems: 

RN-01 The Vallecito flood— a catastrophic flood on Los Pinos River, southern San Juan Mountains, Colorado and New Mexico 

RN-02 Glacial outburst floods on the Animas River, Colorado and New Mexico 

RN-03 Glacial outburst floods on the Uncompahgre River, Colorado 

RN-04 Glacial outburst floods on the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River, Colorado

For individuals wishing to submit material for future Research Notes publications, please contact our publications team at askcgs@coloradogeologicalsurvey.org. The Colorado Geological Survey reserves the right to accept or reject submissions. All materials are reviewed for general relevance and basic technical quality and may be subject to revisions before publication.