Well-exposed monocline on the northwest end of the Uncompahgre Plateau, Mesa County, Colorado, October 2014. Photo credit: Colorado Geological Survey.

Geology

Colorado has some of the most varied, spectacular, and ultimately visible geology in the nation, spanning 2.7 billion years of the Earth’s history. From the eastern High Plains, to the central Rockies soaring more than 14,000 ft (4,200 m) above sea level, and to the western red-rock canyons, Colorado has incredibly diverse rocks, minerals, and fossils, along with many active geological processes and hazards.

The CGS is a leading scientific organization studying the geology and the complex geological processes around the state, producing detailed geologic, groundwater, and geologic hazard maps, along with mineral and energy resource information. The staff at the CGS combine expert field-work with laboratory and bibliographic research to describe and map Colorado geology. Funding sources include the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program (STATEMAP) as well as other local, state, and federal agencies. CGS data, maps, and publications, most of them free for download, are found through our GIS/Data index and the CGS Bookstore.