Skyline Drive
Skyline Drive

General, Geology

Fremont County geologic attractions

Fremont County, two hours south of Denver, is located on the south-central Front Range of Colorado in a geological region called the Cañon City Embayment. Its geological environment and history is incredibly diverse as are its paleontological treasures. It is the only county in Colorado featuring two…

Interstate-70 running through Glenwood Canyon is one of the most spectacular segments of the US Interstate system. Photo credit: Vince Matthews for the CGS.
Interstate-70 running through Glenwood Canyon is one of the most spectacular segments of the US Interstate system. Photo credit: Vince Matthews for the CGS.

Geology

The Glenwood Canyon Highway

This recent RMPBS/Colorado Experience video traces the history of transportation through Colorado’s spectacular Glenwood Canyon. It focuses on the complex construction process of Interstate-70 that sought to harmonize with the geology and the landscape. Initially fraught with controversy and opposition, the Glenwood Canyon Highway is one…

A 3610 g slice of the Bear Creek meteorite being held for scale that was formerly in the Jurgen Nauber Meteorite Collection (JNMC) in Zurich
A 3610 g slice of the Bear Creek meteorite being held for scale that was formerly in the Jurgen Nauber Meteorite Collection (JNMC) in Zurich

General, Geology

Tale of the Bear Creek Meteorite, Jefferson County, Colorado

By Matthew Morgan, Deputy Director, Colorado Geological Survey and Gary Curtiss, Lakewood geologist and meteorite collector The prior discovery by George R. Morrison of the Bear Creek iron meteorite was confirmed on April 18, 1866 when Morrison and James L. Wilson returned to a location approximately 48 km (30…

Mining town
Mining town, Eureka, San Juan County, Colorado, circa 1900. Photo credit: William Henry Jackson. CGS media archive.

Geology, Minerals, Publications

Re-introducing: Historic Metal Mining Districts

As the reconstruction of our website continues, we recently redeployed a popular package of information that was compiled and made available by former CGS Senior Minerals Geologist, Mr. James Burnell, during the 2010s. Referencing a variety of sources, Burnell researched most of the major districts around the state. Each district…

HAZUS simulation: 1882 Earthquake
HAZUS simulation: 1882 Earthquake

Geology, Hazards

Case Study: The Big One

It has been 140 years since “The Big One”: Colorado’s largest historic earthquake: November 7, 1882 – Magnitude 6.6. On Tuesday, November 7, 1882 at about 6:30 p.m. local Denver time, a moderately strong earthquake shook much of Colorado and parts of southern Wyoming and northeastern Utah. The following quote…