Wolf Creek Valley Overlook, Mineral County (September, CGS 2025 Geology Calendar). Photo credit: Nate Rogers (CGS). Geology December 2, 2024 2025 Colorado Geology Calendar Back for the third year running, our popular annual calendar showcases a varied and beautiful photo tour around the state. We’re excited to share this next collection of photographs from current and former CGS staff members. Designed to keep you visually “in-the-know” on colorful Colorado geology, it reveals special locations…
Cover for publication SP-58 (Land of Ice) by Vince Matthews. Cropped to top half of image. Geology December 2, 2024 Land of Ice: Jaunts into Colorado’s Glacial Landscape (SP-58) Order this 11″x15″ spiral-bound book on our Amazon storefront, featuring over 600 full-color images, diagrams, maps, and road logs to exciting glacial features in Colorado! From the preface: Flowing ribbons of ice and rock sculpted much of the rugged landscape that we enjoy today. The cold…
The north face of Mount Lincoln (14 Geology November 30, 2023 2024 Colorado Geology Calendar Following up on last year’s popular geological photo tour around the state, we’re proud to share this next collection from current and former staff members. Designed to keep you visually in-the-know on colorful Colorado geology, it reveals special locations throughout the year! You can order your calendar on our (new)…
Large 700-series Caterpillar mine hauling trucks at the Holcim Portland Cement plant in Florence Energy, General, Minerals, Publications April 13, 2023 IS-85 Colorado Mineral and Energy Industry Activities 2021-2022 The current annual Colorado Mineral and Energy Industry Activities report for 2021-22 is now available. Following up on the 2020-21 report, this report is based on 2021 production data with additional reported news from 2022. It provides a comprehensive snapshot of Colorado’s mineral resource…
The Colorado River as it leaves the state Water February 7, 2023 Colorado Water Plan 2023 “Water is the lifeblood of our state, and we are taking strong actions to protect Colorado’s water for generations to come. As climate change places increased strain on Colorado’s precious water resources, we are taking a forward-thinking and innovative approach to ensure that all Colorado’s communities, farmers, and ranchers can…
The dunes from the park entrance road in spectacular clear air after an overnight dusting of snow at Great Sand Dunes National Park. Mount Herard (13 Geology December 16, 2022 2023 Colorado Geology Calendar We’ve been wanting to put together a calendar for some time now, and 2023 seems to be the right year! The geology of Colorado and its landscapes are as varied and as colorful as any place on the planet. And, yes, we think this collection of images from our staff—with…
Flooding and erosive flows following a 2004 rainstorm caused this bridge collapse in El Paso County. East Sand Creek had been "channelized" upstream of this structure - possibly concentrating the flows and resulting in this damage. Photo credit: Colorado Geological Survey.|Bank erosion (cut bank caving) along the North Fork of the Gunnison River in Paonia Hazards, Water November 11, 2022 Case study: Fluvial Hazard Zone “The Fluvial Hazard Zone (FHZ) is defined as the area a stream has occupied in recent history, may occupy, or may physically influence as it stores and transports water, sediment, and debris.” The CGS often collaborates with local, state, and federal agencies on projects concerning emergency preparedness and community…
MS-53 Colorado Stratigraphy Chart Geology, Publications September 7, 2022 MS-53 Colorado Stratigraphy Chart A collaboration between the CGS and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS) has resulted in a new stratigraphic chart for the state of Colorado. This beautifully designed color chart was designed from the ground up to illustrate the…
Earthquake damage: significant cracking and displacement in adobe wall of garage Geology, Hazards August 16, 2022 The Great ShakeOut The origins of The Great ShakeOut project lie, unsurprisingly, in Southern California, one of the more seismically active regions of the country. In 2008 a group of experts collaboratively modeled what might happen when a major earthquake hits the Southern California region. The detailed report, titled…
Pyrite Geology, Hazards, Publications, Water July 21, 2022 Case Study: NARD Are pristine mountain waters always clean and pure? Can streams unaffected by human activities and livestock influences be unfit for human consumption, or for aquatic life? The existence of natural acid rock drainage (NARD) suggests a “no” to the former, and a “yes” to the latter question. But…
An expansive view of most of Colorado looking from the south-south-west from the International Space Station (ISS). Photo credit: NASA. General, Geology April 8, 2022 NASA Earth Observatory One of our favorite online feeds is from the NASA Earth Observatory along with their Image of the Day. After catching a recent article on the San Luis Valley, we thought that our loyal subscribers might be interested…
Helicorder trace from Trinidad seismometer station Geology, Hazards March 25, 2022 CGS Seismic Stations Early History The Colorado School of Mines first acquired and installed a single three-component seismograph in the Cecil H. Green Observatory at Bergen Park, about 9 mi (14 km) southwest of Golden. That system was in continuous high-gain operation into the 1980s and was, during that…