Finding the best colorado geology suitable for your needs isnt easy. With hundreds of choices can distract you. Knowing whats bad and whats good can be something of a minefield. In this article, weve done the hard work for you.
Best colorado geology
1. Roadside Geology of Colorado
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Mountain Press Publishing CompanyDescription
The third edition of this popular guide is now even betterits full color. Colorados multihued rocksfrom white and red sandstones to green shales and pink granitesare vividly splashed across the pages in stunning color photographs. Detailed color maps and diagrams clearly distill the states complex bedrock geology. Updated text includes information about new discoveries, such as the mastodons and other Pleistocene fossils found at Snowmass, and new parks, such as Chimney Rock National Monument. Roadside Geology of Colorado is a must-have for any Colorado rock enthusiast.2. Geology Underfoot Along Colorado's Front Range
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Used Book in Good ConditionDescription
The transition from the relatively flat Great Plains to the craggy peaks of Colorados Front Range is one of North Americas most abrupt topographical contrasts. The epic, 1,800-million-year geologic story behind this amazing landscape is even more awe inspiring. In Geology Underfoot along Colorados Front Range, the most recent addition to the Geology Underfoot series, authors (and geoscientists) Lon Abbott and Terri Cook narrate the Front Ranges tale, from its humble beginnings as a flat, nondescript seafloor through several ghostly incarnations as a towering mountain range. The books 21 chapters, or vignettes, lead you to easily accessible stops along the Front Ranges highways and byways, where youll meet the apatosaur and other dinosaurs who roamed the floodplains and beaches that once covered the Front Range; look for diamonds in rare, out-of-the-way volcanic pipes; learn how Americas mountain, Pikes Peak, developed from molten magma miles below the surface only to become an important visual landmark for early Great Plains travelers; and walk the Gangplank, a singularly important plateau for both nineteenth-century westward expansion and our understanding of the Front Ranges most recent exhumation. A healthy dose of full-color illustrations and photos demystify the concepts put forth in the authors elegant, insightful prose. With Geology Underfoot along Colorados Front Range in hand, youll feel like youre traveling through time as you explore the Front Ranges hidden geologic treasures.3. Hiking Colorado's Geology (Hiking Geology)
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* 50 hikes reveal Colorado's geologic history and diversity
* Trailside Geology section offers advice for practical study on the trail
Erupting volcanoes, shifting seas, the icy embrace of giant glaciers, haunts of the dinosaurs: it's all here in Hiking Colorado's Geology. In 50 hikes, you'll see first-hand evidence of the most dramatic geologic events that created and continue to shape the terrain of this beautiful state.
You'll benefit, too, from the authors' long experience as guides and lecturers, sharing their passion for the natural world. The guide is easy to use, with each hike headlined with the geologic features profiled. You'll also find an introductory section on geologic principles you'll see on the trail.
4. Rocks Above the Clouds: A Hiker's and Climber's Guide to Colorado Mountain Geology (Colorado Mountain Club Pack Guides)
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* A geologic primer for mountain people.
* A range-by-range geologic description of Colorado mountains
* Detailed geologic information on the Fourteeners.
Rocks Above the Clouds is the first geology book written for climbers, scramblers and hikers. It is an exploration of how the nature of mountains and the challenges they present to the climber and hiker are influenced by the rocks that form them, in other words, by their geology.
After describing the types of rocks found in mountains, the authors of Rocks Above the Clouds cover the geologic process from the big bang through the processes that continue to shape the mountains today. This mountain geology primer is a range-by-range description of what to expect in the Colorado mountains followed by some very curious information on the Colorado 14ers.
Whether you travel in the mountains as a casual hiker, peak bagging scrambler, or technical climber, knowledge of mountain geology can help in planning your route, selecting your campsite and evaluating the hazards you face. Knowing something about different rock types might enable you to pick a route that avoids loose rock. Knowing that when wet, a particular rock surface will feel like oil might encourage you to forgo that siesta on the summit and head down before the afternoon thunderstorm.
5. Geological Evolution of the Colorado Plateau of Eastern Utah and Western Colorado
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Used Book in Good ConditionDescription
Robert Fillmores clear, easy-to-read text documents spectacular features of the eastern Colorado Plateau, one of the most interesting and scenic geologic regions in the world. The area covered in detail stretches from the Book Cliffs to the deep canyons of the San Juan River area. The events that shaped this vast region are clearly described and include the most recent interpretations of ongoing geologic forces. The book also includes mile-by-mile road logs with explanations of the various features for most of the scenic roads in the region, including Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and the Natural Bridges area.
6. Colorado Rockhounding: A Guide to Minerals, Gemstones, and Fossils (Rock Collecting)
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Used Book in Good ConditionDescription
Colorado Rockhounding is a complete guide to the state's rich and varied mineral, gemstone, and fossil sources. In Colorado, rockhounds may pick agate and petrified wood from the vast Great Plains, follow dinosaur tracks on hogback ridges, pan gold in mountain streams, hunt gemstones on towering peaks, and search for metal sulfide minerals in historic mining districts.7. Roadside Geology of Colorado (Roadside Geology Series)
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The rocks and landforms have not changed much since the publication of the first edition of the Roadside Geology of Colorado in 1980, but our understanding of them has. With expanded coverage, updated maps, new photographs, and the latest geologic interpretations, this nontechnical guide introduces you to the tumultuous geological history of Colorado s mountains, plateaus, and plains. The second edition includes tours of Black Canyon in Gunnison National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Preserve, Mesa Verde National Park, and Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.8. Geology of Colorado Illustrated
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8.5x11 in. with over 360 blk & wh illustrations,including photos, maps and sketches. The book is intended to teach basic geology, using Colorado examples, to the tourist and/or college freshman. The first 21 pages introduce rocks, minerals and basic terms of geology. Other chapters deal with specific areas of Colorado, such as Denver Basin, San Luis Valley, San Juan Mts. etc. Detailed index. 4800 already sold. A textbook at Mesa State College 5 years.9. Rocks, Gems, and Minerals of the Rocky Mountains (Falcon Pocket Guides)
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Rocks, Gems, and Minerals of the Rocky Mountains is a field guide to more than 130 of themost common and sought-afterrocks, gems, and minerals hidden throughout the Rocky Mountains. Conveniently sized to fit in your pocket and featuring full-color, detailedphotographs, this informativeguide makesit easy to identifyrocks in your backyard and beyond. Also included isan introduction that covers fundamental geology information and interesting facts.This is the essential source when you're out in the field, both informative and beautiful to peruse.
10. Guide to the Geology of Colorado
