Idaho Springs Formation Report

After we went in three different field trips, Red rocks park, North Table Mountain and Bob weimer trail. I realized that Golden is place for many geological history. In each field trip, I got to know more about the city and how those mountains came into being. In this geological history, I will mention the formation of the rocks from oldest to youngest.

On the field trip to red rocks park, the first stop was next to the parking lot. The Idaho Springs formation, which considered the oldest among the formations we went through. Its 1700 millions years. The name of the rock is Gneiss Idaho springs and it doesn't have a grain size. Some of the minerals in the rock were K-feldspar, quartz, Biotite, and Hematite. The environment of deposition would

The fountain formation is almost 300 million years. The rock we found here was a sedimentary rock, and its called conglomerate. its grain size is less than 1 millimeter. The minerals its contain are Hematite, K-feldspar, quartz, and biotite. We can say it deposited in form of alluival fan - Bajada which in the base of the mountains. The Fountain formation created the Ancestral rocky mountains.

The third oldest formation is the Lyons formation, which is approximately 270 million years. The rock found here was a sedimentary rock; sandstone. its grain size is less than 1 millimeter. Quartz, Hematite, K-feldspar and Muscovite are the minerals in rock. Lyons formation was deposited in a beach dudes environment. Golden city faced a transgression in sea level which was the event recorded for our third formation.

The next site in our second stop we learned about Lykins formation. The rock found at this site was a sedimentary, Lykins sandstone, the grain size is less than 1 millimeter. Hematite, Gypsum, Halite and Calcite are the minerals in the rock. Lykins Formaion is almost 260 million years. Shallow water - sea water is the environment of depositions for Lykins formation. A transgression of sea level, and permian extinction are the events recorded for Lykins

The Morrison Formation is approximately 150 million years. Sandstone and mud are the rocks found here. The grain size is less then 1 millimeter. Quartz, Hematite, Clay, and Iron are the minerals in rocks. Morrison formation was deposited in river and swamp lakes environment. The event recorded here was regression of sea level.

In our next site, at the Dakota Sandstone Formation. Sandstone is the rock name, and its grain size is less than 1 millimeter. Dakota Sandstone Formation is 100 million years old. Hematite, quartz, and clay are the mineral in rocks. It was deposited in beach from environment. The event recorded here is a transgression of sea level (intercontinental seaway).

Benton Shale Formation was our next stop. Its 90 million years old. Its grain size is clay and its contain clay and bentonite as the minerals in rocks. it was deposited in a beach environment (shallow sea). The formation recorded a transgression of the intercontinental seaway.

Pierre Shale Formation was our next stop. Pierre Shale Formation is 80 million years old. The grain size and mineral is clay. Pierre Shale Formation recorded the transgression of intercontinental sea