Rocks In Colorado Essay

Next, we can see that the rock displays a subtle porphyritic texture with plagioclase comprising the phenocrysts. The overall texture of the surrounding groundmass is granoblastic equigranular. Under thin section we also see a weakly defined foliation evidenced in the preferential alignment of actinolite grains and to a lesser extent chlorite grains. Undulose extinction is also observed in quartz indicating the rock was subject to deformation. The normalized quartz, alkali-feldspar, and plagioclase (QAP) values of this rock indicate that it is classified as a grano-diorite according to the IUGS QAPF classification system which is consistent with the hand sample interpretation.

The Ouachita Mountains were also created with the collision of Gondwana as it pushed together seafloor and are tilted or twisted folds of earth crust. Streams usually flow along the folds. Most of the mountains are made up of sandstone and shale from the bottom of the former sea. This region is usually known for unique quartz crystals,

As I looked out the window, I saw walls of rocks all over the place. I also saw a lot of good rock exposure on the top of the mountain where the rock was to steep for the snow to stick to. You will notice that Mount Baker has an abundance of all sorts of rocks. From the rocks I examined I observed a lot of extrusive igneous rock, metamorphic rock and sedimentary rocks and you will find few places where you can walk continuously from shale or basalt into well-metamorphosed gneiss (Tabor & Haugerud). I observed rocks such as gabbro, shale, and types of extrusive and intrusive igneous rock such as basalt. The ages of the rocks range from about as old as the mountain, which is about 140,000 years old.

A description of the grand canyon rock layers would include the Colorado River running at the bottom of the inner gorge with flats on both sides which consist of tapeat sandstone layers. There is also the Vishnu Complex, consisting of rocks that have been changed by heat and are buried at the lowest layers. These are tilted and are called the “Grand Canyon Supergroup” the Grand Canyon supergroups are at least 12,000 ft in thickness. These rocks or (the “Inner Gorge”) are usally steep and narrow with hard deep cuts in the lower tilted layers which raise above sea level.

The only types of rocks found in Big Bend National park are Sedimentary (N.P). The specific names for these rocks are: limestones, shale and sandstones, clay, Lava Flow, Conglomerate, Marl, and Cherty Limestone are found in this park (N.P). These rocks were likely abundant throughout the park; when the area was covered by a salty sea during the Cretaceous period (N.P). The way how these rocks formed is by the results of pebbles being cemented together. Another way how the rocks can form is by how the earliest layer of rock was deposited in a relatively deep marine environment. After the next layer above the shale indicates that the rock is deposited in a very shallow way, that's when the ocean water starts

The Appalachian Mountains spans from the state of Georgia all the way through the maritime within the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Eastern portions of Quebec. The land is primarily made up of sedimentary rock that was lifted up and folded, because of the collision of North America with Europe and northern Africa during the formation of Pangaea, creating mountains. These sheets of sedimentary rock are wealthy in non-metallic minerals such as coal. In addition, volcanic action and faulting formed igneous and metamorphic rock in specific space in the Appalachians. Plateaus made of this rock carry metallic material, because of this such as iron and zinc. Many land forms that may located here are

According to www.bobspixels.com erosion in this area is caused by wind and water since the Colorado River. In colder months when it snows the melting snow and it expands making it go deep into the cracks of the canyon causing it to break of and fall in the canyon making it bigger. The pieces fall into the Colorado River and when there is a flash flood the rocks go away. All of the rock comes from erosion and geologists think the continental drift had something to do with it. The Grand Canyon was made of sedimentary rock.

The Blue Ridge Mountains sit within a larger tectonic area that includes part of the smoky mountains and Appalachian mountain chain. The Blue Ridge Mountains sit upon a large thrust plate area that has experienced repeated movement in the orogeny process as the Appalachians were built. This process occurred during the Proterozoic to the Paleozoic period (Tectonic Setting of the Southern Appalachians). Evidence of the faulting includes sedimentary zones at the end of the thrust. Within the thrust areas is high-grade metamorphic rocks and some igneous rocks from intrusion during collision events (Hatcher, R). Evidence of the intrusions are the dikes which can be seen and the large granite facies throughout the area (Grant, Willard).

The Grand Canyon’s display of layered rocks is magnificent and immense. The Canyon has many types of rocks including metamorphic, igneous and sedimentary. 2 billion years ago, igneous and metamorphic rocks formed in the inner gorge of the Grand Canyon. On top of these rocks sedimentary rock layers were created. Over time these layers of rocks transformed with erosion, tectonic actions, intrusions, and uncomformities.

The rust on an old bike or truck, New Mexico’s Bisti Badlands, and the Wave Rock in Australia. These things were all caused by some sort of weathering. “Weathering is the breaking down or dissolving of minerals on earth's surface"(1). There are two types of weathering. Mechanical weathering and chemical weathering. Mechanical weathering is the process of when a rock is being physically broken down into small fragments. Chemical weathering is when a rock is being broken down by chemical reactions. These chemical reaction dissolves the minerals making up the rock or changes the rock into a new material. Eventually the rock will just crumble and disintegrate.

“Metamorphic Rocks.” Living With Volcanic Past. http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/VolcanicPast/Notes/metamorphic_rocks.html (accessed May 23, 2012). Oregon Bureau of Mines and Geology. The Mineral Resources of Oregon.

The park’s granite is made up of smaller bodies of granite. This is one reason why there are many varieties of granite. Weathering of exposed granite is slow because weathering depends on whether there is moisture or not. Edges and corners of joint granite blocks are more affected when weathering occurs. Unweathered remains of granite turns into rounded boulders. Small natural depressions turn into weather pit when water collects in a depression on granitic surfaces. A possible explanation for weathering is that alternate wetting and drying along the pools that collect in the pans. Darker granitic rocks are high in biotite and weather quicker than the lighter rocks. The foothills are located at the west edge of the park and eastern summit area. They are remains of ancient rocks and sediments. Evolution of the landscape is a big part of the geology just like the rocks themself. As the earth became cooler, the sierra nevada mountains rose high enough for creating glaciers and mountain icefields. The majority of Yosemite is made of plutonic, igneous rock. The plutonic rocks were formed by intrusions of magma into older rocks. These are as old as 130 million years. Forms of plutonic rocks in Yosemite are granite, granodiorite, tonalite, quartz monorite, and quartz monzodiorite. Metamorphic rocks have been changed by pressure that can result in being buried in earth. There are 2 belts of metamorphic rocks, one on each side of the batholith of plutonic

The oldest rock unit in Boulder is the Boulder Creek Granodiorite which formed 1.7 billion years ago during the Precambrian period. This whitish-grey, intrusive igneous granodiorite is felsic intermediate in composition and has visible crystals of quartz, potassium feldspar, biotite, hornblende and mica. The next formation seen is the Fountain Formation. Fountain Formation is a poorly sorted conglomerate with clasts ranging from sand to cobbles. The rock is maroon to pink in color with sub angular clasts

Colorado has a longstanding past of providing the nation with the needed coal, oil, gas and other "energy" supplies, while providing jobs along with wealth in abundance through boom and bust fashion. These industries show a trend of bringing in a positive flood of employees along with a helpful economic boost; only soon to be followed by an overwhelming loss of jobs and confusion. Lee H. Scamehorn, in High Altitude Energy: A History of Fossil Fuels in Colorado, portrayed one boom and bust situation Colorado’s coal industry experienced.

The Granite rock is an intrusive rock that formed from magma coming from beneath the earth’s surface. It went through a slow cooling process that allowed the minerals; mainly quartz and feldspar to form where the result is the coarse texture. The granite went through hydrothermal metamorphism (involves hot fluid) and contact metamorphism. The gneiss, however, being able to withstand high temperatures came from a large country rock. This piece of gneiss broke off from the country rock and got trapped in between as the granite cooled. The gneiss then became the xenolith. This shows that the granite is the younger rock and the gneiss the older. The striations on the Gneiss were caused by faults. A slick-en- side fault caused the horizontal striations