Near Florissant in Teller County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Layers of Time

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., October 11, 2020

1. Layers of Time Marker

Inscription.

To uncover the geologic history of the Florissant region, you must peel back the surface and examine the rock layers below. Sediments are deposited layer upon layer, with the oldest at the bottom and the youngest on top. Because of this principle of superposition, digging downward is like traveling backward in time.

The diagram above represents the rock layers in the Florissant valley. Erosion has revealed these rocks after millions of years of burial. By studying this exposed record of sediment deposition and volcanic activity, we can see how the environment changed over time.

Late Eocene

Florissant Formation 34.07 million years old

[Top to bottom]

Terrace gravels
Deposits of gravel, sand, and soil from weathering of rocks during the last 2 million years

Pumice conglomerate
Airborne volcanic fragments

Upper shale
Fossil-bearing lakebed deposits

Caprock conglomerate
Volcanic debris flow

Middle shale
Fossil-bearing lakebed deposits

You Are Here
Fossil tree stumps preserved in the upper layers of the lower mudstone

Lower mudstone
A series of volcanic mudflows and stream deposits

Lower shale
Fossil-bearing lakebed deposits

Wall Mountain Tuff
A superheated volcanic

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

cloud deposited ash, pumice, crystals, and glass that then compacted and cooled into a welded mass.

Granular granite fragments

Tallahassee Creek conglomerate
Large volcanic boulders

Pikes Peak Granite
This coarse-crystalline reddish granite formed from molten rock cooled deep beneath Earth's surface.

Erected by National Park Service.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Paleontology • Parks & Recreational Areas • Science & Medicine.

Location. 38° 54.815′ N, 105° 17.186′ W. Marker is near Florissant, Colorado, in Teller County. Marker is under the large Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument pavilion covering exposed petrified Redwood stumps, west of the Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 15807 County Road 1, Florissant CO 80816, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Just One Piece at a Time (here, next to this marker); Is the Trio in Trouble? (a few steps from this marker); Delicate Impressions (a few steps from this marker); Florissant Valley Today (a few steps from this marker); Ancient Clones (a few steps from this marker); Dawn of the Recent Past

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

(a few steps from this marker); Reading the Rings (a few steps from this marker); Valley Through Time (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Florissant.

Also see . . .
1. Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. (Submitted on October 23, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Eocene Florissant. (Submitted on October 23, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
3. Eocene. (Submitted on October 23, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
4. Geologic History of Florissant. (Submitted on October 23, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 23, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 23, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 145 times since then and 11 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on October 23, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. Wide photo of marker and location • Can you help?