Geology, more than rocks

Geology, more than rocks. . The Bent Rock Trail is a two-mile loop trail that travels through geologic time. As you wander, investigate how rock layers came to be, explore the evidence of ancient mountain building, discover ancient boulders in the watershed, and consider the mysteries of time. , , Perspectives of Time , "Deep" time involves time far beyond our human experience. It spans billions of years - from the formation of the Earth until today. To make rthis vast history easier to understand, geologists organize Earth's history into manageable units of time. , , [Caption] Most of the formations and features you will see along this trail are less than 300 million years old. , , [Caption] The earth is about 4.5 billion years old. , [Caption] Insects appeared about 380 million years ago. , [Caption] Dinosaurs appeared about 250 million years ago. , , Sorting out the 'illions , Making sense of geology means thinking in millions and billions. Think about yuor own lifetime in perspective with the ancient rocks around you. , , [Caption] Dinosaurs went extinct 65,000,000 years ago. , [Caption] Human history (Homo Erectus) began about 3,000,000 years ago , , Take a Closer Look , The thin white rock layer (shown in the photo) is Lyons Sandstone, a common building stone. This formation is less than three feet thick here, but is over 60 feet thick near Lyons, Colorado, its namesake.