This website is a guide to rock formations exposed in selected national
parks and natural areas on the Colorado Plateau.
Linked web pages with
generalized stratigraphic sections are intended as reference for selected
park websites included in the "3D Geology of National Parks"
website: http://3dparks.wr.usgs.gov.
The 3D Geology of National Parks website contains photographic tours of
selected park areas in both 3D-images and standard photographs (both modern
and historic imagery).
Click here to see a series of thematic maps about the Southern Colorado Plateau Region.
Subsurface geologic information is not included on individual stratigraphic
sections, but can be inferred from surrounding areas (such as in the Grand
Canyon and Flaming Gorge areas where the Colorado and Green rivers carved
canyons that exposed ancient bedrock). Stratigraphic sections show the
relative thickness and age of named geologic units. Each of the named
units on each stratigraphic sections is hot-linked to information derived
(and revised) from the USGS GeoLex (Lexicon of Geology): http://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Geolex/ - and from other sources. Lexicon data provides a snapshot of the age
and extent of rock units, plus reference sources that provide insight
into the historic exploration, discovery, and ongoing research into Earth
history and natural resources associated with each unit.
Click here to see a standard Geologic Time Scale.
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