on our journey south along the Rocky Mountains we’re entering a very
Mountains we’re entering a very
Mountains we’re entering a very different landscape from Montana
different landscape from Montana
different landscape from Montana southward the Rockies are made from
southward the Rockies are made from
southward the Rockies are made from ancient granite 1.7 billion years old
ancient granite 1.7 billion years old
ancient granite 1.7 billion years old granite makes up much of the deepest
granite makes up much of the deepest
granite makes up much of the deepest part of the continental crust
part of the continental crust
part of the continental crust that’s why geologists call this rock the
that’s why geologists call this rock the
that’s why geologists call this rock the basement
the Canadian Rockies are built from
the Canadian Rockies are built from sedimentary rocks piled up on top of the
sedimentary rocks piled up on top of the
sedimentary rocks piled up on top of the continental foundations so why does
continental foundations so why does
continental foundations so why does granite suddenly appear here in the
granite suddenly appear here in the
granite suddenly appear here in the American Rockies
Mountains usually form close to plate
Mountains usually form close to plate boundaries but the southern Rockies sit
boundaries but the southern Rockies sit
boundaries but the southern Rockies sit a long way from the plate margin
the Front Range in Colorado is a
the Front Range in Colorado is a thousand miles from where the Pacific
thousand miles from where the Pacific
thousand miles from where the Pacific and North American plates actually meet
geologists have come up with an
geologists have come up with an explanation
they believe that the subducting
they believe that the subducting pacificocean plate is responsible oh Sh
pacificocean plate is responsible oh Sh
pacificocean plate is responsible oh Sh in crust had been pushed deep into the
in crust had been pushed deep into the
in crust had been pushed deep into the mantle beneath North America for a
mantle beneath North America for a
mantle beneath North America for a hundred million years when something
hundred million years when something
hundred million years when something unusual happened
plate started to subduct at a shallower
plate started to subduct at a shallower angle instead of plummeting steeply it
angle instead of plummeting steeply it
angle instead of plummeting steeply it sliced beneath North America
sliced beneath North America
sliced beneath North America horizontally this change had dramatic
horizontally this change had dramatic
horizontally this change had dramatic consequences the big oceanic plate in
consequences the big oceanic plate in
consequences the big oceanic plate in the Pacific didn’t go deep down he went
the Pacific didn’t go deep down he went
the Pacific didn’t go deep down he went in shell like a spatula under a pizza so
in shell like a spatula under a pizza so
in shell like a spatula under a pizza so something happened sixty-eight million
something happened sixty-eight million
something happened sixty-eight million years ago over in California that plate
years ago over in California that plate
years ago over in California that plate drives under North America but instead
drives under North America but instead
drives under North America but instead of diving deeply it comes in shallow and
of diving deeply it comes in shallow and
of diving deeply it comes in shallow and a thousand miles away from the coast up
a thousand miles away from the coast up
a thousand miles away from the coast up from the ground sprout the Rocky
from the ground sprout the Rocky
from the ground sprout the Rocky Mountains for millions of years the
Mountains for millions of years the
Mountains for millions of years the ocean plate scraped along the underside
ocean plate scraped along the underside
ocean plate scraped along the underside of North America it created friction
of North America it created friction
of North America it created friction breaking up the basement granite of the
breaking up the basement granite of the
breaking up the basement granite of the North American plate and punching it
North American plate and punching it
North American plate and punching it upward
structural geologist Karl Karl strim
structural geologist Karl Karl strim demonstrates because it was at a
demonstrates because it was at a
demonstrates because it was at a shallower angle beneath North America it
shallower angle beneath North America it
shallower angle beneath North America it was scraping along the base of North
was scraping along the base of North
was scraping along the base of North America when that happens it puts the
America when that happens it puts the
America when that happens it puts the plate under compression like this
plate under compression like this
plate under compression like this because it’s being both pushed at the
because it’s being both pushed at the
because it’s being both pushed at the end and scraped along at the bottom so
end and scraped along at the bottom so
end and scraped along at the bottom so it squeezes pushes up the mountains and
it squeezes pushes up the mountains and
it squeezes pushes up the mountains and it transferred this mountain building
it transferred this mountain building
it transferred this mountain building from the edge to great distance from the
from the edge to great distance from the
from the edge to great distance from the plate margin the shallow angle
plate margin the shallow angle
plate margin the shallow angle trajectory of the Pacific Ocean plate
trajectory of the Pacific Ocean plate
trajectory of the Pacific Ocean plate explains why these mountains formed so
explains why these mountains formed so
explains why these mountains formed so far inland and it also explains the
far inland and it also explains the
far inland and it also explains the presence of granite thrust up through
presence of granite thrust up through
presence of granite thrust up through layers of sedimentary rock the broken
layers of sedimentary rock the broken
layers of sedimentary rock the broken granite became the Rocky Mountains of
granite became the Rocky Mountains of
granite became the Rocky Mountains of the south
Red Rocks park Denver Colorado a
Red Rocks park Denver Colorado a landscape forged by granite uplift the
landscape forged by granite uplift the
landscape forged by granite uplift the granite mountains here have been pushed
granite mountains here have been pushed
granite mountains here have been pushed up for miles on top of the granite lie
up for miles on top of the granite lie
up for miles on top of the granite lie spectacular red slabs of rock known as
spectacular red slabs of rock known as
spectacular red slabs of rock known as flat irons they’re the patchwork remains
flat irons they’re the patchwork remains
flat irons they’re the patchwork remains of sedimentary rock that once blanketed
of sedimentary rock that once blanketed
of sedimentary rock that once blanketed the entire granite basement Kirk Johnson
the entire granite basement Kirk Johnson
the entire granite basement Kirk Johnson demonstrates how these granite peaks
demonstrates how these granite peaks
demonstrates how these granite peaks punched up through the layers of red
punched up through the layers of red
punched up through the layers of red rock around them I’m going to use my
rock around them I’m going to use my
rock around them I’m going to use my assistants Veronica and Ian to help me
assistants Veronica and Ian to help me
assistants Veronica and Ian to help me explain how the Rocky Mountains in
explain how the Rocky Mountains in
explain how the Rocky Mountains in Colorado formed imagine if you will that
Colorado formed imagine if you will that
Colorado formed imagine if you will that Veronica naeun are composed of 1.7
Veronica naeun are composed of 1.7
Veronica naeun are composed of 1.7 billion year old metamorphic rocks the
billion year old metamorphic rocks the
billion year old metamorphic rocks the basement Rock of Colorado before the
basement Rock of Colorado before the
basement Rock of Colorado before the mountains grew layers of sedimentary
mountains grew layers of sedimentary
mountains grew layers of sedimentary rock covered the granite and then in
rock covered the granite and then in
rock covered the granite and then in about sixty eight million years ago the
about sixty eight million years ago the
about sixty eight million years ago the mountain where ian is starts to break
mountain where ian is starts to break
mountain where ian is starts to break and lift up and move up so you see the
and lift up and move up so you see the
and lift up and move up so you see the uplift forming what’s happening is that
uplift forming what’s happening is that
uplift forming what’s happening is that layer of sediments being deformed is
layer of sediments being deformed is
layer of sediments being deformed is bent and these are the Flatirons at Red
bent and these are the Flatirons at Red
bent and these are the Flatirons at Red Rocks as the mountain comes up overlying
Rocks as the mountain comes up overlying
Rocks as the mountain comes up overlying sediment eroded off and deposited into
sediment eroded off and deposited into
sediment eroded off and deposited into the adjacent basin and eventually Ian’s
the adjacent basin and eventually Ian’s
the adjacent basin and eventually Ian’s granitic back is exposed as the core of
granitic back is exposed as the core of
granitic back is exposed as the core of the Rocky Mountains
the Rocky Mountains
the Rocky Mountains Veronica remains deeply buried beneath
Veronica remains deeply buried beneath
Veronica remains deeply buried beneath Denver still covered with deep sediments
Denver still covered with deep sediments
Denver still covered with deep sediments and the set of us I wrote it off the
and the set of us I wrote it off the
and the set of us I wrote it off the uplifting Rocky Mountains
”
Be First to Comment