Cochise College Student Papers in Geology
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Roger Weller, geology instructor
wellerr@cochise.edu
Pikes Peak
by Franklin Gunning
Historical Geology
Spring 2007
Pikes Peak, Colorado
Geology
Pikes peak is west of Colorado Springs in the Rocky Mountains. This mountain stands 14,110 feet from sea level and was bought in the Louisiana Purchase. The peak is named after Zebulon Montgomery Pike who was an American explorer. Zebulon Pike lead an expedition to the area in 1806 as assigned by the third president of the United States Thomas Jefferson. During one of Zebulon’s expedition of this mountain, which he called “Grand Peak”. He and his followers attempted to climb to the top, only to turn around before reaching the top. According to records, the first individual to climb up to the top of Pikes Peak was Dr. Edwin James in 1820.
This towering mountain consists of granite that is being weathered as it has been for millions of years. This mountain was once covered with massive sheets of ice during an ice age that took place about 11,000 years ago. This specific ice age affected Pikes Peak for nearly one million years. One can tell this occurred because of U shaped canyons that is an indication of previous glacial activity. V shaped canyons can also be found on or near Pikes Peak, a characteristic of water erosion.
Florissant Fossils
On the western side of Pikes Peak is Florissant, Colorado. This unique area is world famous for insect fossils. Over 34 million years ago the region was covered by Lake Florissant, which was surrounded by lush forests. The reasons for the many fossils are credited to mudflows due to volcanic activities. These mudflows encased numerous animals; this included many insects because of the humid atmosphere. After the fossils were covered and preserved, the sedimentary rocks were compressed and eventually turned into shale.
http://www.sangres.com/np/florissant.htm
Today Florissant’s fossil beds in Colorado have become a National Monument where thousands upon thousands of fossils have been collected. Around 140 different species of plants and vegetation have been collected from this area dating back to the Eocene Epoch.
http://www.sangres.com/np/florissant.htm
Minerals
Amazonite is a green-blue mineral, which can be found on and near Pikes Peak Colorado. It is microcline feldspar that was first found in South America near the Amazon River, hence the name Amazonite. Some people put high quality Amazonite on jewelry however, it is not recommended because it can break very easily. Also found near the peak is smoky quartz. Occasionally both of these rocks can be found together.
http://www.alpineminerals.com/joes.html
Animal Life
Pikes Peak is the most visited mountain in North America with an average of 6.2 million visitors. The area is rich in wildlife. Bighorn sheep, which is the state animal, are commonly found near Pikes Peak as they are throughout the Rocky Mountains. The sheep on the mountain are grazers and only feed on a variety of grasses and plants.
www.4eyes.net/.../pictures/Wildlife/sheep.jpg
Black Bears are commonly seen around Pikes Peak. The Black Bear is Colorado’s largest predator and can reach a weight of nearly 450 pounds. The Black Bears diet consists if berries, fruit, dear, elk, insects, birds, and eggs.
Elk is an animal that lives on or near Pikes Peak. They like to eat grasses, pine needles, twigs, and plants. A male Elk can mature to 1000 pounds and females can reach up to 600 pounds. They normally live just 14 years in the wild.
www.hickerphoto.com/elk-bull-7849-pictures.htm
There are many trees that live on this giant granite mountain. Indigenous trees include aspen and pine trees.
mayhem-chaos.net
A woman by the name of Katharine Lee Bates climbed to the top of Pikes Peak. She later went on to write the lyrics to “America the Beautiful” in 1893 which references Pikes Peak with “Purple mountain Majesties”. Currently, once a year there is a race to the top of Pikes Peak called the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC). This race has happened annually since 1916 in a wide array of vehicles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pikes_Peak_International_Hillclimb
Pikes peak is a stunning mountain that attracts people from all over the world. It is inhabited by many creatures and has been explored and studied by many scientists biologists and geologists and will continued to be considered a wonderful place to visit and study for years to come.
References
www.4eyes.net/.../pictures/Wildlife/sheep.jpg
http://www.pikespeakcam.com/abtppeak.html
http://www.pikespeakcolorado.com/RecreationWildlife.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pikes_Peak
