Video Library
Album: Colorado Igneous Vignette
These clips are from a vignette about igneous activity in Colorado from the late Eocene, 40 million years ago, to the middle Miocene, 10 million years ago. The finished movie will be part of the Colorado Geology Vignettes series.
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Igneous rocks of Colorado. Cross sections showing different kinds of igneous intrusions
Igneous rocks of Colorado. Cross sections showing different kinds of igneous intrusions
This animation is an excerpt from the "Colorado Geology: late Eocene to middle Miocene Igneous History" video (in progress). This animation was developed to illustrate the origins of two kinds of igneous intrusions in a cross sectional view of the Earth.
0 to 8 seconds: The scene shows igneous magma intruding vertically through the rock, and then intrudes laterally into the flat-lying rocks. The continued pooling of magma at the shallower level causes uplift on the overlying strata. The shallow igneous feature is called a laccolith. This animation specifically shows the origin of.the Spanish Peaks, southern Colorado (~ 24 to 25 million years ago).
8 to 24 seconds: The scene shows igneous magma intruding vertically through the rock, and then intruding laterally into the flat-lying rocks. The continued pooling of magma evolves as a magma chamber. The magma eventually erupts on the surface creating volcano.
24 to 31 seconds: As the magma under the volcano cools, the area begins to collapse below the surface and a caldera forms. Ancient calderas are present in several locations in southwestern Colorado (Silverton, Lake City, Creede, La Garita calderas), which all developed between 28 and 22 millions years ago.
Animation is created by James Adson, Joseph Rogers, and Eric Lobato. A special thanks to Chuck Stern and Lang Farmer for their technical input.
Interactive Geology Project, University of Colorado-Boulder. igp.colorado.edu -
Redwood Forest: Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Colorado, 36 Million Years Ago
Redwood Forest: Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Colorado, 36 Million Years Ago
Late Eocene (36 million years ago)(Florissant Formation). This scene shows the trees that are preserved at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in Florissant, Colorado. A volcanic eruption damned the rivers in the area creating a large lake in which the trees were preserved as fossils.
Plants depicted: palmetto (Sabalites sp.), Rosa hilliae, Sequoia, unnamed fern
This preliminary version is part of a joint project between the Interactive Geology Project at the University of Colorado Boulder and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The nature paintings at the Colorado Convention Center and Denver Museum of Nature and Science are being animated.
Based on the painting "Redwoods and Roses" (Colorado Convention Center)(courtesy Kirk Johnson and Jan Vriesen). A special thanks to James Hagadorn and Ian Miller (DMNS) for their input.
Scene is by Joseph Rogers and James Adson.
http://igp.colorado.edu
Geologic age: 36Ma -
Spanish Peaks, southern Colorado
Spanish Peaks, southern Colorado
This animation is an excerpt from the "Colorado Geology: late Eocene to middle Miocene igneous history" video (in progress). This animation was developed to illustrate the morphology and evolution of the Spanish Peaks, southern Colorado.
0 to 15 seconds: The fly-around illustrates the general 3-D morphology of the Spanish Peaks.
15 to 32 seconds: This close-up view is near the base of the Peaks and shows a prominent ridge (light color) that is vertical dyke that emanates from the Peaks.
32 to 41 seconds: Aerial view showing several of these radial dykes.
41 to 44 seconds 3D aerial view of the Peaks and the radial dykes.
44 to 48 seconds: the surficial cover is removed to illustrate the interpreted distribution of the igneous bodies below the two Spanish Peaks; the mesh shows the surface topography.
48 to 57 seconds: The formation of the radial dykes is shown.
57 seconds to 1.04: 3D view of the radial dykes and the Peaks in the background.
Animation is by James Adson, Joseph Rogers, and Eric Lobato. A special thanks to Chuck Stern and Lang Farmer for their technical input.
Interactive Geology Project, University of Colorado-Boulder. igp.colorado.edu