The Geologic Story of Colorado National Monument: Revised EditionLohman, Stanley William
Science
The Geologic Story of Colorado National Monument: Revised Edition
Lohman, Stanley William
Colorado National Monument (Colo.); Geology -- Colorado -- Colorado National Monument
Half a mile to the north, South Broadway turns sharply to the left even
though another paved road continues northward. Three-fourths of a mile
to the west, we turn northwestward parallel to the Monument boundary
fence for seven-tenths of a mile before turning north again. The 7-foot
chain-link fence just to the left of the road is the northeastern
boundary of the Monument and encloses the herd of buffalo. In the late
forties or early fifties a young bull challenged the older leader for
possession of the herd and gored and pounded the old bull so badly he
had to be shot by a ranger. During the furious battle 125 feet of this
strong steel fence was utterly demolished. It is reported that sometimes
an old bull simply takes one look at the young challenger and retreats
without a battle, but other lone or rogue bulls may temporarily or
permanently leave the herd for other reasons. Such outcasts are
dangerous and unpredictable. One bull kept a ranger “treed” for 4 hours
on a steep rock ledge in the broiling sun before moving on to a patch of
grass. Four of these critters delayed by one week my walking out a
stretch of the Redlands fault on their side of the fence. I decided that
a live geologist had advantages over a dead hero.
REDLANDS FAULT
WINGATE DRIVE SIDE TRIP
[Mile-marker 7]
Throughout most of its 6-mile length the Redlands fault is a vertical or
nearly vertical normal fault, but along and near this 0.7-mile stretch
it is a reverse fault that dips from 45° to 60° to the southwest, as
shown in figure 40 and in the cross section of figure 8. Good views of
the fault are seen all along the fence, but especially at points
one-tenth and four-tenths of a mile northwest of the first turn, the
second of which is shown in figure 40. Just after turning north on South
Broadway, let us turn west a few hundred feet on paved Wingate Drive to
see the northwest end of the Redlands fault, which passes through a col
to the left of updragged remnants of the thinned red Chinle Formation
and the Wingate Sandstone, as shown in figure 41.
[Illustration: REVERSE PART OF REDLANDS FAULT, looking N. 65° W.
from point on South Broadway along boundary fence. Most of Chinle
Formation has been squeezed out, but lower part of Wingate Sandstone
may be seen dipping about 45° southwestward beneath dark Proterozoic
rocks. Next pink band to right is Entrada Sandstone. Jumbled mass of
white sandstone slabs at right of photograph is part of Salt Wash
Member of Morrison Formation and is known locally as “White Rock”.
(Fig. 40)]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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