What Geography is:
Before I write about the physical
geography of Estes Park, I would like to write about the definition
of geography itself. A lot of people, including myself, learned in
middle school that geography is about maps and sometimes landforms.
Though geography does include those things, it is so much more than
that. The basic definition of geography is, “The location and
distribution of features at/near the Earth's surface.” The elements
of geography can be grouped into two categories, which are physical
geography and cultural geography. Cultural geography focuses more on
people and contains elements such as population, economic activities,
languages, religions, political systems, settlements, and food. I
will mostly be focusing on physical geography which contains elements
such as landforms, rocks and minerals, water, weather and climate,
plants, animals, and soil.
Rocks in Estes Park:
There are three basic rock types
which are Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic.
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| A canyon wall in Estes Park. |
Rock formations such as the one above
can be seen in and surrounding Estes Park. The rock formations have
characteristics of sedimentary rocks. Sedimentary rocks are made of
layers known as strata.
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Over time and during major
events like mudslides, earthquakes, and floods, sediment can
accumulate in one place. As more time passes, more sediment will
accumulate, creating another layer.
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| A closer view of the mountain that is next to Lake Estes.
Sedimentary rocks can be formed in many
different ways. There are different classifications of sediment and
they are Clastic, Chemical, and Biological. Clastic sedimentary rocks
are distinguished by size and are formed by fragments of preexisting
rocks. Depending on the size, the rock could be classified as Shale,
Siltstone, Sandstone, or Conglomerate. Chemical sedimentary rocks are
formed by the evaporation of water or precipitation of solids from
ions in a solution. Biologic sedimentary rocks are formed by the
precipitation or accumulation of organic material such as plants,
shells, or skeletons.
If we take a closer look at the canyon wall in Estes Park, the size of
the particles vary but are mostly consistent with sandstone and
siltstone. The sedimentary rocks in Estes Park could be formed in
many different ways, but over time they can be heavily effected my
weathering and erosion.
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Sources:
All photos in this blog post were taken by me, Sylvia Jackson.
Dr. Casey Allen's lecture
“What Geography is... and Earth in Space & Place”
Dr. Casey Allen's lecture
“Earth's Innards (Basic Rock Types)”
McKnight's Physical
Geography: A Landscape Appreciation, Edition Eleven by Darrel Hess
