The Denver
Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS) and the United States Geological
Survey (USGS) are conducting research on a 2,200-foot, 2.5-inch-diameter
core, which was recently "dug up" from the Denver Basin.
In the first part of this multiyear project in our own backyard,
area researchers searched for information on our geologic past on
the Elbert County Fairgrounds in Kiowa, Colorado, which you were
able to follow right here on our Web site!
The DMNS provided updates on the progress made by researchers Kirk
Johnson and Bob Raynolds as they drilled deep into the ground and
reported on the geology they found there. In cooperation with several
local, state, and government agencies, the Museum and the USGS are
developing a model of the paleobiological, geological, and hydrological
framework for the Upper Cretaceous and Lower Tertiary rocks of the
Denver Basin.
The study, which will be based on a multitude of surface observations
as well as the fossil sites tied to the core, will provide information
on dinosaur extinction and fossil rainforests. By studying the bedrock
aquifers that provide water for one of the fastest growing urban
areas in the country, researchers will be able to provide much needed
data about our local water supply and quality.
Stay tuned to this site for
updates on the progress made
in each of these scientific
disciplines.
A big thanks
to the following cooperating organizations
(principal funding sources*)
*National Science Foundation
*U. S. Geological Survey, Division of Water Resources
U. S. Geological Survey, Geologic Division
*Colorado Water Conservation Board
*Colorado State Engineer
Colorado Geological Survey
Colorado Division of Water Resources
*Colorado State University
Colorado State University Extension Office in Kiowa
Elbert County Water Advisory Board
Elbert County Commissioners
*Prima Energy
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