CAGE March Monthly Meeting
February 13, 2018
Lakewood Country Club
6800 W 10th Ave
Lakewood, CO 80214
11:30am-1:00pm

A Brief Geologic History of Colorado
Presenter: Dr. Lon Abbott, University of Colorado
 

Dr. Lon Abbott is a Senior Instructor in the CU Geological Sciences Department. In addition to teaching classes and publishing scientific articles, Lon strives to contribute to public understanding of and appreciation for geologic processes, the deep history of the planet, and the significance of geology in our everyday lives. He’s published three geology books and over 35 articles intended for a general audience and he’s given dozens of public presentations about Colorado’s geology. Lon’s research is focused on how mountains are built and sculpted into the beautiful landscapes we enjoy today. His current research foci are deciphering the geologic history of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains and the adjacent Colorado Plateau and on understanding when and why Australia’s Great Escarpment formed. His presentation will take us on a journey through Colorado’s geologic history from the formation of the state’s first continental crust 1700 million years ago right up to today. We’ll trace the rise and fall of several mountain ranges, watch deserts and seas encroach on the state and then recede, and get to know some of Colorado’s early inhabitants. In the process, we’ll learn when and how the sedimentary rocks that dominate today’s Front Range landscape were deposited and then tilted.

Dr. Abbott teaches courses in field geology, scientific writing, earth materials, physical geology, geology of Colorado, and field geology of South Australia. He supervises teaching assistants who instruct the introductory geology lab course at University of Colorado. Dr. Abbott conducts research into the geologic evolution of the Colorado Rockies, Colorado Plateau, and Queensland, Australia.