Mesa Verde National Park 

Geologic Resource Evaluation Report 

Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/GRD/NRR—2006/015 

National Park Service 

U.S. Department of the Interior 

Natural Resource Program Center 

Mesa Verde National Park 

Geologic Resource Evaluation Report 

Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/GRD/NRR—2006/015 

Geologic Resources Division 

Natural Resource Program Center 

P.O. Box 25287 

Denver, Colorado 80225 

March 2006 

U.S. Department of the Interior 

Washington, D.C.
The Natural Resource Publication series addresses natural resource topics that are of interest 

and applicability to a broad readership in the National Park Service and to others in the 

management of natural resources, including the scientific community, the public, and the NPS 

conservation and environmental constituencies. Manuscripts are peer-reviewed to ensure that 

the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the 

intended audience, and is designed and published in a professional manner. 

Natural Resource Reports are the designated medium for disseminating high priority, current 

natural resource management information with managerial application. The series targets a 

general, diverse audience, and may contain NPS policy considerations or address sensitive 

issues of management applicability. Examples of the diverse array of reports published in this 

series include vital signs monitoring plans; "how to" resource management papers; 

proceedings of resource management workshops or conferences; annual reports of resource 

programs or divisions of the Natural Resource Program Center; resource action plans; fact 

sheets; and regularly-published newsletters. 

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not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the National Park Service. 

Printed copies of reports in these series may be produced in a limited quantity and they are 

only available as long as the supply lasts. This report is also available from the Geologic 

Resource Evaluation Program website (http://www2.nature.nps.gov/geology/inventory/

gre_publications) on the internet, or by sending a request to the address on the back cover. 

Please cite this publication as: 

Graham, J. 2006. Mesa Verde National Park Geologic Resource Evaluation Report. Natural 

Resource Report NPS/NRPC/GRD/NRR—2006/015. National Park Service, Denver, 

Colorado. 

NPS D-270, March 2006 
 MEVE Geologic Resource Evaluation Report iii

Table of Contents 

List of Figures .............................................................................................................. iv

Executive Summary ...................................................................................................... 1

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 2

Purpose of the Geologic Resources Evaluation Program...........................................................................................2

Park History................................................................................................................................................................2

Geologic Setting .........................................................................................................................................................2

Geologic Issues............................................................................................................. 5

Geological Hazards ....................................................................................................................................................5

Groundwater Flow ......................................................................................................................................................5

Joint Systems .............................................................................................................................................................5

Mineral Resources......................................................................................................................................................5

Adjacent Development ...............................................................................................................................................6

Potential Geologic Research Projects ........................................................................................................................6

Interpretive Needs ......................................................................................................................................................7

Geologic Features and Processes............................................................................... 8

Cuesta Features.........................................................................................................................................................8

Alcoves.......................................................................................................................................................................8

Overlooks ...................................................................................................................................................................8

Surface Features........................................................................................................................................................9

Volcanic Features.......................................................................................................................................................9

Map Unit Properties .................................................................................................... 10

Map Unit Properties Table........................................................................................................................................11

Geologic History.......................................................................................................... 13

Mesozoic Era: Cretaceous Period ............................................................................................................................13

Cretaceous – Tertiary Laramide Tectonics...............................................................................................................15

Cenozoic Era: Tertiary Period and Uplift of the Colorado Plateau............................................................................16

Cenozoic Era: Quaternary Period.............................................................................................................................16

References................................................................................................................... 23

Appendix A: Geologic Map Graphic .......................................................................... 25

Appendix B: Scoping Summary................................................................................. 27

Attachment 1: Geologic Resource Evaluation Products CD
 NPS Geologic Resources Division iv 

List of Figures 

Figure 1: Location map of Mesa Verde National Park....................................................................................................4

Figure 2: Location of Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado. .................................................................7

Figure 3: Geologic time scale.......................................................................................................................................17

Figure 4: Location of the Cretaceous seaway. .............................................................................................................18

Figure 5: Paleogeographic map Lower Mancos Shale time .........................................................................................19

Figure 6: Paleogeographic map of Upper Mancos Shale time .....................................................................................20

Figure 7: Paleogeographic map of Point Lookout Sandstone time...............................................................................21

Figure 8: Paleogeographic map of Cliff House Sandstone time...................................................................................22
 MEVE Geologic Resource Evaluation Report 1 

Executive Summary 

This report has been developed to accompany the digital geologic map produced by Geologic 

Resource Evaluation staff for Mesa Verde National Park. It contains information relevant 

to resource management and scientific research. 

Mesa Verde National Park (MEVE) encompasses 

roughly 81 square miles (52,073 acres) of the 520 square 

mile Mesa Verde, a deeply dissected mesa on the 

Colorado Plateau of southwestern Colorado. Mesa 

Verde is an area of broad, flat- topped mesas and narrow, 

north- south trending, steep- sided canyons. Mesa Verde 

NP was created in 1906 to preserve the archaeological 

treasures left by the Ancestral Pueblo people. The 

National Park Service (NPS) Geologic Resource 

Evaluation (GRE) Program has developed a digital 

geologic map, a geologic resources bibliography 

(GRBIB), and this Geologic Resources Evaluation report 

to assist park staff with understanding and managing 

Mesa Verde National Park’s geologic resources. 

In GRE scoping meeting held at the park in July of 1998, 

participants identified the following geologic issues: 

• Rockfalls 

• Slumps and landslides 

• Flood erosion and deposition 

• Groundwater flow and alcove development 

• Debris flows 

Rockfalls are probably the number one hazard to the 

park especially along roads and trails as well as in 

disturbed areas such as septic systems, utilities, and 

building sites. Little has been done other than 

monitoring and cleanup. Major slumps and landslides 

have affected park roads but little research has been 

done. Since the park has only one major road, a slump 

can prevent the ingress and egress of visitors. Flash 

floods and the resulting erosion and deposition have 

increased due to major fires that burn off the vegetation. 

Groundwater has seeped into some alcoves causing 

archeological damage and roof collapse. Springs are 

often the sites of alcove development. More study of the 

groundwater flow regimes is needed. In the past, debris 

flows have not been major hazard. However, with the 

encroachment of outside development near and downflow from the park, this could become an important 

issue. 

Other geologic issues that impact the park, but more 

local in extent are: 

• Coal seam outcrop fires 

• Rock jointing 

• Mineral resources 

• Interpretation 

Coal seams occur mainly in the Menefee Formation of 

the Mesaverde Group. Outcropping coal seams can 

ignite by lightening and by surface fires. Joint systems in 

the rocks affect groundwater flow and could be planes of 

slippage, especially in areas of high groundwater flow or 

surface usage. The park is closed to mineral entry. 

However, there may be outstanding private mineral 

rights. And mineral development outside the park 

boundaries could greatly impact the viewshed, air 

quality, and noise level in the park. 

Mesa Verde NP could improve geologic interpretation 

by having available for sale such items as fire histories, 

detailed geologic maps, and geologic road logs to visitors 

at the existing park museum and visitors center. Road 

signs for geologic unit names and unique features could 

further aid geologic interpretation. 

The alcoves in which the Ancestral Puebloans built their 

cliff dwellings are some of the distinct geologic features 

at Mesa Verde National Park. Other geologic features 

can be seen from overlooks in the park. Distinct surface 

features on the mesa and in the alcoves have formed 

from recent mechanical and chemical weathering 

processes. Igneous dikes in the park are remnants of 

volcanic activity that occurred between 35 and 26 million 

years ago. 

Surface exposures in Mesa Verde National Park are 

primarily Cretaceous- age strata. Each rock unit contains 

properties that influence their topographic expression, 

erosion potential, hazard potential, and global 

significance. Some units also contain potential 

paleontologic, cultural, or mineral resources. 

The geology of Mesa Verde National Park lends itself to 

many possible scientific research projects. Some of these 

projects include: 

• Stratigraphic sequence analysis 

• Stratotype locations 

• Cretaceous fossil 

• Groundwater hydrogeology 

• Mapping coal outcrops 

• Soil and surficial geology mapping 

• Fire recurrence studies and charcoal dating 

• Quaternary studies, especially debris flows. 
2 NPS Geologic Resources Division 

Introduction 

The following section briefly describes the regional geologic setting and the National 

Park Service Geologic Resources Evaluation Program. 

Purpose of the Geologic Resources Evaluation Program 

Geologic features and processes serve as the foundation 

of park ecosystems and yield important information for 

use in park decision making. The National Park Service 

(NPS) Natural Resource Challenge, an action plan to 

advance the management and protection of park 

resources, has focused efforts to inventory the natural 

resources of parks. The geologic component is carried 

out by the Geologic Resource Evaluation (GRE) Program 

administered by the NPS Geologic Resource Division. 

The goal of the GRE Program is to provide each of the 

identified 270 “Natural Area” parks with a digital 

geologic map, a geologic evaluation report, and a 

geologic bibliography. Each product is a tool to support 

the stewardship of park resources and each is designed 

to be user friendly to non- geoscientists. In preparing 

products, the GRE team works closely with park staff 

and partners (e.g. USGS, state geologic surveys, and 

academics). 

The GRE teams hold scoping meetings at parks to review 

available data on the geology of a particular park and to 

discuss the geologic issues in the park. Park staff are 

afforded the opportunity to meet with the experts on the 

geology of their park. Scoping meetings are usually held 

in each park individually, although, to expedite the 

process some scoping meetings are multi- park meetings 

that address an entire Vital Signs Monitoring Network. 

For additional information regarding the content of this 

report, please refer to the Geologic Resources of the 

National Park Service, located in Denver Colorado with 

up- to- date contact information at the following 

website: http://www2.nature.nps.gov/geology. 

Park History 

The Ancestral Puebloans (formerly known as the 

Anasazi) first entered the mesa around A.D. 600 (Nobel, 

1991). Ancestral Puebloan sites are not distributed 

uniformly over the plateau. Geologic features dictated 

the location of Ancestral Puebloan communities. As 

farmers, the Ancestral Puebloans settled in areas where 

they found reliable seeps and springs, fertile soil, and a 

moderate climate. On the mesa, this meant that most 

communities were located at about 7,000 feet in 

elevation. Adjusting to the demanding climate and harsh 

terrain, they built a system of check dams and even small 

reservoirs to harness runoff from the intermittent 

streams. The Ancestral Puebloans carved farming 

terraces primarily on slopes with northeastern exposures 

to benefit from maximum soil moisture and reduced 

evaporation (Erdman et al., 1969). 

Around A.D. 1200, many of the Ancestral Puebloans 

moved off the mesas and into cliff dwellings on Mesa 

Verde. By the mid- 1200s, about half the population of 

Chapin Mesa was living in these cliff dwellings. 

Beginning in A.D. 1276, a 23- year drought struck the 

region. Springs began to dry up. By A.D. 1300, Mesa 

Verde lay deserted (Noble, 1991). The early Spanish 

explorers of the 18th Century gave this area the name 

Mesa Verde, which is Spanish for “green table.” 

The first known geological reference to Mesa Verde 

comes in 1859 from the report of Professor John Strong 

Newberry of Columbia University. In 1874, William 

Henry Jackson, a photographer for the Geological and 

Geographical Survey of the Territories led by Dr. 

Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, and his guide, John Moss, 

found and named Two- Story Cliff House (Stegner, 

1954). They may have been the first white men to enter a 

cliff dwelling. Jackson was the first to photograph both 

Mesa Verde and Yellowstone (in 1872). 

Geologic Setting 

The Mesa Verde area, in the southwestern corner of 

Colorado, includes about 520 square miles of deeply 

dissected tableland on the Colorado Plateau. Mesa Verde 

National Park comprises 81 square miles (52,073 acres) of 

this tableland and was created in 1906 to preserve the 

archaeological treasures left by the Ancestral Puebloan 

people (figure 1) 

The Colorado Plateau Physiographic Province covers 

parts of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico 

(figure 2). The Colorado Plateau is a region of high 

plateaus and broad, rounded uplands separated by vast 

rangelands. The Mesozoic- age overthrust belt marks the 

west- northwest edge of the Colorado Plateau. The 

extensional, normal- faulted Basin- and- Range Province 

borders the Colorado Plateau to the west and south. The 

Rocky Mountains are to the east and the Rio Grande Rift 

forms the southeast border. 

The Colorado Plateau is known for its laterally extensive 

monoclines that formed during the Late Cretaceous and 

Early Tertiary Laramide Orogeny. The basins adjacent to 

the steep limbs of the monoclines have been filled with 

sediment eroded from these folds. The steeply dipping 

eastern limb of the Hogback Monocline forms the westnorthwest flank of the San Juan Basin located in 

northwest New Mexico. Mesa Verde lies on the gently 

dipping northwest limb of the Hogback Monocline 

(Condon, 1991; Wanek, 1959). The mesa is part of a wide, 

shallow syncline that plunges or tilts to the south. The 

sedimentary rocks at Mesa Verde are nearly flat lying but 

dip away from the structural high of the La Plata 

Mountains with gentle dips between 2- 3 degrees to the 

south (Wanek, 1959). 
 MEVE Geologic Resource Evaluation Report 3 

Very few faults have been mapped in Mesa Verde 

National Park relative to the surrounding area. Along the 

north rim, a normal fault trends east- west and can be 

traced across several promontories below Park Point 

(Wanek, 1959). The northern structural block has 

dropped down about 15 m (50 ft) relative to the southern 

block. Along the northwest rim, several small normal 

faults trend southeastward and coalesce. Displacement 

on the faults is about 30 m (100 ft). Farther south, a small 

normal fault cuts the western rim of the mesa. The fault 

trends east- west, and displacement is only about 12 m 

(40 ft) (Wanek, 1959). Most faults in Mesa Verde appear 

to be associated with gravity sliding near the edges of the 

escarpment. Joints that vertically fracture the Mancos 

Shale and Mesa Verde Group are common on the mesa. 

The massive cliffs at Mesa Verde are composed of 

erosion resistant sandstones. Sandstone also forms the 

surface bedrock of the mesa. The slopes beneath the 

cliffs are less resistant to erosion and are composed of 

siltstone, mudstone, or shale. 

The sandstones and shales at Mesa Verde rise abruptly to 

nearly 607 m (2,000 ft) above the surrounding plain 

(figure 1). The mesa of Mesa Verde slopes gently 

southward until it is truncated by the southwest flowing 

Mancos River, a tributary of the San Juan River (Wanek, 

1959; Condon, 1991). Over a distance of about 18 km (11 

mi), the elevation in the park changes from about 2,612 m 

(8,571 ft) above sea level at Point Lookout to roughly 

2070 m (6,800 ft) on Chapin Mesa near the southern 

edge of the park. Such a change in elevation results in a 

topographic slope to the south of about 28 to 29 m per 

kilometer (145 to 150 ft per mile). 

The sandstone that forms the bedrock surface at Mesa 

Verde is relatively porous and permeable so that water 

can flow through the sandstone. Melting snow and rain 

soak into the sandstone and percolate downward. 

Conversely, the shale beneath the sandstone is not very 

permeable so water does not travel through it very well. 

Instead, the groundwater flows along the contact of the 

sandstone and shale and emerges as springs or seeps 

along the canyon walls. The alcoves in which the 

Ancestral Puebloans built their cliff dwellings are the 

result of these seeps and of continued seasonal freezing 

and thawing that loosen the cement holding the sand 

grains together. 

The La Plata Mountains lie to the northeast and the 

Sleeping Ute Mountain to the west of Mesa Verde 

National Park. On a clear day, the La Plata and Rico 

mountains to the northeast, the Sleeping Ute Mountain 

near Cortez, Colorado, the Carrizo Mountains in 

northeastern Arizona, the Henry Mountains and La Sal 

Mountains in Utah, and the lone spire of Shiprock are all 

visible from the mesa’s rim. Except for Shiprock, which is 

the remnant of a central volcanic chamber, these 

mountain ranges are the result of igneous intrusions that 

formed mushroom- shaped laccoliths in the Early to 

Middle Tertiary Period. These intrusions pushed up the 

sediments without reaching the surface. Over time, 

erosion has exposed the inner igneous core of the ranges. 

Igneous dikes mapped in Mesa Verde National Park have 

a similar orientation to some of the dikes radiating from 

Shiprock and are the same type of rock (Wanek, 1959). 

The dikes at Mesa Verde National Park, however, are 

somewhat of an enigma. Usually, as at Shiprock, volcanic 

dikes are more resistant to erosion than the surrounding 

sedimentary rocks and thus form obvious ridges in the 

landscape. In Mesa Verde National Park, a low mound 

or ridge is visible where a dike has cut through the soft 

Menefee Formation. However, the trace of the dike 

through the more resistant Cliff House Sandstone 

appears as a sharp- sided slot cut into the wall of the 

canyon and as a gully rather than a ridge across the 

surface of the mesa top. 

During Pleistocene glaciation (1.6 Ma to 10,000 years 

ago), when large ice sheets covered much of North 

America, alpine glaciers scoured the mountains into 

peaks, knife- edge ridges, and shallow mountain lakes. 

Glaciers put the finishing touches on the higher peaks, 

transforming the San Juan Mountains, for example, from 

a rolling mountainous upland to an alpine wonderland of 

jagged peaks and mountain lakes. 

Locally on the Colorado Plateau, glaciers formed at 

elevations below 1,828 m (6,000 ft) (Dr. Jim Johnson, 

Mesa State College, retired, personal communication, 

2001). For example, the maximum extent of glaciation on 

the Grand Mesa near Grand Junction, Colorado, reached 

1,650 m (5,400 ft). In the White River area, where Canyon 

Creek enters the Colorado River, glaciers reached an 

elevation of 1,768 m (5,800 ft). In the West Fork of the 

Mancos River area, east of Mesa Verde, glaciers flowing 

from the La Plata Mountains reached an elevation of at 

least 2,620 m (8,600 ft) above sea level, but the maximum 

extent is questionable (Dr. Jim Johnson, personal 

communication, 2001). Streams rushing from the toes of 

the glaciers carried voluminous amounts of debris down 

the canyons and out onto the plains. 

The Colorado Plateau has been uplifted about 3,660 m 

(12,000 ft) since the end of the Cretaceous about 66 

million years ago (Fillmore, 2000). Some of this uplift 

occurred rapidly geologically. As the rate of uplift 

increased, so did the rate of erosion. The Colorado 

River, for example, carved its present course within the 

last 6 million years. With uplift, streams throughout the 

Colorado Plateau began to dissect the landscape, 

forming the topography that is present today.
4 NPS Geologic Resources Division 

Figure 1. Location map of Mesa Verde National Park. 
 MEVE Geologic Resource Evaluation Report 5 

Geologic Issues 

A Geologic Resource Evaluation scoping session was held for Mesa Verde National Park, 

July 14- 15, 1998, to discuss geologic resources, to address the status of geologic mapping, and 

to assess resource management issues and needs. The following section synthesizes the 

scoping results, in particular, those issues that may require attention from resource 

managers. 

Most of the following geologic issues that have the 

potential to generate geological hazards were discussed 

at the 1998 workshop held in Mesa Verde National Park 

(Appendix B). Because of the unique geology of Mesa 

Verde, they remain issues today (Gregson, 1998). 

Geological Hazards 

Rock Falls: Because of erosion and freeze and thaw 

weathering processes on the sandstone cliffs, rock fall is 

the number one hazard to the public in Mesa Verde, 

especially along roads and trails. Aside from ongoing 

road monitoring and cleanup, little can be done to 

prevent the natural process of erosion. However, land 

use policies can help mitigate potential problems. For 

example, rock fall potential should be evaluated prior to 

siting new buildings, septic systems, utilities, roads, and 

trails. Forest fires in recent years have magnified rock fall 

hazards in the burned areas and proactive scaling has 

been done to help mitigate the most serious risks 

(George San Miguel, Mesa Verde NP, written 

communication, 2003). 

Major Slumps and Landslides: The Mancos and Menefee 

Formations contain several beds of bentonite. Bentonite 

is an altered volcanic ash largely composed of the clay 

mineral montmorillonite, which has a crystal structure 

that absorbs water and swells when wet and shrinks 

upon drying. This swelling and shrinking leads to 

unstable slopes, slope failure, and constant road repair. 

The Park has repaired several slump- prone areas and 

engineered them to limit the local water infiltration rate 

and/or to drain and reduce pore- pressure in the affected 

sediment. Nonetheless, new areas of concern appear 

each year. The Park has only one major road, and that 

road crosses the bentonite- rich Mancos and Menefee 

shales. 

Coal Seam Fires: In 2002, park staff located a smoldering 

surface coal seam in Morefield Canyon. This fire, known 

as the Horse Trap coal seam fire, was likely ignited by a 

wildfire in the park. The NPS Geologic Resources 

Division, Mesa Verde National Park, and the Colorado 

Division of Mines and Geology coordinated mitigation 

of this small fire. In May of 2005 the fire was 

extinguished using a fire excavation technique that 

involved removal of the burning coal materials, on- site 

cooling of these materials, and backfill against the 

excavated cut. Funding for this mitigation was secured by 

the Colorado Division of Mines and Geology. With 

numerous other coal seams spread across the park and 

many recent wildfires, there could be other burning 

seams in the park. Once ignited, coal seam fires are 

notoriously difficult to extinguish although, in the case of 

the Horse Trap coal seam fire, mitigation was successful. 

Flooding and Debris Flows: Fires in the Mesa Verde area 

have increased erosion even beyond that anticipated in 

1998. Increased runoff from burned areas contributes to 

amplified flooding, including some impressive canyonbottom flashfloods. Mesa Verde is a highland with 

canyons cut by ephemeral streams. Short- duration, 

high- intensity rainfall events in semi- arid climates often 

lead to debris flows that effect lands adjacent to the 

canyons. With increased development outside park 

boundaries as well as increased runoff from fire- prone 

areas, an understanding of the hydrology of the mesa and 

a delineation of floodplains and mapping of debris flow 

deposits will be helpful in predicting future flooding and 

land use planning. Post- fire erosion on the East 

Escarpment has led to heavy sedimentation, which is 

harmful to the native fish species of the Mancos River 

within the park (George San Miguel, Mesa Verde NP, 

written communication, 2003). 

Groundwater Flow 

Water seeping into alcoves has caused some 

archeological damage and back (roof) collapse. Some of 

the seepage was traced to the drainage of domestic water 

and septic system leaching and has been subsequently 

mitigated. Still, understanding local groundwater flow, 

recharge areas, and infiltration and conductivity rates is 

important regarding any additional construction. The 

locations of springs and seeps also should be defined 

since they have archeological significance. 

Joint Systems

An understanding of the joint systems in the Cliff House, 

Menefee, and Point Lookout sandstones is important 

with regard to potential faulting. Activities increasing the 

amount of water in joint systems may increase that 

potential for movement along joint planes. 

Mineral Resources 

Federal mineral leasing is prohibited in Mesa Verde 

National Park as is the location of new mining claims. 

Approximately 230 acres in the park are non- federally 

owned and could potentially be the subject of proposals 

to develop private mineral rights. If that occurred, the 

NPS would regulate that activity. However, no mineral 

production on this acreage is taking place at this time. 

Coal: Surface coal mining is prohibited in the park. 

However, coal mining has occurred in the Mesa Verde 

area, adjacent to the park, in both the Dakota Formation 

and the Menefee Formation. In the past, Dakota coal was 

mined for local consumption. No adjacent coal mining 

issues have surfaced in the recent past. 
6 NPS Geologic Resources Division 

Oil and Gas: At least two plugged and abandoned wells 

exist in the park; however, there are no active oil and gas 

operations in the park at this time. The Bureau of Land 

Management has conducted oil and gas lease sales on 

BLM property directly west of the park entrance road, 

several leases were sold in early 2000. No exploration or 

production has taken place on these leases to date. 

Limited oil and gas activity is also taking place north of 

the park entrance station, on the north side of Highway 

160. 

Intense coalbed methane production is occurring in the 

San Juan Basin, and more particularly, the Southern Ute 

Indian Reservation south of the park. Although this 

development is not immediately adjacent to the park 

boundary, impacts to park air resources are of concern. A 

large scale carbon dioxide extraction and distribution 

facility is located several miles west of the park; however 

this operation is not visible from park roads or overlooks. 

Uranium: When southwest Colorado was explored for 

uranium deposits in 1976, no deposits were found in the 

Mesa Verde area (Haynes et al., 1972). 

Adjacent Development 

Approximately one half mile west of the park entrance 

station, the owner of a private in- holding, surrounded by 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, has proposed 

subdividing the property for home construction. The 

BLM has undertaken an environmental assessment to 

analyze providing the private property owner with access 

across BLM lands to the proposed subdivision (personal 

communication George San Miguel, Mesa Verde NP, 

2006). National Park Service concerns over this 

proposed development include: impacts to the park 

viewshed, decreased wildlife habitat, and the potential 

for expedition of future mineral development activities 

adjacent to park lands. 

Potential Geologic Research Projects 

Some potential research projects are listed below: 

Unconformity-bounded Stratigraphic Sequences: Several 

transgressions and regressions of the Cretaceous 

shoreline are recorded in the Mesa Verde Group, which 

includes the Cliff House, Menefee, and Point Lookout 

formations. Sandstone packages and regional 

unconformities mark major reorganizations in these 

depositional regimes. Yet, a detailed stratigraphic 

analysis of the rocks bounded by these unconformities 

has yet to be published for the Cliff House Formation, 

Menefee Formation, and Point Lookout Formation at 

Mesa Verde National Park. Excellent exposures exist in 

the park, and data are available from the San Juan Basin 

to help correlate these formations. A study of the rocks in 

the Mesa Verde Group would help define the regional 

Cretaceous paleogeography, sedimentation rates, and 

possible past responses to tectonic pulses. 

Type Locations: The excellent exposures of the Mesa 

Verde Group lend themselves as type localities for the 

Cliff House, Menefee, and Point Lookout Formations. 

The Cliff House Formation was named for the cliff 

dwellings in the park and a geological type locality is 

fitting. The Point Lookout Formation was named for the 

promontory that greets visitors coming into the park. 

The Menefee Formation also was named for exposures 

on the mesa. However, the type localities for these 

formations are vague and ill defined. The previously illdefined type locality for the Mancos Formation is now 

located in the park (Kirkland et. al., 1995). Vertical 

stratigraphic sections of the other formations should be 

measured in detail and proposed as type localities. 

Cretaceous Fossil Record: Extensive work on the 

Cretaceous fossil record, especially plants, is needed to 

enhance correlation and dating of the rocks, especially 

the Menefee Formation. A comparative collection and 

terminology for Cretaceous fossils is also needed. 

Igneous Dikes: Numerous igneous dikes cut the 

Cretaceous sedimentary rocks of Mesa Verde. A study of 

their aerial extent and petrography would greatly 

enhance the understanding of their origin and 

emplacement. 

Joint Patterns: Numerous joint sets fracture all the 

formations exposed on the mesa. Although similar, their 

orientations among the different formations are not well 

understood. A study of the joint patterns could help with 

land use planning and could be integrated with other 

joint studies on the Colorado Plateau. 

Mapping Coal Outcrops (written comments from George 

San Miguel, Mesa Verde NP, 2003): Mapping coal 

outcrops would help pinpoint locations of current and 

future coal seam fires. 

Groundwater Hydrology: A study of the local groundwater 

systems, recharge areas, and infiltration and conductivity 

rates will aid land use planning and protection of 

archeological sites. A map showing the locations of all 

springs and seeps should be a part of this study. 

Soil Survey: Because soil fertility plays a significant role in 

the story of the Ancestral Pueblo people, soils from the 

new NRCS soil survey map could be correlated with the 

Ancestral Puebloan culture. 

Fire Recurrence Studies: Participants at the 1998 

workshop discussed radiometric dating of charcoal in 

sediments, similar to the study at Colorado National 

Monument, as a method to determine dates of fire 

recurrence on the mesa. Recent fires and changes in 

runoff make this project useful for evaluating fire 

recurrence, erosion potential, and debris flow history in 

the park. 

Quaternary Studies: Several potential Quaternary studies 

were noted at the 1998 workshop and include: 

• Paleosols that contain information on previous climate 

conditions 

• A map identifying potential and current locations of 

rockfalls, debris flows, landslides, slumps, colluvial, 

and alluvial deposits could be important for land use 

planning 

• A detailed surficial geology map needed to provide 

insight for both modern land use as well as ancient 

land use related to the cultural resources. 
 MEVE Geologic Resource Evaluation Report 7 

Interpretive Needs 

Several interpretive needs were outlined at the 1998 

workshop (Gregson, 1998). These included: 

• A fire history of Mesa Verde National Park. 

• A detailed geologic map. 

• A geologic road log for the park. 

• Replacement exhibits and signs destroyed by fire. 

• New road signs identifying geologic unit names and 

unique features. 

Road logs, road guides and new signs would provide 

information for park visitors. The road signs could be 

companions to a more detailed guidebook that would 

explain the features to the visitor. Don Baars has written 

a general book on the Colorado Plateau (Baars, 2000), 

but his book is not specifically targeted to the park. 

Figure 2. Location of Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado. The Colorado Plateau Province is outlined in red. MEVE: 

Mesa Verde National Park. Uplifts are shaded gray and include, from north to south: White River (WR), Uncompahgre (UN), La Sal 

Mountains (LS), San Rafael Swell (SR), High Plateau (HP), Circle Cliffs (CC), Henry Mountains (HM), Monument Uplift (M), Ute 

Mountains (UM), La Plata Mountains (LP), San Juan Mountains (SJ), Carrizo Mountain (CM), Navajo Mountain (NM), Kaibab Uplift (K), 

Defiance Uplift (D), Zuni Uplift (Z), and Mount Taylor (MT). Major basins on the Colorado Plateau include: Uinta basin (Ub), Piceance 

basin (Pb), Kaiparowits basin (Kp), San Juan basin (Sjb), Black Mesa basin (Bmb), and the Baca basin (Bb). South of the Uncompahgre 

Uplift are salt structures (SS) that trend northwest-southeast. Shiprock (Sr) is located in the northwest corner of New Mexico. The 

Hogback Monocline (HM) dips into the San Juan basin. The Overthrust Belt (OB) and the Mogollon Highland (MH) are two thrust-related 

features that border the plateau to the west and south, respectively. Solid triangles indicate the block of rocks that have been thrusted 

over underlying strata. Basement-cored uplifts of the Laramide Orogeny are found to the north and east in the Uinta Mountains (U), 

Park Range (P), San Luis Mountains (SL), Sangre de Cristo (SC), and Nacimiento Mountains (N). The Rio Grande Rift (RGR) borders the 

plateau to the southeast. 
8 NPS Geologic Resources Division 

Geologic Features and Processes 

This section provides descriptions of the most prominent and distinctive geologic features 

and processes in Mesa Verde National Park. 

Cuesta Features 

Mesa Verde is a cuesta, a sloping plain terminated on one 

side by a steep slope. The mesa slopes gently to the south, 

but has a 2,000 –foot escarpment on the north side 

formed by an outcropping of Point Lookout sandstone. 

The mesa surface is only slightly less steep than the 

southward dip of the sedimentary beds (dip slope). At 

one time, Mesa Verde was connected with the La Plata 

and San Juan Mountains. Sloping from the mountains 

was a pediment surface, a broad bedrock erosional 

surface that typically develops at the base of a mountain 

front in arid regions. The Mesa Verde cuesta is a remnant 

of this pediment surface. 

With uplift, the Mesa Verde region was divided into 

separate land forms by streams that incised into the 

pediment. When headward erosion by McElmo Creek 

tributaries intersected south- flowing streams with lower 

gradients than their own, they captured those streams 

and rerouted them to McElmo Creek, which flows west 

outside the park. 

The cuesta is drained by the Mancos River, which has cut 

a deep, broad valley along eastern and southern edges of 

Mesa Verde. Headward erosion by intermittent streams 

dissected the mesa into 15 long, parallel, steep- sided 

canyons separated by narrow uplands. The canyons 

drain to the Mancos River. 

Alcoves 

Alcoves in the Cliff House Sandstone were used by the 

Ancestral Puebloans. Alcoves form where massive, cliffforming sandstone overlies soft, erodible shale beds. 

When groundwater, percolating down through the 

porous and permeable Cliff House Sandstone, intersects 

less permeable shale layers, it is diverted along the 

contact of the sandstone and shale. When the 

groundwater reaches the canyon wall, the slightly acidic 

water dissolves the carbonate minerals that cement the 

sand grains together. The loosened grains are removed 

by seasonal freezing and thawing, wind, water, and 

gravity. 

The canyons vary in depth. For example, the part of the 

canyon where Spruce Tree House cliff dwelling is 

located is less than 100 feet in depth compared to the 240 

- foot deep canyon at the Cliff Palace dwellings. The 

larger alcoves have been cut into the upper part of the 

Cliff House Formation. The controlling factor of alcove 

formation is not the depth of the canyon, but the location 

of regional bentonite layers that impede vertical 

groundwater flow. 

In some areas, at Long House for example, water comes 

in contact with bentonite. The swelling of the bentonite 

applies pressure on the overlying sandstone and helps 

promote the disintegration of the sandstone. This 

bentonite layer can be seen just above the floor of many 

of the deeper alcoves. Grain by grain, a niche forms in 

the rock wall; gradually the niches widen and connect to 

form alcoves. 

Because the contact between the sandstone and shale is 

relatively horizontal, the floors of the alcoves are flat and 

almost level. This allowed the Ancestral Puebloans to 

have a stable platform upon which to build. In some of 

the alcoves, ripple marked sandstones are reminders of 

ancient shorelines. Water from seeps in the back of some 

of the alcoves collects in dissolution pits. The Ancestral 

Puebloans carved feeder grooves from these dissolution 

pits to the alcove proper. 

Overlooks 

The vistas are also special features at Mesa Verde 

National Park. At the Mancos Valley Overlook, which is 

close to the contact between the Mancos Shale and the 

Point Lookout Sandstone, the La Plata Mountains are 

visible on the horizon. The high flat erosion surface to 

the east that gradually rises to the mountain range is the 

remains of the ancient erosion surface of very early 

Tertiary time (Griffitts, 1990). Across Mancos Canyon, 

the level bench along the canyon wall is an old stream 

terrace that developed when the stream stopped cutting 

downward for a time. A volcanic plug can also be seen on 

the east canyon wall from this overlook. 

At the Montezuma Valley Overlook, the sheer cliff to the 

north is known as the Knife Edge. The old road formerly 

looped around Knife Edge and back to Morefield 

Canyon until 1957. Constructed on the soft Mancos 

Shale, the road was difficult to maintain and was 

abandoned in 1957 when the tunnel was built to connect 

Prater and Morefield Canyons. To the west, the city of 

Cortez lies on a flat erosion plain underlain by Dakota 

Sandstone. The rich red soil on this plain is loess (windblown silt) that holds moisture well. Farther to the west 

is the Sleeping Ute Mountain, formed by the intrusion of 

a laccolith. 

At Park Point, the La Plata Mountains, another 

laccolithic mountain range, can be seen to the east; the 

volcanic San Juan Mountains to the north; and the 

silhouette of Sleeping Ute Mountain to the west, so 

named because the mountain range resembles a man 

lying on his back with his head to the north and arms 

crossed over his chest. On a clear day, Shiprock is visible 

over 30 miles to the south. Mancos and Dakota deposits 

floor the broad flat plain below the Mesa Verde. Along 

the rim, small faults have dropped the Menefee coal beds 

about 50 feet down against the Point Lookout Sandstone. 

To the south, a good overall view shows the flat top of 
 MEVE Geologic Resource Evaluation Report 9 

the mesa sloping gently to the south and cut by sharp 

shouldered canyons. 

A complete sequence of the sedimentary rocks of Mesa 

Verde is visible from the North Rim Overlook. The trace 

of a fault scarp in the Point Lookout Sandstone can also 

be seen across the canyon. Several landslides are located 

on the north side of the canyon. The slides remove the 

vegetation from the steep slopes and thus encourage 

further rapid erosion. 

Surface Features 

MEVE also contains several distinct surface features. At 

Spruce Tree House, the surface of the rock is weathered 

into a polygonal pattern of grooves called “turtle backs.” 

Both mechanical and chemical factors may play a part in 

developing these features. 

Concretions occur throughout the park. Some are like 

mud balls with a foreign object like a pebble or fossil 

shell in the center. Others are the result of minerals, 

calcium carbonate (lime) and/or iron oxide, precipitating 

in a part of a sandstone and cementing the sand grains 

together. Those parts of the sandstone that are more 

resistant to erosion frequently result in knobby features 

in the rock. Shapes of these concretions are variable, and 

some of the more unique ones were found by the 

Ancestral Puebloans. 

Rain water has left distinct solution patterns and other 

marks on the surface of the park. Shallow depressions in 

sandstone collect runoff. Precipitation forms a very weak 

acid, which can dissolve the lime cement in the 

sandstone. The shallow depressions deepen in the 

center, and little grooves leading from the center begin to 

develop as rapid runoff filling the center begins to 

dissolve the cement in softer parts of the rock. 

Desert varnish forms vertical dark streaks on the upper 

rim of the alcoves. The cause of desert varnish is not 

universally agreed upon but it seems to be a combination 

of several factors. Bacterial action, in the presence of 

moisture, fixes manganese and iron particles brought in 

with wind blown dust. 

Volcanic Features 

The San Juan Mountains, northeast of Mesa Verde, are 

the remnants of a great volcanic field that resulted from 

volcanic activity about 35 to 26 million years ago. Dikes at 

Shiprock, New Mexico, and several small igneous dikes 

in the park resulted from this volcanic activity. Usually, 

igneous dikes are more resistant to erosion than the 

sedimentary rocks they intrude and form obvious ridges 

on the landscape after the sedimentary rocks have 

eroded away. At Mesa Verde, however, differential 

weathering has left a different weathering pattern. Where 

the dikes cut through the soft Menefee Formation, a very 

low mound or ridge may be visible, but the trace of the 

dike in the more resistant Cliff House Sandstone is 

usually a sharp sided slot cut into the wall of a canyon 

(Griffitts, 1990). 
10 NPS Geologic Resources Division 

Map Unit Properties 

This section provides a description for and identifies many characteristics of the map 

units that appear on the digital geologic map of Mesa Verde National Park. The table is 

highly generalized and is provided for informational purposes only. Ground disturbing 

activities should not be permitted or denied on the basis of information contained in this 

table. More detailed unit descriptions can be found in the help files that accompany the 

digital geologic map or by contacting the NPS Geologic Resources Division. 

In Mesa Verde National Park surface exposures consist 

primarily of Cretaceous- age Mancos Shale and Mesa 

Verde Group consisting of the Point Lookout Sandstone, 

Menefee Formation, and Cliff House Sandstone (Map 

Unit Properties Table; Appendix A). Tertiary- age gravels 

overlie the Cliff House Sandstone and Tertiary volcanic 

dikes cut through the sedimentary strata. Fluvial terrace 

gravels and wind- blown sediment have been deposited 

during the Quaternary. Soils are currently developing on 

the present Holocene topography. 

The following Map Unit Properties Table identifies 

properties specific to each unit present in the 

stratigraphic column including: the map symbol, unit 

name, description, topographic expression, erosion 

potential, hazard potential, potential paleontologic, 

cultural, and mineral resources, and global significance.


 MEVE Geologic Resource Evaluation Report 13 

Geologic History 

This section highlights the map units (i.e., rocks, and unconsolidated deposits) that occur in 

Mesa Verde National Park and puts them in a geologic context in terms of the environment 

in which they were deposited and the timing of geologic events that created the landscape. 

Mesozoic Era: Cretaceous Period 

Lithospheric plate collision in the Cretaceous resulted in 

mountain building along the western margin of North 

America as the Sevier Orogeny formed a roughly northsouth trending thrust belt that is well defined in presentday southern Nevada, central Utah, and western 

Montana (figure 3). As the mountains rose in the west, 

the Gulf of Mexico separating North and South America 

continued to rift open in the south, and marine water 

advanced northward into the expanding Western 

Interior Basin. Marine water also began to transgress 

from the Arctic region. 

As the shoreline continued to advance into eastern Utah 

and western Colorado in the Lower Cretaceous (115- 135 

Ma), a predominantly fluvial system changed to a coastal 

plain depositional system with coastal swamps, lagoons, 

and beach environments (Dakota Sandstone) (Condon, 

1991; Morris et al., 2000). The inland sea advanced and 

retreated many times during the Cretaceous until the 

most extensive interior seaway ever recorded drowned 

much of western North America (figure 4). The Western 

Interior Seaway was an elongate basin that extended 

from today’s Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean, a 

distance of about 4827 km (3,000 mi) (Kauffman, 1977). 

During periods of maximum transgression, the width of 

the basin was 1600 km (1,000 mi) from western Utah to 

western Iowa. The western margin of the seaway 

coincided with the active Cretaceous Sevier orogenic belt 

so that sedimentation into the basin from the rising 

mountains was rapid. Rapid sedimentation led to further 

sediment loading and downwarping along the western 

margin. 

Mancos Shale: Mancos Shale forms the lowermost 

sequence of rock units exposed within the park (Map 

Unit Properties Table; Appendix A). Except where the 

Mancos is capped by resistant Point Lookout Sandstone, 

the Mancos Shale forms flat eroded surfaces such as the 

plain surrounding the park. Where it is overlain by 

sandstone, the Mancos forms highly dissected, dark gray 

escarpments. 

In 1959, Wanek measured 609 m (1,998. ft) of Mancos 

Shale from just north of the highway to the Point 

Lookout Formation, but he did not subdivide the 

Mancos into any smaller units (Wanek, 1959). Kirkland 

and others (1995) completed a transect along this same 

section in which they measured 700 m (2,297 ft) of 

Mancos Shale and subdivided the Formation into eight 

distinct members, from youngest to oldest: 

• Cortez member 

• Smoky Hill member 

• Montezuma Valley member 

• Juana Lopez member 

• Blue Hill member 

• Fairport member 

• Bridge Creek member 

• Graneros member 

The oysters in the Graneros member indicate deposition 

in a shallow, low energy, quiet marine environment as 

transgression pushed the shoreline to the west of Mesa 

Verde. Wave action must have been minimal in order to 

preserve, intact, the small oysters and shark teeth. 

Active magmatism along the western margin of North 

America provided great quantities of volcanic ash that 

settled to the ocean bottom during this time 

(Christiansen et al., 1994). The volcanic ash altered to 

bentonite, which is white on a fresh surface but weathers 

to a rusty orange color (Kirkland et al., 1995). Because it 

forms from volcanic ash, bentonite can be dated 

radiometrically providing an important time markers for 

correlating sedimentary rocks over large distances on the 

Colorado Plateau. 

The overlying shales in the Fairport and Blue Hill 

members represent quiet deposition in a marine 

environment. The Fairport member is very calcareous 

and contains more bentonite beds than the Blue Hill 

member (Kirkland et al., 1995). Abundant, calcareous 

foraminifera fossils found in the Fairport member 

indicate a relative sea level rise. Sparse arenaceous 

foraminifera in the Blue Hill indicate a subsequent sea 

level fall (Aubrey, 1991). 

The fine- to coarse- grained limestone of the Juana 

Lopez member was deposited during another sea level 

rise. The Juana Lopez member represents the second 

major transgressive pulse in the Mancos Shale and was 

deposited when sea level rise reached its maximum 

extent (figure 5). It is the oldest part of the Mancos Shale 

exposed within the park (Scott et al., 2001). Like the 

Bridge Creek, the Juana Lopez member forms limestone 

ridges separating the shale units. The Juana Lopez is one 

of the most laterally persistent Cretaceous units in the 

southern Rocky Mountain region (Aubrey, 1991). The 

Graneros is found a short distance to the north where 

small erosion remnants may be capped with Bridge 

Creek (Greenhorn) Limestone. 

Following Juana Lopez deposition, sea level did not 

dramatically rise or fall but remained in a dynamic 

equilibrium as the depositional regime began to change 

again. The relatively thin, Montezuma Valley member 

above the Juana Lopez member was identified by 

Kirkland and others (1995) and named by Leckie and 

others (1997) but is difficult to physically correlate to the 

detailed measured section of Wanek (1959). 
14 NPS Geologic Resources Division 

The boundary between this member and the overlying 

Smoky Hill member is an unconformable contact that 

may represent another lowstand of sea level in the 

Mancos Sea (Aubrey, 1991; Kirkland et al., 1995). The 

unconformity marks an abrupt decrease in the number of 

bentonite beds in the overall formation. 

Except for the Cortez and Smoky Hill members, these 

units in the Mancos Shale contain bentonite which swells 

with the addition of water and shrinks upon drying, 

which may cause problems with trail, road and facility 

construction and maintenance. 

Calcareous shale and marlstone, a rock containing both 

calcium carbonate (lime) and clay, of the Smoky Hill 

member may signify the third major transgression of the 

Mancos Sea (Aubrey, 1991). The Smoky Hill may be 

correlative to rocks mapped in the Southern Ute Indian 

Reservation to the southeast. 

The Cortez member represents the beginning of a 

regressive stage of deposition and consists of shallow 

marine, near shore deposits (figure 6). The member 

becomes progressively sandier, contains dolomitic 

(Ca,Mg carbonate) mudstones, and is transitional with 

the overlying Point Lookout Formation. The yellowgray sandy shales and shaly sandstones of this upper, 

transitional member contain ripple marks, and trails, 

tracks, and burrows of animals that lived in shallow 

marine environments. As the shoreline advanced into the 

Mesa Verde region, the clay and silt particles were 

winnowed from the sand and deposited farther offshore 

to the northeast. Gradually, the layers of Point Lookout 

sandstone became more prominent in the area than beds 

of shale and siltstone (figure 7). 

In summary, for roughly 15 million years (from 80 to 95 

Ma), clay, silt, sand, and shell debris were deposited in 

the Mancos Sea that covered Mesa Verde National Park 

(Molenaar, 1983). At first glance, the Mancos appears to 

be 700 m (2,300+ ft) of uniform, monotonous black and 

gray shales with a few scattered limestone beds. Yet, the 

history of the Mancos reflects at least four major changes 

in depositional systems where shoreline and near- shore 

environments were replaced by new environments 

created as sea level rose and fell. In addition, fossil 

evidence suggests that ocean currents within the Mancos 

Sea were not homogeneous. At times, the currents 

circulated oxygenated water throughout the water 

column allowing life to prosper at all levels, including 

within the muddy sea bottom. During marine 

transgressions, however, the circulation in the seaway 

was restricted to the upper water layer, and black, 

organic- rich mud accumulated in the oxygen- poor sea 

bottom. In those environments, the fossil material 

includes very few, if any, bottom fauna. 

Late Cretaceous - Mesa Verde Group. The Mesa Verde 

Group consists of three formations: Point Lookout 

Sandstone (oldest formation), Menefee Formation, and 

Cliff House Sandstone (youngest). Between 297- 463 m 

(974 - 1519 ft) of rocks in the Mesa Verde Group have 

been measured in Mesa Verde National Park (Map Unit 

Properties Table) (Wanek, 1959). 

Point Lookout Sandstone: The Point Lookout Sandstone 

was deposited in shallow water and along beaches in a 

regressing sea (figure 7). The light- gray to yellowishgray vertical cliffs along the rim of Mesa Verde represent 

the massive upper sandstone member. The massive 

sandstone intertongues with the lower sandstone and 

shale member so the thickening of the beds is gradual. 

The Point Lookout Sandstone is 89- 115 m (291- 377 ft) 

thick. The formation was named for Point Lookout, but a 

type locality has yet to be designated. 

For the amount of sand that was deposited , 

sedimentation rates must have been rapid or basin 

subsidence decreased, or both. Fossils in the sandstone 

are few because, as the sea withdrew, the water depths 

became shallower , the sediments coarser (sand sized), 

and the wave energy increased so that, like today, wave 

and current action destroyed whatever shells washed 

into the area. In addition, bottom- feeding scavengers 

worked through the sediments and further disintegrated 

any organic remains. Beach sands built upward and 

outward, forcing the sea to withdraw. As the sea 

withdrew, a broad, almost flat, coastal plain emerged 

from what used to be sea bottom. The sediments of the 

Menefee Formation were deposited on this coastal plain. 

Menefee Formation: A lowland, coastal plain developed in 

the area as the sea retreated to the northeast (Cobban et 

al., 1994; Scott et al., 2001). Sediments deposited in 

swamps, lagoons, and along broad meandering streams 

became the woody shales, coal, dark carbonaceous 

shales, and discontinuous irregular sandstones of the 

Menefee Formation. Overall, the Menefee is a 

sedimentary wedge that thins to the northeast and 

thickens to about 244 m (800 ft) at the Colorado- New 

Mexico border. 

In Mesa Verde National Park, 122 m (4oo ft) of Menefee 

Formation was measured in a vertical section along the 

East Rim and provides a good idea of the heterogeneous 

mixture of sandstone, siltstone, shale, and coal in the unit 

(sections 34 and 35, Township 35 North, Range 14 West) 

(Wanek, 1959). The formation was named for Menefee 

Mountain in Montezuma County where coal is mined. 

Menefee Mountain has been referred to as the type 

locality; however, no type locality has been officially 

designated. 

Within 16 m (53 ft) of the base of the Menefee, two beds 

of Point Lookout sandstone lie between the black to dark 

gray shale, shiny black coal, and yellowish- gray siltstone 

of the lower member (Wanek, 1959). The interfingering 

of Point Lookout sandstones with Menefee shales and 

siltstones near the base of the Menefee Formation 

suggests that the sea did not recede uniformly but in 

episodic pulses. 

The bentonite beds deposited throughout the Menefee 

Formation suggest renewed volcanic activity and 

subsequent uplift from active plate convergence. In the 
 MEVE Geologic Resource Evaluation Report 15 

middle member, an especially thick bentonite bed, as 

much as 1 m (3 ft) thick in some places, underlies a 

sandstone channel and represents deposition of a large 

amount of volcanic ash. Broken tree trunks, carried into 

the valley by mudflows, were deposited in some of these 

volcanic ash beds (Griffitts, 1990). 

Vigorous volcanic activity in the Late Cretaceous 

resulted from thick accumulations of magma generated 

above the subduction zone on the western margin. 

Plutons were actively emplaced along the Sierra Nevada 

of California and Nevada as well as in southwestern 

Arizona at this time (Christiansen et al., 1994). 

Cliff House Sandstone: The Cliff House Sandstone 

represents a shallow, near shore marine environment 

that covered the Mesa Verde area from about 75 to 79 

Ma (figure 8). The shoreline trended in a northwestsoutheast direction. The few preserved fossils suggest 

that the seawater was well circulated. Like today’s 

beaches, the Mesa Verde area was probably rich with 

marine life that was not preserved. Winnowing and 

reworking by waves and currents sorted the sediment 

into sand size particles and destroyed much of the shell 

material. Scavengers on the surface and in the sediment 

further ravaged any organic remains, leaving little to be 

preserved as fossils. 

The Cliff House Sandstone is named for the famous 

Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings. Currently, no type 

locality has been designated (http://ngmdb.usgs.gov/lexbin). The thickness of the Cliff House is variable. In 1959, 

Wanek measured 86 m (281 ft) and 116 m (379 ft) of Cliff 

House in two vertical sections in the Wetherill Mesa area 

(sec.18- T34N- R15W) and recorded a maximum 

thickness of about 122 m (400 ft) in Echo Cliff. The 

original thickness of the Cliff House Sandstone is not 

known because an indeterminate amount of sand was 

removed by erosion. North of the park, near Cortez, the 

formation thins to approximately 41 m (134 ft) (Wanek, 

1959). 

Because of the complex interplay among chemical and 

mechanical weathering processes, groundwater flow, 

and groundwater sapping, the contact between shale 

zones and sandstone determine the location of the 

alcoves in the Cliff House, and consequently, the cliff 

dwellings (Harris et al., 1997). The upper sandstone unit 

becomes shaleier, thinner, and less resistant to erosion in 

the northern part of the park. Rather than forming 

prominent cliffs, the unit forms slope deposits. 

Burrows left by the crustacean, Ophiomorpha, a shrimplike organism, are indicative of a sandy environment 

where relatively high levels of wave energy have 

produced a clean, well- sorted, loose or shifting sandy 

substrate. These energy conditions commonly are found 

on the foreshore and shoreface of beaches, bars and spits 

(Pemberton, 1992). Sandstone troughs filled with 

Inoceramus (a clam) may represent tidal channels that 

breached barrier- island deposits (Aubrey, 1991). When 

the shoreline migrated to the northeast, swamps and 

coastal lagoons formed. Organic matter deposited in 

these anoxic environments became seams of coal. 

In general, the Cliff House Sandstone represents 

deposition during a transgressive episode, but the history 

is far more complex than that. Few, if any, transgressive 

cycles have resulted in massive sandstone deposits over 

122 m (400 ft) thick. Rather, the thick sandstone deposits 

probably were deposited when the sea level was static 

(Aubrey, 1991). At these times, the amount of sediment 

exceeded the rate of basin subsidence and piled up along 

the shore. If the rate of subsidence exceeded the rate of 

sedimentation, sea level rose rapidly without disturbing 

these deposits (Wanek, 1959). The interfingering 

sandstone, siltstone, shale, and coal beds indicate an 

overall episodic transgressive sequence punctuated with 

minor transgressions and regressions. 

Although the Cliff House Sandstone is the top layer of 

rock seen at Mesa Verde today, it is not the end of the 

Mesozoic history of the Mesa Verde region. After 

deposition of the Cliff House Sandstone, sea level 

continued to rise, pushing the shoreline farther into 

northwestern New Mexico to the area of Chaco Cultural 

National Historical Park in Chaco Canyon. Offshore 

mud was deposited over Mesa Verde, and the sediments 

compacted into shale forming the Lewis Shale. 

Then the sea began what was to be its final regression off 

the North American continent. As the sea receded, 

another beach deposit similar to the Point Lookout 

Formation was deposited over the area. This sandstone is 

known as the Pictured Cliffs Sandstone in the Four 

Corners region. Still more sandstone and shale of the 

continental and near- shore Fruitland and Kirkland 

formations were deposited as sea level continued to fall. 

These deposits, however, have been eroded from MEVE. 

In all, a total of about 457 m (1,500 ft) of latest Cretaceous 

sediments have been eroded from the Mesa. 

Cretaceous – Tertiary Laramide Tectonics 

The Laramide Orogeny (about 75- 35 Ma) transformed 

the extensive basin of the Cretaceous Interior Seaway 

into smaller interior basins bordered by high arches 

(anticlines and synclines on the scale of miles). The 

Laramide Orogeny developed when the North American 

plate collided with the Farallon plate. Although the 

collision took place far to the west, the tectonic stresses 

extended to the Colorado Plateau. 

The Colorado Plateau, as a whole, was uplifted and tilted 

so that streams, flowing to the northwest, began to erode 

the underlying sedimentary rocks and to deposit gravels 

and sandstones across the area (Fassett, 1985; Aubrey, 

1991). The relatively complete latest Cretaceous 

sedimentary record in the San Juan Basin indicates that 

basin formation was coincident with uplift. Deeply 

weathered, lateritic paleosols discovered just north of the 

Colorado Plateau in Tertiary- age deposits attest to a 

tropical climate (lateritic soils are common in tropical 

climates today) wherein the heat and abundant 

precipitation would have accelerated weathering and 
16 NPS Geologic Resources Division 

erosion processes on the broad uplifts (Chapin and 

Cather, 1983). 

With continued uplift in the late Tertiary and 

Quaternary, the 457 m (1,500 ft) of Upper Cretaceous 

strata was eroded from the mesa to expose the Mesa 

Verde Group. At Mesa Verde, this unconformity at the 

Cretaceous – Tertiary contact can be observed at the east 

side of Moccasin Mesa (sec. 2- T33N- R15W) where 

Tertiary gravel deposits fill channels about 6 m (20 ft) 

deep carved into the underlying Upper Cretaceous, Cliff 

House Sandstone (Wanek, 1959). 

Cenozoic Era: Tertiary Period and Uplift of the Colorado 

Plateau 

Near the end of the Laramide Orogeny, from about 26-

35 million years ago, in early mid- Tertiary time, volcanic 

activity erupted across the Colorado Plateau. The 

laccoliths that formed the Sleeping Ute Mountain, La 

Plata Mountains, Henry Mountains, La Sal Mountains, 

and Abajo Mountains were emplaced during midTertiary volcanism that also gave rise to the extensive San 

Juan volcanic field in southern Colorado, east of Mesa 

Verde National Park (Fillmore, 2000). A few northeast 

trending igneous dikes cut through Mesa Verde National 

Park and appear to be related to small igneous plugs in 

the region. 

Today, Late Cretaceous shoreline deposits are found on 

the Colorado Plateau at elevations of several thousands 

of feet. Since the end of the Cretaceous Period 66 million 

years ago, the Colorado Plateau has risen about 3,660 m 

(12,000 ft) (Fillmore, 2000). Some of this uplift occurred 

quite rapidly in geologic time. As the rate of uplift 

increased, so did the rate of erosion. The Colorado 

River, for example, carved its present course within the 

last 6 million years. 

On the mesa, remnants of gravel deposits ranging in 

thickness from a few feet to about 18 m (60 ft) overlie the 

erosional surface of the Cliff House Sandstone (Wanek, 

1959). The deposits appear to be water laid and include 

polished pebbles and cobbles of jasper, quartzite, and 

igneous rocks similar in composition to the intrusive 

bodies in the La Plata Mountains to the northeast. 

Cenozoic Era: Quaternary Period 

Several small plugs and dikes of igneous rocks are 

intruded into the Cretaceous sedimentary rocks on the 

Mesa. The dikes show a northeastward trend and have 

been identified as minette, a basaltic rock that contains 

abundant biotite flakes and olivine crystals (Wanek, 

1959). Several of these dikes appear to be similar in 

lithology and trend to the igneous dikes in the Shiprock 

area. The age of these intrusions is considered to be early 

mid- Tertiary (Wanek, 1959). 

In the Pleistocene (0.01- 1.6 Ma) Ice Ages, streams carved 

deep valleys and river channels into the plain, isolating 

Mesa Verde as a gently sloping block in a broad valley. 

Gravel was deposited by meltwater flowing from glaciers 

in the high mountains. The 2- 3o

 tilt to the mesa caused 

streams to downcut their channels and dissect the mesa 

into parallel canyons. In the wetter climate, groundwater 

flow through the permeable Cliff House Sandstone was 

restricted at the contact with less permeable shale and 

siltstone layers. The groundwater flowed horizontally 

along the contact until it met the canyon walls and then 

seeped out onto the surface. Over time, deep alcoves 

began to form, primarily in the Cliff House Sandstone, as 

the porous sandstone was eroded. During interglacial 

periods, wind from the southwest brought silt onto Mesa 

Verde to develop into the rich, fertile soil that would 

later be exploited by the Ancestral Puebloans. 

The Colorado Plateau as a whole has been subjected to 

repeated minor uplifts and stream rejuvenation since the 

end of the last ice age. Today, the climate is drier than 

during the Pleistocene Ice Ages yet the intermittent 

streams in the canyons are still in a period of active 

downcutting, only at a slower rate than in the past.
 MEVE Geologic Resource Evaluation Report 17 

Figure 3. Geologic time scale. Red lines indicate major unconformities between eras. Absolute ages are in millions of years. From 

U.S.G.S. 
18 NPS Geologic Resources Division 

Figure 4. Location of the Cretaceous seaway. Shaded areas indicate land above sea level. MEVE: Mesa Verde National Park. SOB: 

Sevier Orogenic Belt. MH: Mogollon Highland that may have been present in southwestern Arizona. North arrow indicates the 

Cretaceous north. Modified from Rice and Shurr (1983). 
 MEVE Geologic Resource Evaluation Report 19 

Figure 5. Paleogeographic map of Late Cretaceous, lower Mancos Shale environments during deposition of the Juana Lopez member. 

Large arrow indicates near shore sediment transport direction. Saw teeth mark the leading edge of thrust faulting with the teeth on the 

overriding plate. MEVE: Mesa Verde National Park. Modified from Elder and Kirkland (1994). 
20 NPS Geologic Resources Division 

Figure 6. Paleogeographic map of Late Cretaceous, upper Mancos Shale environments during deposition of the Cortez member. Large

arrow indicates near shore sediment transport direction. Saw teeth mark the leading edge of thrust faulting with the teeth on the 

overriding plate. MEVE: Mesa Verde National Park. Modified from Elder and Kirkland (1994). 
 MEVE Geologic Resource Evaluation Report 21 

Figure 7. Paleogeographic map of environments present during Late Cretaceous, Point Lookout Sandstone time. Large arrow indicates 

near shore sediment transport direction. Saw teeth mark the leading edge of thrust faulting with the teeth on the overriding plate. 

MEVE: Mesa Verde National Park. Modified from Elder and Kirkland (1994). 
22 NPS Geologic Resources Division 

Figure 8. Paleogeographic map of depositional environments present during Late Cretaceous, Cliff House Sandstone time. Large arrow 

indicates near shore sediment transport direction. Saw teeth mark the leading edge of thrust faulting with the teeth on the overriding 

plate. MEVE: Mesa Verde National Park. Modified from Elder and Kirkland (1994). 
 MEVE Geologic Resource Evaluation Report 23 

References 

This section provides a listing of references cited in this report. A more complete geologic 

bibliography is available and can be obtained through the NPS Geologic Resources 

Division. 

Aubrey, W. M., 1991, Geologic framework and 

stratigraphy of Cretaceous and Tertiary rocks of the 

southern Ute Indian Reservation, southwestern 

Colorado: USGS Professional Paper 1505- B, 24 p. 

Baars, D. L, 1995, Navajo Country: University of New 

Mexico press, Albuquerque, NM, 255 p. 

Baars, D. L., 2000, The Colorado Plateau: University of 

New Mexico press, Albuquerque, NM, 254 p. 

Chapin, C. E. and Cather, S. M., 1983, Eocene tectonics 

and sedimentation in the Colorado Plateau – Rocky 

Mountain area, in James Lowell, ed., Rocky Mountain 

Foreland Basins and Uplifts: Rocky Mountain 

Association of Geologists, Denver, CO, p. 33- 56. 

Christiansen, E. II, Kowallis, B. J., and Barton, M. D., 

1994, Temporal and spatial distribution of volcanic ash 

in Mesozoic sedimentary rocks of the Western 

Interior: an alternative record of Mesozoic 

magmatism, in Mario V. Caputo, James A. Peterson, 

and Karen J. Franczyk, eds., Mesozoic Systems of the 

Rocky Mountain Region, USA: Rocky Mountain 

Section, SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology), 

Denver, CO, p. 73- 94. 

Cobban, W. A., Merewether, E. A., Fouch, T. D., and 

Obradovich, J. D., 1994, Some Cretaceous shorelines in 

the Western Interior of the United States, in Mario V. 

Caputo, James A. Peterson, and Karen J. Franczyk, 

eds., Mesozoic Systems of the Rocky Mountain 

Region, USA: Rocky Mountain Section, SEPM 

(Society for Sedimentary Geology), Denver, CO, p. 

393- 414. 

Condon, S. M., 1991, Geologic and structure contour map 

of the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation and 

adjacent areas, southwest Colorado and northwest 

New Mexico: USGS Map I- 2083, Scale: 1:100,000. 

Erdman, J. A., Douglas, C. L, and Marr, J. W., 1969, 

Environment: Wetherill Mesa Studies of Mesa Verde, 

Colorado: US Dept. of Interior, National Park Service, 

Archeological Research Series #7B, Washington, 72 p. 

Elder, W. P. and Kirkland, J. I., 1994, Cretaceous 

paleogeography of the southern Western Interior 

Region, in Mario V. Caputo, James A. Peterson, and 

Karen J. Franczyk, eds., Mesozoic Systems of the 

Rocky Mountain Region, USA: Rocky Mountain 

Section, SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology), 

Denver, CO, p. 415- 440. 

Fassett, J. E., 1985, Early Tertiary paleogeography and 

paleotectonics of the San Juan Basin area, New Mexico 

and Colorado, in R.M. Flores and S.S. Kaplan, eds., 

Cenozoic Paleogeography of West- Central United 

States: Rocky Mountain Section, SEPM (Society for 

Sedimentary Geology), p. 317- 334. 

Fillmore, R., 2000, The Geology of the parks, 

Monuments and Wildlands of Southern Utah: The 

University of Utah Press, 268 p. 

Gregson, J., 1998, Geologic resources inventory 

workshop report, Mesa Verde National Park, CO: NPS 

Inventory and Monitoring Program, Ft. Collins, CO. 

Griffitts, M. O., 1990, Guide to the Geology of Mesa 

Verde National Park, Mesa Verde Museum 

Association, Inc., Mesa Verde National Park, CO, 88 p. 

Harris, A. G., Tuttle, E., Tuttle, S. D., 1997, Geology of 

National Parks, 5

th edition, Kenkall/Hunt Publishing 

Company, pg. 92- 102. 

Haynes, D. D., Vogel, J. D., and Wyant, D G., 1972, 

Geology, structure, and uranium deposits of the 

Cortez Quadrangle, Colorado and Utah: USGS Map I629, Scale 1:250,000. 

Kauffman, E. G., 1977, Geological and biological 

overview: Western Interior Cretaceous Basin: 

Mountain Geologist, v. 14, p. 75- 99. 

Kirkland, J. I., Leckie, R. M., and Elder, W. P., 1995, A 

new principal reference section for the Mancos Shale 

(Late Cretaceous) at Mesa Verde National Park, in 

Vincent L. Santucci and Lindsay McClelland, eds., 

National Park Service Paleontological Research: US 

Department of Interior, National Park Service 

Technical Report NPS/NRPO/NRTR- 95/16, Denver, 

CO, p. 77- 81. 

Leckie, R.M., Kirkland, J.I., and Elder, W.P., 1997, 

Stratigraphic framework and correlation of a principal 

reference section of the Mancos Shale (Upper 

Cretaceous), Mesa Verde, Colorado, in Mesozoic 

Geology and Paleontology of the Four Corners 

Region, New Mexico Geological Society Guidebook, 

48th Field Conference, p. 163- 216. 
24 NPS Geologic Resources Division 

Molenaar, C. M., 1983, Major depositional cycles and 

regional correlations of Upper Cretaceous rocks, 

southern Colorado Plateau and adjacent areas, in

Mitchell W. Reynolds and Edward D. Dolly, eds., 

Mesozoic Paleogeography of the West- Central United 

States: Rocky Mountain Section, SEPM (Society for 

Sedimentary Geology), Denver, CO, p. 201- 224. 

Morris, T., H., Manning, V. W., and Ritter, S. M., 2000, 

Geology of Capitol Reef National Park, Utah: in D.A. 

Sprinkel, T.C. Chidsey, Jr., and P.B. Anderson, eds., 

Geology of Utah’s Parks and Monuments: Utah 

Geological Association Publication 28, p. 85- 106. 

Nobel, D. G., 1991, Ancient Ruins of the Southwest: 

Northland Publishing, Flagstaff, AZ., 218 p. 

Pemberton, S. G., 1992, Applications of Ichnology to 

Petroleum Exploration: SEPM Core Workshop #17, 

429 p. 

Rice, D. D. and Shurr, G. W., 1983, Patterns of 

sedimentation and paleogeography across the Western 

Interior Seaway during time of deposition of Upper 

Cretaceous Eagle Sandstone and equivalent rocks, 

northern Great Plains, in Mitchell W. Reynolds and 

Edward D. Dolly, eds., Mesozoic Paleogeography of 

the West- Central United States: Rocky Mountain 

Section, SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology), p. 

337- 358. 

Roberts, L. N. R. and Kirschbaum, M. A., 1995, 

Paleogeography of the Late Cretaceous of the Western 

Interior of Middle North America – Coal Distribution 

and Sediment Accumulation: USGS Prof Paper 1561, 115 

p. 

Scott, R., Santucci, V.L., and Connors, T., 2001, An 

Inventory of Paleontological Resources from the 

National Parks and Monuments in Colorado, in V.L. 

Santucci and L. McClelland, eds., Proceedings of the 

6th Fossil Resource Conference: Geological Resources 

Division Technical Report NPS/NRGRD/GRDTR01/01, National Park Service, Lakewood, CO., p. 178-

202. 

Stegner, W., 1954, Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John 

Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West: 

Penguin books, 438 p. 

Wanek, A. A., 1959, Geology and fuel resources of the 

Mesa Verde area Montezuma and La Plata Counties, 

Colorado: USGS Bulletin 1072- M, p. 667- 721. 
 MEVE Geologic Resource Evaluation Report 25 

Appendix A: Geologic Map Graphic 

The following page provides a preview or “snapshot” of the geologic map for Mesa 

Verde National Park. For a poster size PDF of this map or for digital geologic map data, 

please see the included CD or visit the GRE publications webpage: 

http://www2.nature.nps.gov/geology/inventory/gre_publications.cfm 

 MEVE Geologic Resource Evaluation Report 27 

Appendix B: Scoping Summary

The following excerpts are from the GRE scoping summary for Mesa Verde National 

Park. The scoping meeting occurred on July 14- 15, 1998; therefore, the contact 

information and Web addresses referred to herein may be outdated. Please contact to 

the Geologic Resources Division for current information. 

Workshop Cooperators 

Larry Wiese, MEVE Superintendent 

George San Miguel, MEVE NE 

Marilyn Colyer, MEVE NR 

Allan Loy, MEVE GIS 

Chris Wilkins, MEVE GIS 

Will Morris, MEVE Interpretation 

Gary Gasaway, MEVE Maintenance 

Mary Griffitts, MEVE VIP Geologist 

Mary Gillam, MEVE VIP Geologist/Consultant 

Bruce Heise, NPS GRD 

Tim Connors, NPS GRD 

Joe Gregson, NPS NRID I&M 

Jim Fassett, USGS Geologist 

Doug Ramsey, NRCS Soil Survey 

Chris Carroll, CGS Denver 

Workshop Summary 

An inventory workshop was held at Mesa Verde 

National Park on July 14- 15, 1998 to discuss the park’s 

geologic resources and associated issues and needs. Mesa 

Verde N.P. also administers Yucca House National 

Monument and the easternmost unit of Hovenweep 

National Monument, Goodman Point. Fourteen 

cooperators participated in the one and a half day 

workshop. 

Larry Wiese, MEVE Superintendent, attended the first 

part of the meeting and noted in his remarks that MEVE 

is a World Heritage Site. After introductions by the 

participants, Joe Gregson presented an overview of the 

NPS I&M Program, the status of the natural resource 

inventories, and the Geological Resources Inventory 

(GRI). Bruce Heise followed with an overview of the 

organization of the Natural Resource Stewardship and 

Science Washington Office, GRD, and the Colorado 

pilot project. Afterward, Marilyn Colyer and Alan Loy 

facilitated and compiled a flip chart of geologic hazards 

and needs. 

Hazards 

Hazards were discussed at length. In general, the types of 

hazards at Mesa Verde may be divided into geologic 

hazards and land use hazards. Land use hazards include 

slumping and rock falls associated with roads, location of 

septic systems, utilities, and building sites, as well as 

damage to archeological features. Geologic hazards in 

general include rockfall, debris flows, landslides, slumps, 

flood erosion and deposition, and swelling soils. 

Although rock falls are probably the #1 hazard to the 

public in the park, especially along roads and trails (e.g., 

the Boulder Nest section of the entrance road), little can 

be done at present other than the ongoing road hazard 

monitoring and cleanup. 

Major slumps and landslides have affected park roads 

several times through the years. The group knew of only 

one M.S. thesis that had studied the road landslides (Dan 

Plasea, date?). Several slump- prone areas have been 

repaired and engineered to limit the local water 

infiltration rate and/or to drain and reduce porepressure in the affected sediment, but new areas of 

concern appear each year. Since the park has only one 

major road, a major slump or washout has the potential 

to trap a considerable number of visitors in the park. 

None of the group knew if an emergency plan existed to 

address a major road failure, so the park staff 

volunteered to check (as of this report, no new 

information had been forthcoming – ed.). 

Recent episodes of water seeping into alcoves and 

causing archeological damage or back (roof) collapse 

were discussed. Some of the seepage was traced to the 

drainage of domestic water and septic system leaching 

and subsequently mitigated. The need for better 

understanding of local groundwater systems, recharge 

areas, and infiltration/conductivity rates was outlined. 

Although Resource Management Plan project statements 

have been written to study the local groundwater and 

spring locations, as yet, none have been funded. The 

locations of springs have archeological significance as 

sites of alcove development and relate directly to the 

paleo- demography of the ancient inhabitants. Win 

Wright, a local groundwater consultant, has done some 

work in the park and may be approached about a 

potential groundwater project or report. 

Routing of a new pipeline for the park’s domestic water 

was discussed. Mary Griffitts expressed reservations 

about the fact that the water line will be placed in a slantdrilled hole that crosses a major joint system that might 

be prone to faulting, especially if the water line ruptured. 

The drilling process and use of lost circulation materials 

for drilling in areas such as this were briefly discussed. 

Flood hazards and erosion in burned areas of the park 

have increased since the major fires in the recent past. 

Increased runoff from the burned areas contribute to 

increased flooding (minor as yet), and a hydrologic study 

of these areas would help answer management questions 

related to potential flood magnitude. Especially 

important is the need to delineate floodplains for land 

use and construction plans. 

Debris flows also present human hazards that are 

relatively low right now but will probably gain 
28 NPS Geologic Resources Division 

importance as outside development encroaches on the 

park’s boundary. Mesa Verde is a highland with 

ephemeral canyons, subject to debris flows, draining 

outward onto adjacent lands. Mary Gillam stated that the 

terraces and benches in the Mancos Valley were covered 

with debris flow sediments. Locations in and near the 

mouths of Mesa Verde’s ephemeral canyons are in 

highly- hazardous debris flow areas, which should be 

considered in land use planning. 

Research Needs 

Geologic research is needed and should be encouraged—

both in the Cretaceous Mesa Verde Group rocks and in 

the Quaternary and other deposits. 

In the Cretaceous rocks, the depositional history of the 

Cliff House Sandstone, which has its best exposures in 

the park, records an extensive transgressive phase of the 

Mancos Sea. Furthermore, the sequence stratigraphy of 

the Mesa Verde type section has never been studies in 

detail, and the type section itself has never been defined. 

Mary Griffitts suggested that extensive work on the 

Cretaceous fossil record, especially plants, is needed to 

enhance correlation and dating of the rocks, especially 

the Menefee Sandstone. A comparative collection and 

terminology for Cretaceous fossils is also needed. 

Numerous igneous dikes cut the Cretaceous sedimentary 

rocks of Mesa Verde, and a study of their areal extent 

and petrography would greatly enhance the 

understanding of their origin and emplacement. 

There was discussion of the discovery and radiometric 

dating of charcoal in sediments at Colorado National 

Monument (COLM) and its implication for potential fire 

recurrence studies. Although this had never been 

considered at MEVE, the recent fire and changes in 

runoff suggest the need to review and evaluate the 

potential for gleaning fire history from Quaternary 

deposits. The NPS fire program will visit COLM in 

October to evaluate these ideas. Bruce Heise will 

participate and report on the potential for further study. 

The NRCS has recently completed fieldwork for a soil 

survey of the park as part of the Montezuma County 

project. Doug Ramsey said that the digital map should be 

ready by early next year and will be forwarded to the 

park and the I&M Program (as of 2003, neither the 

digital map nor the soil report has been received by I&M 

cooperators compiling this report – ed.). 

Additional studies of the Quaternary deposits are 

needed. Paleosols contain information on previous 

climatic conditions in the area. As noted in the hazards 

section, locations of rockfall, debris flow, landslide, 

slump, colluvial, and alluvial deposits are important to 

know for land use considerations. A detailed surficial 

geology map is a high priority for the park and would 

provide insight for both modern land use as well as 

ancient land use related to the cultural resources. 

Interpretation 

Interpretive needs and current resources were discussed. 

Mary Griffitts has written a generalized book, Guide to 

the Geology of Mesa Verde National Park that is sold in 

the museum and visitor center. Other saleable items are 

needed and might include a fire history, a detailed 

geologic map, a geologic road log, and the inventory 

report. A road log/guide for the Colorado Plateau region 

would provide a connection for visitors traveling from 

park to park. Documentation and illustration of geologic 

units exposed in several parks would make a good 

common theme that could include correlated cross 

sections between associated parks. Road log/guides from 

Mesa Verde to adjacent parks would also provide 

continuity between units. Most of the items for visitor 

sale should be written in lay terms. MEVE staff also 

pointed out that the fire had burned out some existing 

exhibits and signs that have not yet been replaced. Road 

signs for geologic unit names and unique features were 

suggested and discussed, but new signs might not be 

approved due to both traffic safety and flow issues. A 

suggestion that road sign text be kept short and simple 

with visitors using a more detailed guidebook explaining 

the features seemed to be a more workable and 

acceptable alternative. 

Maps 

Maps were discussed at length and considered by the 

group to be one of the more valuable products that the 

geologic inventory could provide. 

A 1:50,000 scale geologic hazard map exists for La Plata 

County but there is no hazard map for Montezuma 

County or MEVE available. As discussed earlier, a 

geologic hazards map or set of GIS layers are needed for 

the park. 

A surficial geologic map of Mesa Verde is also not 

available. Although a surficial map would require a new 

mapping project, it would be valuable for land use 

planning, cultural resource demographic studies, and 

geologic hazards assessment. 

The existing geologic map for MEVE is on a planimetric 

base (USGS Bull. 1072- M, Plate 49, or USGS Geologic 

Map OM- 152, Wanek, 1959) that is not tied to the 

topography (i.e., significant location errors probably 

exist). In addition, other smaller scale geologic maps 

cover MEVE but are not suitable for digitizing. 

Fortunately, Mary Griffitts has just completed mapping 

the geology and faunal zones of the park on a 

topographic base that can be combined and compiled 

into a suitable map for the digital geology (as of 2003, this 

map has not surfaced,). Jim Fassett offered to map the 

missing coal seams and add them to the project at 

minimal cost. Alan Loy will work with Mary and Jim to 

get the maps digitized once compiled. Alan will also work 

with Joe Gregson to coordinate the GIS attributes and 

resulting map products. Once the map is complete, the 

park Team will consider publication of the map in 

coordination with the park’s natural history association. 
 MEVE Geologic Resource Evaluation Report 29 

GIS layers and geologic attributes for the GIS data that 

were discussed include: 

• lithology (formations, members(?), and faunal zones in 

the Mancos Shale) 

• joints and faults 

• travertine 

• unique features (T&E species related to specific rocks 

and the erosional sun symbols in the Cliff House 

Sandstone) 

• springs and alcoves 

• intrusives 

• silcretes, ash beds, and gravels 

Mary Griffitts will also provide geologic maps for Yucca 

House N.M. and the Goodman Point unit of Hovenweep 

N.M. for digitizing into the GIS (the remainder of HOVE 

is administered by the SE Utah Group and will be 

evaluated separately) (as of 2003, Griffitts has provided 

neither of these maps). Yucca House N.M. has gravels, 

Mancos, and Juana Lopez (?) exposed. Goodman Point is 

thought to be all in the Dakota Sandstone. 

A soils map is needed, but the recently completed survey 

by NRCS should satisfy this need for both the park and 

the NPS I&M Program soils inventory (contact Pete 

Bigham, GRD, for further information). 

Report 

Several of the cooperators were willing to work on and 

complete a geologic report for the park within about a 

year. At first, Bruce Heise was chosen as compiler and 

editor, but Jim Fassett will assume that role as a 

condition of his involvement by the USGS. The report 

will be peer reviewed and published as a USGS 

Professional Paper or Bulletin. Mary Griffitts will be the 

senior author with other contributions coming from Jim 

(regional and coal geology), Mary Gillam (Quaternary 

geology), Doug Ramsey (soils), Alan Loy (map 

preparation), and hopefully, a section on the 

groundwater/springs by Win Wright, Bob Jarrett, or 

Larry Martin (as of 2003, no report has been forthcoming 

from these authors, thus, the need for this GRE report – 

ed.) 

Action Items 

1. Mary Griffitts has recently completed mapping the 

park on 1:24,000 scale topographic base maps which 

she and park staff will compile into a geologic master 

on a stable mylar base. 

2. Jim Fassett volunteered to map the missing coal seams 

and add them to the map. Jim thought that this project 

would take 2- 4 weeks and could be done for the cost 

of his travel to the park (the park would provide 

housing and with I&M funds for transportation and 

per diem). 

3. Once the mylar master is ready, Alan Loy, the GIS 

Specialist at the park, will digitize the maps with the 

assistance of Mary Griffitts (geology) and Joe Gregson 

(GIS model). 

4. Jim Fassett, Mary Griffitts, and Mary Gillam agreed to 

co- author a geologic report for the park that will be 

used for sections of the I&M report. A USGS Bulletin 

or Professional Paper would require that Jim be the 

scientific editor and that the report be peer reviewed. 

Completion of the report should take about one year 

(as of 2003, the Griffitts/Gillam report has not been 

completed, thus, the need for this GRE report – ed.). 

5. Joe Gregson will seek permission from the Mesa Verde 

National Park Natural History Association 

(MVNPNHA) to publish Mary Griffitts’ existing 

report and map in the I&M Program’s Internet 

database. 

6. Publication plans for the final Mesa Verde National 

Park geologic map will be reviewed upon completion 

and in cooperation with the USGS and MVNPNHA as 

needed. 

7. GRD and the MEVE Park Team will assist with 

preparation of mapping proposals and RMP project 

statements to complete surficial geology and geologic 

hazards for the park.

8.

The Department of the Interior protects and manages the nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage; provides scientific and other 

information about those resources; and honors its special responsibilities to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated Island 

Communities. 

Mesa Verde National Park 

Geologic Resource Evaluation Report 

Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/GRD/NRR—2006/015 

NPS D-270, March 2006 

National Park Service 

Director • Fran P. Mainella 

Natural Resource Stewardship and Science 

Associate Director • Michael A. Soukup 

Natural Resource Program Center 

The Natural Resource Program Center (NRPC) is the core of the NPS Natural Resource Stewardship and 

Science Directorate. The Center Director is located in Fort Collins, with staff located principally in 

Lakewood and Fort Collins, Colorado and in Washington, D.C. The NRPC has five divisions: Air 

Resources Division, Biological Resource Management Division, Environmental Quality Division, Geologic 

Resources Division, and Water Resources Division. NRPC also includes three offices: The Office of 

Education and Outreach, the Office of Inventory, Monitoring and Evaluation, and the Office of Natural 

Resource Information Systems. In addition, Natural Resource Web Management and Partnership 

Coordination are cross-cutting disciplines under the Center Director. The multidisciplinary staff of NRPC 

is dedicated to resolving park resource management challenges originating in and outside units of the 

national park system. 

Geologic Resources Division 

Chief • David B. Shaver 

Planning Evaluation and Permits Branch Chief • Carol McCoy 

Credits 

Author • Dr. John Graham

Editing • Anne Poole 

Digital Map Production • Anne Poole and Stephanie O’Meara 

Map Layout Design • Melanie Ransmeier
Geologic Resources Division 

Natural Resource Program Center 

P.O. Box 25287 

Denver, CO 80225 

http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/inventory/ 

(303) 969-2090 

EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICATM 

National Park Service 

U.S. Department of the Interior