Earth Science and Natural Science Research - Florissant National Monument

Florissant National Monument, Colorado
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Thomas A. Dillhoff, Everett, Washington

When the fossils formed, Florissant was dominated by a cluster of volcanic peaks situated in the 39 mile volcanic field southwest of the monument.
Peaks
Some of the peaks from the 39 mile volcanic field.

Eruptions from these volcanoes first buried the trees preserved as stumps in the monument, and later dammed a local river, causing the formation of a large lake in the Florissant Valley. Over a long period, plants and insects were preserved in the fine sediments at the bottom of the lake, giving us the legacy of exquisite fossils that can be found today.

Fossil robber fly from the lake shales. Florissant National Monument collection.

Moth
Fossil moth from the lake shales. Florissant National Monument collection.

If you are in the area, I would highly recommend a visit to the monument. There is a small interpretive center with displays of fossils and books and posters for sale, plus there is an extensive network of walking trails through the monument. The displays at the interpretive center need to be upgraded, as they do not represent the better material from the site. This is mainly because most of the collecting activity at Florissant took place in the late 1800's and early 1900's, with the majority of those materials going to the collections at the US National Museum and Harvard. The current paleontologist at the monument is instituting a more active collection and study effort, so hopefully the display collections will be upgraded in the near future.

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