Geologic History of the Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains
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The geologic history of the southern Sangre de Cristo mountains and the sedimentary rock units that underlie the city of Santa Fe will be covered in this continuing education opportunity for docents. The geologic setting of Santa Fe is at the eastern boundary of the Rio Grande rift. I will discuss the geologic forces that created the rise of the Sangre de Cristo mountains and younger tectonic events that have formed the rift. The sediments at the surface of the Botanical Garden are less than 1 million years old. All of the components of the sediment - sand, gravel, etc. originated from the billion plus year granite and metamorphic rocks of the Sangre de Cristos. Participants will explore a geologic map so that we can discuss the different rock units and see their distribution in the Santa Fe area.
About your Instructor: Dr. Kirt Kempter is a Fulbright Fellow and Ph.D. graduate from the University of Texas at Austin, where he conducted his dissertation research on Rincón de la Vieja volcano in Costa Rica. Kirt has spent most of his career as a field geologist, studying volcanic provinces in North, Central and South America, as well as Iceland. He has authored numerous geologic maps in his home state of New Mexico and participated in the NASA training program for astronaut candidates. In addition, Kirt has led numerous National Geographic and Smithsonian tours to international destinations, from Antarctica to high Arctic.