Colorado Geology

Colorado can be generally divided into (east to west):

High Plains
Piedmont
Rocky Mountains
Plateaus of the Western Slope
Volcanic deposits of the San Juan Mountains, Elk Mountains and White River Plateau

The age of the rock formations ranges from Precambrian granites exposed in the Rockies to Quaternary deposits from the last episode of glaciation and stream erosion.

In addition to How to Research Geology, try:

Colorado Geological Survey

Colorado Geology (1980). Kent, Harry C.; Porter, Karen W.

Colorado Scientific Society -- for local field guides

Field Trip Guidebook, Geological Society of America Centennial Meeting, Denver, Colorado (1988). Holden, Gregory S.

Geology of Colorado and Western Ore Deposits (1893). Lakes, Arthur.

Geology of Colorado Illustrated (1994). Foutz, Dell R.

Roadside Geology of Colorado (1980). Chronic, Halka.

On Golden and Jefferson County, Colorado:

Geology of the Golden Quadrangle, Colorado (1976). Van Horn, Richard, USGS Professional Paper 872.

Geologic Map of the Golden Quadrange, Colorado (1972). Van Horn, Richard. USGS Miscellaneous Geological Investigations Map I-761-A.

Guide to the geology of the Golden area (1938). Van Tuyl, F. M.; Johnson, J. Harlan; Waldschmidt, W. A.; Boyd, James; Parker, Ben H. Quarterly of the Colorado School of Mines 33(3) p. 5-32.

Introduction to the geology of the Golden area, Colorado (1934). Johnson, J. Harlan. Quarterly of the Colorado School of Mines 29(4) p. 7-36.

Table Mountain lavas and associated igneous rocks near Golden, Colorado (1939). Waldschmidt, W. A. Quarterly of the Colorado School of Mines 34(3) p. 3-62.