When my friend from out of town came
to visit Colorado, I took her to see the Broodmoor’s Seven Falls in Colorado
Springs. I have been to this geological attraction multiple times throughout my
childhood, but I never paid attention to anything other than the raw aesthetic
appeal of the site. This time I took a closer look at the underlying structure,
and determined the rock face behind the Seven Falls waterfall is composed entirely
of granite.
Granite is a rock type that is made
up of several different minerals, including quartz, feldspar, and mica. Granite
is also igneous, which is a term used to describe rock that has solidified from
lava or magma. This rock formation was originally intrusive (cooled and
solidified underground), but has since been exposed, likely due to consistent
erosion over the years.
The texture of the rock was
primarily coarse, which is indicative of a slow underground cooling process.
The rock face was smooth in some areas however, but this was likely due to the
constant rushing of water across its surface. The majority of exposed granite near
Seven Falls was light in color, which indicates a high concentration of
feldspar and quartz within the rock. With this in mind, the rock formation
would be referred to as felsic.
Seven falls is one of my favorite
places to show friends from out of town, especially those from less mountainous
regions. The waterfall and rock formations themselves are beautiful, and I feel
that the man-made light fixtures installed around the waterfall add an
appealing touch to an already magnificent view.
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