Geology of Colorado (Boulder Valley) - Field Trip #1, Stop #5: Lykins, Canyon Spring, Morrison, Dakota Formations

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Upper Lykins formation: Proof that this area experienced periods of wetness and severe drying. Here a mudcrack occurred in the ancient surface. The gray material filled in the mudcrack and later hardened. The tapered shape is common in mudcracks because evaporation is more extreme near the surface which pulls the crack open wider as surrounding mud dries and shrinks. The lower you go, the less evaporation occurs. The hillside was covered with these mudcracks.
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Upper Lykins formation: Proof that this area experienced periods of wetness and severe drying. Here a mudcrack occurred in the ancient surface. The gray material filled in the mudcrack and later hardened. The tapered shape is common in mudcracks because evaporation is more extreme near the surface which pulls the crack open wider as surrounding mud dries and shrinks. The lower you go, the less evaporation occurs. The hillside was covered with these mudcracks.