The
Thirtynine Mile volcanic field is an
extinct volcanic field located in
Park and
Teller counties,
Colorado, northwest of
Cripple Creek and southeast of
South Park. The area was the site of significant
volcanism in the
Tertiary Period about 35 million years ago.
Ashfall and
lahars (mudflows) from the volcanoes created the conditions for
fossilization at what is now
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.
The field is named for Thirtynine Mile Mountain, a local peak that is composed of volcanic rocks from the field. The field also contains the Guffey volcanic center.
References