Overview
Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado contains famous cliff dwellings constructed by the ancestors of the Pueblo people. These dwellings were built in large caves and “alcoves” high on the steep walls of canyons. Mesa Verde is near the eastern edge of the Colorado Plateau province and like other areas of the Plateau features mainly flay-lying sedimentary rocks. For this exam assignment you will write an essay explaining the geology of Mesa Verde National Park.
This essay should include information about the main sedimentary rock layers, the canyons, and how certain combinations of rock type, weathering, and erosion produced the large alcoves where the cliff dwellings were built. You should use at least three sources that need to be referenced in an in-line format that allows them to be verified. A complete list of citations should be included at the end of the essay.