Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument topographic map

Name: Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument topographic map, elevation, terrain.

Location: Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, County Road 121, Teller County, Colorado, 80816, United States (38.88413 -105.31186 38.94097 -105.24583)

Average elevation: 2,616 m

Minimum elevation: 2,494 m

Maximum elevation: 2,757 m

Early estimates of the elevation of the Florissant beds was determined to be between 300–900 meters, much lower than the modern elevation of 2,500-2,600 meters. However, more recent estimates that are based on paleoflora have put the elevation in the Eocene much higher. Ranges from 1,900 to 4,100 meters have been proposed. This would indicate that global climate change, rather than tectonic uplift, would be the main cause of changing environments in the area. The actual elevation of the Florissant area during the Eocene is still being determined. While most of the analysis using paleoflora has the area at a higher elevation than modern times, there is evidence that the elevation was as low as the earlier estimates.

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