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| Image via http://coloradogambler.com/trails-end-red-rocks-amphitheatre-a-symphony-in-stone/ |
Red Rocks was officially completed and open to the public on June 15, 1941, that was over 70 years ago. Since then, very little changes have been noticeable regarding its landscape. Anthropogenic changes have obviously been made since the idea of creating a natural amphitheater was first put into place by John Brisben Walker. Some minor pressure release from the gigantic sandstone monuments have taken place since then, and resulted in smaller shells of sandstone around the base. In order to look into the future of what Red Rocks might look like down the road, let's review the landscape...
Red Rocks has a semi-arid climate with moderate precipitation during the summer months. It is located at the edge of the Rocky Mountains, and has a unique set of large sandstone sheets that emerge from the ground at almost 90 degree angles. On the other side of Red Rocks lies the urban region of Denver. Due to its location right off the leeward side of the Rockies, Red Rocks receives plenty of thunderstorms and rainfall. Also, the sandstone rocks go through seasonal weathering as Colorado experiences fairly warm summers and very cold winters. This is the basis off of which I make my prediction.
Red Rocks Tomorrow (or long after your grandchildren's children have passed) |
| Image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/vinniew_11/6817096726/. |
Within the next decade, I highly doubt anything significant is going to change the landscape within the Red Rocks area, since the past 70 years seem to show no evidence of transformation since then. The most obvious transformation that is likely to occur after hundreds of years have passed, is the erosion, toppling, and deterioration of the large sandstone rocks. Eventually, with enough time, the giant sandstone will become nothing more than a giant pile of mass-wasted talus that may even proceed to move further inland. This may cause a debris flow which would have the potential to cover up and destroy the local roads. Thunderstorms may continue to wash away the leftover rock-pile, incorporating sediment into the soil through deposition. So long as man keeps thriving in the next thousand years, I can guarantee that people will try to reconstruct the rock formation as it starts to erode. This may cause even more problems in the future, because just as people today try to build homes on top of weak and unstable soil, trying to re-build an amphitheater on deteriorating rock can be just as dangerous. Whatever the future may hold for Red Rocks, it's a natural gift we can still appreciate today.
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| This photo shows an example of how the rocks are already stating to erode, and if they slowly continue this process over thousands of years, there will be very little sign of the large sandstone sheets that lie there today. Image via http://www.thetravelpeach.com/united-states-vacations/denver/cities.html. |
