Coke Ovens (Colorado National Monument)

Coke Ovens
North aspect
Highest point
Elevation5,962 ft (1,817 m)[1]
Prominence72 ft (22 m)[1]
Parent peakBlack Ridge[1]
Isolation1.51 mi (2.43 km)[1]
Coordinates39°04′32″N 108°43′20″W / 39.0755374°N 108.7223212°W / 39.0755374; -108.7223212[2]
Geography
Coke Ovens is located in Colorado
Coke Ovens
Coke Ovens
Location in Colorado
Coke Ovens is located in the United States
Coke Ovens
Coke Ovens
Coke Ovens (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountyMesa
Protected areaColorado National Monument
Parent rangeColorado Plateau
Uncompahgre Plateau
Topo mapUSGS Colorado National Monument
Geology
Rock ageLate Triassic to Early Jurassic[3]
Rock typeWingate Sandstone

Coke Ovens is a 5,962-foot-elevation (1,817-meter) linear set of pillars located in Colorado National Monument, in Mesa County of western Colorado, United States.[2] This iconic landmark is situated on the west side of Monument Canyon, two miles south of the monument's visitor center, and 9 miles (14 km) west of the community of Grand Junction. It is also one mile south of Kissing Couple, and both can be seen from viewpoints along Rim Rock Drive. It is so named because the rounded shape resembles beehive coke ovens that were used in the nineteenth century to convert bituminous coal into coke, which was then used for smelting iron.[4]

Geology

This feature is the remnant of differentially eroded Wingate Sandstone, which consists of wind-borne, cross-bedded quartzose sandstones deposited as ancient sand dunes approximately 200 million years ago in the Late Triassic. The caprock at the top of one of the four pillars consists of fluvial sandstones of the resistant Kayenta Formation. The slope around the base of the Coke Ovens is Chinle Formation.[5] The floor of the canyon is Precambrian basement rock consisting of gneiss, schist, and granites. Precipitation runoff from this geographical feature drains to the Colorado River, approximately four miles to the northeast.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Coke Ovens is located in a semi-arid climate zone.[6] Summers are hot and dry, while winters are cold with some snow. Temperatures reach 100 °F (38 °C) on 5.3 days, 90 °F (32 °C) on 57 days, and remain at or below freezing on 13 days annually. The months April through October offer the most favorable weather to visit.

  • Actual beehive coke ovens, also in Colorado
    Actual beehive coke ovens, also in Colorado

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Coke Ovens – 5,962' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
  2. ^ a b "Coke Ovens". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
  3. ^ Geologic Formations, National Park Service
  4. ^ Stanley William Lohman, The Geologic Story of Colorado National Monument, Geological Survey Bulletin 1508, page 30.
  5. ^ Stanley William Lohman, The Geologic Story of Colorado National Monument, Geological Survey Bulletin 1508, page 30.
  6. ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.