Old Mountains and Older Rocks: The Wichitas of Southwestern Oklahoma

An hour’s drive to our north, the Wichita Mountains present a topographically exciting departure from the gently rolling topography of our region.  Sometimes referred to as “fossil mountains,” the Wichitas are ancient landforms that are re-emerging after 250 million years of burial beneath the red sediments of southern Oklahoma. But the rocks within the mountains speak to an even older setting – a rich volcanic environment hosted within a rift valley, last active 530 million years ago.  In this Lifelong Learning course, we’ll examine this exquisite example of our planet’s dynamic nature and discover a rich history written in rock. The course will explore the volcanic province that formed the rocks of the Wichita Mountains, the processes that led to their initial deep burial by marine sedimentation, their uplift to form the ancient mountain range, their subsequent shallow internment under continental sediments, and their slow and continuing return to the surface.

Register here.

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