In Western Colorado lies the Piceance Basin, a 6000 square mile geologic structure comprising formations holding vast natural gas, coal and oil shale reserves. The Piceance Basin is part of the Colorado Plateau and shares much of the same canyon terrain. The Williams Fork component is a several-thousand-foot thick section of shale, sandstone and coal deposited in a coastal plain environment – one of the richest in the world. In addition, there is an estimated 300-plus trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the formation. Grand Junction is located at the bottom of the image.
As part of Operation Plowshare to promote the use of nuclear explosives for peaceful purposes, two explosions occured within the scope of this map to release natural gas. One was Project Rulison in 1969, using one 40-kiloton device eight miles southeast of what is now Parachute. The other, Project Rio Blanco, detonated three 30-kiloton devices in 1973, 30 miles northwest of Parachute. Both released large amounts of gas, but fears of radioactivity reaching consumers ended the project.
The Maps-Un-Natural™ series could also be called Psychedelic Maps. These are an effort to create a visually stunning and interesting image, usually with a limited color palette. The coloration varies only with elevation and often brings out notable landscape features.
These posters are available on high-quality media (various papers and canvas) using archival inks, and print clearly up to about 34” x 23” (“Large” size). Fulfilled by Zazzle.com. There is a framing option on their website.