THE 67-YEAR LEGACY OF BUD WOBUS ON THE FLORISSANT QUADRANGLE, COLORADO

The USGS published the Florissant 15-minute topographic quadrangle in 1959, five years after Bud Wobus first arrived as a 13-year-old camper who became captivated by geology at the fledgling Big Springs Ranch summer camp located near the center of that quadrangle. His involvement continued as a staff member during the 1960s as it became the Sanborn Western Camps, where he developed a geology program as a camp counselor. These experiences inspired a life-long career dedicated to geology and education, with a focus on the southern Rocky Mountains and igneous petrology. He was the lead author on the Geologic Map of the Florissant 15-Minute Quadrangle (USGS Map I-1044), published in 1978, as well as an author on adjacent geologic quadrangles, all of which provided data for the Geologic Map of Colorado. His work led to understanding the Proterozoic crystalline rocks of the southern Rocky Mountains and the Paleogene volcanic rocks of central Colorado. This focus emphasized the chronology and emplacement of three Proterozoic generations of granitic plutons, including the Pikes Peak batholith (1.1 Ga), Berthoud (1.4 Ga), and Routt (1.7 Ga). His work extended to Cenozoic volcanism and geologic relationships within the Thirtynine Mile volcanic field. All of these rock units dominate much of the Florissant quadrangle. He also considered the influence of these rocks on the topographic evolution of the modern landscape. His legacy in this area extends beyond his maps as he has inspired summer campers at the Sanborn Western Camps, taught seminars for the Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds, sponsored undergraduate research in the area, and led field programs for Williams College and GSA. He and his students have collaborated with National Park Service staff at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, which has research and interpretation of geology and paleontology as its primary purposes. He remains a member of the board for the camp where his career began 67 years ago.