A program called HAZUS-MH (Hazards U.S. - Multi-Hazard) developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can estimate losses from natural disasters such as earthquakes. A strong earthquake in Colorado would be comparable to Hurricane Katrina considering the lack of government preparedness and the myriad of unforeseen consequences brought on by such a large-scale event. Earthquakes can be major disasters, and they pose a very real threat to many areas of Colorado. The first step towards preparedness is to create awareness of what could happen - that is what this report seeks to accomplish.
This report documents the geologic investigations conducted by the Colorado Geological Survey in the Purgatoire River watershed of the Raton Basin of Las Animas County, Colorado. The purpose of this geologic investigation was to provide additional information on the stratigraphic and structural relationships of the coal-bearing formations in the Purgatoire River watershed to assist in the protection and management of both the mineral and water resources contained therein.
The goal of this study is to relate coalbed methane occurrence and producibility to geologic and hydrologic settings, leading to models for exploration and production.