Paleontological Modeling Example—Redwood Trio

Fossil Sequoias (redwoods) are the largest fossils at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument and are among the largest-diameter petrified trees in the world. Their fractured nature makes them unstable and susceptible to weathering. These fossils, along with the assemblage of insects and other plants recovered from the Eocene lake deposits, are indicators that the climate in Colorado was much warmer than it is today. Images and modeling of the Trio, likely the most famous of the redwood fossil stumps on display, was conducted to support monitoring and inventory efforts at the Monument. These new photogrammetric data sets will help monitor changes in the condition of the stumps over time and will help the monument to assess the needs for new conservation efforts.

3D Fossilized Redwood Trio
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Colorado

_{Trio at Florissant Fossil Beds by National Park Service Geologic Resources Division on Sketchfab}

Alternative Text for the 3D Model

A 3D model. This model shows a large fossil of 3 connected tree stumps. The model can be rotated and tilted using a computer interface.

This photogrammetric model is of the fossilized remains of an Eocene redwood known as the Trio.