sltrib.com

The Salt Lake segment of the Wasatch fault zone has produced eight large earthquakes in the last 12,000 years. As a whole, this network of faults generates a biggie every 900 to 1,300 years.

According to the geological record, the last temblor that exceeded magnitude 6.5, or the kind that can turn unreinforced masonry homes into piles of rubble, ripped Salt Lake 1,400 years ago.

“We’re due. Enough energy has accumulated on the Salt Lake segment that a large earthquake can happen at any time,” said Christopher DuRoss, of the Utah Geological Survey, who will co-lead a town hall meeting 7:30 p.m. Wednesday on Utah’s seismic hazards. The event in Salt Lake City is part of the Seismological Society of America’s conference and the Great Utah ShakeOut, the state’s annual earthquake preparedness exercises.

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kcsg.com

More than 74,000 aerial photographs covering Utah are now available on the Utah Geological Survey (UGS) website. The UGS Aerial Imagery Collection web application allows easy access, viewing, and downloading of aerial photographs. Various federal agencies, the UGS, and other organizations originally acquired these photographs for a variety of agricultural, geologic, and land-use purposes. Additional aerial photographs are being added.

 

 

www.stgeorgeutah.com

A portion of the Santa Clara Heights near Truman Drive has grappled with the danger of sliding land for over 30 years and despite numerous efforts by the City of Santa Clara to stop it, there is still no solution in sight.

Geologic history and cause

The Santa Clara Heights is built upon the Santa Clara Bench, a natural plateau bordered by the Santa Clara River Valley to the southwest and a small tributary stream to the northeast. Like most of Southern Utah, the soil of the Santa Clara Bench is mainly composed of petrified forest member, commonly called “blue clay,” along with sediment from the Santa Clara River. Petrified forest member is a weak rock that swells quickly and moves easily when wet.

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