Geology can be fun for everyone! With another weekend on the way, and summer on the horizon, get out and enjoy some of these geological stops in St. George’s backyard with your family and friends.
ksl.com
St. George is the perfect place for a sunny weekend escape. It’s a desert playground that offers hiking, golfing, biking, climbing and many more family friendly activities.
ksl.com
A 190-million-year-old dinosaur track was reported stolen from a trail in Moab Wednesday, officials said.
What a tragedy. A contact number is included in the article for any information you may have.
It’s time again for another round of “Spot the Rock”! Can you guess where this interesting sight is located?
Like us on FACEBOOK or follow us on TWITTER to participate in “Spot the Rock”!
UPDATE: Location Revealed
This “Spot the Rock” photo was taken in northwestern most part of Utah, at the southern end of the Grouse Creek Mountains, Box Elder County. As was correctly guessed it is in the area of the Devils Playground.
Devils Playground consists of Tertiary-age (approximately 38 million years old) granitic rock formed from a cooling magma body that intruded overlying Paleozoic (400 to 300 million years old) sedimentary rocks. Known as the Emigrant Pass pluton, this intrusion covers an area of approximately 10 square miles. For more information including directions, visit our GeoSights article-http://geology.utah.gov/surveynotes/geosights/devils_playground.htm
upr.org
Here’s another read on Yellowstone National Park’s ancient helium from Utah Public Radio.
A huge amount of ancient helium is rising up from the rocks beneath Yellowstone National Park — about enough to fill up a Goodyear blimp every week.
Ferron Mountain, Wasatch Plateau, Sanpete County, Utah
Photographer: Greg McDonald; ©2011
Fall colors at the base of striped layers of the Tertiary-age Flagstaff Limestone, southeastern end of Ferron Mountain, Wasatch Plateau, Sanpete County.
smithsonianmag.com
Yellowstone National Park’s geysers, hot springs, fumaroles and other hydrothermal features spew out a collection of gases from deep within the Earth—steam, carbon dioxide, methane, neon, argon and helium. There’s not enough of that last one, helium, for the park to start selling balloons or for visitors to sound like chipmunks, but there’s plenty for scientists to study.
Mount Timpanogos, Wasatch Range, Utah County, Utah
Photographer: Grant Willis; ©2011
White traces of early snow dust prominent sandstone and limestone rock layers on Mount Timpanogos and contrast with lower-elevation yellow-tinted aspen trees. The sedimentary rocks are the Pennsylvanian-age Bear Canyon Member of the Oquirrh Formation that have been transported eastward over 30 miles on thrust faults.
Hope you all enjoy the President’s Day holiday! Here’s your photo for the day.
Wellsville Mountains near Honeyville, Utah
Photographer: Chris DuRoss; © 2011
Limestone clasts deposited by a debris flow (fast-moving mixture of sediment and water) at the base of the Wellsville Mountains near Honeyville. Debris flows form as saturated hillslope sediments move or are eroded, and commonly occur in areas burned by wildfires.
Would you be our Valentine? You geo friends really rock!
Bear River, Rich County, Utah
Photographer: Chris DuRoss; © 2011
This sand boil (eruption of liquefied sand) resulted from ground shaking during the 2010 magnitude 4.5 Randolph earthquake, which is one of the smallest earthquakes recorded to generate liquefaction. Bear River, Rich County.
It’s Thursday, and time for another “Spot the Rock” challenge! Let’s see how many of you can guess where this is!
Like us on FACEBOOK or follow us on TWITTER to participate in “Spot the Rock”!
UPDATE: Location Revealed
Alhambra Rock is a diatreme seen to the west of Scenic Byway 163 is southeastern Utah just south of Mexican Hat. Explosive Tertiary volcanic events created diatremes, which are volcanic necks or plugs. Small vents erupted pulverized rock and gas from the magma chamber to the earth’s surface. The magma-filled vents cooled and hardened, and were covered by sediments that later eroded. The remaining volcanic necks now stand in stark outline above the surrounding landscape. Diatremes are present along Comb Ridge, and are also in adjacent states, and include the famous Shiprock in northwestern New Mexico. You can read more about the surrounding area in our “Canyon County” pamphlet (pdf) here: http://1.usa.gov/1cqMLQ9
The Utah Geological Survey (UGS) is a division of the Utah Department of Natural Resources. Several specialized programs comprise the UGS: Data Management, Energy & Minerals, Geologic Hazards, Geologic Information & Outreach, Geologic Mapping, Groundwater & Wetlands, and Paleontology.
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