Utah Geological Survey

"Spot the Rock" March 13, 2014

Can you “Spot the Rock”? It’s time for a new mystery geologic location—tell us where these bumpy rocks are found!

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UPDATE: Location Revealed
For those of you who follow our GeoSights (http://1.usa.gov/1dqnUJo), last week’s “Spot the Rock” was probably very easy. For those who don’t (you should), the answer is Fantasy Canyon.

Fantasy Canyon is approximately an hour’s drive southeast of Vernal. Even though it’s only 28-miles (as the crow flies) in distance, the labyrinth of oil company service roads quickly lengthen the drive.

You’ll find that Fantasy Canyon is crowded with intricate and peculiar stone figures that are a unique expression of rock weathering and erosion. Covering only a few acres, this miniature canyon can be viewed up-close on a short 0.6-mile loop trail. The dull, light khaki gray color of Fantasy Canyon sandstone transforms to a glowing pale orange at sunset. More information about Fantasy Canyon can be found at http://1.usa.gov/1l4cbs7.

Utah Geological Survey

POTD March 12, 2014: Capitol Reef National Park, Garfield County, Utah

A spectacular look at Capitol Reef National Park.

Capitol Reef National Park, Garfield County, Utah
Photographer: Rich Emerson; ©2011

Burr Trail switchback in the Waterpocket Fold, Capitol Reef National Park, Garfield County.

Utah Geological Survey

Strangest Magma on Earth: Carbonatites of Ol Doinyo Lengai

Check out this interesting read and video short on the strange lava of Ol Doinyo Lengai, a volcano in Tanzania!

wired.com

If you had to pick the most unique volcano on Earth, you’d be hard pressed to find a better candidate than Tanzania’s Ol Doinyo Lengai. Not only does it look like a volcano designed by HR Giger (below), but it is the only place on the planet that is currently erupting carbonatite lava, some of the strangest stuff you will ever see (see the excellent video above). These lavas are like no other lava, chock full of calcium, sodium and carbon dioxide, leading to some of the odd properties of these eruptions. However, the ultimate source of these carbonatite lavas is still hotly debated — and to make it more complicated, Ol Doinyo Lengai doesn’t even erupt the usual carbonatite (if you can call any carbonatite “usual”) lava. Not only that, but carbonatites might be a good source for mining rare earth elements, so understanding how they form is going to become increasingly important.

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Utah Geological Survey

POTD March 11, 2014: Green River, Uintah County, Utah

Green River, Uintah County, Utah
Photographer: Stefan Kirby; ©2011

Morning light on layered rocks of the Tertiary-age Green River Formation north of Desolation Canyon along the Green River.

Utah Geological Survey

Geology Jobs: What you can do with a degree in Geology.

Hey friends! Weber State University has a great video series on their alumni success stories. Check out this great video (amongst others) on jobs in Geology, and what you can do with your degree.

Utah Geological Survey
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What Caused the California Earthquake? Faults Explained

A little read on the latest quake that shook 50-miles offshore of northern California late last night.

news.nationalgeographic.com

We all have our faults, and that includes planet Earth. Earthquakes, big and small, rattle the globe every day, most recently making news this week with temblors in northern California.

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Utah Geological Survey

POTD March 10, 2014: Little Cottonwood Canyon, Wasatch Range, Salt Lake County, Utah

Little Cottonwood Canyon, Wasatch Range, Salt Lake County, Utah
Photographer: Mike Hylland; ©2011

A sawtoothed ridge (arête) of glacially carved granitic rock separates the Maybird and Red Pine drainages. South side of Little Cottonwood Canyon, Wasatch Range, Salt Lake County.

Utah Geological Survey
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Dive Team Searching For Dinosaur Fossil in Colorado River

Another update on the stolen dino track from Moab.

kutv.com

The Grand County Sheriff’s Office revealed “investigators have identified a suspect” in a dinosaur track taken from land near Moab more than two weeks ago; and divers have now gone into murky water to try to find the fossil.

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Utah Geological Survey
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Newly Identified Dinosaur Fauna May Hold Clues To Rich Evolutionary History

huffingtonpost.com

A fossil bed in China that contains some of the world’s most exquisitely preserved feathered dinosaurs, early birds, reptiles and mammals may also be home to an equally rich set of older fossils from the Middle Jurassic, a new study finds.

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Utah Geological Survey

POTD March 7, 2014: Wasatch Range, Salt Lake County, Utah

Wasatch Range, Salt Lake County, Utah
Photographer: Mike Hylland; ©2011

Many streams in Utah’s high mountain ranges, like this one in Bells Canyon, flow down canyons where “streams” of glacial ice once flowed. Wasatch Range, Salt Lake County.