The world’s smallest geologist—the butterfly! Just kidding, this little guy is more like scientific evidence, but this new species is offering some new clues to Alaska’s geological history.
ksl.com
A new species of butterfly could provide clues about Alaska’s geological history and its changing climate, according to a University of Florida researcher.
Check out our latest geologic mapping field review of the Torrey 7.5’ Quadrangle, Wayne County, Utah. The review is open to the public, and will be held April 1, 2016. Find more info HERE.
By:Tracey J. Felger, David M. Miller, Victoria E. Langenheim, and Robert J. Fleck
The Kelton Pass SE and Monument Peak SW 7.5′ quadrangles (NW Utah) are located entirely within southern Curlew Valley, which drains south into Great Salt Lake, and extends north into Idaho. Bedrock exposures form the Wildcat Hills and two small shield volcanoes. Exposed rocks and deposits are Permian to Holocene in age and include sandstone of the Permian Oquirrh Formation, tuffaceous sedimentary rocks of the Miocene Salt Lake Formation, Pliocene basaltic and dacitic lava flows, Pleistocene rhyolite and basalt, and Pleistocene and Holocene surficial deposits of alluvial, lacustrine, and eolian origin. Structures related to the Miocene Raft River detachment fault and Basin and Range extension also are present. New geophysical data and interpretations and new geochronology data for volcanic units improved insight into the tectonic and volcanic evolution of the area.
What are the “house-rules” of the outdoors? We talk a lot about “leave no trace,” but it’s also worth noting that if you find an artifact, fossil, or the like, it’s best to leave it undisturbed as you found it. Following these general rules will help keep Utah beautiful for generations to come!
thespectrum.com
You’re hiking in Southern Utah, you sit down to take a break, you look under a nearby ledge and low and behold, there’s an intact seed jar – an artifact probably close to 1000 years old, left behind by the nomadic people who called this area home long before Europeans set foot on the continent. What do you do?
sciencefriday.com
When artist Robert Smithson was looking for a location to create his latest earthwork in the late 1960s, he hoped to find a place with red water. He came upon Rozel Point, a remote area in the north arm of Utah’s Great Salt Lake that blooms in pinks and oranges, thanks to an ever-fluctuating community of microbes in the salty waters.
For a more descriptive reasoning of Great Salt Lake’s occasional red coloring, READ MORE HERE.
Zion National Park, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: Adam McKean; © 2015
Towering 1,488 feet above the canyon floor, Angels Landing is a joint-controlled resistant fin of Jurassic-age Navajo Sandstone, carved out by the incised North Fork Virgin River. A popular, but steep and exposed, hiking trail guides park visitors along the sheer fin to inspiring views of Zion Canyon.
The weekend is here and its looking like southern Utah will be enjoying some wonderful fair weather—take a tour of Utah’s National Parks!
www.nationalgeographic.com
This multiday adventure on remote byways is a journey through the slickrock heart of the American West, linking Utah’s “Mighty Five” national parks—Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands—with the diverse state parks and nameless vistas of Southern Utah. Each park showcases the iconic landscape of the Colorado Plateau, much of it an ancient Sahara now turned to stone. The surreal tableau of arches, alcoves, hoodoos, and epic canyons is so otherworldly, you may wonder what planet you’re on.
What places in Utah do you love? Check out this little video highlighting one of our favorites—Arches National Park.
sltrib.com
People from around the world come to southern Utah’s Arches National Park to see its iconic imagery that is “always beautiful.”
Congratulations to Tyler Knudsen for receiving UGS’s 2015 Employee of the Year Award!
Tyler’s geologic hazard and mapping knowledge are formidable, his computer skills are impressive, and he keeps up-to-date on the latest technologies. He produces many high quality studies, one of which recently received national accolades. He responds quickly to geologic hazard events and interacts well with the media. His knowledge of southwestern Utah geology is impeccable, which he enthusiastically shares with the public through blogs and local newspapers. He is wholly reliable, easy to be around, and a joy to work with. These special talents make him an essential member of our Cedar City office.
Wishing our Tuesday was spent out there! The weather just gets nicer and nicer by the day. What Utah places do you want to explore this year?
Capitol Reef National Park, Wayne County, Utah
Photographer: Tyler Knudsen; © 2015
Fluted crimson walls of Jurassic-age Entrada Sandstone rim Cathedral Valley in the remote northern part of Capitol Reef National Park. The near-vertical Entrada walls owe their existence to the overlying white Curtis Formation that serves as a protective cap rock.
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.
1594 West North Temple, Suite 3110
Salt Lake City, Utah 84116
801-537-3300 (phone)
801-537-3400 (fax)
Mailing Address:
PO BOX 146100
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114
Monday through Friday,
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
