John Good

Utah Hike of the Week: Warner Valley Dinosaur Tracks

sltrib.com

This short and sweet hike leads to a floor of sandstone that contains a display of dinosaur tracks. The tracks probably were left by the famous carnivore dilophosaurus and smaller megapnosaurus, paleontologists believe. In an interpretive sign at the tracks, officials with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management report that the consistent direction of the tracks suggests that the spot was part of a dino thoroughfare, perhaps alongside water, and petrified wood nearby indicates the area may have been wooded.

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John Good

Before There Were Dinosaurs, There Was This Weird Crocodile-Looking Thing

smithsonianmag.com

Everybody knows about dinosaurs. How could we not? They’re everywhere, from museum halls and Hollywood blockbusters to city sidewalks where their modern, feathery representatives pick up crumbs with their beaks. But even while we adore the terrifying Tyrannosaurus and breathtaking Brachiosaurus, we still know next to nothing about the earliest dinosaurs that arose over 235 million years ago—and who exactly they evolved from.

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John Good

Today in science: Bingham Canyon landslide

earthsky.org

April 10, 2013. On this date – four years ago today – a towering wall of dirt and rocks gave way and crashed down the side of Bingham Canyon mine in Utah. The landslide was one of the largest in the history of North America. University of Utah researchers later reported that the landslide – which moved at an average of almost 70 mph (113 kph) and reached estimated speeds of at least 100 mph (160 kph).

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John Good

Listen to an Earthquake’s Eerie ‘Whale Songs’

nationalgeographic.com

Is it possible to “hear” an earthquake? Not the rumbling of the ground that results, but the earthquake itself. Even if you could, what’s the point of listening?

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John Good

Utah will conduct “Great Shake Out” earth quake drill

fox13now.com

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah will be conducting a “Great Shake Out” drill for earthquake awareness in late April.

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John Good

New Map Shows How Groundwater Pumping Could Affect the Malad River

usgs.gov

A new report illustrates how groundwater pumping can affect the amount of water available in streams within the Malad-Lower Bear River Area in Utah. The product was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights.

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Utah Geological Survey

POTD April 04, 2017: Modern dunes, Arches National Park

Modern dunes, Arches National Park
Photographer: Kent Brown © 2017

Modern dunes (foreground) consist of sand weathered from bedrock such as the Wingate Sandstone (skyline), which similarly formed from sand deposited in dunes 200 million years ago.