Glad You Asked
Our Glad You Asked articles answer general geologic questions on a variety of subjects. It is a regular column in Survey Notes, the UGS’ informative, non-technical magazine on noteworthy and interesting geologic topics in Utah.
Search for Glad You Asked articles by topic:
Rocks & Minerals
Rocks & Minerals
Rocks
- What is a dropstone?
- What are the oldest rocks in Utah?
- What are Moqui marbles?
- Is Utah’s state rock good, bad, or ugly?
- How can sedimentary rocks tell you about Utah’s history?
- Where can I collect landscaping rock on public land?
- What kind of rock makes a good wall?
- What are igneous, sedimentary & metamorphic rocks?
- Why is the Wasatch Front “blessed” with abundant sand, gravel, and rock?
- Utah’s stone building heritage
- How do geologists know how old a rock is?
Minerals
- Do ants mine gold?
- When I find a mineral or fossil in the field, why doesn’t it look similar to specimens in museums or at mineral and fossil shows?
- How do geologists identify minerals?
- What gemstone is found in Utah that is rarer than diamond and more valuable than gold?
- What are minerals used for?
- What are “colloidal mineral supplements” and where do they come from?
- How can I stake a mining claim?
- Click here to find collecting sites in Utah.
Meteorites
- What is Utah’s Largest Meteorite?
- So you think you’ve found a meteorite; is it really a meteorwrong?
- Have meteorites or meteorite craters been found in Utah?
Miscellaneous
Geologic Hazards
Geologic Hazards
- What geologic hazards should I be aware of as a homeowner in Utah?
- What is an Earthquake Early Warning System, and does Utah have one?
- Can rockfalls cause wildfires?
- I am thinking of buying a house at “X” address… is it near a fault?
- What are seismic surveys and how much “shaking” do they create?
- Who do I call? (for geologic-hazard problems)
- Landslide evaluation issues– examples from Timber Lakes Estates
- Go to Geologic Hazards to learn more.
Lakes & Water
Lakes & Water Related
Great Salt Lake and Other Lakes
- What were those strange white mounds along the shores of Great Salt Lake?
- What is the Boxcar Seawall?
- Is there coral in Great Salt Lake? No, those are stromatolites (aka algal bioherms).
- How many islands are in Great Salt Lake?
- Great Salt Lake Trivia Questions
- What causes the foam on Great Salt Lake?
- What is the Story Behind Lake Powell’s Rocks?
Rivers
Hot Springs
- Is there winter scuba diving in Utah?
- Do I have to travel all the way to Yellowstone, or can I see beautiful hot springs here in Utah?
- More Utah springs in GeoSights.
Miscellaneous
Fossils
Fossils
- Needing a great resource for teaching your students about Utah fossils?
- Are those animal tracks in the sidewalk?
- What should you do if you find a fossil? Can you keep it? Should you report it?
- Trilobites and the Cambrian environment of Utah
- Read more about Dinosaurs & Fossils or Utah’s Ice Age animals.
Maps & Symbols
Maps & Symbols
- What is the Salt Lake Base and Meridian?
- Can U.S. Interstate Highway 15 Be Used as a Metaphor for Geologic Time
- Does the UGS Library House Any Remarkable Rare Books?
- Needing a great resource for teaching your students about Utah fossils?
- You have a bookstore? In the digital age?
- What is magnetic declination?
- Why does the eastern border of Utah have a kink in it?
- What is a formation?
- Utah’s state symbols
- What is Utah’s State Soil?
- Topographic map scales and the General Land Office Grid
Land Features
Land Features
- Where Does Utah’s King’s Peak Rank on the List of U.S. State Highpoints?
- Cinder Cones of Southwest Utah: What Exactly Are They and How Did They Get There?
- What Movies Feature Utah Geology?
- What Movies Feature Utah Geology? Part 2
- Where is Shaw Arch?
- How Does Plate Tectonics Make for Great Skiing?
- What Gives Utah’s “Red Rock Country” its Color?
- What is an unconformity?
- What Are those Blue Ponds Near Moab?
- What Are Ice Caves?
- What is geovandalism?
- Why are there so many natural arches in Utah?
- What are keeper potholes & how are they formed?
- Where is the coolest spot in Utah?
- Sizing Up Titans – Navajo Erg vs. Sahara Ergs. Which was the larger sand box?
- What are the roots of geobotany?
- What are those lines on the mountain? From bread lines to erosion-control lines
- Why does a river run through it?
- What are “potholes” and how are organisms able to live in them?
- Have meteorites or meteorite craters been found in Utah?
- What is a formation?
- How was Utah’s topography formed?
- Click here for information on landforms and volcanoes.
Geographic Names
- Why are there Utah names on Mars?
- How can I name a mountain?
- What is the correct name of…?
- What Utah mountain range honors prominent geoscientists of the 19th century and who were they?
Glaciers/Ice Ages
- Ice Ages – What are they and what causes them?
- Glacial striations and slickensides – What are those groovy rocks and how did they get that way?
- Are there glaciers in Utah’s mountains?
Utah Soils
Search All Glad You Asked Articles
Please select a column to search in.
Please type in something to search for.
Total Articles: 82
