Geologic map of the Johnson Lakes quadrangle, Kane County, Utah, and Coconino County, Arizona, By: Janice M. Hayden The Johnson Lakes quadrangle includes parts of the Chocolate (Shinarump) and Vermilion Cliff steps of the Grand Staircase in the southwest part of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Reddish-brown Lower Jurassic strata of the Vermilion Cliffs dominate the […]
livescience.com The Colorado Plateau is a geological wonderland that encompasses 130,000 square miles (337,000 square kilometers) centered around the Four Corners area of the American West and within the states of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. It ranges in elevation from slightly over 2,000 feet (600 meters) along the Colorado River in the Grand […]
Notch Peak National Natural Landmark, House Range, Millard County, Utah Photographer: Matt Affolter Cambrian- to Ordovician-aged carbonate rocks (limestone and dolomite) make up Notch Peak, where a 2,200-foot cliff (possibly the tallest carbonate cliff in North America) leads to a deep canyon on the west side of the peak. Pink, Jurassic-aged granite is exposed at […]
Near Moab, Grand County, Utah Photographer: Carole McCalla During Jurassic time, a sauropod walked across mud, sinking deeply into it. The footprints can be seen preserved in the rock near Moab in Grand County. BLM interpretive site.
livescience.com Long ago, when the Earth had only one continent and one ocean, an earthquake rippled through western North America’s great sand sea. The early Jurassic earthquake left its mark in the vast dunes that now form the famous red cliffs of Zion National Park in Utah, a new study finds. READ MORE
standard.net Kirsten Bahr spent much of her summer enduring near-freezing temperatures, visiting the site of an ancient sea, and squeezing through rock passages that twisted and plunged deep into the earth. All without leaving Cache County. READ MORE
heraldextra.com Torrential rains caused a major mudslide in Alpine just before midnight on Thursday, putting 18 inches of mud into the basement of one home. Kaitlyn Dix was home alone around 11:30 p.m. on Thursday when tragedy was compounded by hardship. She had just gotten a call from her mother, Dixie Dix, saying that her […]
Hanksville-Burpee Quarry, Wayne County, Utah Photographer: James I. Kirkland Not a logjam, but a “legjam” of dinosaur bones left in a channel of Jurassic-aged river is being excavated at the Hanksville-Burpee Quarry in Wayne County. BLM interpretive site.
This photo was submitted to us by Dennis Udink. You can see the Henry Mountains viewed through Summerville Formation hills near the Little Wild Horse road (Goblin Valley area in Emery county). The Henry Mountains were formed around 31 to 25 million years ago when partially molten rock, from the Earth’s interior, forced its way into overlying […]
Poison Strip area, east of Arches National Park, Grand County, Utah Photographer: Don DeBlieux A geologist examines a sequence of Early Cretaceous-aged paleosols (ancient soils) in the Yellow Cat Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation. Many dinosaur fossils are found in these rocks, and the study of paleosols can provide valuable information about the environments […]
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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