Entries by Utah Geological Survey

MAMMOTH TEETH, METEORITES STOLEN FROM USU GEOLOGY BUILDING

ksl.com Police are trying to track down a man suspected of stealing an estimated $3,000 worth of minerals, meteorites and mammoth teeth from the geology department at Utah State University. Department head David Liddell said the thief smashed through a basement window of the Geology Building last Saturday night and stole items from several glass […]

LANDSLIDE RISK 'REAL CONCERN'

parkrecord.com Floods are not the only hazard homeowners have to be concerned about as the melting begins; the risk landslides pose to Summit County homes is steadily increasing as the soil becomes more saturated, according to Richard Giraud, a Senior Geologist with the Utah Geological Survey. Unlike floods, which can be predicted, monitored and prepared […]

WEATHER CAUSES FARMINGTON CANYON TO CLOSE INDEFINITELY

clippertoday.com There’s good news and bad news with regard to flooding. The good news is that as of Tuesday morning Rudd Canyon in Farmington seems to have stabilized, and no new mudslides are reported there. The bad news is that a rock slide has indefinitely closed Farmington Canyon and the mountain is still moving. Kirk […]

DIGGING FOR GEODES IN THE UTAH DESERT IS GREAT FAMILY FUN

deseretnews.com Exploring, hill climbing and digging are all popular activities to keep childeren entertained. Throw in some pretty rocks, reptiles and animals, and you have a can’t-miss adventure. That combination is exactly what one can find at the Dugway geode beds in Utah’s West Desert. Geodes are essentially volcanic rock bubbles. Over time, the hollow […]

RAIN SATURATES HILLSIDE SLOPES; GRAVITY SENDS MUD, ROCKS SAILING

ksl.com The recent rains have caused more than a fear of flooding, as canyon hillsides are threatening to collapse and roads are being covered with mud. “We’ve had this continuous rainfall that really started back in October,” said Jeff Niermeyer, Salt Lake City Public Utilities director. “It has just rained and rained and there’s no […]

ROCKSLIDE SHUTS DOWN SANTAQUIN CANYON

Santaquin Canyon was closed Saturday after a rockslide filled the roadway, blocking 17 motorists for a time. The canyon will remain closed until the current storm system blows over, allowing crews to clean up the slide, said Sgt. Eldon Packer of the Utah County Sheriff Office. They are expecting to start the cleanup on Tuesday […]

MUDSLIDES PLAGUE MANY UTAH CITIES

ksl.com Weekend slides forced the closure of at least three canyon roads over the weekend and emergency officials are bracing for more moving debris because of steady rain predicted Monday. Rocks tumbled down the hillside Sunday in Davis County’s Farmington Canyon, forcing the area to be shut down for at least 48 hours. This latest […]

NOT SO PREPOSTEROUS THIS HIGH ANCESTRAL RHINOCEROS

news.discovery.com A fossil from an extinct relative of the rhinoceros, Telataceras, set the record for highest vertebrate fossil found in Utah. A jawbone with three molars was found 10,000 feet up Thousand Lake Mountain in Wayne County, Utah. Geologists from the Utah Geological Survey found the fossil while mapping rock layers in the mountain in […]

MUDSLIDES A WILD CARD IN COMING FLOOD SEASON

sltrib.com Water and weather experts are fairly certain that five to seven consecutive days of high temperatures will bring widespread flooding. Less predictable, however, are mudslides and debris flows that can swallow roadways and structures with little warning. The spate of landslides reported since Saturday after heavy rains in northern Utah is an unsettling reminder […]

ECOLOGICAL OVERSHOOT

For most of human history we’ve been consuming resources at a rate lower than what the planet was able to regenerate. Unfortunately we have crossed a critical threshold. The demand we are now placing on our planets resources appears to have begun to outpace the rate at which nature can replenish them. The gap between […]