Entries by Utah Geological Survey

What Makes A Volcano Dangerous? People

smithsonianmag.com Most of the world’s volcanoes are located deep beneath the sea surface along the mid-ocean ridges where the Earth’s crust spread and creates new ocean floor. Volcanoes on land often occur in subduction zones, where one tectonic plate is diving beneath another, or hotspots created by mantle plumes deep within the planet. READ MORE

POTD July 22, 2014: Arches National Park, Grand County, Utah

Arches National Park, Grand County, Utah Photographer: Don DeBlieux; © 2013 Dissolution of subsurface salt caused the collapse of the Salt Valley anticline, forming vertical fractures in the Jurassic-age Entrada Sandstone. Weathering along the fractures has produced the spectacular fins, towers, and arches in the Devils Garden section of Arches National Park.

How Does Nature Carve Sandstone Pillars and Arches?

smithsonianmag.com Some of the most stunning structural feats aren’t built by architects or sculpted by artists. From Bryce Canyon to the Elbe Sandstone Mountains of central Europe, sandstone arches, alcoves, and pillars around the globe look strikingly similar to the same features in manmade architecture. So, how does nature do it? READ MORE

"Spot the Rock" July 17, 2014

“Spot the Rock” is back this week with a riddle! What Utah-“rock” is rarer than diamonds, and more valuable than gold? Check for updates next week to see the answer! Like us on FACEBOOK or follow us on TWITTER to participate! UPDATE: Answer revealed Last week’s “Spot the Rock” was definitely one for our rock hounding […]

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New Insight on the Nation’s Earthquake Hazards

Good morning geo friends! The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has recently updated their U.S. National Seismic Hazard Maps, which reflect the best and most current understanding of where future earthquakes will occur, how often they will occur, and how hard the ground will likely shake. While earthquakes remain hard to predict, the USGS hopes to understand how […]

Yes, Yellowstone's Roads Just Melted. No, There's No Reason to Panic

smithsonianmag.com Last week, a major tourist thruway in Yellowstone National Park had to be shut down because the road melted. The road’s Wicked Witch of the West impression was caused by high temperatures in both the air and under the ground. Yellowstone sits atop a volcanic hotspot, and that heat helped cause the asphalt to […]