Entries by Utah Geological Survey

Hydrogeology of the Malad–Lower Bear River Basin, North-Central Utah and South-Central Idaho

Hydrogeology of the Malad–Lower Bear River Basin, North-Central Utah and South-Central Idaho By: Hugh Hurlow GET IT HERE This report characterizes the lithology of the younger (i.e., Quaternary) basin fill of the Malad–Lower Bear River basin in north-central Utah to provide a geologic framework for evaluation of groundwater flow and the potential effects of additional […]

POTD March 14, 2017: Big Cottonwood Canyon, Wasatch Range

Big Cottonwood Canyon, Wasatch Range Photographer: Mike Hylland © 2017 The waters of Lake Blanche reflect Sundial Peak, composed of quartzite of the Big Cottonwood Formation. Rocks in this basin, which formed from sediment that accumulated along a continental margin 900 million years ago, preserve striations (parallel scratches and grooves) that record the down-valley flow […]

POTD February 21, 2017: Goblin Valley State Park

Goblin Valley State Park Photographer: Michael Vanden Berg © 2017 Early morning sun casts shadows on “goblins” formed within the Entrada Sandstone, which consists of sediment deposited 160 million years ago in tidal flats and coastal dunes. Erosion forms the goblins, leaving resistant sandstone boulders perched atop softer siltstone and shale layers that erode more […]

POTD February 14, 2017: Arches National Park, Grand County

Arches National Park, Grand County Photographer: Gregg Beukelman © 2017 Defying gravity, an estimated 3500-ton sandstone boulder of Jurassic-age Entrada Formation perches atop a pedestal of less resistant sandstone of the Dewey Bridge Member of the Carmel Formation and forms Balanced Rock at Arches National Park. Snow-capped peaks in the background are the La Sal […]

2016 UGS Employee of the Year award

The 2016 UGS Employee of the Year award was presented to Mark Milligan. Mark is a model employee with a strong work ethic and friendly personality that endears him to co-workers and the public he often interacts with. He handles an enormous number of public inquires that require patience, persistence, and a broad understanding of […]

POTD February 07, 2017: Thor’s Hammer, Bryce Canyon National State Park

Thor’s Hammer, Bryce Canyon National State Park Photographer: Grant Willis © 2017 Thor’s Hammer, named for the Norse God of Thunder who controlled the air and storms, is probably the best-known hoodoo in Bryce Canyon National Park, and is also the icon for the Utah Geological Survey logo. It formed as the result of differential […]

POTD January 31, 2017: Little Cottonwood Canyon, Wasatch Range

Little Cottonwood Canyon, Wasatch Range Photographer: Mike Hylland © 2017 Devils Castle exposes tilted layers of limestone and dolomite of the Deseret, Gardison, and Fitchville Formations above Albion Basin at the head of Little Cottonwood Canyon. Discoveries of silver, gold, copper, lead, and zinc in the area led to establishment of the Little Cottonwood mining […]