Utah Geological Survey

Glad You Asked: October 9, 2014

We’ve got some Great Salt Lake trivia for you to end the day on—how many think you can answer correctly?? Check out our “Glad You Asked” article below for the answers.

1. What do Great Salt Lake, the Bahamas, the old Hansen Planetarium in downtown Salt Lake City, the Manti LDS Temple, and Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California, have in common?

2. What does the original Saltair resort on the south shore of Great Salt Lake have in common with the coasts of Indonesia, Thailand, and northwestern Malaysia?

3. What two things do Great Salt Lake, Apollo 16, and northern shovelers and common goldeneyes (ducks) have in common?

Find the answers HERE

photo by Stevie Emerson

Utah Geological Survey

Glad You Asked: September 18, 2014

When I was a child, my family would often go camping in the summers. I would pick up various rocks and ask my dad what they were. “They’re called Leavarite, so you leave em’ right there.” While this is no “Leavarite,” it is something a lightning strike left behind. Most people have never seen it, and those who have may have never realized what it was at the time. This remnant is called a Fulgurite. Fulgurites are natural tubes or crusts of glass formed by the fusion of silica (quartz) sand or rock from a lightning strike. Their shape mimics the path of the lightning bolt as it disperses into the ground.

Read more about fulgurites in our Glad You Asked article HERE!

Utah Geological Survey

Glad You Asked: August 28, 2014

With recent geologic hazards like the North Salt Lake landslide, and Napa, California’s large earthquake, perhaps this “Glad You Asked” article can come in handy. Are you thinking of buying a home, and are wondering what geologic hazards are present at some of your prospects? Read for more information!

READ MORE

Utah Geological Survey

Glad You Asked: August 14, 2014

How many of your knew that the eastern border of Utah has a kink in it? For those of you that did know of the tiny shift, do you know the history behind it?

Utah’s boundaries are not defined by landforms such as mountain divides or rivers. Surveyors mapped Utah’s boundaries using transit and compass, chronometer and astronomical readings, previous surveys, and interviews with residents. The boundaries were intended to run parallel to lines of latitude and longitude.

Read more about it in our “Glad You Asked” article HERE

Utah Geological Survey

Glad You Asked: August 7, 2014

As we find ourselves in another hot Utah summer, some of you may be wondering where the coolest spot in Utah is. Among all the cool places in Utah, the coolest by far is Peter Sinks. High in the Bear River Range in Cache County, Peter Sinks is frequently the coldest place in the United States in wintertime, even colder than anywhere in Alaska. Peter Sinks holds the second-place record—less than half a degree shy of the all-time record at Rogers Pass, Montana—for coldest recorded temperature in the contiguous United States at -69.3°F set on February 1, 1985.

Read more about Peter Sinks in our Glad you Asked article HERE

Utah Geological Survey

Glad You Asked: July 10, 2014

We’re getting further into our wildfire season as summer heats up. Fires can start from both lightning and human causes, but did you know that rockfalls sometimes cause wildfires too? Check out our “Glad You Asked” article on what ignition source started Utah’s July 2012 Lighthouse Fire in Range Creek, Emery County.

View the article HERE.

Utah Geological Survey

Glad You Asked: July 3, 2014

We reflect on our American heritage with July 4th on the horizon and our weekend adventures coming up. How about a little Utah history to go with it? Sedimentary rocks are telling teachers in piecing together Utah’s geologic history. Check it out in our “Glad You Asked” article HERE!

Utah Geological Survey

Glad You Asked: June 26, 2014

Is that coral in Great Salt Lake? Great Salt Lake was lower than average last summer, exposing coral-like structures that are usually beneath water. Maybe some of you saw them!

Great Salt Lake has reef-like structures that resemble coral and are often called coral, yet they are not true coral. Algae build bulbous sedimentary rock structures known by various names: algal bioherms and stromatolites are two of the most common.

Read more about bioherms and stromatolites in our “Glad You Asked” article HERE

Utah Geological Survey

Glad You Asked: June 19, 2014

So you think you’ve found a meteorite; is it really a meteorwrong? You found a strange rock. It is heavy, dark-colored, and magnetic; so you are thinking it must be from outer space.

Find out more about meteorites in our “Glad You Asked” article HERE.