Utah Geological Survey
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SALT LAKE TOWN HALL TO EXPLORE SEISMIC RISKS AND READINESS

sltrib.com

The Salt Lake segment of the Wasatch fault zone has produced eight large earthquakes in the last 12,000 years. As a whole, this network of faults generates a biggie every 900 to 1,300 years.

According to the geological record, the last temblor that exceeded magnitude 6.5, or the kind that can turn unreinforced masonry homes into piles of rubble, ripped Salt Lake 1,400 years ago.

“We’re due. Enough energy has accumulated on the Salt Lake segment that a large earthquake can happen at any time,” said Christopher DuRoss, of the Utah Geological Survey, who will co-lead a town hall meeting 7:30 p.m. Wednesday on Utah’s seismic hazards. The event in Salt Lake City is part of the Seismological Society of America’s conference and the Great Utah ShakeOut, the state’s annual earthquake preparedness exercises.

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SANTA CLARA HEIGHTS LANDSLIDE: 30 YEARS OF PROBLEMS, NO SOLUTION IN SIGHT

www.stgeorgeutah.com

A portion of the Santa Clara Heights near Truman Drive has grappled with the danger of sliding land for over 30 years and despite numerous efforts by the City of Santa Clara to stop it, there is still no solution in sight.

Geologic history and cause

The Santa Clara Heights is built upon the Santa Clara Bench, a natural plateau bordered by the Santa Clara River Valley to the southwest and a small tributary stream to the northeast. Like most of Southern Utah, the soil of the Santa Clara Bench is mainly composed of petrified forest member, commonly called “blue clay,” along with sediment from the Santa Clara River. Petrified forest member is a weak rock that swells quickly and moves easily when wet.

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Utah Geological Survey
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WEATHERING CHANGE: LAS VEGAS PIPELINE MAY THREATEN WEST DESERT'S SCARCE WATER

exploreutahscience.org

In the arid high desert of western Utah, on the border between Utah and Nevada, water is a valuable commodity.

Water, in our language means healer of everything, says Rupert Steele. “For the American Indians, not only the Confederated Tribe of the Goshutes, but other Indians across the nation, water has always been worth more than gold and oil.”

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CACHE COUNTY CONSIDERS PUTTING WATER BACK INTO AQUIFER

hjnews.com

Cache County officials are working with the Utah Geological Survey to possibly develop an aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) system that could help with water supply in the future — the first such system to be implemented in the county.

 

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AFTER BOULDER HITS WOMAN, CITY REASSESSES ROCKFALL HAZARDS

ksl.com

After a 12-by-9-foot boulder crashed into a home and injured a woman, the city is looking at their development approval process.

About 3 a.m. on Jan. 19, Wanda Denhalter, 63, was sleeping alone in her home at 1681 E. 50 North Circle in St. George when she was awoken by a boulder crashing into her home. The woman was injured badly by the boulder, which crashed into the side of her king-sized bed.

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Utah Geological Survey
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'SWARM' OF EARTHQUAKES HITS SOUTHERN UTAH

kutv.com

A series of more than a dozen small earthquakes near Cedar City, Utah didn’t cause any damage but caught the attention of residents and scientists.

“Almost like a sonic boom,” is how Enoch resident J.D. Price described one of the quakes.

The 13 tremblers ranged from just under a magnitude 1.0 on the Richter scale to 3.7 for the largest quake with epicenters located about 9 miles northwest of Cedar City near the town of Enoch.

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GEOLOGISTS WARNS CITY PLANNERS OF DANGEROUS AREAS

kutv.com

After a boulder smashed into a St. George home and seriously injured a woman, a geologist is asking cities to pay attention to rock fall hazards when approving housing developments.

Someone was hurt this time, said Bill Lund, senior geologist with the Utah Geological Survey who specializes in geologic hazards. It could have very well been worse.

The boulder broke loose around 3 a.m. Saturday and tumbled down Foremaster Ridge into the bedroom of Wanda Denhalter.

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ENERGY DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT BEGINS, SHOWCASES UTAH GEOLOGY

deseretnews.com

Even Thomas Chidsey happily concedes that dinosaurs steal the show.

He can walk guests of the Utah Geological Survey’s Utah Core Research Center past drill-produced samples of layers of rock, or core, that are millions upon millions of years old and tell the stories of the state’s unique and diverse geology.

 

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Utah Geological Survey

2013 Calendar of Utah Geology is Here!

The Utah Geological Survey 2013 Calendar of Utah Geology has arrived. The calendars are on sale for $4.95 each or $4.25 for orders of 10 or more at the Natural Resources Map & Bookstore, 1594 West North Temple in Salt Lake City.

The photos are taken by staff members who are often on assignment in some of the most intriguing areas of the state.

Utah Geological Survey
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UTAH GEOLOGISTS DELIGHT WITH CALENDAR PHOTOS

deseretnews.com

Utah experts who know the stories behind the state’s dazzling rock formations, towering mountains and sheer sandstone cliffs put their expertise behind a camera and are showcasing their work in the 2013 edition of the Utah Geology Calendar.

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