sci-tech-today.com

Celina Suarez and her twin sister, Marina, had always hoped they’d find dinosaur bones in the backyard of their childhood home in San Antonio, Texas.
The pair never found any dinosaur bones behind their home. But they have found dinosaur bones — more than once. It was their find in Utah in 2004 that led to the naming of a new species of dinosaur after the sisters, both now 29-year-old geochemists doing post-doctoral research.

“We’re very honored,” said Celina Suarez, who is doing research at Boise State University. Her sister, Marina, is a researcher at Johns Hopkins University. The sisters are identical, mirror-image twins (“She’s a leftie, and I’m a rightie,” Celina said.)

At the time of their big find, they were both Temple University master’s students working on a summer excavation project near Green River, Utah, with the Utah Geological Survey. While investigating the sediment near the site, they came across a gulley with rocks that had bones sticking out.

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deseretnews.com

Two new geologic maps near Vernal have been released by the Utah Geological Survey, providing information that will help land-use managers and others chart geologic hazards and resources on the south flank of the Uinta Mountains.

“The Dry Fork and Steinaker quadrangles contain some of the most scenic and geologically diverse landscapes in the southern Uintas,” said Doug Sprinkel, a geologist with the survey. “These quandrangles reflect that diversity and provide basic geologic information for the popular Steinaker Reservoir, the Red Cloud Loop Drive, and the spectacular Flaming Gorge-Uintas National Scenic Byway.”

The Uinta Mountains feature Kings Peak, Utah’s highest point, and are the setting for recreation, tourism, timber harvesting, mining and grazing. They are also an important source of drinking and irrigation water for residents of the Uintah Basin and surrounding areas.

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PURCHASE MAP – DRY FORK

PURCHASE MAP – STEINAKER RESERVOIR

thespectrum.com

Getting ready to save a dog that’s fallen down a mine shaft sounds scary, but rescue crew
members like Corbin Allred said they jump at the chance to put their skills to
use and save a life.

Buster, Parowan resident Bob Giles’ playful black mutt, fell down a 30-
foot hole, possibly an old mine shaft, in the Parowan red hills west of town Wednesday morning while chasing a rabbit.

Giles and members of the Utah Geological Survey had been in the area, located off a dirt road at the Parowan Gap, when Buster shot off running and didn’t see the hole, Giles said.

“By the time he saw (the hole) it was too late, he was already committed to sliding down in there, and the rocks were so loose, he couldn’t stop himself from sliding,” Giles said, watching while the rescue crew prepared to send Allred into the hole to retrieve Buster.
Within half an hour of harnessing, Iron County Search and Rescue members slowly pulled Allred and the dog out of the deep hole, rocks sliding, Giles helping alongside the crew by tugging the rope back.

“Are you the one who saved him?” Giles asked Allred with a huge grin as the crew released Buster and watched him run, uninjured, around his rescuers. “I’m so, so grateful for all of you for saving him.”

Iron County Sheriff ’s Office Deputy Jeremy Holm said it’s the sheriff ’s call on how and who responds. The 20- person rescue crew started more than three years ago, and has responded to similar calls across the county, including the iron mines and Cedar Mountain.

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