Great Salt Lake may ebb and flow, however its current low levels give impetus to talk about water use, and how to use it more wisely in the desert. Andrew Rupke, a minerals specialist here at UGS, joins the conversation in this article. Check it out!
deseretnews.com
Not many states have a defining natural feature that locals actually discourage visitors from seeing.
phenomena.nationalgeographic.com
Dinosaurs are Mesozoic superstars. The largest literally overshadowed other forms of life during their prehistoric heyday, and even now they attract far more attention than any other group of ancient organisms. It’s easy to forget the diverse and disparate species that wove together the ecology that helped support the dinosaurs we are so enchanted by.
upr.org
Inside a nine-ton sandstone block pulled from a mesa outside of Moab could be the key to knowing how the carnivorous Utahraptor lived. But before paleontologists can figure that out, State Paleontologist James Kirkland says they are going to have to find a place where they can start chipping away at the block.
Remember the family of Utah Raptors that arrived in a 9-ton ‘block’ in Salt Lake City a few months ago? Our Paleontologists here at the UGS have been working very closely on this project for years. Check out this wonderful highlight on their work so far, where you can see interviews from Utah State Paleontologist James Kirkland, and Paleontologists, Don DeBlieux and Scott Madsen.
news.nationalgeographic.com
A nine-ton block of sandstone that was pulled from a Utah mountain late last year holds the biggest fossil trove ever found of the giant predatory dinosaur known as Utahraptor. Covered in feathers, with a huge sickle claw on each second toe, Utahraptor looked like a pumped-up version of the Jurassic Park star Velociraptor.
And further reading in this article below…
washingtonpost.com
Reports of what looked like a human arm brought Utah state paleontologist James Kirkland to a particular sandstone hill in 2001. But it turned out that his graduate student had actually found something entirely different — a veritable mass grave of Utahraptor dinosaurs. Now they’ve found the remains of six individual dinosaurs, and there may still be more inside of the 9-ton sandstone block they’re excavating.
nationalgeographic.com
Birds are dinosaurs. This fact is easily understood by looking at the scaly feet of a chickadee or by comparing a chicken wing to a Velociraptor arm. But given that birds are the only “terrible lizards” around today, it’s easy to forget that they also thrived alongside their non-avian kin for 84 million years. The first birds evolved in the Late Jurassic, roundabout 150 million years ago, and they became a widespread and successful branch of the dinosaur family tree.
Check out the latest dino news! One of our paleontologists, Scott Madsen, discovered this little guy in 1997 in what is called the Cloverly Formation in southern Montana. Utah State Paleontologist, James Kirkland, talks more about the fossil’s significance in this article.
cbsnews.com
Paleontologists have identified the fossil of a horned dinosaur the size of a house cat that is the oldest of its kind ever discovered in North America – by 15 million years.
November is here! We hope you all had a great and safe Halloween. It won’t be long before Christmas is on the horizon; treat family, friends, or even yourself to a 
whole year gorgeous Utah geology. It features photos of Utah’s stunning geology taken by UGS employees. Be sure to stop by the Utah Natural Resources Map & Bookstore or ONLINE HERE to buy yours today!
deseretnews.com
Each year, a fierce but friendly competition delivers some of the most stunning photographs of Utah scenery — and the best examples are compiled in a calendar available for purchase.
UGS paleontologists Jim Kirkland and Don DeBlieux spent last week assisting a crew from Utah State Parks and the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park in moving a large petrified tree to the park for display. The park received permission from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to move the tree from land they manage just outside the town of Escalante, and they called in UGS paleontologists to consult with and oversee the move. Several pieces of heavy equipment were needed to lift the log, which was already separated into sections, onto a flatbed truck for the several-mile drive to the park. Eighteen sections were moved, including the base of the tree that was estimated to weigh over 2 tons, and lifted back into place in the sand-filled concrete enclosure that had been constructed to house the tree. The park is known for its large number of petrified logs eroding out of the 150-million-year-old Morrison Formation rocks. These logs are found on a plateau above the park entrance that can only be accessed by a fairly rugged hike, so not all visitors will have the time or the ability to see them. By having a large tree on display near the visitors center, many more people, including those with physical challenges, will be able to view and learn about the fossils found in this region. The cooperation of the BLM and State Parks for the benefit of Utah citizens and visitors was well exemplified during this project.
Check out this read for your mid-morning break—last week Utah State Paleontologist James Kirkland and UGS Paleontologist Don DeBlieux led the move of a 150-million-year-old petrified tree from nearby BLM land to the visitor center in Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. Stay tuned as we compile footage from the move!
sltrib.com
Escalante Petrified Forest State Park has one of the best collections of petrified wood in a natural setting in the country. But not everyone who stops at the park has the time, or the desire, to make a relatively short hike to see the collection.
Day 3 of our #EarthScienceWeek was great! The Utah Geological Survey hosts hands-on activities for school groups during October. Here, students learn a little gold panning history, and pan for some mineral treasures themselves! While no gold was included in the panning station, kids found pyrite, magnetite, fluorite, malachite (a copper bearing rock), and some azurite (a copper bearing rock)!
The Utah Geological Survey (UGS) is a division of the Utah Department of Natural Resources. Several specialized programs comprise the UGS: Data Management, Energy & Minerals, Geologic Hazards, Geologic Information & Outreach, Geologic Mapping, Groundwater & Wetlands, and Paleontology.