We had a great second day at our #EarthScienceWeek! The Utah Geological Survey hosts hands-on activities for school groups during October. Check out our Stream Station as students learn about soil erosion.




We’re celebrating #EarthScienceWeek this week! The Utah Geological Survey hosts hands-on activities for school groups (usually 4th and 5th graders) during October. Here, students join Utah State Paleontologist James Kirkland, and geophysicist Hobie Willis in the paleontology prep lab where they examine dinosaur and ice age fossils while learning about geologic history. Stay tuned with our daily updates on our Earth Science Week happenings!

Tuesday, October 7, 2014, 6:00 PM 
Utah Department of Natural Resources Auditorium,
1594 West North Temple (enter on south side)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joint Evening Meeting with Association of Environmental Geologists (AEG), Utah Geological Association (UGA), Utah Geological Survey (UGS)
“Geologic Remapping of the Warm Springs Fault”
presented by Adam McKean, Mapping Geologist with the UGS

The Warm Springs fault of the Wasatch fault zone is a down-to-the-west normal fault, bounding the western portion of the Salt Lake salient. Recent geologic remapping of the Salt Lake City North 7.5-minute quadrangle has provided us an opportunity to revisit the Warm Springs fault and its place within Salt Lake and Davis Counties. A draft map of the quadrangle and evidences for the Warm Springs fault location will be presented at the meeting with opportunities for open discussion, questions, and feedback. We invite the geologic and geologic engineering community and interested parties to attend the event and take part in this public comment period.

Good morning, everyone! At the request of NASA, Tom Chidsey (geologist for the UGS) supplied a list of Utah-related names for use during the current operations of the Mars Curiosity rover mission. As the rover begins its journey up the slopes of Mt. Sharp, NASA scientists are starting to use names from the Utah list to reference specific Martian rock outcrops. Names like Upheaval Dome and Shinarump have already been used. Follow THIS LINK to see amazing photos and commentary. Out of this world!

A small team of our geologists have been working in Snake Valley to determine future effects the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s proposal to tap Snake Valley aquifers could have on ranchers and fragile desert ecosystems. Check out this Salt Lake Tribune article for more information on the matter.

sltrib.com

For years, Snake Valley ranchers and environmentalists have complained Las Vegas’ designs on rural groundwater would wreck their livelihoods and dry up fragile desert ecosystems in Utah’s West Desert.

READ MORE

The Springhill landslide site has been turned into the new Springhill Geologic Park by the City of North Salt Lake.

In 2012, the city was awarded a matching-fund Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant to buy and demolish homes and turn the landslide site into an open-space park.

The Utah Geological Survey provided landslide activity data for the grant application including the collection of location data from 32 monitoring points on a monthly basis from May 5, 2011 until August 1, 2011, and mapping of geomorphic landslide features indicating ground deformation.

The new park was created after 12 homes were demolished and grading had leveled the lots, roadways were removed, and a drainage system was constructed to collect surface and spring water for transport to existing storm drains.

The Utah Geological Survey will continue monitoring landslide activity, but less frequently (based on landslide conditions) than in the past.

Read more about the Springhill landside HERE.

If you haven’t heard yet, our latest Calendar of Utah Geology is out and on the shelves. Check out this press release for more information! The calendars are on sale for $4.95 each or $4.25 for orders of 10 or more at the Utah Natural Resources Map & Bookstore, 1594 West North Temple in Salt Lake City. Buy it online HERE.

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

kcsg.com

The Utah Geological Survey (UGS) is now selling the 9th edition of its popular calendar.

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How was everyone’s Labor Day weekend? We hope you had a chance to relax and get out into Utah’s awesome geology. Speaking of Utah’s awesome geology, who caught this phenomenon in the news this weekend? One of our geologists, Bill Lund, gives some possible reasoning behind the event.

ksl.com

Farmers in southern Utah are scratching their heads and trying to figure out what caused an unusual phenomenon in an irrigation pond. Earlier this week, Gary Dalton of Circleville discovered a mysterious crater that suddenly appeared under the water.

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Check out this other article talking about the levels of Great Salt Lake that are approaching record lows. Andrew Rupke, a geologist and industrial minerals specialist here at the Utah Geological Survey, talks about the effects a low shoreline has on mineral density.

deseretnews.com

Dave Shearer sees the evidence of water levels dropping in the Great Salt Lake every time a boat has to be taken out of its slip at the Great Salt Lake Marina.

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Jim Davis, one of our geologists here at the Utah Geological Survey, talks about the Great Salt Lake levels, and the factors that contribute to their rise and fall in this 6PM KSL interview. Check it out!

ksl.com

Water levels at the Great Salt Lake are just a couple of feet above a record low set in 1963, and state geologists say it’s likely the lake will continue to evaporate.

READ MORE