Rocks & Minerals
Geology is the study of Earth as it pertains to the composition, structure, and origin of its rocks. Rocks are classified based on their formation and mineral content. Minerals are classified by their chemical compounds, a combination of two or more elements.
Rocks vs. Minerals
From the U.S. Geological Survey the difference between rocks and minerals is defined as:
Rock, Mineral, and Fossil Collecting
Utah’s rock, mineral, and fossil collectors must adhere to rules and regulations established by owners or managing agencies of the lands on which they wish to collect.
Prior to collecting, rockhounds should determine ownership of the lands they intend to visit and familiarize themselves with the regulations that apply to collecting on those lands. Consult surface-management status maps (online or sold by various agencies and outlets, including the Department of Natural Resources and the Bureau of Land Management) or site-specific land-ownership maps (at the Recorder’s Office in the county where you intend to collect).
Identify Your Utah Find!
Rocks
Under the three different rock types, sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic, many rocks can be identified using color, texture, grain size, and many other observations. Read What are Igneous, Sedimentary, & Metamorphic Rocks? to learn about the common rock types or contact a UGS geologist to get help identifying your find!
More Resources:
How do geologists know how old a rock is?
What kind of rock makes a good wall?
Igneous, Metamorphic, and Sedimentary Rocks in Wasatch Front Canyons
Minerals
There are over 4,000 known minerals, and approximately 80 to 100 new ones are discovered each year. Of all these, only a few hundred are considered common. To help with identification, geologists must look closely at the physical properties of a mineral. These properties can include: color, streak, hardness, cleavage, specific gravity, crystal form, and others. Feel free to contact a UGS geologist to get help identifying your find!
More Resources:
Fossils
Fossils—remains, traces, or imprints of past plant and animal life are widely found throughout Utah. Depending on land ownership, some fossils (such as invertebrates and plants) can be collected for personal non-commercial use. However, dinosaur and other vertebrate fossils may not be collected on any federal or state lands except by permits issued to accredited institutions.
Whether you can keep a fossil or not depends on the type of fossil, and who owns or manages the land where the fossil was found. For more information on collecting and identifying fossils, contact the land managing agency or the Paleontology Section at the Utah Geological Survey, (801) 537-3300.
More Resources:
What should you do if you find a fossil?
Meteorites
Twenty-seven meteorite finds in Utah are listed in the Meteoritical Society’s Meteoritical Bulletin Database. Most likely there are meteorite finds and falls in Utah that are not reported. Meteorite numbers in neighboring states range from 215 in New Mexico to 6 in Idaho. The odds of finding a meteorite are slim even if you see it fall. Most disintegrate before reaching the ground.
More Resources:
Meteorite or Meteorwrong?, Utah Geological Survey
Have meteorites or meteorite craters been found in Utah?, Utah Geological Survey
More Meteorite Information, Randy Korotev, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
A Comprehensive Guide to Meteorite Identification, Geofrey Notkin, Aerolite Meteorites, Tucson, AZ
Do I have a meteorite?, Center for Meteorite Studies, Arizona State University
Meteorite Testing and Classifying Institutions, meteorite-identification.com
Utah’s Clark Planetarium has a few meteorite experts. Contact them for help identifying a find.
Artifacts
Artifacts are any objects made by a human that are more than 50 years old. This definition includes the arrowheads and pottery sherds that are commonly found on prehistoric sites in Utah, and also extends to metal nails and glass insulators from historical sites.
The removal of artifacts and the disturbance of archaeological sites (both prehistoric and historical) is illegal under both federal and state laws. If you believe you have found something significant, take a photo of it and record where you found it (GPS is great if you have one) and let the land managing agency know.
More Resources:
What Prehistoric and Contemporary Indigenous People Were in Utah?
What Do I Do If I Discover Damage to an Archaeological Site?
Rock, Mineral, and Fossil Collecting
Utah’s rock, mineral, and fossil collectors must adhere to rules and regulations established by owners or managing agencies of the lands on which they wish to collect.
Prior to collecting, rockhounds should determine ownership of the lands they intend to visit and familiarize themselves with the regulations that apply to collecting on those lands. Consult surface-management status maps (online or sold by various agencies and outlets, including the Department of Natural Resources and the Bureau of Land Management) or site-specific land-ownership maps (at the Recorder’s Office in the county where you intend to collect).
Identify Your Utah Find!
Rocks
Under the three different rock types, sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic, many rocks can be identified using color, texture, grain size, and many other observations. Read What are Igneous, Sedimentary, & Metamorphic Rocks? to learn about the common rock types or contact a UGS geologist to get help identifying your find!
More Resources:
How do geologists know how old a rock is?
What kind of rock makes a good wall?
Igneous, Metamorphic, and Sedimentary Rocks in Wasatch Front Canyons
Minerals
There are over 4,000 known minerals, and approximately 80 to 100 new ones are discovered each year. Of all these, only a few hundred are considered common. To help with identification, geologists must look closely at the physical properties of a mineral. These properties can include: color, streak, hardness, cleavage, specific gravity, crystal form, and others. Feel free to contact a UGS geologist to get help identifying your find!
More Resources:
Fossils
Fossils—remains, traces, or imprints of past plant and animal life are widely found throughout Utah. Depending on land ownership, some fossils (such as invertebrates and plants) can be collected for personal non-commercial use. However, dinosaur and other vertebrate fossils may not be collected on any federal or state lands except by permits issued to accredited institutions.
Whether you can keep a fossil or not depends on the type of fossil, and who owns or manages the land where the fossil was found. For more information on collecting and identifying fossils, contact the land managing agency or the Paleontology Section at the Utah Geological Survey, (801) 537-3300.
More Resources:
What should you do if you find a fossil?
Meteorites
Twenty-seven meteorite finds in Utah are listed in the Meteoritical Society’s Meteoritical Bulletin Database. Most likely there are meteorite finds and falls in Utah that are not reported. Meteorite numbers in neighboring states range from 215 in New Mexico to 6 in Idaho. The odds of finding a meteorite are slim even if you see it fall. Most disintegrate before reaching the ground.
More Resources:
Meteorite or Meteorwrong?, Utah Geological Survey
Have meteorites or meteorite craters been found in Utah?, Utah Geological Survey
More Meteorite Information, Randy Korotev, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
A Comprehensive Guide to Meteorite Identification, Geofrey Notkin, Aerolite Meteorites, Tucson, AZ
Do I have a meteorite?, Center for Meteorite Studies, Arizona State University
Meteorite Testing and Classifying Institutions, meteorite-identification.com
Utah’s Clark Planetarium has a few meteorite experts. Contact them for help identifying a find.
Artifacts
Artifacts are any objects made by a human that are more than 50 years old. This definition includes the arrowheads and pottery sherds that are commonly found on prehistoric sites in Utah, and also extends to metal nails and glass insulators from historical sites.
The removal of artifacts and the disturbance of archaeological sites (both prehistoric and historical) is illegal under both federal and state laws. If you believe you have found something significant, take a photo of it and record where you found it (GPS is great if you have one) and let the land managing agency know.
More Resources:
What Prehistoric and Contemporary Indigenous People Were in Utah?
What Do I Do If I Discover Damage to an Archaeological Site?
Interactive Maps
