Big Cottonwood Canyon, Wasatch Range
Photographer: Mike Hylland © 2017
The waters of Lake Blanche reflect Sundial Peak, composed of quartzite of the Big Cottonwood Formation. Rocks in this basin, which formed from sediment that accumulated along a continental margin 900 million years ago, preserve striations (parallel scratches and grooves) that record the down-valley flow of Ice Age glaciers.
I know there’s snow up in the Wasatch today, but the valley sure feels as nice as this photo!
Big Cottonwood Canyon, Wasatch Range, Salt Lake County, Utah
Photographer: Adam Hiscock; © 2015
Glacially scoured and polished quartzite of the Precambrian-age Big Cottonwood Formation near Lake Blanche, Big Cottonwood Canyon, Wasatch Range, Salt Lake County.
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.