Have a fun and safe weekend, everyone!
Hovenweep National Monument, San Juan County, Utah
Photographer: Ken Krahulec; ©2011
Ancient Anasazi dwellings built with blocks of Cretaceous-age Dakota Sandstone at Hovenweep National Monument, southeastern San Juan County.
Can you “Spot the Rock”? It’s time for a new mystery geologic location—tell us where these bumpy rocks are found!
Like us on FACEBOOK or follow us on TWITTER to participate!
UPDATE: Location Revealed
For those of you who follow our GeoSights (http://1.usa.gov/1dqnUJo), last week’s “Spot the Rock” was probably very easy. For those who don’t (you should), the answer is Fantasy Canyon.
Fantasy Canyon is approximately an hour’s drive southeast of Vernal. Even though it’s only 28-miles (as the crow flies) in distance, the labyrinth of oil company service roads quickly lengthen the drive.
You’ll find that Fantasy Canyon is crowded with intricate and peculiar stone figures that are a unique expression of rock weathering and erosion. Covering only a few acres, this miniature canyon can be viewed up-close on a short 0.6-mile loop trail. The dull, light khaki gray color of Fantasy Canyon sandstone transforms to a glowing pale orange at sunset. More information about Fantasy Canyon can be found at http://1.usa.gov/1l4cbs7.
A spectacular look at Capitol Reef National Park.
Capitol Reef National Park, Garfield County, Utah
Photographer: Rich Emerson; ©2011
Burr Trail switchback in the Waterpocket Fold, Capitol Reef National Park, Garfield County.
Green River, Uintah County, Utah
Photographer: Stefan Kirby; ©2011
Morning light on layered rocks of the Tertiary-age Green River Formation north of Desolation Canyon along the Green River.
Little Cottonwood Canyon, Wasatch Range, Salt Lake County, Utah
Photographer: Mike Hylland; ©2011
A sawtoothed ridge (arête) of glacially carved granitic rock separates the Maybird and Red Pine drainages. South side of Little Cottonwood Canyon, Wasatch Range, Salt Lake County.
Wasatch Range, Salt Lake County, Utah
Photographer: Mike Hylland; ©2011
Many streams in Utah’s high mountain ranges, like this one in Bells Canyon, flow down canyons where “streams” of glacial ice once flowed. Wasatch Range, Salt Lake County.
Here’s another installment of “Spot the Rock”! Can you guess where this is? Like us on FACEBOOK or follow us on TWITTER to participate!
UPDATE: Location Revealed
Crystal Geyser is located on the eastern bank of the Green River approximately 3.5 miles downstream from Interstate 70. It is a geologically unusual site to visit, as it is a cold-water, carbon-dioxide-driven geyser as opposed to the geothermal geysers you would see at Yellowstone. In the past, Crystal Geyser’s eruptions were notably higher and more frequent than what they are today. As seen in the video the entire area is draped with beautiful travertine (calcium carbonate) which makes it a gem of a place to put on your bucket list.
Cascade Mountain, Wasatch Range, Utah County, Utah
Photographer: Adam McKean; ©2011
The last rays of sunshine catch the snowy southern limestone cliff face of Cascade Mountain, which was glaciated on the northern side during the Ice Age. Wasatch Range, Utah County.
Little Cottonwood Canyon, Wasatch Range, Salt Lake County, Utah
Photographer: Mike Hylland; ©2011
The “”wrinkled” surface of a rock glacier on the floor of Maybird Gulch hints at the Ice Age glacial activity that carved this tributary to Little Cottonwood Canyon. Ice below the ground surface, now likely all melted away, once allowed the bouldery deposit to imperceptibly flow down the valley floor, forming the arcuate ridges at the ground surface.
The King Fisher Tower, Grand County, Utah
Photographer: Stefan Kirby; ©2011
The King Fisher Tower, north of Castle Valley in Grand County, consists of arkosic sandstone and mudstone of the Permian Cutler Formation.
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.
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