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Named for its thousands of bizarre, goblin-like rock formations, Utah’s Goblin Valley State Park is a hidden gem in the San Rafael Desert. The goblins, known scientifically as “hoodoos,” were formed through the gradual erosion of Entrada sandstone, which was deposited about 170 millions years ago when the area was situated next to an ancient sea.
Hurricane Cliffs near Pintura, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: Paul Inkenbrandt; © 2013
Permian-age strata in the Hurricane Cliffs near Pintura, Washington County.
How about another round of “Spot the Rock”? Who can tell us what mineral the yellow arrow points to in the image?
UPDATE: Answer Revealed
It is SELENITE! For those who guessed, Gypsum, you are technically correct. Though this crystal pictured, Selenite, is a specific type of Gypsum.
This selenite crystal was found in the the mud of a canal bank and U.S. Magnesium near the south shore of Great Salt Lake. Selenite is the name given to the crystalline variety of the mineral gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O). Gypsum is a common evaporative mineral. While gypsum is commonly mined for use in drywall (what interior surface of most building walls), the crystaline form of selenite makes it difficult to process and thus undesirable for use in drywall.
For what are arguably the most amazing crystals ever found, check out Mexico’s Cueva de los Cristales
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/11/crystal-giants/shea-text
Town of Springdale, Zion Canyon, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: Tyler Knudsen; © 2013
Towering walls of Jurassic-age Navajo Sandstone guard the historic pioneer cemetery atop Moquitch Hill in lower Zion Canyon. The cemetery serves as the final resting place for many founders of the Town of Springdale.
How many of your knew that the eastern border of Utah has a kink in it? For those of you that did know of the tiny shift, do you know the history behind it?
Utah’s boundaries are not defined by landforms such as mountain divides or rivers. Surveyors mapped Utah’s boundaries using transit and compass, chronometer and astronomical readings, previous surveys, and interviews with residents. The boundaries were intended to run parallel to lines of latitude and longitude.
Read more about it in our “Glad You Asked” article HERE
The views in Utah go on for days, years, and centuries. Good thing we’ve got all of these beautiful geology photos to share with you! Have a wonderful evening, geo friends.
Raft River Mountains, Box Elder County, Utah
Photographer: Adam Hiscock; © 2013
Raft River metamorphic core complex, Raft River Mountains, Box Elder County, Utah.
As we find ourselves in another hot Utah summer, some of you may be wondering where the coolest spot in Utah is. Among all the cool places in Utah, the coolest by far is Peter Sinks. High in the Bear River Range in Cache County, Peter Sinks is frequently the coldest place in the United States in wintertime, even colder than anywhere in Alaska. Peter Sinks holds the second-place record—less than half a degree shy of the all-time record at Rogers Pass, Montana—for coldest recorded temperature in the contiguous United States at -69.3°F set on February 1, 1985.
Read more about Peter Sinks in our Glad you Asked article HERE
Utah—putting the “Awe” in geology since the Precambrian.
High Uintas Wilderness, Summit County, Utah
Photographer: Chris DuRoss; © 2013
Ostler Peak (12,718 feet) is reflected in a meander bend of the Stillwater Fork of the Bear River in the Uinta Mountains. Thousands of years ago glaciers inundated much of the Uinta Mountains, leaving behind long glacier-carved valleys, steep-sided cirques, and jagged peaks.
Bryce Canyon National Park from Rainbow Point, Garfield County, Utah
Photographer: Gregg Beukelman; © 2013
Arches National Park, Grand County, Utah
Photographer: Don DeBlieux; © 2013
Dissolution of subsurface salt caused the collapse of the Salt Valley anticline, forming vertical fractures in the Jurassic-age Entrada Sandstone. Weathering along the fractures has produced the spectacular fins, towers, and arches in the Devils Garden section of Arches National Park.
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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