With recent geologic hazards like the North Salt Lake landslide, and Napa, California’s large earthquake, perhaps this “Glad You Asked” article can come in handy. Are you thinking of buying a home, and are wondering what geologic hazards are present at some of your prospects? Read for more information!
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
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
We’re getting further into our wildfire season as summer heats up. Fires can start from both lightning and human causes, but did you know that rockfalls sometimes cause wildfires too? Check out our “Glad You Asked” article on what ignition source started Utah’s July 2012 Lighthouse Fire in Range Creek, Emery County.
View the article HERE.
We reflect on our American heritage with July 4th on the horizon and our weekend adventures coming up. How about a little Utah history to go with it? Sedimentary rocks are telling teachers in piecing together Utah’s geologic history. Check it out in our “Glad You Asked” article HERE!
Is that coral in Great Salt Lake? Great Salt Lake was lower than average last summer, exposing coral-like structures that are usually beneath water. Maybe some of you saw them!
Great Salt Lake has reef-like structures that resemble coral and are often called coral, yet they are not true coral. Algae build bulbous sedimentary rock structures known by various names: algal bioherms and stromatolites are two of the most common.
Read more about bioherms and stromatolites in our “Glad You Asked” article HERE
So you think you’ve found a meteorite; is it really a meteorwrong? You found a strange rock. It is heavy, dark-colored, and magnetic; so you are thinking it must be from outer space.
Find out more about meteorites in our “Glad You Asked” article HERE.
Current Issue Contents:
Current Issue Contents:
The “Glad You Asked” article, What is the correct name of…?, in a previous issue of Survey Notes addressed how to find the correct names of Utah’s geographic features using the U.S. Geological Survey’s Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
This article addresses how to propose a new name or change an existing geographic feature name.
Policies for naming geographic features have been established by the Domestic Names Committee (DNC) of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. Want to name a geographic feature after your boss or favorite geologist? First, wait until they have been deceased five years as features cannot be named after the living or recently deceased.
Additionally, they need to have had a direct and long-term association with the feature (tragic death at a site does not normally qualify). Exceptions are made for those who have made a significant contribution to the area or state and those “with an outstanding national or international reputation.”
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.