This soil might just look like some crusty dirt. However it’s the crust on the dirt that makes this soil so very important. Tread lightly through this “Glad you Asked” article on soil crusts to find out more!
Tag Archive for: GYA
Have you ever been on an outdoor adventure when you found yourself faced with some kind of geological feature, only you weren’t sure which one? ..It looks like Paul Bunyan’s Woodpile, but is this it?..
Check out our “Glad You Asked” article where you can learn more about how Geographic Names came to be officially recognized, and explore the online database of where these places are located!
Trilobites are always a fun find when you’re exploring the outdoors, but how much do you know about Trilobites as living organisms? Maybe you’re just interested in finding your own Trilobite fossils. Read more about the little critters in our “Glad You Asked” article HERE!
Cooler weather is on its way, so we’ve got a cool “Glad You Asked” article to compliment the changing seasons! It’s a beautiful time of the year to get out into Utah’s geology. Maybe some of you have noticed these groovy rocks out on your outdoor adventures. What are those grooves in the rocks, and how did they get that way?
Read more about Glacial Striations and Slickensides HERE!
We’ve got some Great Salt Lake trivia for you to end the day on—how many think you can answer correctly?? Check out our “Glad You Asked” article below for the answers.
1. What do Great Salt Lake, the Bahamas, the old Hansen Planetarium in downtown Salt Lake City, the Manti LDS Temple, and Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California, have in common?
2. What does the original Saltair resort on the south shore of Great Salt Lake have in common with the coasts of Indonesia, Thailand, and northwestern Malaysia?
3. What two things do Great Salt Lake, Apollo 16, and northern shovelers and common goldeneyes (ducks) have in common?
Find the answers HERE
photo by Stevie Emerson
When I was a child, my family would often go camping in the summers. I would pick up various rocks and ask my dad what they were. “They’re called Leavarite, so you leave em’ right there.” While this is no “Leavarite,” it is something a lightning strike left behind. Most people have never seen it, and those who have may have never realized what it was at the time. This remnant is called a Fulgurite. Fulgurites are natural tubes or crusts of glass formed by the fusion of silica (quartz) sand or rock from a lightning strike. Their shape mimics the path of the lightning bolt as it disperses into the ground.
Read more about fulgurites in our Glad You Asked article HERE!
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.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE UTAH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
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.