Gooseberry Mesa, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: J. Lucy Jordan; © 2016
Sunset on Gooseberry Mesa shines golden light on cliffs of Triassic-age Shinarump Conglomerate and the underlying slope-forming Moenkopi Formation. White cliffs and peaks in the distance are thrones and temples of Zion National Park, formed of Jurassic-age Navajo Sandstone.
Colorado River, Grand County, Utah
Photographer: Adam Hiscock; © 2014
Late-winter ice still clings to the Colorado River near Big Bend, north of Moab. Boulders of Jurassic-age Wingate Sandstone and Triassic-age Chinle Formation line the banks of the river, eroded from the cliffs and ledges cut by the river as it has incised its channel over millions of years.
San Rafael Swell, Emery County, Utah
Photographer: Robert Ressetar; © 2013
Window Blind Peak rises to an elevation of 7,030 feet in the interior of the San Rafael Swell. The resistant Triassic to Jurassic-age Wingate and Navajo Sandstones form, respectively, the massive lower cliffs and the upper pinnacle.
Hite Crossing vicinity, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Garfield and San Juan Counties, Utah
Photographer: Don DeBlieux; ©2011
Permian- and Triassic-age sedimentary rocks color the shorelines of dam-impounded Lake Powell near the confluence of the Colorado and Dirty Devil Rivers. Although the lake water has submerged numerous relicts of ancient animal (including human) and plant life, traces of prehistoric life can still be found along the lake shores and in some tributaries.
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.