Tag Archive for: UGS

Utah Geological Survey

POTD June 17, 2013: Wilson Arch, San Juan County, Utah

Sixty years of Utah Geology will leave you with A LOT of photos, so we are going to share them with you. Introducing the UGS Photo Of The Day, or POTD for short. Enjoy!

 


San Juan County
Photographer: Michael Vanden Berg

Wilson Arch is probably the most accessible natural arch in southern Utah. It is perched on a cliff of the Jurassic-age Slick Rock Member of the Entrada Sandstone next to Highway 191 half way between Moab and Monticello. North of Moab, the Entrada Sandstone is host to the vast majority of the arches in Arches National Park.

Utah Geological Survey
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Dinosaur death trap outside Arches National Park could reveal a lot about how they lived

deseretnews.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

A herd of dinosaurs are trapped in rock outside Arches National Park, and state paleontologists need a helicopter to bring it back to the lab to see what’s really inside.

State paleontologists hope to line up a helicopter in the next few weeks to bring back the extraordinary discovery near Moab.

 

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Utah Geological Survey

GeoSights—Comb Ridge, San Juan County, Utah

One may say Comb Ridge was Mother Nature’s way of splitting southern San Juan County with an enormous
wall. Another may say it was a giant skateboard ramp for dinosaurs. One thing is certain: Comb Ridge is a spectacular
ridge of steeply tilted sandstone rock layers, trending north-south for approximately 80 miles from Utah’s Abajo Mountains to Kayenta, Arizona. Similar to a rooster’s comb, the jagged appearance of Comb Ridge provides the logic behind its name.
Utah Geological Survey

GeoSights—Gandy Warm Springs, Northwestern Millard County, Utah

The entrance to a cave, unofficially called “Beware Cave,” is marked by an overhang under which springs emerge at the deepest part of Gandy Warm Springs and Warm Creek—almost 4 feet deep. Gandy Warm Springs is a refreshing oasis of tiny waterfalls, pools, caves, and crystal clear streams with water temperatures up to 81 ̊F. Located on the western edge of Snake Valley, near the Nevada border, the springs are at the base of the southern tip of Spring Mountain (also called Gandy Mountain). The spring water that cascades down the slope of Spring Mountain joins a larger spring that emerges from a cave, initiating the eastward-flowing Warm Creek (also called Gandy Creek). Lush green vegetation,  including mosses, watercress, and bright green algae, and animals such as aquatic snails (including the endemic springsnail,Pyrgulopsis saxatilis, found only at Gandy) and the native speckled dace wonderfully stand in stark  contrast to the surrounding dry yellow grasses and desert shrubs. Gandy is a popular spot for locals who use the area for soaking, swimming, and baptisms.
Utah Geological Survey

GeoSights—Notch Peak—Big Cliff, Millard County, Utah

The enormity and vastness of the cliff forming the north face of Notch Peak is difficult to describe. Standing near the cliff’s base and looking up is awe inspiring. The view while standing at the top and looking over the edge? I would not know as I was on my hands and knees, too fearful to stand and look over the edge at one of the greatest vertical drops in the contiguous U.S.
Reported estimates of the cliff’s actual height vary significantly from under 2,000 feet to over 4,500 feet, which is likely due to differences in defining where the base of the cliff starts. Photogrammetry (measurements from digital stereoscopic photographs), verified with a paper 7.5′ topographic map, suggests the cliff has an uninterrupted near-vertical drop of over 1,500feet. The addition of cliff below a small bench 50 to 100 yards wide increases the distance to approximately 2,250 feet. Adding a portion of the very steep base of the sheer drop  increases the distance to nearly 2,900 feet.
Utah Geological Survey

Geophysical Maps

Geophysical maps provide insight into an area’s geology by illuminating features and characteristics not apparent from a geologic map alone. Data collected from geophysical surveys are used to create maps showing the variability in physical properties of different rock types including density, thermal attributes, seismic velocity, magnetic susceptibility and other electromagnetic parameters.

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Utah Geological Survey
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UTAH FAMILY FINDS DINOSAUR BONES IN DESERT

fox13now.com

An Eagle Mountain family made an enormous, and ancient, discovery over the weekend when they went searching for fossils and dinosaur bones.

The Watt family was attending a family reunion near the San Rafael Desert, and when they left to look for dinosaur remains they found them.

Dr. Jim Kirkland is Utah’s state paleontologist, and he said the family’s decision to call experts before digging too deeply was the right one.

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Utah Geological Survey
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PALEONTOLOGISTS TRYING TO MOVE 5-TON HERD OF FOSSILIZED DINOSAURS

ksl.com

Utah paleontologists are looking for one enormous helicopter to lift a herd of dinosaurs

It may sound like fiction or a scene from Jurassic Park, but there’s a herd of Utahraptors near Moab and paleontologists are trying to figure out how to move it.

WATCH IT HERE
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Utah Geological Survey
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MORNING EARTHQUAKE; SOUTHERN UTAH IS EARTHQUAKE COUNTRY

st.georgeutah.com

An earthquake of local magnitude 2.7 occurred at 5:32 a.m., Tuesday, about 90 miles southeast of Cedar City in northern Arizona according to the U.S. Geological Survey website. The USGS also lists the quake at 3.0 magnitude because it uses a different rating system. A micro-earthquake of local magnitude 2.0 occurred last Wednesday 5 miles south of Hurricane; and another 2.0 occurred Sunday 13 miles north-northwest of Ivins.

 

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Utah Geological Survey

Visit the Natural Resources Map & Bookstore’s Facebook page

They carry a variety of books and maps published by DNR divisions, as well as private publishers. They are the state’s official source for geologic maps and USGS topo maps.   They also carry a variety of recreational books and items.

Like their page and keep up to date with what’s new!

Facebook search: DNR Map & Bookstore