Navajo Sandstone cliffs, Kolob Canyons, Zion National Park, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: Adam Hiscock; © 2013
Tag Archive for: Utah Geological Survey
September is National Preparedness month, so it’s a good opportunity to review your plans and supplies! Check out this great read from Deseret News about things you can do around your home for earthquake-resistant upgrades.
deseretnews.com
Did you know that in Utah there are little earthquakes all the time? Actually, according to earthquaketrack.com, Utah experienced 16 earthquakes last month and 495 last year.
You can also look at our publication, Homebuyer’s Guide to Earthquake Hazards in Utah, for more information on earthquakes and your home. See it HERE.
San Marin Hotel following the 2008 M 6.0 Wells, Nevada earthquake.
For those interested in seismic hazards, the Utah Geological Survey and Western States Seismic Policy Council will convene the Basin and Range Province Seismic Hazard Summit III on January 12 – 17, 2015, at the Utah Department of Natural Resources. The purpose of this conference is to bring together geologists, seismologists, geodesists, engineers, emergency managers, and policy makers to present and discuss the latest earthquake-hazards research, and to evaluate research implications for hazard reduction and public policy in the Basin and Range Province.
The conference will also include a short course on how to conduct a successful paleoseismic investigation, a field trip along the Salt Lake City segment of the Wasatch fault, a poster session, and a digital proceedings volume. The proceedings volume will contain abstracts and PowerPoint presentations from conference speakers and contributed papers and posters on Basin and Range seismic-hazard research or public policy.
It is our intent with this meeting to get as many consultants, other practitioners, and students involved. The conference can be used for continuing education credits for professional licensing.
More information is available on the UGS website http://geology.utah.gov/ghp/
Current Issue Contents:
• The Uinta Mountains: A Tale of Two Geographies
• In Memoriam: Lehi F. Hintze
• Students Fill the GIS Gap
• The 2014 Crawford Award
• GeoSights: Roosevelt Hot Springs Geothermal Area, Beaver County
• New Publications
• Teacher’s Corner
• Core Center News
• Glad You Asked: What are keeper potholes & how are they formed?
We can’t get enough of that jaw-dropping Utah geology—here’s another gorgeous photo to help kick off your Wednesday.
Zion National Park, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: Tyler Knudsen; © 2013
Fall foliage adorns the already colorful walls of Jurassic-age Navajo Sandstone in the Zion Narrows. The North Fork of the Virgin River has cut the 1000-foot-deep Narrows in a relatively short span of geologic time (about 1 to 2 million years).
How was everyone’s Labor Day weekend? We hope you had a chance to relax and get out into Utah’s awesome geology. Speaking of Utah’s awesome geology, who caught this phenomenon in the news this weekend? One of our geologists, Bill Lund, gives some possible reasoning behind the event.
ksl.com
Farmers in southern Utah are scratching their heads and trying to figure out what caused an unusual phenomenon in an irrigation pond. Earlier this week, Gary Dalton of Circleville discovered a mysterious crater that suddenly appeared under the water.
moabsunnews.com
“Researchers with the Utah Geological Survey have correlated, or matched up, the unit to another outcrop to the east, and were able to obtain a zircon date of about 112 million years in age.”
— Rebecca Hunt-Foster
Paleontologists from the University of Colorado and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have been excavating a location north of Moab for the past year. The site contains over 200 tracks left by dinosaurs over a 125 million years ago.
Looking to see some dinosaurs yourself? Check out this dino-read for you from deseretnews.com!
Where to see dinosaurs in Utah
Although dinosaurs were wiped out 65 million years ago, they remain alive in people’s imaginations — particularly children’s.
Hurricane Cliffs near Pintura, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: Paul Inkenbrandt; © 2013
Permian-age strata in the Hurricane Cliffs near Pintura, Washington County.
The recent 6 M earthquake in Napa, California, can serve as a large-earthquake preparedness reminder for us Utahans. Utah is earthquake country, and the Wasatch Front is capable of producing large earthquakes. We can’t predict when or where an earthquake will happen, but we can prepare to the best of our abilities. This article has a great video about what you can do to prepare, and supplies you should have on hand.
fox13now.com
The destruction witnessed in Northern California following a 6.0 magnitude earthquake should be a wake up call to citizens here in Utah. Our state could be next.
Check out this GREAT ONLINE PUBLICATION that offers information and preparedness tips for you and your family (even the furry 4-legged ones!).
You can also find other Utah earthquake and geologic hazards information on our WEBSITE.
Check out this other article talking about the levels of Great Salt Lake that are approaching record lows. Andrew Rupke, a geologist and industrial minerals specialist here at the Utah Geological Survey, talks about the effects a low shoreline has on mineral density.
deseretnews.com
Dave Shearer sees the evidence of water levels dropping in the Great Salt Lake every time a boat has to be taken out of its slip at the Great Salt Lake Marina.
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.
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CONTACT INFORMATION
1594 West North Temple, Suite 3110
Salt Lake City, Utah 84116
801-537-3300 (phone)
801-537-3400 (fax)
Mailing Address:
PO BOX 146100
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114
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Monday through Friday,
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
