Tag Archive for: Utah Geology

Utah Geological Survey

The Utah Geological Survey is announcing a Graphic Arts Specialist job opportunity

GRAPHICS ART SPECIALIST II
This is a full-time, career service position, located in Salt Lake City, Utah.
 CLOSES: 5/12/2013

Job Characteristics: The incumbent in this position is responsible for design and layout of publications for both electronic and printed media, including books, magazines, brochures, posters, pamphlets, video and interactive CD-ROM, for the Utah Geological Survey. With minimal supervision, the incumbent will conceptualize, design, and layout high-quality publications using computer software (desktop publishing, graphics and multimedia programs) for print and multimedia formats, and work with Utah Geological Survey authors and other editorial staff to create specific graphics and design work for special projects (brochures, professional geologic posters, etc.). As part of the application process, in addition to completing the on-line application, applicants will be required to provide non-returnable samples of work or provide web link to a portfolio on the application. Applicants must have a strong portfolio that displays knowledge of design principles, color theory, layout skills, and typography.

VIEW LISTING

APPLY HERE

Utah Geological Survey
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Survey Notes volume 45 number 2

Current Issue Contents:

The Early Miocene Markagunt Megabreccia
UGS Releases New Interactive Geologic Map
Energy News: Liquid-rich Shale Potential of the Uinta and Paradox Basins
Geologic Maps As Art
Glad You Asked: Can Rockfalls Cause Wildfires?
GeoSights: Notch Peak—BIG Cliff, Millard County
Teacher’s Corner
Survey News
New Publications

GET IT HERE

PAST ISSUES

Utah Geological Survey

GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE SHORT CANYON QUADRANGLE, EMERY COUNTY, UTAH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Hellmut H. Doelling and Paul A. Kuehne

The Short Canyon quadrangle in Emery County, central Utah, has some world-class examples of Utah’s spectacular geology. Driving through the quadrangle on the Moore Road takes you from the Jurassic Carmel Formation through about 100 million years or 3700 feet (1200 m) of rock into the Cretaceous Mancos Shale. Many species of dinosaur have been discovered in the Cretaceous Cedar Mountain Formation, which is beautifully exposed here. The Short Canyon Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation was mapped and newly described in the quadrangle. Mineral resources from the area include gypsum, coal, and chalcedony.

GIS files are provided in an ESRI file geo database and as ESRI shapefiles. Also included is a 13-
page booklet and two plates.

Map 255DM     $24.95

GET IT HERE

Utah Geological Survey

GEOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE BIRDS NEST AQUIFER, UINTA BASIN, UTAH: ASSESSMENT OF THE AQUIFER’S POTENTIAL AS A SALINE WATER DISPOSAL ZONE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Michael D. Vanden Berg, Danielle R. Lehle, Stephanie M. Carney, and Craig D. Morgan

As petroleum production increases in the Uinta Basin, Utah, operators are pressed to establish
suitable saline water disposal plans. Several natural gas operators have identified the Birds Nest aquifer in central Uintah County as a possible large-scale, saline water disposal zone; however, disposal into this aquifer poses unique challenges and risks. The Birds Nest aquifer formed from the dissolution of saline minerals within a saline zone in the upper Green River Formation’s Parachute Creek Member. Through the examination of core, outcrop, and geophysical logs, we determined that the aquifer is separated into an upper zone, covering about 410 square miles with an average thickness of 79 feet, and a more extensive lower zone, covering about 719 square miles with an average thickness of 84 feet. The fact that the Birds Nest aquifer lies within the Uinta Basin’s oil shale horizon raises questions as to how large-scale, saline water disposal into this zone might impact potential future oil shale development.

Special Study 147     $39.95

GET IT HERE

Utah Geological Survey
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The Utah Geological Survey is announcing a GIS Analyst job opportunity

UTAH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GIS ANALYST
(BUSINESS ANALYST) This is a full-time, career service position, located in Salt lake City, Utah.  CLOSES: 5/05/2013

The incumbent in this position is responsible for Geographic Information System (GIS) map and database products for the Utah Geological Survey Geologic Mapping Program. The incumbent will scan, vectorize and prepare GIS databases and various explanatory files of geologic maps; produce derivative maps and databases; design and prepare maps and related materials for public release; and assist geologists in completing new or revised geologic maps.

To be considered for this position, you must complete and submit an application through the State of Utah jobs website at http://statejobspostings.utah.gov/business-analyst/job/3758833 no later than midnight of the closing date. You must create a job seeker account, log into the system to view the announcement and submit an application. An emailed resume WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED as an application for this position.

If you have any questions, please call the Human Resource Office at 801-538-7425.
Utah Geological Survey
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ENERGY DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT BEGINS, SHOWCASES UTAH GEOLOGY

deseretnews.com

Even Thomas Chidsey happily concedes that dinosaurs steal the show.

He can walk guests of the Utah Geological Survey’s Utah Core Research Center past drill-produced samples of layers of rock, or core, that are millions upon millions of years old and tell the stories of the state’s unique and diverse geology.

 

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Utah Geological Survey

GeoSights—The Witches, Summit County, Utah

Near the town of Echo in northern Utah is a cluster of reddish-brown natural monuments called The Witches (also known as Witch Rocks, Witches Rocks, Witch Bluffs, or Witches Bluffs), composed of the Echo Canyon Conglomerate.

In 1858, army Captain Albert Tracy described them in his journal as “witch-like” and “so singularly like figures in kirtles [long skirts] and steeple-hats, or bonnets that they have received the appellation [Witch Rocks]”. By using your imagination (and perhaps squinting a bit), you can picture a coven of witches in long robes and witches’ hats standing on the hillside.

Nearby Echo Canyon has long been used as a main thoroughfare between southern Wyoming and northern Utah, first by Native Americans, fur trappers, and explorers, then by wagon trains on their way to Salt Lake City or other points west. Before the interstate highway, passengers on the Overland Stage and then the Union Pacific Railroad also made their way through the canyon.

At the town of Echo, the canyon opens into the Henefer Valley where most of these travelers rested and marveled at the unusual rock formations, some even drawing sketches or taking photographs of The Witches.

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Utah Geological Survey

RAIN SATURATES HILLSIDE SLOPES; GRAVITY SENDS MUD, ROCKS SAILING

ksl.com

The recent rains have caused more than a fear of flooding, as canyon hillsides are threatening to collapse and roads are being covered with mud.

“We’ve had this continuous rainfall that really started back in October,” said Jeff Niermeyer, Salt Lake City Public Utilities director. “It has just rained and rained and there’s no place for the water to go.”

The hillside at the mouth of City Creek Canyon, he said, has been sliding under increased water pressure since 1937, but has already moved 8 feet this spring with all the recent moisture.

“It starts to saturate the upper surface of the groundwater and what that does is basically relieve the inner pressure between the soil particles and creates the potential for landslides,” Niermeyer said.

Excess water sent an estimated 200,000 tons of rocks and mud onto state Route 39 Thursday evening, damaging at least two cars and closing the road on the southern shores of Pineview Reservoir for most of the day. Utah Department of Transportation engineer Brent DeYoung said the hillside had been stabilized, but more rain could change that.

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Utah Geological Survey

ROCKSLIDE SHUTS DOWN SANTAQUIN CANYON

Santaquin Canyon was closed Saturday after a rockslide filled the roadway, blocking 17 motorists for a time.

The canyon will remain closed until the current storm system blows over, allowing crews to clean up the slide, said Sgt. Eldon Packer of the Utah County Sheriff Office. They are expecting to start the cleanup on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The slide occurred just below the Tinney Flat Campground around 2 p.m., Utah County Sheriff’s Sgt. Spencer Cannon said. No one was injured and only one vehicle sustained some minor damage.

“It did cover the whole road,” he said. “It was about 100 yards wide and three feet deep in places. There were a lot of trees and rocks, mud and water with it.”

Cannon said the debris was solid enough that officials were able to get all of the vehicles past the obstruction before clearing the roadway.

“The problem is, it fills back into place,” he said. “We’re figuring out how much material is going to come down and how long it will take to get it out of the way.”

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Utah Geological Survey

MUDSLIDES PLAGUE MANY UTAH CITIES

ksl.com

Weekend slides forced the closure of at least three canyon roads over the weekend and emergency officials are bracing for more moving debris because of steady rain predicted Monday.

Rocks tumbled down the hillside Sunday in Davis County’s Farmington Canyon, forcing the area to be shut down for at least 48 hours. This latest slide followed one up Santaquin Canyon and in Beaver Canyon, both closing roads until further notice.

In Beaver Canyon, two brothers on their way to a favorite fishing spot at 12:30 p.m. Sunday became unwitting witnesses to the aftermath of a tremendous amount of mud and debris that fell onto state Route 153.

The brothers, Shilo Joseph and James Joseph, captured the event on videotape using their cell phones.

“Approximately eight miles up the canyon, we were captivated to see the road covered in rocks, roots, branches, and mud. The destructive nature of the mud slide bathed the road in a natural mass of muck,” Shilo Joseph said. “A boulder approximately the size of a wreaking ball was set directly in the center of the river along with a newly formed dam from the debris.”

In Davis County, the sheriff’s office reported the Farmington Canyon road closed for 48 hours due the instability of the hillsides. Rocks covered the road at the first switchback, but no injuries were reported in the 4:10 p.m. slide., despite an emergency services manager and a deputy being on scene when the rocks came down.

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