Tag Archive for: Washington County

Zion National Park, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: Kent D. Brown

The Towers of the Virgin include the Altar of Sacrifice (right) and The Sundial (left-center). These prominent cliffs of Early Jurassic-age Navajo Sandstone, which locally exceed 2000 feet, formed as the North Fork of the Virgin River carved Zion Canyon in the relatively short time span of the past 2 million years.

Snow Canyon State Park, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: Michael Vanden Berg

Cross-bedded Navajo Sandstone in evening light, Snow Canyon State Park, Washington County, Utah

Zion National Park, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: Matt Affolter

Iron oxide staining highlights cross-bedding in the Navajo Sandstone, Zion National Park, Washington County, Utah

Snow Canyon State Park, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: Michael Vanden Berg

Eroded cross-beds in the Navajo Sandstone capture spherical hematite (iron oxide) concretions that have weathered out of  overlying strata. The Navajo Sandstone comprises “fossilized” sand dune deposits of Early Jurassic age.

Snow Canyon State Park, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: Ben Everitt

As our follower Ben Everitt pointed out, we tend to post a lot of  big scenery photos. We love getting feedback from our users, and so you may have noticed the last few days of photos have been more than our usual photos of our amazing geology.

Today’s photo shows geology in action. In today’s photo, submitted by Ben Everitt, wind is slowly moving the dunes at Snow Canyon State Park. The park, which consists of lava flows and large sandstone cliffs, is located inside the 62,000 acre Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. The federally mandated reserve was established to protect the threatened desert tortoise and its habitat. Snow Canyon Park is a reminder that beauty and life can be found in some of the harshest places on earth! Thanks for the submission!

Remember, you can always submit your photos to us on Facebook, Twitter, or at ugssmedia@gmail.com. We love to hear from you.

St. George basin, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: Robert F. Biek

Ruins of the Harrisburg town site, established by Mormon pioneers in 1861, consist of blocks of Early Jurassic-age Springdale Sandstone, which a mile to the north is the main ore-bearing horizon of the Silver Reef mining district. The mining district is famous among geologists for its uncommon occurrence of silver ore in sandstone. In the distance, the Pine Valley Mountains tower 7,000 feet above the surrounding red-rock country.

Pine Park, Dixie National Forest, Washington County, Utah.
Photographer: Tyler Knudsen

Stone domes and minarets in relatively soft volcanic tuff shaped by wind and water.

St. George basin, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: Robert F. Biek

Beyond the 350,000-year-old (Pleistocene-aged) Sullivans Knoll (Volcano Mountain) cinder cone near the town of Hurricane, the snow-covered Pine Valley Mountains are the eroded remnants of one of the world’s largest laccoliths, a shallow, mushroom-shaped igneous intrusion that formed about 20 million years ago. The red,  Jurassic-aged Navajo  Sandstone in the middle ground is on the northwest-tilted limb of a large upwarp called the Virgin anticline.

Snow Canyon State Park, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: J. Buck Ehler

Iron  concretions lie on top of the Navajo Sandstone in Snow Canyon State Park, Washington County. Utah’s red sandstone contains an iron-oxide mineral called hematite. When hematite is bleached from the sandstone, the stone appears almost white. When hematite is concentrated in concretions, they can appear almost black.

Snow Canyon State Park, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: Lance Weaver

Red- and white-stained Navajo Sandstone in Snow Canyon State Park, Washington County.