Another Utah Geology Report

Last month our family took a trip to Utah. I always enjoy my visits there--which sadly seem to be increasingly spaced apart. Having been an easterner for most of my life, I love the change in scenery that Utah offers and I try to incorporate learning a little geology each time I visit. This post is my show-and-tell report, focusing on southeastern Utah again. (Previous reports here, here, and here).

Let me pause to highlight two helpful resources for learning about Utah's geological history. The Utah Geological Survey website has lots of good information that can help you get a general feel for the history. Also, I spent a lot of time with Utah's Spectacular Geology: How it Came to Be, by Lehi Hintze, in my hand. Hintze divides the geological history into nine chapters. But the best part of the book is toward the end where 19 areas are given individual treatment, including photographs with labels. (See modest recreation of one image below.) I found the book to be very helpful and informative. Its one defect is the lack of an index (!).

OK, moving on. We spent a day down at Arches National Park (ANP). But first we stopped at Dead Horse Point (DHP), which is near by and a must-see if you've never been there. When you turn west off Highway 191 onto 313 toward DHP, look to the right and you will see this, (but without labels). (Click for larger.)

The labeling is based on a similar image in Hintze's book. The Wingate Sandstone is pretty easily identifiable at both DHP and ANP, and the Chinle Formation is rather distinct with its green coloring. The Chinle Formation contains uranium--too bad I didn't have a Geiger counter to play with.

On this trip I experimented with taking images that could be viewed in 3D. This was easily done by snapping a picture, taking a step to the side, and taking another picture. I've put them side-by-side below. Look between the two pictures and relax your eyes, as though you are looking through your screen. With a little practice, you should be able to bring the two images together such that you see three images. You'll be focused on the one in the middle, which should lock into place and become 3D. Once you are successful, should be able to keep the effect while moving through the pictures. You can see slightly larger versions by clicking on them, but you may have more difficulty bringing them together. I find it helps to back away from the screen a little, and then once I have the image I can look closer.

Dead Horse Point

Arches National Park

This next picture is of the Fiery Furnace at ANP. I didn't realize at the time that my life was in danger, but when I looked at the picture I saw that the Grim Reaper was coming after me.

Book Cliffs

On the east side of the road between Price and Green River are what are known as the Book Cliffs. Some Internet sources say that they get their name because they look like shelves of books. However, I have it on pretty good authority that it's actually because of their appearance from above--they look like pages at the edge of an open book. The grey rocks are Mancos shale, which was laid down over 65 million years ago when the interior of North America was covered by sea (picture the Gulf of Mexico stretching up through Canada) with Utah as the western shoreline.

North of Price is a small town called Helper. Just north of the merger of Highway 6 with 191, Highway 6 cuts through rock. That black strip is a coal seam.

We only spent a day in the Moab area, but those are the geological highlights of our trip. I took a lot of pictures that I would like to share, but they just don't do the area justice! Go see it for yourself; I don't think you'll be disappointed. I can't wait to go back.

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