Sea Stacks

Something that may be hard to believe is that one point in time a sea covered parts of Utah. While on the trip I got to experience first hand that when people say that, they really aren't lying to you. I know at first this may be a hard concept to grasp, I mean I was there, but there is proof of it right in the canyon.

On the second day of the trip, we traveled through the Lodore Formation, the Madison Limestone, the Morgan Formation, and the Weber Sandstone. Compared to the first day, this was a lot more exciting because the first day we mostly saw the Unita Mountain Group. Although we saw lots of cool faults and disconformities, the sea stacks were something that really stuck in my brain. The sea stacks were created during isolation, while being attacked by waves of the ocean that was once there. The water carved and eroded the sea stacks into the sides of the shore that was also once there, which was composed of the Uinta Mountain Group. The sand was deposited around the sea stacks, eventually covering them. This sand became the Lodore Formation. This proves that there was once a sea. I know, still hard to believe, but it is very true and apparent that it really was there.

This is also another one of those sites that you'll want to see. It definitely made the trip that much more interesting and if you don't belive me about the sea, you'll have to check it out yourself :)

The Mitten Park Fault

If there is any fault in the world that you must visit, even if you aren't into the whole geology aspects of it, the Mitten Park Fault is a fault that you'll never forget and one that you'll regret not seeing if you pass up the opportunity. The beauty, the view, the wonders, they are all things that make this fault so spectacular. I mean what else can I say?? You'll really just have to see it for yourself. :)

The Mitten Park Fault is located on the Green River. The Green River runs through The Gates of Lodore. Some of the rocks found on the river are part of the Precambrian time period that date back to long before dinosaurs, about a billion years ago. As you enter the "gates" the river cuts through the Uinta Mountain Group rock formation. As the river continues and leaves the Canyon of Lodore it is exposing the south end of the Uinta Arch. As a result younger layers like the Lodore, Madison, Weber Sandstone and many more layers come into view. Also, this is where you will find the spectacular Mitten Park Fault.

Before this river ran through the canyon, while the final formation that we see today was forming, an amazing thing happened. The layers of rocks were already there and deposited, but then an event took place that would make the perfect have-to-see site. It formed when the Uinta Mountains were lifted up 60 million years ago. While one side was being drug down, the other was being drug up, creating what we call the drag of the fault. The layers of the earth's crust that normally run horizontally turned upwards. This is definitely one of the coolest things about the fault. The only thing that could almost compare to how cool the drag is, is watching the layers jump around. One side has different rocks in different locations than the other side. This makes it so the rock layers don't line up with the other side. It's like having a whole new view of the mountain, but you only have to turn your head slightly to get it.

This fault truly is amazing, but like I said, you'll just have to see it for yourslef. :)

Layers, Layers, Layers.

On our trip down the Green River, our Geology class

saw numerous fascinating geological
features. As we rafted down the river, we couldn't help but notice the cool rock walls on either side of us. The further we traveled the more layers we saw. Some layers were flat, or rather parallel to the river, while others (like the Lodore Formation shown here in the picture) are angled into the ground. Some of the layers would seem to completely disappear and show up later on down the canyon. We wondered why this happens this way. The answer is - folding and faulting during the formaio of the Uinta Moutains between 60 and 30 million years ago. When the Uinta Mountains formed a huge upfold or anticline formed. This is called the Uinta Arch
This convex fault was especially cool for us because the Green River cuts perpendicular to this huge fold. How could the river do this? It seems it should go around it. But here is the part of the story that was left out: The Uintas were eroded and covered between about 30 and 12 million years ago. The Green River established its course on this flat landscape. Then the land began to uplift again. This time it didn't fold, just slowly elevated. This uplift caused the Green River to erode downward. It was able to cut through the Uinta Arch because its course was already established across it. This is called superimposed drainage.

One of our favorite layers that we saw came near the meeting of the Yampa and Green Rivers. The rock looked like a giant steam boat. In fact, they called it Steamboat Rock. The rock looked cool, but there was in fact some geological significance to it too. It was an entrenched meander, which means there was a bend in the river that curved back around til it was very near to the place where it turned, only separated by a peninsula of land. Other than the joy of rafting, this was our favorite part of the trip. We really enjoyed all the cool geology we saw. We enjoyed watching and learning about the different layers and how they formed to create the shapes they do today. Plus, we got to go river rafting! It was one of the best trips ever!

Geology Rocks!

By Tyrell Crane, Layne Hamblin, and Haden McAfee

What happens when you add three days, thirty miles of river, great friends, exceptional food, and some of the most breathtaking country in the world? You get a whitewater rafting trip! Boo-Ya! But not just any river trip, this river trip is classified by three things: geology that even a dummy can appreciate (trust us, we did), phenomenal memories, and food that puts even Wendy’s to shame!

By far one of the most remarkable geological marvels on this trip was Split Mountain. This was one formation that looked amazing even before you knew what you were looking at, and the story behind it is so unique it is literally world-renowned. The rock layers that compose the Uinta Mountains underwent radical changes throughout their history. Millions of years of deposition, erosion, folding, and faulting shaped the mountain into what it is today.

Split Mountain's defining feature is the glimpse it offers into the extensive folding of the rock layers. About 60 million years ago the uplift of the Uintas formed folds called synclines and anticlines. The Uintas Mountains were eroded away and covered by a younger rock layer that was not folded. The Green River established its meandering course on this layer Then, about 10 million years ago, geological uplift steadily raised the folded layers of rock into the Green’s path. Through this process, known as superimposed drainage, the Green River eventually carved its way right through the anticline and exposed layers of rock millions of years older. It is this rare phenomenon that makes Split Mountain is one of the world's most prominent examples of these slicing lacerations through geological history.

One of the greatest memories we all came home with occurred at the Pot Creek campsite on our first night on the river. Years of deposition from the fluxuating river levels had created a really comfortable campsite—fully equipped with a downy soft beach that served as the ideal location for beach volleyball, sand art, and turning our freshman comrade into a total sand babe. This beach was an exceptional part of the river trip.

Last, but certainly not least, was our guides contribution to the adventure. As you can imagine, managing over twenty teenage youth and their physical and emotional luggage confined to four seven foot by eighteen foot rafts can be quite a task, but despite it all, our guides consistently cranked out muy delicioso gourmet food. From boiling hot chocolate, to shore-side salads, a distended belly was a commonplace on this trip! In addition to the food, they were highly sociable and engaged themselves in our conversations. A special thanks to you Jordan (Raft Goddess), Tilt (Pancake God), Pat (Muffin God), and Ferg (Fergalicious)! You made the trip amazing!

Professor Faatz' Geology Class, Summer 2011 06/27/11

Paleogeography of the Monument in the late Cretaceous (by Matt Selman)

Snow College students and BLM field staff descend to a dig site in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument has, in recent years, become a major national destination for scientists studying the life-forms of the late Cretaceous period. Teams from around Utah and the United States make yearly pilgrimages to the monument to explore its fossilized floodplains, river channels, and coastal lagoons in search of the animals that lived and died in what was an incredibly lush tropical area, now transformed into high desert and badlands topography.

Erosional forms on Horse Mountain.

As different as the climate of the period was from that of the present day, so was the geography markedly dissimilar. Cretaceous North America was the site of a vast, shallow sea known as the Interior Cretaceous Seaway. At its height in the Middle Cretaceous, the seaway’s western boundary devoured the eastern third of what is now Utah. By the Late Cretaceous, the shoreline receded to the east, leaving a damp coastal plain running through the center of present-day Utah.

Top: Dr. Alan Titus discusses the distribution of fossils within the Kaiparowits formation.

Bottom: Scott Richardson of the BLM descends to a dig site in the northern part of the Monument.

At the same time, a significant mountain-building event occurred in the region. The Sevier Orogeny created a chain of mountains running longitudinally from modern-day Mexico up into Canada. As quickly as these mountains were uplifted, the forces of erosion began to work on them, creating great river channels flowing down into the receding interior sea.

Hadrosaur humerus (top) and velociraptor claw (bottom), both deposited in prehistoric floodplain sediments.

This geography, along with the climate of the period--both of which are immensely different from that of today--created the conditions which allowed flora and fauna to flourish, and their remains to be relatively well preserved in the sedimentary deposits of rivers (flowing down and east from the Sevier mountains), floodplains, and the shores of the Interior Cretaceous Seaway.

Returning to camp.

How to recognize a dinosaur fossil? By Candy Chiu

I had a 3 days 2 nights trip in April which took place in Kanab, Utah. This is the geology trip of finding dinosaur fossils. It is a nice and fun trip! Also, this is the first time I ever camped in Utah. Although it was hard to finish this trip, I did it!
I learned how to recognize a dinosaur fossil through this trip. Fossils are unlike usual rocks. Fossils form when the remains of animal that are trapped between rock layers and become a part of the rock sequence. There are two kinds of fossils we found in this trip. We found the tree fossils and the dinosaur fossils.

This is one of the dinosaur fossil that we found.
And this is one of the tree fossil that we found.

From what I see in the cross-section of the fossils, fossils have a higher density than rocks. For the tree fossils, it is in brown color.

This field trip is really a good chance for me to know more about dinosaurs, this extinct creature. This is really a nice trip and I will join it again if I got another chance.

HOLY GASTROPODS!! By Jessica Duty

I would like to start off by saying that this was the best field trip I have ever been on in my life! Hands down, by far! I wouldn't trade my experience for anything, and I am seriously considering doing it again next year. So, for all you thinking of going, DO!! We spent two nights and three days roughing it in the wilderness with Dr. Alan Titus, the paleontologist for the Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument and his assistant Scott Richardson. Not only was this trip fun, but I cannot begin to describe all that I learned on this trip. So I have chosen a topic I enjoyed, and I'll do my best.

We spent the second day up there digging for bones! A couple of hours in, Tauni and I were assigned to move a mass of rock on the bottom right section of the quarry. We were given hammers and chisels and told to go layer by layer. I was so excited!! We worked, and worked, and worked....and worked. nothing!! I was feeling pretty down. You see, the movies never show how much work goes into digging out a dinosaur, I felt like I had been tricked ;).

All of the sudden Tauni gasped. My heart sputtered to a stop and I leaned over to see her discovery. "OH MY GOSH! LOOK WHAT YOU FOUND!!" I yelled (I've been known to be a little dramatic). I was so happy all our work was not in vain. Everyone stopped working and ran to see what had been uncovered. There, in her cute little hand was a........GASTROPOD!!! I was so thrilled. Unfortunately, Scott an Alan were less enthusiastic with her great feat. "Just a snail." Scott said and he put it back on the ground. Gosh darn it, no it wasn't 'just a snail'. This was a true, honest to goodness fossil! Millions of years old! And it had just come out of the ground I was digging in! We found half a dozen more similar gastropods, varying in size, in this same layer. It was great.

So, after my excitement subsided, I got to thinking. 'What on earth were snails doing by our Hadrosaur?!' Needless to say, I asked. Not to my dismay I got a fabulous answer. I simply needed to remember the environment of deposition. During the the Cretaceous when the Kaiparowits was being deposited, Utah was a lush, green, tropical place! So what had happened all those millions of years ago was simple. Of coarse there were other animals alive at the same time this Hadrosaur died. Its bones were deposited in a small lake on a floodplain of a river. In this small pond or lake there were snails. So the snail shells were buried in the mud after they died along with the dinosaurs and fossil plants. Our own 'claim to fame', finding gastropods on a Geology trip!

--