Geologic tours of northern Utah (MP 92-1)

By: S. K. Morgan

The unique and spectacular scenery of northern Utah is fashioned by dynamic processes that occur on and within the Earth’s crust. Imagine that for over 200 million years the mountains and valleys we see today in northern Utah were previously the site of a shallowtropical sea. The underlying component to all scenery is the rock. The three groups of rocks - igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic - can be continuously recycled. This process creates the mountains, valleys, and plains of the continents and myriad geologic features on the seafloor. Recycling rocks. and building and eroding mountains, requires one important ingredient - time. Earth, with 4.5 billion years since its formation, can be considered the original recycler. Geologic time of the Earth is subdivided into a time scale that names the specific time periods and provides the age of each.

The rocks, mountains, valleys, and sediment you see from your car window, or from the geologic stops described in this guide, tell a story of the past history of Earth and the dramatic changes that have occurred through time. This book is for anyone who wonders about the rocks and scenery traversed by northern Utah highways. Perhaps it will increase your understanding and awareness of the landscape's story and the processes that shape our surroundings.

Other Information:
Published: 1992
Pages: 98 p.
Location: Cache County, Rich County, and Weber County
Media Type: Paper Publication