W UTAH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY U.S
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
t;;: f ::-:, [ : :, . ~.. .: .. ·: :. i._- ... ~ -:· ·. ·.. f :·-.·• :. ~ ·.: ;:~·-.. ;'· t · .... · . .~ ...~-;..· :· \" :.:·:· ~ :· :·: I ... •,'• . : ·. : . I:·· · : ·.: . ' ... .. ....~ :-... •. :- .. • = !~:.-· .. ·. :/:·.-:-..·. }:l. : -: .·.• . ::; .. i:. :·Jtf~.~-=.. ~J{. _••,::/-_y'/42t:-~/: . .. ... .-·.. : ,: . :: ' :. : . : . .. ·..: ·..: .. '• . : l . •.,• a: . ·. ·. '• •- .. _.. ·-· . s .. .. ·. ·. ·. ·.. ·.. §, "' Cl"' TABLE of CONTENTS THE DIRECTOR'S Rock Fall Damages Residence ........... .. .... 2 C,ontributors to Mapping ... .. .. ...... ... ..... ..... 3 Teacher's Corner........................................ 6 PERSPECTIVE Earthquake Activity .. ................................. 7 Geologic Mapping .................................... 8 Meetings .. .. .... ..... ..... ............. ................. .. .. 12 by M. Lee Allison New Publications of the UGS ................... 13 Petrified Mini-Forests ... ............................. 14 Recent Geologic Publications ................... 22 THE NATIONAL COOPERATIVE Cover design by Patti F. MaGann MAPPING ACT OF 1991 Photograph: Doug Sprinlcel and friend mapping on the plateau. The U nitcd States is the most poorly mapped of the developed nations. Fewer than 20% of the STATE OF UTAH Norman H. Bangerter, Governor nation has been geologically mapped at the quadrangle scale (l:24,000) and DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES unless dramatic steps arc taken the chances arc that the pace of geologic Dee C. Hansen, Executive Director mapping will continue to decrease. The "Cooperative Geologic Mapping Act of 1991" has been introduced into SURVEY NOTES STAFF the U .S. Senate as bill S 1179 and in the House as bill H.R. 2763. It is one of the EDITOR Jim Stringfellow most important acts affecting geology this year. The bill is the result of more EDITORIAL STAFF: Patti F. MaGann, Sharon than three years of efforts by the US Geological Survey and the Association of llamre American State G eologists (AASG). It is aimed at completing detailed CARTOGRAPHERS: Patricia 1-1 . Speranza, James W. Parker, Lori J. Douglas geologic mapping of every state within 25-35 years. For comparison, Utah, which has one of the most aggressive mapping programs in the country, will be mapped in 75 years at the present rate. UGSBOARD There arc four components to the proposal: Kenneth R. Poulson, Chairman Lawrence Reaveley I. Federal Geologic Mapping Component - this will get USGS mappers back Russell C. Babcock out in the field doing 1 :24,000 mapping lik e they used to. Jerry Golden II. State Geologic Mapping Component - this will provide matching funds, Jo Brandt Samuel C. Quigley dollar for dollar, to state surveys for l:24,000 geologic mapping. Milton E. Wadsworth Ill. Geologic Mapping Support Component - will provide for investigations Richard .I. Mitchell into digital cartography, paleontology, geochronology, isotope geology, geophysics, and geochemistry; data that will be placed in national data UGS STAFF bases to support mapping projects. ADMINISTRATION AND SUPPORT IV. Geologic Mapping Education Component -will develop academic map M. LEE ALLISON, Director ping programs and support graduate programs including field studies. WILLIAM R. LUND, Deputy Director Funding is proposed to start at $37 million the first year and increase to WERNER HAIDENTIIALLER, Assoc. Dir. $55.5 million by the fourth year. The State component goes from $15 to $25 DANIEL KELLY, Acct. Officer Roselyn Dechart, Mage Yonetani, Carol Park, million, while the Education component goes from $500,000 to $1.5 million in Jo Miller that time. If the bill passes and is funded (two very different operations at the federal STAFF SCIENTIST DOUGLAS A. SPRINKEL level) the UGS will likely use only a part of the State component for internal COM PUTER RESOURCES WILLIAM CASE Vajdieh Marxen programs. Because funding may vary from year to year I am hesitant to add many permanent state staff. Instead we hope to add cartographers and INFORMATION GEOLOGY upgrade our digitizing and reproduction capabilities in order to publish the Miriam Bugden, Sandra Eldredge, Christine Wilkerson maps cheaper and faster. The remainder of the money would be made available to the Utah geologic community for geologic mapping. APPLIED GEOLOGY GARY CHRISTENSON The UGS presently allocates about $750,000 per year in one form or other Rill Black, Kimm Ha rty, Michael Lowe, to geologic mapping. If we receive matching funds of that amount I beli eve we William Mulvey, Susan Olig, Rarry Solomon, would be contracting up to $500,000 out to others in the state, primarily Janine Jarva, Sharon Wakefield universiti es and colleges. My understanding is that the money could be used ECOl'iOMJC GEOLOGY RORERf W. G I.OYN for geologic mapping and LO gather data in support of mapping projects such Charles Bishop, Robert Blackett, Roger Ron, as isotopi c, geochemical, geophysical, paleontological, and other geological Thomas Chidsey, J. Walla ce Gwynn, Brigitte informati on. Hucka, Craig Morgan, Michael Shubal, Steve Sommer, Bryce Tripp, Bea Mayes, Carolyn Continued on next page. Olsen, Deborah J. Overmoe Survey Notes is published quc1nerty by Utah Geological Survey, 2Jti3 Soufh Foorhill Blvd ., Salt L.. 1k.c City. Utah GEOLOGIC MAPPING HELLMUT DOELLI NG &1 tfJQ-!40J (&ll ) 4t17-7'J70. "!he UGS invento,·ies 1he geologic resources of (he sL'.1te, identifies ifs geologic h:1z<1rds , Fitzhugh D. Davis, Lehi F. Hintze, Mi chael L. disscmin;ircs inform,Hion concl.'ming Utah's geology, and advises policymakers on geologic issues. Tlie UGS is a Ross, Grant C. Willis, Michael Wright, C.G. division of the Depanmcnt of N :1tur:il Resources. Sin1sk copies of Surv(j' Notes are <listribu1ed free of ch;irge to Oviatt residents within the United St.'ltes and C.1nada. Rcproductinn is encouraged wi1h rec0gnition of source. VOLUME 25 NUMBER 1 SURVEY NOTES PAGE2 Director's Perspective, continued. The Utah geoscience community is strongly supportive of The feeling in Washington as this is being written is that the measure. Most of the professional societies have en the act has a good chance of being passed. Funding for the dorsed the bills and written to Utah's congressional delega measure is less certain but many feel that if the money is not tion. More support has come from the geology departments allocated this year it would be next year. Whenever it comes, in the colleges and universities and from natural resource it will reverse a dangerous national trend of decreased companies in Utah. Dr. Russell Babcock, Chief Geologist for geologic mapping that limits our ability to recognize and deal Kennecott Corp., and a recent addition to the UGS Board, with geologic hazards and identify our mineral and water gave strong testimony to a Congressional hearing this summer resources. The Cooperative Geologic Mapping Act could be in favor of the bills on behalf of the American Mining Con a watershed for the geosciences. gress. by Kimm M. Harty At approximately 5:30 a.m. on August 4, 1991, four rock limbs immediately behind the guest house indicated that some fall boulders struck a home in the Holiday Hills Subdivision boulders bounced about 25-30 feet above the ground before in the Left Fork of Hobble Creek Canyon. Damage to the hitting the structures. Two large boulders struck and entered house and an attached guest house was severe, but fortunately, the guest and main houses; two smaller clasts entered the attic all occupants were unhurt. The rock fall was likely triggered of the main house through the roof (figure 1). The largest by infiltrating precipitation from an intense rainstorm that boulder measured 7 x 5 x 4 feet, entered through the guest occurred the previous evening. The damaged home and house roof, plunged through the second floor into the first others in the subdivision lie at the base of a steep (70 percent) floor, exited through the back wall of the structure, and came mountain slope. The source of the rock fall was a bedrock to rest at ground level between the guest and main houses outcrop about 900 feet above the elevation of the property, (figure 1). The other large boulder measured 7 x 4 x 4 feet, and approximately 1300 feet upslope from the residence. The struck the south wall of the guest house, entered the main boulders that fell from the outcrop were quartzite of the house at ground level, and came to rest in a ground-floor utility Wallsburg Ridge Member of the Pennsylvanian-age Oquirrh room (figure 1). Damage to the guest house and its contents Formation. was extensive, and the structure may require demolition. Examination of the rock-fall travel paths showed that the Structural damage to the main house appeared limited to the boulders mainly bounced down the hillslope. Sheared tree roof, attic, outer wall, and floor joists above the utility room. W es t - East / / .. ·· Main Ho use Deck Guest Ho use M o untain Slo pe Figure 1. Schematic cross section (not to scale) of approximate travel paths (dotted and dashed lines) of four rock-fall boulders. PAGE3 SURVEY NOTES VOLUME 25 NUMBER 1 CONTRIBUTORS TO GEOLOGIC MAPPING IN UTAH ARTHUR ALAN BAKER by Grant C. Willis Each year the Utah Geological Sur employed by the U.S. Geological Sur vey honors an outstanding geologist vey (USGS). His entire professional who has made major contributions to career was with the USGS, from which the geologic mapping and under he retired in 1969 as Associate Direc standing of our state. This year the tor and again in 1971 (at the age of74) U GS honors Arthur Alan Baker for his as Special Assistant to the Director. contributions during a professional During his first two summers (1921 career that spans more than five and 1922) he was attached to field par decades, most spent in Utah. Art has ties in Alaska. In 1923, his first field had a great impact on the geology of season in Utah, he worked in the Utah, both through his own work and Wasatch Plateau with the renowned through his influence on other geologist, Edmund Spieker. The fol geologists. In fact, Art instructed past lowing two summers (1924 and 1925) recipients W. Lee Stokes and Charles he worked in Montana. From that time B.