Geology Field Trip
Arches & Canyonlands, 2002
In 2001 the Western State geology department took its spring field trip to eastern Utah to see and study the classic stratigraphy found in Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.
West flank of the Salt Valley anticline in Arches National Park. Note the strongly developed joints that have weathered into fins in the Jurassic Entrada Sandstone. The classic arches of the region are formed in these Entrada fins. Click on the panorama above to see larger versions of the three panoramas (~400 Kb).
WSC students on the east limb of the Fisher Valley
anticline. Fisher towers form the skyline.
The lower part of the towers are composed of the fluvial and eolian Permian Cutler Formation. The uppermost part of the tower-forming cliffs are in the Lower Triassic Moenkopi Formation. Slope and cliff to the left that extend to the skyline are the Triassic Chinle Formation (slope), Jurassic Wingate Sandstone and Kayenta Formation (upper cliff).
The anticline was formed from the ascent of the underlying salt in the Pennsylvanian Paradox Formation.
The movement of these evaporites and its effect on overlying
rocks is an important process in the landscape evolution in Arches and
Canyonlands National Parks, and surrounding areas.
