Complete GeoJournal Week 1-13
Week 13
It was the perfect storm of conditions, drought and a dry springs had officials worried that 2018 would be the worst season for wildfires in years. That prediction turned out to be true.
"It's kind of a combination of the worst kind,” Basil Newmerzhycky, a meteorologist for the Bureau of Land Management said.
At least 856 fires were reported and more than 126,000 acres burned in Utah. That is a dramatic increase from the previous year.
We had several fires burn here in southern Utah. One was 3 miles south of us in Minersville. That felt to close for me. Our favorite lake was also drained because of firefighting efforts. I am glad this spring has been so wet!
Utah could be facing the worst wildfire season in years
This was found on my walk this evening. The gravel was deposited onto the road. It is being sorted by pressure as the cars drive over it. The small sediment is being compacted into the road. The larger size of sediment and rocks are pushed to the side. There seemed to be enough sand and clay in the gravel to absorb some of the larger sediment. Most of the larger pieces ended up on the size of the road.
This was freshly laid gravel and the rocks still had plenty of sharp angles. I would classify this as a low energy environment. There wasn’t any water present and that would only come from rainwater. It is a low traffic area. You could see where tire tracks had compacted the soil well in the middle of the road creating a small ridge. If there was enough water, clay, and pressure the gravel could eventually turn into a conglomerate.
I know that this will not count for this week's geo journal. I was trying to finish this assignment late last night. My husband and I started joking about the terms and instead of finishing the assignment, we spent a good amount of time laughing our heads off. The joke lasted through texts all day culminating in this story. I am afraid that messing around and a math test left no time to do it the right way. I thought I would share this just for fun!
Geo Journal #11
It was a GLACIAL December morning and Stephen pulled down his ICE CAP over his ears as he shivered. Careful not to slip on the ICE SHEET that covered his steps, he headed into his home. Shrugging out of his coat, he dusted the SEA ICE from his shoulders. "Time to put a KETTLE on and warm up a little," he thought to himself. His thoughts began to DRIFT as he waited for the GROUNDWATER to heat.
College had been the best years of his life. After years of hard work, he had made the captain of the DRUMLIN. His girlfriend TILL was captain of the dance team. The GEYSER all jealous when she had said yes to marrying him. He sighed longingly if only the CIRQUE us had not come to town. One look at the DARCY like ringmaster, and TILL’s promises of forever retreated faster than a MEDIAL MORRAINE.
Her behavior towards him became GLACIALLY ERRATIC. The ZONE OF FRACTURE’s began to appear in their relationship. How was he going to overcome this huge CREVASSE between them?
The soft whistle of his KETTLE hummed in the background like a VALLEY TRAIN whistle. He hurried quickly to the stove and removed the KETTLE which had been GAINING STEAM. He poured a cup of WATER on the TABLE. He let the fresh BASAL SLIP into the cup and watched as it began to seep. Slowly he stirred the cup of ARTISIAN herbal tea. He was mesmerized as he watched it LOSING STEAM.
His CAPILLARY heart problems were on the FRINGE of driving him into a CONE OF DEPRESSION. He had even found himself ordering a multicolored AQUATARD that he didn’t need off QVC late last night.
“TERN it,” he scolded himself. He had to get himself out of this ZONE OF WASTAGE and do something about TILL. But, could he FIORD the ring that she had sighed over?
RECHARGED by his new found determination, he decided to use the money he earned from CALVING with his uncle during the HOT SPRING months. “Everything is going to be ARETE,” he told himself. He could melt Till’s ICEBERG of concerns and buy her a big ROCK and some FLOURS. Would it be enough to TARN her heart around?
PLUCKING his wallet from the counter, he whooped in excitement. He would ask her to meet tonight at TILLITE by their favorite SINKHOLE. It might sound KAME to the GEYSERS, but he had to fight for her! He couldn’t wait to ESKER!!!
I dug a French drain in my backyard as a discharge area for the rainwater coming out of the rain gutter. I am not sure if the rain gutter would qualify as a manmade recharge area? I had to make sure it was well below the zone of saturation. We have a very high WATER TABLE here in Enoch. We have had several plants die in the area where the rain gutter empties. I know that it is a combination of the clay soil as well as the zone of moisture not have adequate drainage. I spoke with an excavator who is working in our neighborhood. He said that they have had a very hard time regulating the soil in this area. It seems that the unsaturated zone is very deep here. Mixing the clay and dirt to get the right combination of dirt for the building has been very difficult for the builders. It seems that when the soil is wet it stays wet in the capillary fringe, probably because of the high clay content. Our groundwater seams are stationary instead of having gaining or losing stream options.
Week 10
SPRING CREEK ROAD LANDSLIDE,
I know that this will not count for this week's geo journal. I was trying to finish this assignment late last night. My husband and I started joking about the terms and instead of finishing the assignment, we spent a good amount of time laughing our heads off. The joke lasted through texts all day culminating in this story. I am afraid that messing around and a math test left no time to do it the right way. I thought I would share this just for fun!
Geo Journal #11
Geo Journal #11
It was a GLACIAL December morning and Stephen pulled down his ICE CAP over his ears as he shivered. Careful not to slip on the ICE SHEET that covered his steps, he headed into his home. Shrugging out of his coat, he dusted the SEA ICE from his shoulders. "Time to put a KETTLE on and warm up a little," he thought to himself. His thoughts began to DRIFT as he waited for the GROUNDWATER to heat.
College had been the best years of his life. After years of hard work, he had made the captain of the DRUMLIN. His girlfriend TILL was captain of the dance team. The GEYSER all jealous when she had said yes to marrying him. He sighed longingly if only the CIRQUE us had not come to town. One look at the DARCY like ringmaster, and TILL’s promises of forever retreated faster than a MEDIAL MORRAINE.
Her behavior towards him became GLACIALLY ERRATIC. The ZONE OF FRACTURE’s began to appear in their relationship. How was he going to overcome this huge CREVASSE between them?
The soft whistle of his KETTLE hummed in the background like a VALLEY TRAIN whistle. He hurried quickly to the stove and removed the KETTLE which had been GAINING STEAM. He poured a cup of WATER on the TABLE. He let the fresh BASAL SLIP into the cup and watched as it began to seep. Slowly he stirred the cup of ARTISIAN herbal tea. He was mesmerized as he watched it LOSING STEAM.
His CAPILLARY heart problems were on the FRINGE of driving him into a CONE OF DEPRESSION. He had even found himself ordering a multicolored AQUATARD that he didn’t need off QVC late last night.
“TERN it,” he scolded himself. He had to get himself out of this ZONE OF WASTAGE and do something about TILL. But, could he FIORD the ring that she had sighed over?
RECHARGED by his new found determination, he decided to use the money he earned from CALVING with his uncle during the HOT SPRING months. “Everything is going to be ARETE,” he told himself. He could melt Till’s ICEBERG of concerns and buy her a big ROCK and some FLOURS. Would it be enough to TARN her heart around?
PLUCKING his wallet from the counter, he whooped in excitement. He would ask her to meet tonight at TILLITE by their favorite SINKHOLE. It might sound KAME to the GEYSERS, but he had to fight for her! He couldn’t wait to ESKER!!!
I dug a French drain in my backyard as a discharge area for the rainwater coming out of the rain gutter. I am not sure if the rain gutter would qualify as a manmade recharge area? I had to make sure it was well below the zone of saturation. We have a very high WATER TABLE here in Enoch. We have had several plants die in the area where the rain gutter empties. I know that it is a combination of the clay soil as well as the zone of moisture not have adequate drainage. I spoke with an excavator who is working in our neighborhood. He said that they have had a very hard time regulating the soil in this area. It seems that the unsaturated zone is very deep here. Mixing the clay and dirt to get the right combination of dirt for the building has been very difficult for the builders. It seems that when the soil is wet it stays wet in the capillary fringe, probably because of the high clay content. Our groundwater seams are stationary instead of having gaining or losing stream options.
Week 10
SPRING CREEK ROAD LANDSLIDE,
RIVERDALE, WEBER COUNTY, UTAH
WHAT HAPPENED: The Spring Creek Landslide took place on November 19, 2017. The approximately 200-foot bluff gave way as water-laden debris, silty sand, and soil fell over 270 feet to the west of the hill.
TRIGGERS: There are several natural springs that are located halfway up on the hill. They continually erode material and deposit it on the pasture below.
CLASSIFICATION: Earthslide, Landslide
HOW TO FIX IT: Replant vegetation to give the slope some stability. Irrigation of springs and runoff would also help.
WHAT HAPPENED: The Spring Creek Landslide took place on November 19, 2017. The approximately 200-foot bluff gave way as water-laden debris, silty sand, and soil fell over 270 feet to the west of the hill.
TRIGGERS: There are several natural springs that are located halfway up on the hill. They continually erode material and deposit it on the pasture below.
CLASSIFICATION: Earthslide, Landslide
HOW TO FIX IT: Replant vegetation to give the slope some stability. Irrigation of springs and runoff would also help.
Week 8
Science vs. Religion Week #7
I love this weeks journal prompt. In my religion class, we had a week on the creation. I was so struck by the account of Abraham in chapter 4.
1 And then the Lord said: Let us go down. And they went down at the beginning, and they, that is the aGods, borganized and formed the cheavens and the earth.
I have wondered if the matter they gather from the space is actually particles of different planets. Maybe, one had all the dinosaurs on it.? Maybe, one was formed with Zircron? Maybe, some of the index fossils were found in some of the matter as well?
6 And the Gods also said: Let there be an aexpanse in the midst of the waters, and it shall divide the waters from the waters.
7 And the Gods ordered the expanse, so that it divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so, even as they ordered.
9 And the Gods ordered, saying: Let the awaters under the heaven be gathered together unto bone place, and let the earth come up dry; and it was so as they ordered;
10 And the Gods pronounced the dry land, Earth; and the gathering together of the waters, pronounced they, great waters; and the Gods saw that they were obeyed.
Is this when the cratons finally thickened and hardened enough to resist subduction? It could be the formation of the supercontinents, Rodina, Pangea, and Gondwana.
...and the Gods saw that they were obeyed.
18 And the Gods watched those things which they had aordered until they obeyed.
I wonder how long it took for the Lord to create these things and watch them to make sure that they were working right. I don't know why this reminded me so much of the inner core and the process of subduction. I think all the elements, chemicals, temperatures, and timing that would need to be just right. They had to create iron to be heavier so it sank into the core and created magnetism. They had to create the fluid Asthenosphere so that the plates could be recycled. It had to be the perfect temperature to balance melting and reforming. The rocks both intrusive and extrusive that regenerate to offset the chemical and physical erosion that is going on the surface.
I can also see the land being easier to create when it was in one land mass. They could have used the laws of supposition and original horizontality, gotten things laid out and then had a little fun mixing it up. They could have added; cross-cutting, faults, dikes, conformities, lateral continuity, and uplift to create beauty and dimension.
Also, the exact location, size, and place in the universe. Everything is so specific to the creation of man. How could we not see the hand of God in its balance?
It totally reminds me of the scripture, "All things denote there is a God."
Question: I know the time of God is measured differently. How long do you think the creation spanned? Also, do you think some of the fossils and sediments are from the matter that was organized or do you think it originated on Earth?
GeoJournal Week #6 Metamorphic rock
- What type of metamorphic rock is it? Our bathroom countertops are done in white marble. Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock formed by the low-level metamorphism of the protolith Limestone. Marble can be formed predominately at convergent plate boundaries or in rare cases when magma heats up limestone. It is mostly formed of calcite. The calcite softens during metamorphism and hardens to create interlocking calcite crystals. My countertops seem to have an aphanitic texture. Marble tends to have swirls rather than the crystals or pegmatites that are evident in granite. Marble is generally light in color. The surface seems to be porous. I like it for bathroom countertops but wish it was not in the shower. We have really hard water. It seems to absorb the hard water and makes it harder to clean.
Sedimentary Rock Week 5
Sandstone
Sand refers to the size of the grains in the rock. Particles can range from 1/16 millimeter to 2 millimeters in diameter. The grains of sand in sandstone are small particles of rock, mineral, or organic matter that have been reduced in size by weathering. They tend to be susceptible to physical weathering. They have traveled or been deposited by means of water, wind, ice, or biological means. Once they have deposited they will begin the process of lithification. This is where the particles cement and consolidate into sedimentary rock. Quartz is usually one of the most common types of sand grain present in sandstone. They are formed in sheets as the water brings in the sediment and it settles and then the process repeats. These tend to break into sheets after formed.
This is the top of the rock. One thing I noticed in the purple layer, is a few directional waves or ripples. They seem to be all facing the same directions. When the rock was deposited the water seems to have been flowing in one direction. It is also very fine grained and well sorted. You can see a little white along the sharp edges. This could be signs of physical or chemical weather. I happen to know it was from a rock quarry in Virgin, Utah. The rock companies come in and mine the sheets to sell for landscaping rock. The remnants are left for people to gather with a BLM permit. The breakup of this rock would be considered biological and then natural forces would take over.
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| My daughter named this the rainbow rock. I like how you can see the different layers of sediment as they built up to form this rock. |
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| Bottom and side of the same rock. You can tell this edge was not broken by mining but has weathering effects. |
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| The bottom side of the same rock. It is completely different than the smooth rippled top. It seems like this layer has less sand and larger size and darker minerals. The pattern of deposition is so interesting. It seems to be more phyllite in character? My guess is that it might be Granite? It is more random and seems to have larger seams that were filled in by the lighter color sediment. |
Sakurajima Volcano . Sakurajima, a stratovolcano on the the island of Kyushu.
Most of the explosions are Strombolian. There is a new volcanic cone inside a caldera. The volcano formed a new island in 1914.
I can't believe that a half a million people live across the bay of this extremely active volcano. It erupts every 4 to 24 hours. I would have a hard time living by such an explosive force.
Week 3
This is the mineral Apatite.
It is very common in Iron County.
This is the most common phosphate mineral.
It had a white streak.
It couldn’t be scratched with a nail but could be scratched with a knife.
Its hardness would be about a 5.
Upon reaserching, I found that it has a hexagonal crystal shape. It is also used in fertilizers because it contains Phosphorus which is needed by plants.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/robinandrews/2019/04/26/watch-100-years-of-earthquakes-rock-the-world-in-this-incredible-animation/#6c548c01732d
Week 2
I found this article by Forbes fascinating. I am kind of obsessed with earthquakes. I think it was growing up on a fault line in Northern Utah. My dad was also on the Ham Radio Emergency Team for Utah County. They did a lot of preparation for "the big one".
In the video, you can see all the recorded earthquakes from the past 100 years.
A few things I noticed:
-It was obvious where the ring of fire was located. The ring of fire is responsible for 90% of Volcanic activity. I was able to recognize the 2 convergent Oceanic lithospheres creating a Volcanic island arc on the Pacific side. I had never noticed they seem to be shaped in an arc. You could also see the Convergent oceanic and continental lithospheres on the Pacific Northwest. The earthquake map corresponded with the plates and volcanic activity.
-It was also interesting to see which earthquakes occurred on the plate boundaries and which occurred in the middle of the plates.
-Increase of earthquake frequency.
Is this related to tracking advances or increase frequency?
-Africa seemed to have the least amount of earthquakes. Could this be reporting and mapping? Could it be because the plate edges are not in the coastal region?
It is neat to begin to use my limited understanding to understand the earth!
Week 1
This week was Spring Break. My teenage son is an avid fisherman. He is obsessed! My husband and I thought it would be fun to try Moab. Don't do Moab on Easter weekend unless you have a jeep. We now know every campground up and down the Colorado River is full on Easter weekend. While the fishing was not what my son had hoped for, we were able to see a lot of the states beautiful landscapes! We drove through Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce, Lake Powell, Escalante Grand Staircase, and many many other beautiful sites. 
The beautiful back road from Powell to Cedar City. How could I not look forward to this drive?
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