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Self-Guided Field Investigation to G.K Gilbert Geologic View Park

A. Marcela Sanchez

Salt Lake Community College

Professor Michael Kass

4/19/18
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Abstract

As noted in the Utah Geologic Survey, G.K Gilbert Park, located in the Central Wastach

Mountains near the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon, is a well known geologic viewing site

for the several geologic features that can be observed there (Eldridge, 2008). Three rock

formations can be observed in the Central Wasatch Mountain area; these are the Little

Cottonwood Stock, comprised of igneous intrusive rock; the Big Cottonwood Stock, comprised

of metamorphic rock; and the Little Willow Formation, the oldest of the three, also comprised of

metamorphic rock (Parry 2005). The Wasatch Fault runs through this area and the fault scarp that

is visible here has had a great impact on the topography and can tell us a lot about past

earthquakes – their frequency and duration – all important information in determining future

activity along the fault (Bennett, et. al). G.K Gilbert Park is also a good site to see the effects

past glaciation has had on the Central Wasatch Mountains and on the present day topography

(Parry, 2005). There is wearing away of the fault footwall by glaciers and by streams, as well as

uplift of the footwall of the Wasatch fault that has changed the direction of streams (Parry,

2005). We can also learn how glacial moraines are tied into the Wasatch Fault and how these

features relate to each other in forming todays present topography.

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ROCK FORMATIONS

The three rock formations found near G.K Gilbert park are the Little Cottonwood Stock, the

Little Willow Formation, and the Big Cottonwood Canyon Formation.

The Little Cottonwood Stock is composed of igneous intrusive rock dated in the

Cenozoic age, and is the youngest of the three rock formations (Parry, 2005, p.32-33). These

intrusive-igneous rocks are the result of many mountain building events that have shaped the

area (Parry, 2005, p.32-33) Parry notes, these igneous intrusive is high in potassium, calcium,

and silicon; it has been depleted of iron and is the most silicate of the three and its composition is

felsic. As with all intrusive igneous rocks, the mineral structure can be seen (Parry, 2005, p.32-

33).

The little Willow Formation made of metamorphic rock is the oldest of the three, and is

actually the oldest rock exposed in central Wasatch Mountain Area (Parry, 2005, p. 17); they

have been exposed and dug up because of erosion. (Parry, 2005, p. 13). However, dating of older

rock such as this is uncertain because it has been deeply buried and igneous rocks have intruded

upon it. Indeed, Parry describes this rock as highly deformed in a complex manner and highly

metamorphosed – as part of this process they have undergone they have been repeatedly heated

and re-heated close to their melting point. This reheating leads to a resetting of the rock’s

biological clock and makes it hard to use today’s methods of determining their age. (Parry, 2005,

p. 13); the estimate date of LWF is early Proterozoic (Parry, 2005, p. 17). This formation is

visible in the core of BCC’s uplift, and it is made up of quartzites, these are intruded on by mafic

igneous rocks. (Parry, 2005, p, 17). LWF rocks are severely folded and have been intensely

metamorphosed, as opposed to the BCF, which is softly folded and has been lightly

metamorphosed.
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According to Parry, the Big Cottonwood Formation is a younger Precambrian unit of

sedimentary rock, from the Cenozoic-tertiary, about 65 million years ago. (Parry, 2005, p, 12),

made of both metamorphic and sedimentary rock. It is composed of 16, 000 ft. of shale and

quartzite (2005, p. 17). Furthermore, in this formation we can see evidence of deposition in

shallow water in, Parry describes these as ripple marks, mud cracks – the cause of ancient tides.

THE WASATCH FAULT

The Wasatch Fault is not a single fault; it is a series of many fault-segments (Bennett, et.

al). The USGS notes that these segments parallel the mountains, which were created by various

earthquakes in this fault zone; together these segments span many miles across the state; it is

about 350 miles across the West base of the Wasatch Range (Bennett, et. al). A section of this

fault runs through G.K Gilbert park, which is actually a fault scarp that is visible at the mouth of

Little Cottonwood Canyon, discovered by the well-respected geologist G.K Gilbert; Gilbert

theorized that these scarps were the evidence of “prehistoric ground rupturing earthquakes”

(USGS). Indeed, USGS scientists note these scarps such as the one in G.K park are the results of

fairly recent, high-magnitude earthquakes along the Wasatch Fault (Bennett, et. al).

Paleoseismologists, scientists who study these ancient earthquakes, have done much work

in studying the WFZ segments in order to document the timing and the frequency of past

earthquakes, which can help them with predicting future earthquakes along the fault. (Bennett,

et. al). As a result of these studies, they have broken down the fault into ten segments, about 19-

37 miles long each (Bennett, et. al). They identified that the most recent earthquake happened in

the Weber, Provo, and Nephi segments 200-700 years ago; the most recent earthquake along the

the Salt Lake City segment, the G.K Gilbert segment, happened 1,200-1,600 years ago; (Bennett,

et. al). Earthquakes along the WFZ have been of two types - single-segment and multi-segment.

According to USGS, multi-segment earthquakes, though high in magnitude, about 7.4, have
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actually resulted in earthquakes that are less frequent ant that have fewer overall earthquakes that

are surface-rupturing. However, the USGS notes that there is some things are uncertain when it

comes to multi-segment earthquakes – notably, the extent and the frequency of ruptures, which is

important because of its location in a populated region Bennett, et. al). Scientists continue

studying these segments with different kinds of technology, including going out into the field

and digging trenches.

The impact of the fault scarp on the topography of the area is tied to the effects of

glaciation. The Glacial moraines of Little Cottonwood Canyon as well as Bells Canyon have

been faulted by the Wasatch Fault. Indeed, Parry notes how the western end of the moraines have

been displaced by the Wasatch Fault in a downward direction creating the hanging wall; Parry

estimates the distance of displacement to be about 20 meters (Parry, 2005). The Central Wasatch

Mountains themselves actually lie in the footwall of the fault (Parry, 2005).

GLACIATION
The past ice age has left its mark on the geological features visible from G.K Gilbert

park; Little Cottonwood Canyon, Big Cottonwood Canyon, and Bells Canyon, have all been

carved and shaped by the glaciers that occupied this area about 10,000 years ago. The processes

that carved them out involved changes in climate during the last ice age and the force of gravity.

Other features, results of the glaciers

The canyons - LCC has been completely carved all the way through; the mouth of the U-

shaped canyon is visible from G.K park; it’s shape is the result of the longest and biggest glacier

that occupied the Wasatch Mountains; it was about 12 miles long and its thickness is estimated to

be 650 ft. or greater (Eldridge). Eldridge describes how the alternating periods of warm and cold

climate during this past ice age resulted in the conditions that allowed the glacier to carve out the

canyon. During the colder periods, snow kept gathering, became compacted, and eventually
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turned into ice; the warmer climate caused melting in the glacier and it became a moving mass of

snow and ice which, with gravity’s help, picked up and scraped rock on its way downhill and so

carved out the canyon walls and floor (Eldridge). Likewise, Bells Canyon, named so for, has also

been shaped and carved out by these ancient glaciers. Big Cottonwood Canyon on the other hand

has only been carved out at the upper part; its lower part is narrow, windy, and unworked by the

glaciers (Eldridge).

Visible from many view point, are Little Cottonwood Canyon’s big, white boulders

strewn about the mouth of the canyon, which were transported by the glacier as it melted and

carried rock parts downhill. (Eldridge). Cirques are another glacial feature visible from this

vantage point; these are the crecent-shaped rock that has been carved by glaciers – these are

basins that are surrounded by tall, steep walls (Eldridge). As the moving-glacier and its

accumulated mass scrapes the floor and the walls of the valley, it leaves behind rock that is

striated, grooved, and polished (Eldridge, Volume 24 Number 2). Other features of glacial

erosion are aretes and horns. Aretes and horns are knife-edged ridges formed as a result of

erosion on the opposite side of ridges (Eldridge). The canyons also have glacial moraines. Big

Cottonwood Canyon has the largest lateral moraine of the Wasatch Mountains, which Eldridge

notes is visible on the NE side of the road which is across from the solitude ski area. Lateral

moraines occur when the glacier recedes and advances, lifting up sediment by erosion and

leaving behind these moraines. It also has a terminal moraine – which occurs at the point where

the glacier ends.

The impact of the glaciers was wide reaching, Parry notes that the uplift of the Mountains

because of the glaciers, following the Wasatch Fault, has had a direct effect on what direction

rives flow today versus what direction they flowed before this glaciation; their flow diffraction is
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westerly whereas before it was to the east (Parry, 2005). The Wasatch Fault footwall was worn

down by glaciation and by streams (Parry, 2005). As can be seen, this past period of the last ice-

age, left its imprint on the landscape,

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References

Eldredge, Sandra (2008). Geosights: G.K. Gilbert Geologic View Park. Survey Notes. Volume
40. Number 2.
Eldredge, Sandra. Cool Off! Wasatch Mountain Glaciers. Survey Notes. Volume 24. Number 2.
Bennett, S., Briggs, R., DuRoss, C., Gold, R. Mahan, S., Personius, S., Reitman, N. How Big and
How Frequent Are Earthquakes on the Wasatch Fault?. USGS. Retrieved from
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/everyone/wasatch/index.php
Parry, T. William (2005). A Hiking Guide to the Geology of the Wasatch. The University of Utah
Press. Utah: Salt Lake City.
Stokes, L. William (1986). Geology of Utah . Salt Lake City, Utah : Utah Museum of Natural
History, and Utah Geological and Mineral Survey.
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LCC was carved all the way through by ancient glaciers into a U-shaped canyon.

Bells canyon, also carved out by the glacier, can be seen in the background
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Little Cottonwood Stock granite can be seen from far-off on the sides of the U-shaped canyon.

The ancient glacier deposited these boulders, that originated from the top of LCC.
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The fault scarp and its past earthquakes have had a strong-impact on the present-day topography.

In the background, a granite is visible, which is also part of the LCC stock.