Saima Khan

Signature Written Assignment:

GK Gilbert Geologic View Park

Geology 1010-404

Prof. Pedersen

November, 28 2018

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 Of the many beautiful geological features in Utah, G.K. Gilbert Geological Viewpark is

one that has many features tied into one. The park is named after Grove Karl Gilbert whom lived

from 1843-1910 (Wallace p.35). Gilbert was the first chief geologist to be a part of founding

geological surveys. His fields of study included but were not limited to: glaciology, earthquakes

and plate tectonics. When Gilbert was the tender age of 28, he took upon himself to do field

studies and started to write papers on his discoveries and theories about fluvial lakes, intrusions,

faults, geomorphology and earthquakes (Wallace p 34). His main contribution to the park was his

theories in regards to the fault scarps and ground deformation. Gilbert analyzed the displacement

of the ground and theorized the initial cause of earthquakes to be plate tectonics, although this

has not been contributed to him to this day, but in his works he was actually the first one to

correctly attribute earthquakes to this type of movement of plates. He is said to be one of the

main founders of the geological principles carried out today.

The park dedicated to him includes all of the fragments of geology that he dedicated his

life to. ​Five geologic interpretive signs were installed in November 2007 and park dedication

took place on May 7, 2008​ ( Utah Seismic Safety Commision 2008). G.K. Gilbert Geological

Viewpark is located in the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon and has three types of visible

rock formations that include: Little Willow, Big Cottonwood Formations, and Little Cottonwood

Stock. Little Willow consists of quartz, schist, gneiss, all of which are attributed to being 1.7

billion years old (G.K.Gilbert Geologic Viewpark park sign), these are said to be the oldest rocks

in Salt lake City. ​These rocks formed during solid metamorphism and mountain building times

(Stokes 1986).​ Big Cottonwood Formation consists of alternating beds of shale, slate, and

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quartzite beds, said to have been deposited by the shoreline approximately 1 billion-8 million

years ago (G.K. Gilbert Geologic Viewpark park sign). Last but not least, the Little Cottonwood

Stock consists of quartz monzonite and is considered to be fairly the youngest of the three

formations at the age of 31 million years.

The Viewpark which consist of a little over 2 acres, is located in such a way that you are

standing directly on a fault, it is called the Wasatch Fault and is the longest and most active

faults of its kind in the whole world. The Fault is said to stretch approximately 240 miles long

and extends from Malad Idaho, to Fayette Utah. The fault is divided into sections with each

sections approximating at 25 miles. This 25 miles is further divided into 10 segments and it is

believed that each segment will cause its own separate earthquake ( Utah Seismic Safety

Commision 2008). Geological evidence shows that movement on this fault could potentially

cause earthquakes of magnitude 7.5 and above, and could have life threatening effects. In the

past, i​ndividual prehistoric earthquakes on the Wasatch Fault produced scarps 6 to 12 feet high,

due to land displacement. Earthquakes in Utah are typically caused by interactions with the

pacific plate boundary along the plate margin on the west coast of the United States, and also

may be induced due to the prevalence of Utah coal mining (​University of Utah Seismograph

Stations Structural Engineers Association of Utah)​.

​The park has the ​classic "U" shape and fault-ruptured lateral moraines, signifying alpine

glaciation. When the climate used to be wetter and colder about 30,000 years ago, glaciers

covered the mountains. This was during the last ice age about 10,000-30,000 years ago. Little

Cottonwood glacier was the largest and longest in wasatch range. Evidence is presented in the

bars and the “U” shape of the valley. The colder and wetter climate of the last ice age also

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created Lake Bonneville, which existed approximately 15,000 years ago and covered about

20,000 square miles of land. It was said to have been approximately 325 miles in length and

about 135 miles in width and more than 1000 feet in depth. ​Lake Bonneville formed beaches,

deltas, spits, and wave-cut cliffs that were as high as a thousand feet above the present Great Salt

Lake (Genevieve Atwood Utah History Encyclopedia).​ ​G.K. Gilbert, was the first to study these

prehistoric lake features and describe Lake Bonneville. He named the lake after Captain

Bonneville, an earlier explorer (Genevieve Atwood Utah History Encyclopedia).

Ripples on the side of the mountain show that it was the shoreline of an ocean, before

Lake Bonneville (Case 2005). About 850 million years ago Utah used to have a shallow marine

environment (Chronic 1990)​.​ ​The​ Lake has since dried up and now there exists home

communities where the lake once used to be.

Another interesting fact about the park is that more than a century ago it was a mining

field for gold in the little cottonwood formation. There used to be a town known as the town of

gold. However, since the 1860’s it is now used to mine granite that is used in many of our homes

and buildings today.

I am usually not one to pay attention to the geological features around me, but taking this

class has certainly broadened my aspect of the field of geology. I would have never otherwise

known how the geological features around me have formed. I appreciate geologists that become

a part of this field, such as G.K. Gilbert and Prof. Pedersen, whom give individuals insight on the

world around us and how it works, and how to interpret the geological features around us. I have

an exponentially different view about the world around me today and this self guided field trip

helped me to see and appreciate what I never could before.

 
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References :

● Case, William F. (2005). Geologic Guide to the Central Wasatch Front Canyons. Salt

Lake City, UT. Department of Natural Resources.

● Chronic, Halka (1990). Roadside Geology of Utah. Missoula, MT. Mountain Press

Publishing Company.

● Genevieve Atwood Utah History Encyclopedia

● Utah Museum of Natural History and Utah Geological and Mineral Survey Department

of Natural Resources

● Utah Seismic Safety Commision Utah Division of Emergency Management Utah

Geological Survey

● University of Utah Seismograph Stations Structural Engineers Association of Utah U.S.

● Geological Survey Federal Emergency Management Agency

● Utah Seismic Safety Commission, 2008 Salt Lake City, Utah

● Stokes, William Lee. (1986). Geology of Utah. Salt Lake City, UT.

● Wallace, Robert E. ( 1980). Geological Society of America Special Papers

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The above pictures both depict wasatch fault scarps and glacial boulders, along with
granite, shale, schist, and gneiss.

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The upper left hand picture depicts Little Cottonwood Stock Granite, on the other side of
the U shaped Little Cottonwood Canyon.

The Lower pictures and the ones on the right depict animal burrows that I encountered
while on my expedition, I have never seen burrows before so this was amazing.

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The Above top picture depicts Little Cottonwood Stock, the lighter colored chunks of
rocks are granite.

The Above bottom picture depicts the U shaped Little Cottonwood Canyon.

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