697:
33:
487:
812:
142:
1265: 5.8 earthquake caused 14 million cubic meters (18 million cubic yards) of mostly Moenave Formation to slide downslope atop the weak claystone of the Petrified Forest member of the Chinle Formation. The quake was centered on the Washington Fault, about 30 miles (48 km) southwest. Three houses and two water tanks were destroyed when the slope they were built on dropped 98 feet (30 m) and extended laterally a similar distance over a period of several hours. The landslide is visible just outside the park's entrance in
641:
1126:
1230:
1182:
340:
613:
252:
881:
951:
1825:
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was under about 200 feet (60 m) of water for around 700 years. Evidence of valley floors created by these lakes can be seen from Zion Canyon Scenic Drive south of Zion Lodge near
Sentinel Slide. Recent landslides in 1923, 1941, and 1995 have temporarily dammed the Virgin River. Prior to the
1216:
Downcutting and canyon widening continue today as the process of erosion continues to try to reduce the topography to sea level. In 1998 a flash flood temporarily increased the Virgin River's flow rate from 200 to 4,500 ft/s (6 to 125 m/s). Geologists estimate that the Virgin River can cut
1168:
Lake
Grafton was the largest of at least 14 lakes that have periodically formed in the park (most were from landslides; see below). Thirteen lava flows are mapped in and near Zion dating from 1.5 million to 100,000 years ago. More recent flows of less than 10,000 years in age occurred
966:
helped the southern end of the basin to subside, which allowed marine water to advance northward. At the same time, the shoreline advanced inland from the Arctic region. The seas advanced and retreated many times during the
Cretaceous until one of the most extensive interior seaways ever, called the
415:
The depositional environment was a nearshore one where the seashore alternated between advance (transgression) and retreat (regression). At Zion, the limestones and fossils of the
Timpoweap, Virgin Limestone, and Shnabkaib members of the Moenkopi Formation document transgressive episodes. Unlike the
620:
The oldest beds of this formation belong to the
Dinosaur Canyon Member, a reddish, slope-forming rock layer with thin beds of siltstone that are interbedded with mudstone and fine sandstone. The Dinosaur Canyon, with a local thickness of 140 to 375 feet (43 to 114 m), was probably laid down in
588:
A succession of volcanic-ash-rich mudstone and sandstone with a thickness of 350-foot (110 m) make up the
Petrified Forest Member of the Chinle, which was deposited by lakes, highly sinuous rivers and on the surrounding floodplains. This is the same bright, multicolored part of the Chinle that
1212:
during its most rapid period of erosion. About 1 million years ago, Zion Canyon was only about half as deep as it is today in the vicinity of Zion Lodge. Assuming that erosion was fairly constant over the past 2 million years, then the upper half of Zion Canyon was carved between about 1
580:
made of coarse sandstone, and thin lenses of sandy mudstone, along with plentiful petrified wood. The
Shinarump was laid down in braided streams that flowed through valleys eroded into the underlying Moenkopi Formation. This member of the Chinle forms prominent cliffs with thickness up to 200 feet
1207:
In all about 6,000 feet (1,800 m) of sediment were removed from atop the youngest exposed formation in the park (the Late
Cretaceous-aged Dakota Sandstone). The Virgin River carved out 1,300 feet (400 m) of sediment in about 1 million years. This is a very high rate of downcutting,
1035:
strata. Evidence for the Sevier
Orogeny part of this period can be seen in the Taylor Creek area in the Kolob section of the park. Chunks of Moenave strata have been compressed to the point of thrusting themselves over the same formation in the Taylor Creek Thrust Fault Zone, located on the east
411:
The Red Canyon
Conglomerate, the basal member of the Moenkopi, fills broad east-flowing paleochannels carved into the Kaibab Limestone. Some of these channels are up to several tens of feet deep and may reach 200 ft (61 m) deep in the St. George area. A thin, poorly developed soil, or
890:
A warm, shallow inland sea started to advance into the region (transgress) 150 million years ago, finishing the job of flattening the sand dunes. Limy ooze with some sand and fossils were laid down as 1-to-4-foot (0.30 to 1.22 m) thick sedimentation beds from Mid to Late
802:
in the region is contained in Navajo Sandstone. Navajo is the most prominent formation exposed in Zion Canyon with the highest exposures being West Temple and Checkerboard Mesa. The monoliths in the sides of Zion Canyon are among the tallest sandstone cliffs in the world.
664:
environment. Interbedded sandstone, basal conglomerates, siltstones, mudstones, and thin cross-beds are typical channel and floodplain deposits found in the Kayenta. Paleocurrent studies show that the Kayenta rivers flowed in a general westward to southwestward direction.
624:
The upper member of the Moenave is the pale reddish-brown with a thickness of 75 to 150 feet (23 to 46 m) and cliff-forming Springdale Sandstone. It was deposited in swifter, larger, and more voluminous streams than the older Dinosaur Canyon Member. Fossils of large
609:. Periodic incursions of shallow seas from the north during the Jurassic flooded parts of Wyoming, Montana, and a northeast–southwest trending trough on the Utah/Idaho border. The Moenave was deposited in a variety of river, lake, and flood-plain environments.
1160:
in the park, Crater Hill, flowed over the area. The lava traveled into Coalpits and Scoggins Washes to the south and accumulated to a depth of over 400 ft (122 m) in the ancestral Virgin River valley near the present-day ghost town of
323:, to the east suggests that the marine facies of the Kaibab migrated eastward in response to a relative sea-level rise, or transgression (the White Rim is not exposed in the Zion area). The sea moved back and forth across Utah, but by the
404:. A prograding shoreline laid down muddy delta sediments which mixed with limy marine deposits. The fossilized plants and animals in the Moenkopi are evidence of a climate shift to a warm tropical setting that may have experienced
783:, but the resulting sandstone is friable (crumbles easily) and very porous. Cross-bedding is especially evident in the eastern part of the park where Jurassic wind directions changed often. The crosshatched appearance of
679:
have been found in this formation near the Left Fork of North Creek. Mountains in Nevada and California continued to rise in the Lower Jurassic as plate motions forced North America northward. Eventually, this created a
1245:, creating Sentinel Lake. Another notable stand was created about 4,000 years ago when Sentinel Slide impounded the North Fork Virgin River, creating a lake that backed up to Weeping Rock. The current site of
416:
Timpoweap and Virgin Limestone members, the Shnabkaib contains abundant gypsum and interbedded mudstone resulting from deposition in a restricted marine environment with complex watertable fluctuations. Regressive,
1010:). This formation is the youngest one exposed in the Zion area but the oldest exposed in Bryce Canyon to the northeast. Deposition continued but the resulting formations were later uplifted and eroded away. The
834:. At the same time, an inland sea began to encroach on the continent from the north. Broad tidal flats and streams carrying iron oxide-rich mud formed on the margins of the shallow sea to the west, creating the
1193:; sediment-rich and abrasive flood stage waters would undermine cliffs until vertical slabs of rock sheared away. This process continues to be especially efficient with the vertically jointed Navajo Sandstone.
895:
time. Some calcareous silt percolated down into the buried sand dunes (carrying red oxides with it) and eventually cemented them into the sandstone of the Navajo Formation. The limy ooze above would later
447:, to the southwest of the park borders. Progressively higher beds are exposed until the top of the formation is reached at the mouth of Parunweap Canyon (when traveling to the park on Route 9).
1006:
sediments that grade laterally into coastal plain, marginal marine, and marine deposits. A small remnant of the Dakota is exposed on top of the 8,766-foot (2,672 m) -high Horse Ranch Mountain (
934:) in the Kolob Canyons section of the park and near Mt. Carmel Junction east of the park. Other formations totaling 2,800 feet (850 m) thick may have been deposited in the region during Late
907:
Many unique environments were created by the migrating Sevier thrust system, and the four members of the Carmel Formation in southwest Utah capture these changing environments. Both open marine (
1237:
Landslides more than once dammed the Virgin River and created lakes where sediment accumulated. Every time the river eventually breached the slide and drained the lake, leaving a flat-bottomed
1241:. About 7,000 years ago, the relatively thin wall between two closely spaced joints in the Navajo Sandstone collapsed. The resulting Sand Bench landslide blocked Zion Canyon just east of
1200:, and the presence of cracks or joints in the rock. Basalt flows concentrated in valleys but subsequent erosion removed sedimentary rock that once stood at higher elevations. The resulting
36:
Kolob Canyons from the end of Kolob Canyons Road. Stream erosion has incised the Kolob Plateau to form canyons that expose the red-orange colored Navajo Sandstone and other formations.
775:
that percolated from the overlaying iron-rich Temple Cap formation while the upper part of the formation is a pale tan to nearly white color. The other component of the Navajo's weak
1055:. Along the southern boundary of the park, tectonic displacement along this fault is about 3,600 ft (1,098 m). Several other normal faults also developed on the plateau.
537:
and other uranium-bearing minerals, has also been found. The purple, pink, blue, white, yellow, gray, and red colored Chinle also contains shale, gypsum, limestone, sandstone, and
72:, the formations exposed in the Zion and Kolob area were deposited in several different environments that range from the warm shallow seas of the Kaibab and Moenkopi formations,
605:
Early Jurassic uplift created an unconformity above the Chinle Formation that represents about ten million years of missing sedimentation between it and the next formation, the
1118:
formed. This typical mushroom-shaped laccolith is one of the largest intrusions of this type in the world. Debris flows carried boulders of this intrusion onto the Upper
788:
1861:
1156:
Some of these lava flows blocked rivers and streams, impounding small lakes and ephemeral ponds in the process. About 100,000 years ago, basalt from the largest
284:, proliferated, only to be buried in lime mud and their internal silica needles (spicules) dissolved and recrystallized to form discontinuous layers of light-colored
2007:
1881:
745:
633:
have been found in the beds of the Springdale Sandstone. The next member in the Moenave Formation is the thin-bedded Whitmore Point, which is made of mudstone and
2041:
1047:(which underlies the park): the Sevier Fault on the east and the Hurricane Fault on the west. The Hurricane fault zone is a major, active, steeply west-dipping
1841:
Biek, Robert F.; Grant C. Willis; Micheal D. Hylland; Hellmut H. Doelling (August 2003). "Geology of Zion National Park, Utah". In Paul B. Anderson (ed.).
798:), form in canyon walls made of the porous Navajo Sandstone when water hits and is channeled by the underlying non-porous Kayenta Formation. The principal
637:. The lower red cliffs visible from the Zion Human History Museum (until 2000 the Zion Canyon Visitor Center) are accessible examples of this formation.
459:
and Utah became part of a large interior basin drained by north and northwest-flowing rivers in the Upper Triassic. Shallow river deposition along with
428:, and thinly laminated bedding suggest that these intervening red shale and siltstone units were deposited in tidal flat and coastalplain environments.
1213:
and 2 million years ago and only the upper half of the Great White Throne was exposed 1 million years ago and The Narrows were yet to form.
315:, a mountain range similar to today's Himalayas called the Uncompahgre Mountains bordered the Utah lowland. The interfingering of the Kaibab with the
223:, now exposed in the Grand Canyon to the south but not in the Zion and Kolob area. This formation is not exposed in the park, though it does form its
768:
842:. Flat-bedded sandstones, siltstones, and limestones filled depressions left in the underlying eroded strata. Streams eroded the poorly cemented
1114:
that has since eroded away. Three of these tuff layers are preserved on top of Brainhead Peak. About 21 million years ago the Pine Valley
795:
582:
1995:
1149:. Evidence of the oldest flows can be seen at Lava Point and rocks from the youngest are found at the lower end of Cave Valley.> Some
572:. Much of the bright coloration of the Chinle is due to soil formation during the Late Triassic. The lowermost member of the Chinle, the
1082:
and winter runoff when the water contains large amounts of suspended and abrasive sand grains. Uplift and downcutting are so fast that
744:
accumulated, reaching their greatest thickness in the Zion Canyon area; about 2,200 feet (670 m) at the Temple of Sinawava (
621:
slow-moving streams, ponds and large lakes. Evidence for this is in cross-bedding of the sediments and large numbers of fish fossils.
1950:
1922:
1850:
431:
Outcrops of this brightly colored red, brown, and pink banded formation can be seen in the Kolob Canyons section of the park and in
1043:
physiogeographic province to the west about 20 to 25 million years ago in Tertiary time created the two faults that bound the
1087:
1074:(Zion Canyon section of the park), and Taylor and La Verkin creeks (Kolob Canyons section of the park), causing them to flow and
1011:
1007:
931:
320:
189:
177:
1865:
1170:
590:
553:
are often found filling gaps between pebbles. Purplish slopes made of the Chinle can be seen above the town of Rockville.
2004:
1894:
2026:
830:
Utah and western Colorado were deformed as the rate of subduction off the west coast increased in the Middle Jurassic
873:
is a famous example). Temple Cap iron oxide is also the source of the red-orange color of much the lower half of the
1250:
initial Sand Bench landslide, the Virgin River flowed 70 ft (21 m) lower in elevation than it does today.
169:
130:
section. The plateau is bounded on the east by the Sevier Fault Zone, and on the west by the Hurricane Fault Zone.
32:
811:
2031:
1027:
East–west-directed compression from subduction off the west coast affected the area in later Mesozoic and early
2036:
1040:
861:
and silt mark the end of this formation. The most prominent outcrops of this formation make up the capstone of
696:
65:
486:
1145:'s crust. Volcanic activity was concentrated along the Hurricane Fault west of the park that today parallels
968:
594:
280:
146:
126:
are exposed along the Virgin River in the Zion Canyon part of the park, and the youngest are exposed in the
354:
on the north–south trending island arc to the west, which was located along what is now the border between
991:
577:
573:
1890:
1833:
1218:
1146:
919:) environments are represented in the Co-op Creek member. Sandstone and gypsum in the Crystal Creek and
709:
640:
297:
176:. Within this sequence, the oldest exposed formation in the Zion and Kolob canyons area is the youngest
141:
1181:
1078:
faster into the underlying Markagunt Plateau. Downcutting continues to be especially rapid after heavy
869:. Rain dissolves some of the iron oxide and thus streaks Zion's cliffs red (the red streak seen on the
1125:
927:
815:
1196:
All erosion types took advantage of preexisting weaknesses in the rock such as rock type, amount of
1242:
688:. Today the Kayenta is a red and mauve rocky slope-former that can be seen throughout Zion Canyon.
400:
It took many thousands of thin layers of these sediments to form the 1,800-foot (550 m) thick
316:
45:
1165:. Water impounded behind the two blockages, forming Coalpits Lake and Lake Grafton respectively.
1051:
that stretches at least 155 miles (250 km) from south of the Grand Canyon northward to
870:
585:
word meaning "wolf's rump" (a reference to the way this member erodes into gray, rounded hills).
436:
401:
244:
ocean in what local geologists call the Kaibab Sea. At that time, Utah and Wyoming were near the
220:
84:
of the Navajo and Temple Cap formations and dry near shore environments of the Carmel Formation.
49:
1992:
1229:
103:-aged formations and cut gorges into the plateaus. Zion Canyon was cut by the North Fork of the
1961:
99:. The faster-moving streams took advantage of uplift-created joints in the rocks to remove all
1946:
1918:
1846:
1285:
Corresponding to a rate of erosion of about 40 cm per 1,000 years (1.3 ft/1,000 yr)
1262:
1044:
784:
780:
649:
606:
363:
200:
138:
and fractures influence the formation of landscape features, such as canyons, in this region.
91:
slowly raised these formations much higher than where they were deposited. This steepened the
1141:
lava flowed intermittently in the area, taking advantage of uplift-created weaknesses in the
1266:
1217:
another thousand feet (300 m) before it loses the ability to transport sediment to the
1063:
1052:
995:
976:
901:
884:
874:
843:
819:
760:
705:
468:
328:
289:
267:
255:
240:
In later Permian time, the Toroweap Basin was invaded by the warm, shallow edge of the vast
165:
119:
88:
1066:
and tilting of the Markagunt Plateau started 13 million years ago. This steepened the
300:
as it skirts the park. This is the same formation that rims the Grand Canyon to the south.
188:-aged rocks. In fact, the youngest formation seen in the Zion and Kolob area is the oldest
184:. Bryce Canyon to the northeast continues where the Zion and Kolob areas end by presenting
2011:
1999:
1945:(3rd ed.). North Palm Beach, Florida: National Photographic Collections. p. 43.
1201:
1067:
1059:
862:
823:
685:
546:
476:
440:
308:
159:
135:
92:
69:
1003:
963:
962:
while the roughly north-south trending Western Interior Basin expanded. Rifting in the
831:
561:
550:
494:
2005:
National Park Service.gov: "Geologic Resource Evaluation Report of Zion National Park"
2020:
1197:
1162:
1119:
771:). Typically the lower part of this remarkably homogeneous formation is reddish from
729:
704:. This part of Zion National Park is accessed by a park road about 20 miles south of
701:
480:
362:. Shallow, marine water stretched from eastern Utah to eastern Nevada over a beveled
224:
127:
61:
17:
1893:. pp. 27–35. Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/GRD/NRR—2006/014. Archived from
1209:
1190:
1071:
1048:
1032:
999:
972:
854:
472:
460:
444:
421:
339:
173:
104:
612:
327:, the sea had withdrawn and the Kaibab Limestone was exposed to erosion, creating
251:
1157:
1150:
1134:
1111:
1083:
1075:
920:
866:
681:
569:
324:
241:
112:
1204:
consists of ridges capped by basalt which are separated by adjacent drainages.
958:
Mountains continued to rise in the Sevier orogenic belt to the west during the
950:
880:
740:. For perhaps 10 million years sometime around 175 million years ago
1254:
1246:
1122:
indicating that the Hurricane Cliffs could not have been present at the time.
979:, while the eastern margin was part of the low-lying, stable platform ramp in
959:
939:
772:
755:, was transported from coastal sand dunes to the west, in what is now central
355:
304:
293:
275:
131:
1829:
1221:
to the south. However, additional uplift will probably increase this figure.
1845:. Bryce Canyon Natural History Association and Utah Geological Association.
1258:
1115:
1103:
1079:
916:
912:
741:
534:
526:
502:
412:
regolith, formed over the paleotopographic high areas between the channels.
394:
386:
378:
204:
181:
366:. As the sea withdrew around 230 million years ago, fluvial, mudflat,
994:
and tan fossil-rich sandstone of the resulting 100-foot (30 m) thick
1189:
Stream downcutting continued along with canyon-forming processes such as
1099:
1028:
980:
935:
892:
764:
717:
676:
669:
661:
657:
626:
506:
425:
382:
351:
312:
262:
Starting 260 million years ago, the yellowish-gray limestone of the
216:
212:
185:
100:
57:
56:. Together, these formations represent about 150 million years of mostly
122:
formations that dip very gently to the east. This means that the oldest
1107:
971:, drowned much of western North America from the Gulf of Mexico to the
908:
897:
853:, but encroaching seas again beveled the coastline, forming a regional
799:
721:
672:
564:
which made up these deposits were later strongly cemented by dissolved
530:
514:
510:
464:
456:
417:
405:
347:
271:
245:
208:
196:
123:
96:
1238:
1138:
984:
776:
756:
752:
737:
733:
565:
557:
538:
475:, between the Chinle and the underlying Moenkopi can be seen between
375:
371:
367:
359:
263:
81:
73:
1993:
National Park Service.gov: "Geologic History of Zion National Park"
1686:
1684:
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1680:
1678:
1626:
1624:
1622:
1584:
1582:
1580:
1503:
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923:
members signal a return to desert conditions in a coastal setting.
1393:
1391:
1389:
1387:
1228:
1180:
1142:
1124:
1086:(very narrow river-cut features with vertical walls), such as the
949:
879:
810:
695:
639:
634:
611:
518:
498:
485:
432:
390:
338:
285:
250:
140:
31:
1943:
Secrets in The Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks
1153:
were constructed much later in the southwest corner of the park.
1133:
Then from at least 1.4 million to 250,000 years ago in
118:
Zion National Park includes an elevated plateau that consists of
115:
covered parts of the area during the later part of this process.
1110:
time and probably inundated the region with hundreds of feet of
858:
725:
660:
time in slower-moving, intermittent streambeds in a semiarid to
653:
630:
542:
522:
108:
77:
53:
1917:(5th ed.). Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing. pp. 30–42.
219:. These sediments later lithified (turned to rock) to form the
1981:. National Park Service and Zion Natural History Association.
975:. The western shoreline of the seaway was in the vicinity of
926:
Outcrops of the Carmel Formation are most notably exposed on
728:
until 150,000 square miles (388,000 km) of western
1913:
Harris, Ann G.; Tuttle, Esther; Tuttle, Sherwood D. (1997).
597:. Petrified wood is, of course, also common in this member.
80:
of the Chinle, Moenave, and Kayenta formations to the large
767:
former with very obvious sand dune cross-bedding patterns (
763:
is a geographically widespread, pale tan to red cliff and
751:
Most of the sand, made of 98% translucent, rounded-grain
370:, and shallow marine environments developed, depositing
1102:
volcanism dominated the area to the west of Zion during
331:
and channels reaching 30 m (100 ft) in depth.
215:
added weight to the basin, keeping it at relatively the
716:
Approximately 190 to 136 million years ago in the
1883:
Zion National Park Geologic Resource Evaluation Report
199:
period, the Zion and Kolob area was a relatively flat
942:
only to be uplifted and entirely removed by erosion.
248:
on the western margin of the supercontinent Pangaea.
1253:
The area is periodically rocked by mild to moderate
149:
shows the layering of the formations mentioned below
68:. Part of a super-sequence of rock units called the
1977:NPS and ZNHA (Summer 2004). "The Geology of Zion".
1785:
1690:
1630:
1588:
1559:
1507:
1397:
1304:
807:Temple Cap and Carmel formations (Middle Jurassic)
288:. In the park, this formation can be found in the
849:Desert conditions returned briefly, creating the
648:At 200 to 600 feet (61 to 183 m) thick, the
292:above the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center and in an
95:of the ancestral rivers and other streams on the
1769:
1767:
1754:
1752:
1750:
1653:
1651:
1609:
1607:
1605:
1603:
1601:
1599:
1597:
1528:
1526:
1524:
1522:
1520:
1518:
1516:
455:Later, uplift exposed the Moenkopi Formation to
1737:
1735:
1543:
1541:
1478:
1476:
1474:
1444:
1442:
1440:
1438:
1436:
1434:
1357:
1355:
1353:
1351:
601:Moenave and Kayenta formations (Lower Jurassic)
513:, have been found in this formation as well as
1461:
1459:
1457:
1374:
1372:
1370:
568:(probably from volcanic ash from the west) in
164:The Grand Staircase is an immense sequence of
8:
1343:
700:The reddish colored Navajo Formation in the
207:on the western margin of the supercontinent
1934:Zion National Park: Sanctuary in the Desert
1797:
1741:
1702:
1669:
1642:
1482:
1465:
1012:exposed formations in the Bryce Canyon area
904:, 200 to 300 feet (61 to 91 m) thick.
900:into the hard and compact limestone of the
270:was laid down as a limy ooze in a tropical
420:layers separate the transgressive strata.
321:exposed in Capitol Reef National Park area
42:geology of the Zion and Kolob canyons area
1339:
1337:
1335:
1333:
1331:
1329:
1327:
1864:. GORP / Orbitz Away LLC. Archived from
692:Navajo Sandstone (Lower to Mid Jurassic)
172:through Zion National Park and into the
1297:
1278:
1261:. For example, on September 2, 1992, a
581:(60 m), and its name comes from a
576:, consists of a white, gray, and brown
1809:
1773:
1758:
1726:
1714:
1657:
1613:
1571:
1532:
1448:
1422:
1420:
1418:
1416:
1414:
1412:
1410:
1408:
1406:
1361:
846:, and water caused the sand to slump.
2042:Regional geology of the United States
1936:. Mariposa, California: Sierra Press.
1843:Geology of Utah's Parks and Monuments
1547:
1378:
1315:
1313:
350:continued to erupt through the Early
178:exposed formation in the Grand Canyon
27:Geology of Zion National Park in Utah
7:
1014:likely represent these lost layers.
1208:about the same rate as occurred in
946:Dakota Sandstone (Lower Cretaceous)
335:Moenkopi Formation (Lower Triassic)
1832:from websites or documents of the
497:and fossils of animals adapted to
154:Grand Staircase and basement rocks
25:
1185:Rockslide debris in Kolob Canyons
471:. The irregular contact zone, or
451:Chinle Formation (Upper Triassic)
190:exposed formation in Bryce Canyon
134:and erosion along north-trending
1828: This article incorporates
1823:
1786:Harris, Tuttle & Tuttle 1997
1691:Harris, Tuttle & Tuttle 1997
1631:Harris, Tuttle & Tuttle 1997
1589:Harris, Tuttle & Tuttle 1997
1560:Harris, Tuttle & Tuttle 1997
1508:Harris, Tuttle & Tuttle 1997
1426:
1398:Harris, Tuttle & Tuttle 1997
1305:Harris, Tuttle & Tuttle 1997
1129:Basalt flows on Hurricane Cliffs
1036:flank of the Kanarra anticline.
236:Kaibab Limestone (Upper Permian)
1319:
794:Springs, such as Weeping Rock (
303:Farther to the west, a complex
168:layers that stretch south from
1941:Tufts, Lorraine Salem (1998).
1171:Cedar Breaks National Monument
591:Petrified Forest National Park
1:
1233:Sentinel Slide in Zion Canyon
1039:Tensional forces forming the
1018:Tectonic activity and erosion
211:. Sediments from surrounding
192:—the Dakota Sandstone.
1862:"Zion National Park Geology"
1177:Erosion and canyon formation
720:the Colorado Plateau area's
44:includes nine known exposed
1962:"Zion: Geologic Formations"
2058:
1225:Landslides and earthquakes
1169:north of Zion and east of
311:. To the east, in western
307:assemblage formed above a
170:Bryce Canyon National Park
157:
1915:Geology of National Parks
911:) and restricted marine (
87:Subsequent uplift of the
736:, not unlike the modern
656:were laid down in early
1964:. National Park Service
969:Western Interior Seaway
684:and brought widespread
529:. Relatively plentiful
231:Deposition of sediments
1830:public domain material
1257:, which often trigger
1234:
1186:
1130:
955:
887:
827:
713:
645:
617:
501:environments, such as
491:
483:in southwestern Utah.
463:eventually became the
408:, wet-dry conditions.
344:
281:Actinocoelia meandrina
259:
150:
37:
1932:Leach, Nicky (2000).
1891:National Park Service
1834:National Park Service
1232:
1184:
1128:
990:The pebble to cobble
953:
883:
814:
699:
643:
615:
489:
342:
254:
144:
52:in the U.S. state of
35:
1973:(public domain text)
1909:(public domain text)
1889:. Denver, Colorado:
1031:time by folding and
928:Horse Ranch Mountain
840:Temple Cap Formation
816:Temple Cap Formation
724:increasingly became
274:. During this time,
18:Temple Cap formation
1880:Graham, J. (2006).
851:White Throne member
787:is a good example (
443:, to the south and
317:White Rim Sandstone
2027:Zion National Park
2010:2014-12-26 at the
1998:2016-07-18 at the
1979:Zion Map and Guide
1235:
1187:
1131:
956:
888:
871:Altar of Sacrifice
828:
748:) in Zion Canyon.
714:
646:
618:
492:
437:State Route 9
435:on either side of
402:Moenkopi Formation
345:
343:Moenkopi Formation
260:
221:Toroweap Formation
180:—the Kaibab
151:
50:Zion National Park
38:
1344:NPS and ZNHA 2004
1263:Richter Magnitude
1094:Volcanic activity
1070:of the ancestral
1045:Markagunt Plateau
785:Checkerboard Mesa
781:calcium carbonate
650:Kayenta Formation
644:Kayenta Formation
629:-like freshwater
616:Moenave Formation
509:, and lacustrine
364:continental shelf
258:/Kaibab Formation
48:, all visible in
16:(Redirected from
2049:
2032:Colorado Plateau
1982:
1972:
1970:
1969:
1956:
1937:
1928:
1908:
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1899:
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1798:Biek et al. 2003
1795:
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1742:Biek et al. 2003
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1703:Biek et al. 2003
1700:
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1670:Biek et al. 2003
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1643:Biek et al. 2003
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1302:
1286:
1283:
1267:Springdale, Utah
1064:Colorado Plateau
1053:Cedar City, Utah
996:Dakota Sandstone
977:Cedar City, Utah
954:Dakota Sandstone
902:Carmel Formation
885:Carmel Formation
875:Navajo Formation
844:Navajo Sandstone
820:Navajo Sandstone
761:Navajo Sandstone
706:Cedar City, Utah
547:manganese oxides
490:Chinle Formation
469:Chinle Formation
329:karst topography
290:Hurricane Cliffs
268:Kaibab Limestone
256:Hurricane Cliffs
166:sedimentary rock
89:Colorado Plateau
64:in that part of
21:
2057:
2056:
2052:
2051:
2050:
2048:
2047:
2046:
2037:Geology of Utah
2017:
2016:
2012:Wayback Machine
2000:Wayback Machine
1989:
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1967:
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1275:
1227:
1202:inverted relief
1179:
1096:
1068:stream gradient
1041:Basin and Range
1033:thrust faulting
1025:
1023:Regional forces
1020:
948:
863:The West Temple
857:. Thin beds of
836:Sinawava member
824:The East Temple
809:
694:
686:desertification
603:
583:Native American
453:
441:Rockville, Utah
385:, limestones,
337:
309:subduction zone
238:
233:
162:
160:Grand Staircase
156:
93:stream gradient
70:Grand Staircase
28:
23:
22:
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2055:
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2045:
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2019:
2018:
2015:
2014:
2002:
1988:
1987:External links
1985:
1984:
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1974:
1957:
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1910:
1877:
1857:
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1024:
1021:
1019:
1016:
1004:alluvial plain
964:Gulf of Mexico
947:
944:
832:Sevier Orogeny
822:monolith (aka
808:
805:
732:became a huge
693:
690:
602:
599:
595:Painted Desert
589:is exposed in
562:petrified wood
551:copper sulfide
495:Petrified wood
452:
449:
336:
333:
325:Middle Permian
237:
234:
232:
229:
217:same elevation
158:Main article:
155:
152:
145:This geologic
26:
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1963:
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1952:0-9620255-3-4
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1924:0-7872-5353-7
1920:
1916:
1911:
1900:on 2014-12-26
1896:
1892:
1885:
1884:
1878:
1868:on 2010-01-25
1867:
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1852:1-882054-10-5
1848:
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1838:
1837:
1835:
1831:
1818:
1811:
1806:
1803:
1800:, p. 128
1799:
1794:
1791:
1788:, p. 31.
1787:
1782:
1779:
1775:
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1743:
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1704:
1699:
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1693:, p. 42.
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1681:
1679:
1675:
1672:, p. 119
1671:
1666:
1663:
1659:
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1645:, p. 118
1644:
1639:
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1633:, p. 41.
1632:
1627:
1625:
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1619:
1615:
1610:
1608:
1606:
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1600:
1598:
1594:
1591:, p. 40.
1590:
1585:
1583:
1581:
1577:
1573:
1568:
1565:
1562:, p. 33.
1561:
1556:
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1544:
1542:
1538:
1534:
1529:
1527:
1525:
1523:
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1519:
1517:
1513:
1510:, p. 38.
1509:
1504:
1502:
1500:
1498:
1496:
1494:
1492:
1488:
1485:, p. 115
1484:
1479:
1477:
1475:
1471:
1468:, p. 114
1467:
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1428:
1423:
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1419:
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1415:
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1400:, p. 35.
1399:
1394:
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1310:
1307:, p. 34.
1306:
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1220:
1214:
1211:
1205:
1203:
1199:
1198:lithification
1194:
1192:
1183:
1176:
1174:
1172:
1166:
1164:
1163:Grafton, Utah
1159:
1154:
1152:
1148:
1147:Interstate 15
1144:
1140:
1136:
1127:
1123:
1121:
1120:Kolob Plateau
1117:
1113:
1109:
1105:
1101:
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739:
735:
731:
730:North America
727:
723:
719:
711:
710:Interstate 15
707:
703:
702:Kolob Canyons
698:
691:
689:
687:
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554:
552:
548:
544:
540:
536:
533:ore, such as
532:
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298:Interstate 15
295:
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283:
282:
277:
273:
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235:
230:
228:
226:
225:basement rock
222:
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210:
206:
202:
198:
193:
191:
187:
183:
179:
175:
171:
167:
161:
153:
148:
147:cross section
143:
139:
137:
133:
129:
128:Kolob Canyons
125:
121:
116:
114:
110:
107:in this way.
106:
102:
98:
94:
90:
85:
83:
79:
75:
71:
67:
66:North America
63:
62:sedimentation
59:
55:
51:
47:
43:
34:
30:
19:
1978:
1966:. Retrieved
1942:
1933:
1914:
1902:. Retrieved
1895:the original
1882:
1870:. Retrieved
1866:the original
1842:
1822:
1819:Bibliography
1805:
1793:
1781:
1776:, p. 17
1761:, p. 32
1729:, p. 10
1722:
1717:, p. 18
1710:
1698:
1665:
1660:, p. 19
1638:
1616:, p. 31
1574:, p. 12
1567:
1555:
1550:, p. 43
1535:, p. 30
1451:, p. 29
1381:, p. 16
1364:, p. 28
1300:
1281:
1252:
1243:The Sentinel
1236:
1215:
1210:Grand Canyon
1206:
1195:
1191:mass wasting
1188:
1167:
1155:
1151:cinder cones
1132:
1097:
1088:Zion Narrows
1084:slot canyons
1072:Virgin River
1057:
1049:normal fault
1038:
1026:
1000:alluvial fan
992:conglomerate
989:
973:Arctic Ocean
957:
925:
906:
889:
855:unconformity
850:
848:
839:
835:
829:
793:
759:. Today the
750:
715:
667:
652:'s sand and
647:
623:
619:
604:
587:
578:conglomerate
555:
493:
473:unconformity
461:volcanic ash
454:
445:Virgin, Utah
430:
422:Ripple marks
414:
410:
399:
346:
302:
279:
261:
239:
194:
174:Grand Canyon
163:
117:
113:cinder cones
105:Virgin River
86:
41:
39:
29:
1812:, p. 9
1810:Graham 2006
1774:Graham 2006
1759:Graham 2006
1727:Graham 2006
1715:Graham 2006
1658:Graham 2006
1614:Graham 2006
1572:Graham 2006
1533:Graham 2006
1449:Graham 2006
1362:Graham 2006
1255:earthquakes
1158:cinder cone
1135:Pleistocene
1112:welded tuff
1058:Subsequent
921:Paria River
867:Zion Canyon
682:rain shadow
668:Fossilized
570:groundwater
242:Panthalassa
120:sedimentary
2021:Categories
1968:2013-11-12
1904:2008-08-13
1872:2008-08-11
1548:Tufts 1998
1379:Leach 2000
1293:References
1259:landslides
1247:Zion Lodge
1106:and early
1098:Explosive
1090:, formed.
1080:rainstorms
960:Cretaceous
940:Cretaceous
938:and Early
917:gastropods
913:pelecypods
779:matrix is
773:iron oxide
742:sand dunes
673:footprints
556:The sand,
527:horsetails
503:phytosaurs
426:mud cracks
395:siltstones
387:sandstones
379:evaporites
356:California
305:island arc
294:escarpment
278:, such as
132:Weathering
111:flows and
46:formations
1116:laccolith
1104:Oligocene
1100:andesitic
677:sauropods
574:Shinarump
535:carnotite
477:Rockville
406:monsoonal
383:mudstones
348:Volcanoes
213:mountains
205:sea level
182:limestone
2008:Archived
1996:Archived
1139:basaltic
1029:Tertiary
998:include
981:Nebraska
936:Jurassic
909:crinoids
893:Jurassic
765:monolith
718:Jurassic
670:dinosaur
662:tropical
658:Jurassic
627:sturgeon
593:and the
511:bivalves
507:lungfish
439:between
352:Triassic
313:Colorado
186:Cenozoic
101:Cenozoic
58:Mesozoic
1108:Miocene
1076:downcut
1062:of the
898:lithify
838:of the
818:atop a
800:aquifer
722:climate
607:Moenave
531:uranium
517:trees,
515:conifer
481:Grafton
465:mineral
457:erosion
418:red bed
276:sponges
272:climate
246:equator
209:Pangaea
197:Permian
195:In the
97:plateau
82:deserts
74:streams
1949:
1921:
1860:GORP.
1849:
1239:valley
1060:uplift
985:Kansas
777:cement
757:Nevada
753:quartz
738:Sahara
734:desert
708:, off
566:silica
560:, and
558:gravel
539:quartz
525:, and
519:cycads
499:swampy
467:-rich
433:buttes
393:, and
391:shales
376:lagoon
374:(from
372:gypsum
368:sabkha
360:Nevada
319:, now
296:along
266:-rich
264:fossil
136:faults
124:strata
60:-aged
1960:NPS.
1898:(PDF)
1887:(PDF)
1273:Notes
1143:Earth
1137:time
1008:photo
932:photo
796:photo
789:photo
769:photo
746:photo
675:from
635:shale
523:ferns
286:chert
203:near
201:basin
78:lakes
1947:ISBN
1919:ISBN
1847:ISBN
1427:GORP
1002:and
983:and
859:clay
726:arid
654:silt
631:fish
549:and
543:Iron
479:and
358:and
109:Lava
76:and
54:Utah
40:The
1320:NPS
865:in
791:).
381:),
2023::
1836:.
1766:^
1749:^
1734:^
1677:^
1650:^
1621:^
1596:^
1579:^
1540:^
1515:^
1490:^
1473:^
1456:^
1433:^
1405:^
1386:^
1369:^
1350:^
1326:^
1312:^
1269:.
1173:.
987:.
915:,
877:.
545:,
541:.
521:,
505:,
424:,
397:.
389:,
227:.
1971:.
1955:.
1927:.
1907:.
1875:.
1855:.
930:(
826:)
712:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
