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Rocks, Minerals, and Soils
Introduction |
Mike learned that Utah
has three land regions: the Great Basin, Colorado
Plateau, and Rocky Mountains. Mike and his father Dale, who is a geologist,
love to hike these regions. As they
hike, Dale collects samples of rocks. He would also be called a “Rock Hound.”
Dale taught Mike that there are three types of rocks: sedimentary,
igneous and metamorphic. But these
rocks are always changing as part of the rock cycle.
Geologists from all
over the world come to Utah
to study Utah's varios rock formations.
 Mike
and Dale travel up Farmington
Canyon located in Davis
County. As they hike, they notice the rocks have
a striped or banded appearance. Dale explains that they are metamorphic
rocks. These rocks were once sedimentary
or igneous but went through a change. The rocks we see in Farmington
Canyon are a type of gneiss.
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The next weekend Mike and Dale traveled to
the Colorado Plateau Region of Utah.  They
went to Bryce Canyon
National Park in Garfield
County. Bryce
Canyon is
made of sedimentary rock. Erosion
formed the hoodoos, columns and interesting rock formations found here.
The sandstone here is red and pink. The color was formed from iron in the rocks
that oxidized or rusted.
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Mike and Dale's final hike destination was
central Utah near the town
of Fillmore,
the Territorial Capital.  They
traveled west from Fillmore to the volcanic fields.
These volcanoes were formed under Ancient Lake Bonneville. There are lava tubes and vents to explore.
The type of rock we find here is scoria.
Scoria is an igneous rock that we use in our barbeque grills.
In the lava fields you can also see aa ( ah’ ah’). This
is a Hawaiian term for the basalt that forms in columns.
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| In this unit you will learn more about how
scientists discover Utah’s
very distant past by studying evidence found in the present. You will also learn more about the rocks
and minerals that provide us with clues to a world we can only imagine.
So get ready to rock. This unit is all about rocks, clues and you. |
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