Tag Archives: Utah

Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: Oyster balls! (Middle Jurassic of Utah)

Mark Wilson April 17, 2011 1:45 am

The technical term is ostreolith, but “oyster ball” is much more descriptive. These fossils are found by the thousands in the Carmel Formation (Middle Jurassic) in southwestern Utah. As far as I know, this is the only place they’ve ever … Continue reading →

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Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: A brittle star trace fossil from the Jurassic of Utah

Mark Wilson February 13, 2011 1:24 am

This week we have a trace fossil that looks almost exactly like the animal that made it. A trace fossil is evidence of organism activity recorded in the rock record. The photograph above shows one of my favorite specimens: Asteriacites … Continue reading →

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Stony bryozoans get their day

Mark Wilson August 1, 2010 2:52 pm

KIEL, GERMANY–The first day of the International Bryozoology Association meeting is traditionally devoted to workshops where participants can listen to experts on a particular group, technique or idea and then ask questions, work out exercises, or study specimens. I went … Continue reading →

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A view of the Wasatch Mountains from above

Mark Wilson July 18, 2010 11:05 pm

Looking west over the Wasatch Mountains into the Salt Lake Valley of Utah. Note the beautiful syncline in the center of the image. Flying across the western United States is such a treat for a geologist. These are the kind … Continue reading →

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The Bonneville Flood and where it began

Mark Wilson July 17, 2010 4:31 pm

DOWNEY, IDAHO–Lake Bonneville has been one of the geological themes of my short visit to northern Utah this summer. The remnant wave-cut platforms of its shorelines dominate the geomorphology of the Logan area, and the lake sediments are the basis … Continue reading →

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Sure this is a geology blog, but these wildflowers …

Mark Wilson July 16, 2010 11:23 pm

… are fantastic! Geologists are natural historians, so of course anything natural (or historical!) fascinates us. Stephanie Jarvis showed us some flowers (and mushrooms) in Alaska this summer. Last year we looked at acacia trees in Israel. We’ve even delighted … Continue reading →

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Geysers, Mountains, and Dinosaurs…OH MY! (Subtitle: This Summer is Stromato-Tight)

sjudge July 16, 2010 9:42 pm

Guest Blogger: Elizabeth Deering This summer I have been given many amazing opportunities starting with my employment at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis, Wyoming. Since late May I have been working with 7 other summer staff members giving tours, … Continue reading →

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A Great Unconformity

sjudge July 16, 2010 9:02 pm

I almost forgot our quick side trip at the end of the day. With the Green River Formation behind us (literally, in this photo), we turned to view a fantastic example of an angular unconformity here in central Utah. Although … Continue reading →

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If We Only Had a Rock Saw in the Field…

sjudge July 16, 2010 8:56 pm

Today was our final day on one of the Green River cuestas. We decided to top it off by working a quite extensive section of the formation with a great climb to reach the stromatolites. However, the climb was completely … Continue reading →

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To the Victor Goes the Spoils…

sjudge July 16, 2010 8:32 pm

The Utah gang was back at it in the Green River Formation, which is exposed in one of the cuestas in the Sanpete Valley. It was a wonderful 100 degrees by midafternoon, and I think that even the fossil ostracodes … Continue reading →

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