A Brief Report Of The Geologic History Of The Uinta Basin Related To The Uinta River Prospect

A geologic review, commemorating John Wesley Powell's historic explorations among the lofty peaks and deep canyons of the Uinta Mountains.

Previous studies have shown the Escalante Valley, Utah, is subsiding due to groundwater withdrawal. The magnitude and spatial pattern of this cm/yr.-scale subsidence is mapped with satellite data from a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) using interferometric SAR (InSAR) processing techniques.

The Green River Formation of the Uinta Basin in eastern Utah is host to not only one of the world's largest oil shale deposits, primarily in the Mahogany oil shale zone, but it also contains significant conventional oil and gas reserves in interfingering sand bodies that grade into the laterally equivalent Colton and Wasatch Formations.

Other than the Brooks Range in Alaska, the Uintas are the most prominent east/west range in the United States. They also contain the highest mountains in Utah, many of which exceed 13,000 feet, including Kings Peak at 13,528 feet -- the highest point in Utah. There are well over 1,000 natural lakes and over 400 miles of streams in this 100-mile long range in northeastern Utah. While the intended scope of this book is fairly broad, the author presents the geologic story of the Uinta Mountains with a clarity and wit that gives this book a unique and popular appeal.