Name _________________________________ Period _____ Date ...
Name _________________________________ Period _____ Date _____________ Score _____
CHAPTER 2 - UTAH’S GEOLOGIC HISTORY
Utah was covered for millions of years by a warm, shallow sea full of small shelled animals,
fish, and then reptiles.
Shaping the land
Geologists are scientists who learn about the history of the earth by studying rocks and land
formations.
The earliest known geologic era was called the Precambrian era.
This can be seen in rock on Antelope Island.
Precambrian era was followed by the Paleozoic era which means “ancient life.”
The Mesozoic era or “middle life” came next. This is when we find the dinosaurs.
We live in the Cenozoic era. It means “recent life.”
During several periods of this era, Ice covered much of the earth.
Utah was not covered with ice but many of our mountain tops had glaciers.
Many of Utah’s mountain lakes were formed by glaciers.
Ancient Seas and Sandstorms
Sedimentary rock covers much of Utah.
It was formed when sediment, or loose sands, shells, and pebbles, drifted to the bottom of the seas and were forced together by heat and pressure into hard rock.
Fossils are formed when minerals interchange with
the organic matter of a living thing that has died
-----------
Utah’s oldest animal fossils are trilobites.
Dinosaurs
Utah’s dinosaur bones have been uncovered in layers of the Morrison Formation.
Nearly 23 complete dinosaurs and 300 partial dinosaurs have been found in Utah
The first dinosaur bones found in Utah
were discovered in 1859 near the point the
Green River meets the Colorado River.
Earl Douglass discovered dinosaur bones in the Uinta Basin in 1908.
Dinosaurs were divided into two groups;
Carnivores (meat-eating) and Herbivores (plant-eating)
Mountains Were Formed
The Rocky Mountains were slowly lifted over thousands of years.
As part of the uplift, faults, or cracks, began to form at weak spots in the earth’s crust.
In some areas, underground volcanic activity lifted large pieces of the earth’s crust without
breaking through the surface
Examples of mountains caused by this action are the LaSal, Abajo, and Henry Mountains.
Volcanoes Made a Different Kind of Rock
Igneous rock in the form of Molten, or melted rock came from deep inside the earth.
At one time, Utah was covered by active volcanoes.
Today, all of Utah’s volcanoes are extinct, or dead.
Hot springs are often formed when water from the surface travels down cracks in the crust and
comes in contact with hot rocks beneath the surface.
Utah is rich in fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are formed by the bodies of plants and animals and much
heat and pressure over millions of years.
Examples of fossil fuels are oil, natural gas, and coal.
Large coal fields were discovered in
Carbon County in the early 1880s
Utah electricity is also sold in
foreign countries like Japan
Utah also has a rich store of metals and minerals.
Utah has enough salt to satisfy the world’s needs for a thousand years.
The sand and gravel left by Lake Bonneville are used in making concrete and building highways.
The Ice Age
The last major shaping of Utah took place in the Ice Age.
The cold climate caused glaciers to form in the Wasatch and Unita Mountains.
Remains of the glaciers can be seen in thousands of small glacial lakes and the canyons that
were created as the glaciers moved downward.
Utah’s largest body of water, the Great
Salt Lake is located in the desert of
the Great Basin. It is a very shallow lake.
Lake Bonneville was Utah’s Ice Age lake.
The waves of the lake washed against the sides of the Wasatch Mountains until a flat bench,
or terrace, was formed.
About 8,000 years ago lake Bonneville overflowed and broke through at Red Rock Pass in
Cache valley.
The major remnants of Lake Bonneville are the Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake, and Sevier Lake.
After his exploring expedition in 1833, Captain Benjamin Bonneville was the first to write
about the former existence of Lake Bonneville.
At it’s largest, Lake Bonneville covered
nearly 20,000 square miles and was nearly
1000 feet deeper than the Great Salt Lake today.
Bones of some of the Ice Age animals have been found in Utah.
Archaeologists have found spear points in some of them showing that early people also lived at
that time and hunted the animals.
Natural Forces Are Still Shaping the Land Today
Wind, water, ice, and cold are the main agents of erosion.
Utah’s earthquakes do cause limited damage from time to time, but no large scale earthquake
has occurred here since written history began.
Utah has over 700 earthquakes every year.
Name _________________________________ Period _____ Date _____________ Score _____
CHAPTER 2 - UTAH’S GEOLOGIC HISTORY
Utah was covered for ________ of years by a warm, shallow sea full of small _______ animals,
fish, and then ________.
Shaping the land
__________ are scientists who learn about the history of the earth by studying rocks and land
formations.
The earliest known geologic era was called the ___________ era.
This can be seen in rock on ________ Island.
Precambrian era was followed by the _________ era which means “ancient life.”
The Mesozoic era or “______ ____” came next. This is when we find the dinosaurs.
We live in the ________ era. It means “recent life.”
During several periods of this era, ___ covered much of the earth.
Utah was not covered with ice but many of our mountain tops had ________.
Many of Utah’s mountain _____ were formed by glaciers.
Ancient Seas and Sandstorms
___________ rock covers much of Utah.
It was formed when ________, or loose sands, shells, and pebbles, drifted to the bottom of the seas and were forced together by ____ and ________ into hard rock.
Fossils are formed when ________ interchange with
the _______ matter of a living thing that has died
-----------
Utah’s oldest animal fossils are __________
Dinasours
.Utah’s dinosaur bones have been uncovered in layers of the ________ Formation.
Nearly __ complete dinosaurs and ___ partial dinosaurs have been found in Utah
The first dinosaur bones found in Utah
were discovered in ____ near the point the
Green River meets the Colorado River.
Earl Douglass discovered dinosaur bones in the _____ _____ in 1908.
Dinosaurs were divided into two groups;
__________ (meat-eating) and __________ (plant-eating)
Mountains Were Formed
The Rocky Mountains were slowly lifted over _________ of years.
As part of the uplift, ______, or cracks, began to form at weak spots in the earth’s crust.
In some areas, underground ________ activity lifted large pieces of the earth’s crust without
breaking through the surface
Examples of mountains caused by this action are the LaSal, _____, and Henry Mountains.
Volcanoes Made a Different Kind of Rock
Igneous rock in the form of ______, or melted rock came from deep inside the earth.
At one time, Utah was covered by ______ volcanoes.
Today, all of Utah’s volcanoes are _______, or dead.
___ _______ are often formed when water from the surface travels down cracks in the crust and
comes in contact with hot rocks beneath the surface.
Utah is rich in ______ fuels. Fossil fuels are formed by the ______ of plants and animals and much ____ and ________ over millions of years.
Examples of fossil fuels are oil, natural gas, and ____.
Large coal fields were discovered in
______ County in the early 1880s
Utah electricity is also sold in
foreign countries like _____
Utah also has a rich store of ______ and ________.
Utah has enough ____ to satisfy the world’s needs for a thousand years.
The sand and gravel left by ____ __________ are used in making concrete and building highways.
The Ice Age
The last major shaping of Utah took place in the ___ Age.
The cold climate caused ________ to form in the Wasatch and Unita Mountains.
Remains of the glaciers can be seen in thousands of small glacial ______ and the _______ that
were created as the glaciers moved downward.
Utah’s largest body of water, the _____
____ ____ is located in the desert of
the Great Basin. It is a very _______ lake.
Lake Bonneville was Utah’s ___ ___ lake.
The waves of the lake washed against the sides of the Wasatch Mountains until a flat bench,
or _______, was formed.
About 8,000 years ago lake Bonneville overflowed and broke through at ___________ in
Cache valley.
The major remnants of Lake Bonneville are the _____________, ________, and ______ Lake.
After his exploring expedition in 1833, Captain Benjamin __________ was the first to write
about the former existence of Lake Bonneville.
At it’s largest, Lake Bonneville covered
nearly ______ square miles and was nearly
_____ feet deeper than the Great Salt Lake today.
_____ of some of the Ice Age animals have been found in Utah.
Archaeologists have found _____ ______ in some of them showing that early people also lived at that time and hunted the animals.
Natural Forces Are Still Shaping the Land Today
Wind, water, ice, and cold are the main agents of _______.
Utah’s earthquakes do cause limited damage from time to time, but no _____ _____ earthquake
has occurred here since _______ history began.
Utah has over ___ earthquakes every year.
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