Geology of Utah

by William Lee Stokes

Book Overview

For over 50 years, William Stokes has been a steady contributor to the mapping and interpretation of Utah geology. This book is a late dividend of a long professional career that has been almost... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0940378051
• ISBN13: 9780940378056
• Release Date: January 1989
• Publisher: Utah Museum of Natural History
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 0.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.0" x 0.8" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A masterpiece -- if you love geology, get a copy while you can!

This wonderful book is not only the leading and best introduction to the geology of Utah, but it is also an excellent introduction to the long, strange history of the Earth; so much of what makes Utah geology exciting is that it reveals patterns and processes that were operating globally. Yet there is an excellent argument for its localization: the Wasatch Front, an anomalous structure that is clearly present since the Precambrian and persists to this day, as evidence in the contrast between the flat landscape of western Utah and the precipitous rise of the Wasatch Mountains. Demarcated by earthquakes, hot springs, and abundant evidence of geologically recent vulcanism, the Wasatch Front amounts to a complex fracture zone that runs in a line, north to south, for hundreds of miles. The book begins, brilliantly I think, by placing the puzzle of the Wasatch Front before the reader; thenceforth the chapters are organized (as is the geological custom) by geological epochs. But in every chapter Stokes is mindful of what is known and what is not. For a non-expert reader, and I am among them, one of the rewards of this book is precisely this author's honesty: He not only tells you what we do not yet know, but also why what we think we know is almost certainly wrong. For example, it is abundantly clear that, during the Cretaceous period, the North American plate west of Utah must have been greatly elevated, for the general trend of erosion was from west to east, and enormous amounts of sediment were deposited over Utah's shallow seas. Yet the volume of sediment deposited is far greater than could have been produced by any known conception of western North America during this period. Adding to the mystery is the subsequent subsidence of western North America -- now called the "Great Basin" -- and its confused, convoluted geology. In comparison, east of the Wasatch Front, one finds the Colorado Plateau, one of the few areas in the Earth where sediments remain very much as they were deposited, in undisturbed, horizontal beds that accumulated sequentially. These beds, some of them thousands of feet thick, run laterally across the landscape for hundreds of miles. What makes Utah so special, geologically speaking, is the wondrous fact that relatively recently (geologically speaking, of course), the Colorado Plateau was pushed upward -- a mile upward. With a persistently arid climate, rivers coursed through the soft stone and carved majestic canyons. The scenery is very beautiful, but it is all the more amazing when one realizes that this scenery showcases the history of the known Earth, from the time of the first living creatures right down to the present. The story is magnificent, and Stokes' careful, cautious telling of the story lends it credibility and authority. This is a magnificently well researched book, written by a geologist who must have been the world's leading expert on the subject at the time. Of course, there have been new discoveries since

Wonderful book on the geology of Utah

Between this book and Hintze's similar book, Utah has some really good geology books that make the landscape come alive. Stokes helps you visualize what Utah looked like during different geologic periods and also highlights areas where the geologic record is absent such as the middle Triassic. I wore out my first book driving around the State for my work and had to purchase a replacement copy. I highly recommend this book.

Excellent coverage of Utah geology for expert or layman

A thorough discussion of the geology of Utah, from Precambrian to Quaternary. The state of Utah is unique in having representative strata of every era, so the book from front to back is a more or less seamless journey through time. On the way Stokes gives excellent reviews of the fossils, mineral deposits, and scenery, along with the mandatory topics on sedimentary and igneous rocks. The entire state of Utah is covered region by region as well as through time, and special attention is given to the Wasatch Range faults, hot springs, and theoretical formation. Excellent photos and exact locations are provided for most of the rock layers, so you can check out the strata yourself. Highly recommended for anyone interested in geology. And, if you're not interested, this may kindle the flame.