The Quaternary Period of geologic time encompasses the last ice age (Pleistocene Epoch) to the present (Holocene and Recent Epochs). Studying this period provides geologic models applicable to the present (defining times and locations of recent faulting that may recur, determining what forces have shaped current geography, etc.) and the past (interpretations of pre-Quaternary events are often based on what we see happening now).

Bulletins

Salt deformation in the Paradox region, 1988, 93 p. $10.45 B-122
1) Geology of Salt Valley anticline and Arches National Park, Grand County, Utah by H.H. Doelling; 2) Evidence for Quaternary deformation in the Salt Valley anticline, southeastern Utah, by C.G. Oviatt; 3) Late Cenozoic gravity tectonic deformation related to the Paradox salts in the Canyonlands area of Utah, by P.W. Huntoon
The paper by Doelling studies one of the salt anticlinal structures in the Paradox basin; stratigraphy and structure are discussed with examples of how salt has been involved in shaping the landscape. Oviatt presents evidence that Quaternary structures have been folded, faulted, and otherwise deformed. He identifies datable ash beds involved in the deformation and indicates that dissolution and diapirism may still be active in the Salt Valley region. Huntoon discusses deformation mechanisms in the rocks overlying the salt: salt flowage, salt dissolution, and gliding of the rocks above the salt. He believes these processes became active due to the erosion of the Colorado River and its tributaries and they continue today.

Engineering geology of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, Utah, W.R. Lund, editor, 1990, 66 p. $8.75 B-126
Nine papers cover various aspects of engineering geology and the Quaternary history of the Wasatch Front area. Geologic exposures in the area record a long history of sedimentation and tectonic activity extending back to the Precambrian Era. The city lies above a deep, sediment-filled basin flanked by two uplifted range blocks, the Wasatch Range and the Oquirrh Mountains. Mineral resources have played an important role in the development of Salt Lake City. The Bingham mining district in the Oquirrh Mountains is one of the world's largest copper producers. Industrial rocks and minerals include cement, construction aggregate, crushed stone, industrial sand, and clay. The oil and gas potential of the Salt Lake Valley has not been thoroughly explored but probably is low. Numerous geologic hazards exist in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. Movement on faults may cause ground rupture, ground shaking, tectonic displacement, ground failure including liquefaction, and seiches on the Great Salt Lake. Steep slopes create the potential for landslides, rock falls, debris flows, and snow avalanches. Streams and the Great Salt Lake experience flooding, and high ground-water conditions are common.

Quaternary tectonics of Utah with emphasis on earthquake-hazard characterization, by Suzanne Hecker, 157 p., 2 pl., 1:500,000, 1993 $17.50 B-127
Essentially two maps: Quaternary faults and folds, and Quaternary volcanic rocks and vents, plus an extensive report on information compilation and derivatrion. A comprehensive reference on fault-specific seismic sources and surface rupture. Existing information demonstrates that Quaternary crustal deformation, principally normal faulting, is concentrated in a zone coincident with the Intermountain seismic belt. Large structures with late Quaternary activity include the Wasatch fault zone in the north, the Hurricane and Sevier fault zones in the south.

Maps

Flood hazards from lakes and failures of dams in Utah, by K.M. Harty and G.E. Christenson, 1:750,000, 8 p., 1 pl., 1988 $7.95 M-111
Because some of the greatest potential for damage from flooding occurs along densely populated areas of the Wasatch Front, this map serves as a general guide to hazard areas there as well as in the rest of the state. Depiction of shoreline flooding areas (including Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake), and flood paths in the event of dam failure. Material was compiled from published and unpublished maps, historical counts, dam failure inundation studies, and other sources.

Geologic map of the Tule Valley, west-central Utah, by Dorothy Sack, 26 p., 1 pl., 1:100,000, 1990 $7.95 M-124
A study of the Quaternary geologic history of the Tule Valley in Millard and Juab Counties just west of the Sevier Desert (see Special Study 70) and south of Fish Springs Flat (see Special Study 77). This is one of a series of studies of this section of the Basin and Range physiographic province. The map displays sediments deposited within alluvial, eolian, lacustrine, mass-wasting, playa, and spring environments and subsets of them while the accompanying booklet details the environments, discusses relationships with Lake Bonneville, formulates a history for the area, and defines hazards as well as aspects of economic geology. Lake Bonneville shorelines are shown on the map as Bonneville, Provo, top of the null zone, and bottom of the null zone. Geomorphic and stratigraphic evidence indicate that the bottom of the null zone is the highest transgressive Lake Tule shoreline.

Landslide map of Utah, by K.M. Harty, 28 p., 2 sheets, 1:500,000, 1991 $7.95 M-133
Nearly 10,000 landslides are compiled on the state map and are differentiated as: 1) shallow and deep-seated landslides and lateral-spread failures; 2) surficial materials that include landslide deposits; 3) historical and older landslides; 4) landslides compiled from generalized and detailed source maps. The accompanying text defines landslide types, lists the formations commonly involved, and includes the 470+ references used in the compilation.

Quaternary geologic map of Skull Valley, Tooele County, Utah, by Dorothy Sack, 16 p., 1 pl., 1:100,000, 1993, $7.95 M-150
This area was subjected to a long period of aridity before becoming an arm of late Pleistocene Lake Bonneville. After the Bonneville lacustral cycle, only the lowest elevations were inundated during the highest levels of Great Salt Lake. The map shows 15 Quaternary map units.

Quaternary geologic map of the Upper Weber River Basin drainage, Summit County, Utah, by C.G. Oviatt, 10 p., 1 pl., 1:50,000, 1994, $7.95 M-156

Quaternary geology of the Old River Bed and vicinity, Millard, Juab, and Tooele Counties, Utah, by C.G. Oviatt, Dorothy Sack, and T.J. Felger, 24 p., 1 pl., 1:62,500, 1994 M-161 $7.95
This report describes the Quaternary geology and Quaternary geologic history of much of the northern part of the Sevier Desert. It extends the mapping by Oviatt northward to and beyond the overflow threshold of the Sevier Lake basin including much of The Old River Bed, an abandoned river valley that formed during the most recent episode of overflow. The map area includes the following 7.5-minute quadrangles: Table Mountain, Coyote Springs, Indian Springs, Keg Mountain Ranch, Erickson Wash SW, the Hogback, Crater Bench Reservoir, Fumarole Butte, and Baker Hot Springs.

Surficial geologic map of the Nephi segment of the Wasatch fault zone, eastern Juab County, Utah, by K.M. Harty, W.E. Mulvey, and M.N. Machette, 14 p., 1 pl., 1:50,000, 1997, M-170 $8.95
The Nephi segment of the Wasatch fault runs from north of Payson to south of Nephi and has been active within 1,200 years (possibly 300-500 years ago) - the youngest surface-faulting event on the Wasatch fault.

Surficial geologic map of the West Cache fault zone and nearby faults, Box Elder and Cache Counties, Utah, by Barry J. Solomon, 20 p., 2 pl., 1:50,000, 3/99 M-172 $8.95

Quaternary fault and fold database and map of Utah, by Bill D. Black, Suzanne Hecker, Michael D. Hylland, Gary E. Christenson, and Greg N. McDonald, CD-ROM, scale 1:500,000, ISBN 1-55791-593-8, 2/03, Map 193DM $24.95; paper copy of only plotted map $19.95
Represents the most up-to-date and comprehensive information on the 212 known active faults and related geologic structures in Utah. The statewide map categorizes faults based on their most recent movement and their slip rate (measure of fault activity) and shows where detailed geologic fault studies have been undertaken. The database contains information useful in preliminary evaluations of fault hazards in Utah. It also reflects how little is known about many of the active faults in the state. Detailed studies have largely focused on Utah's most active fault, the Wasatch fault, and other faults in or near the densely populated Wasatch Front. With few exceptions, active faults elsewhere in the state have received little to no detailed study.

A series of maps at 1:100,000 depicts landslides compiled by Kimm M. Harty from published and unpublished sources and depicted as occurring in historical time or as older slides. For a list see the Landslide and Flood Publication List.

Special Studies

Geologic excursions in volcanology: eastern Snake River Plain (Idaho) and southwestern Utah, Geological Society of America guidebook- Part III, edited by K.D. Gurgel, 1983, 55 p. $6.50 SS-61
1) Holocene basaltic volcanism along the Great Rift, central and eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho, by M.A. Kuntz et al.; 2)Mid-Tertiary history of the central Pioche-Marysvale igneous belt, southwestern Utah, by M.G. Best and J.D. Keith.
The first paper is a road log and summary of Holocene volcanic activity in the eastern half of the Snake River Plain. At least eight basaltic lava fields are believed to be less than 20,000 years old.

Geologic excursions in neotectonics and engineering geology in Utah, Geological Society of America Guidebook - Part IV, edited by K.D. Gurgel, 1983, 109 p. $11.00 SS-62
1) Paleoseismicity along the Wasatch Front and adjacent areas, central Utah, by A.J. Crone; 2) Paleoseismic investigations along the Wasatch Fault zone, an update, by D.P. Schwartz et al.; 3) Amount of displacement and estimated age of a Holocene surface faulting event, eastern Great Basin, Millard County, Utah, by A.J. Crone; 4) Late Cenozoic faulting in Heber and Keetley Valleys, northeastern Utah, by J.T. Sullivan and A.R. Nelson; 5) Lake Bonneville stratigraphy, geomorphology, and isostatic deformation in west-central Utah, by D.R. Currey et al.; 6) Geologic aspects of upper Stillwater damsite Bonneville Unit, Central Utah Project, Utah, by J.L. Rogers; 7) Engineering geologic problems along Utah's urban corridor, by B.N. Kaliser.
Two-day trip guidebook covers recent advances and unresolved problems related to neotectonics in the vicinity of the Wasatch Front. The spectacular Wasatch Range front which contributes so much to scenery is the product of extensive Tertiary and Quaternary tectonism along the Wasatch fault zone. About 85 percent of the residents of Utah reside near the front. It has long been recognized that movement along the fault zone has continued into the Holocene; because of this recent history of recurrent movement on the fault zone, a large part of Utah's population is exposed to a serious seismic hazard. Evaluating the level of this hazard is the focus of a continuing, multi-disciplinary research effort.

Contributions to Quaternary geology of the Colorado Plateau (San Juan County, Utah) by G.E. Christenson, C.G. Oviatt, J.F. Shroder and R.E. Sewell, 1985, 85 p. $5.50 SS-64
1) Quaternary geology of the Montezuma Creek-Lower Recapture Creek area, San Juan County, Utah, by G.E. Christenson; 2) Late Quaternary geomorphic changes along the San Juan River and its tributaries near Bluff, Utah, by C.G. Oviatt; 3) Mass movement in the La Sal Mountains, Utah, by J.F. Shroder and R.E. Sewell.
The Colorado Plateau is a unique area for the study of Quaternary deposits and processes since it has been the site of continuous stream downcutting, cliff retreat, and landscape denudation during much of this period. As a result, the Quaternary record is incomplete and the history must be pieced together from detailed study of the isolated outcrops that remain. Papers presented in this volume include both detailed and reconnaissance studies representing new information in areas not previously studied and reinterpretations in areas previously studied in detail.
Quaternary deposits of all types are addressed to some extent, with emphasis on alluvial and eolian deposits along the northern tributaries to the San Juan River and mass movement/glacial deposits in the La Sal Mountains.

Quaternary geology of part of the Sevier Desert, Millard County, Utah, by C.G. Oviatt, 41 p., 1 pl., scale 1:100,000, 1989 $8.25 SS-70
This report describes the Quaternary geology and Quaternary geologic history of part of the Sevier Desert in east-central Millard County, Utah. This report is one of the first attempts to map in a systematic way the Quaternary deposits and landforms in a large area of the Basin and Range physiographic province of western Utah. The map area encompasses eighteen 7.5' topographic maps and includes the towns of Delta, Hinkley, and Deseret. This area was chosen because it contains surficial deposits, volcanic rocks, and structures typical of the Sevier Desert as a whole.

Quaternary geology of the Black Rock Desert, Millard County, Utah, by C.G. Oviatt, 1991, 23 p., 1 pl., 1:100,000 $6.50 SS-73
Surficial deposits in the Black Rock Desert of west-central Utah, in an area encompassing 12 7.5-minute topographic quadrangles, were mapped at a scale of 1:100,000. The Black Rock Desert is the southern extension of the Sevier Desert between the Cricket Mountains and the Pavant Range, and lies mostly between altitudes of 4650 feet (1420 m) and 6000 feet (1800 m). Surficial deposits in the map area consist of fine-grained lacustrine deposits of late Tertiary to Quaternary age (including deposits of Lake Bonneville), deltaic and alluvial deposits of the Beaver River, and coarser grained lacustrine and alluvial deposits in piedmont areas.
The map area also contains Tertiary and Quaternary basalt lava flows, rhyolite lava domes, and volcanic vents. Quaternary faults cut deposits of all ages.

Fault behavior and earthquake recurrence on the Provo segment of the Wasatch fault zone at Mapleton, Utah County, Utah, by W.R. Lund, D.P. Schwartz, W.E. Mulvey, K.E. Budding, and B.D. Black, 1991, 41 p. $7.75 SS-75
Trenches were excavated across the Wasatch fault zone in the southern part of Utah Valley. The study refined data on the size and timing of prehistoric earthquakes along the Wasatch and determined a single rupture segment (the Provo segment as proposed in previous studies rather than subdividing into the American Fork, Provo restricted, and Spanish Fork segments). Calendar-calibrated radiocarbon dates constrain the timing of the most recent surface faulting at 600 80 yr B.P. with an estimated vertical tectonic displacement of 1.4 to 3.0 m (4.6-9.8 ft). The penultimate event occurred shortly before 2,820 (+150, -130) yr B.P.

Paleoseismic analysis of the Wasatch fault zone at the Brigham City trench site, Brigham City, Utah and the Pole Patch trench site, Pleasant View, Utah, by S.F. Personius, 39 p., 1991 $6.50 SS-76
The Brigham City trench was excavated and logged in September and October 1986 across a fault scarp on the Bowden Canyon alluvial fan on the eastern outskirts of Brigham City, Utah, during field investigations and mapping of the Brigham City segment of the Wasatch fault zone. Trenching studies in the Brigham City area were part of a larger effort to better define the timing of individual surface-faulting earthquakes along the more populated parts of the Wasatch fault zone. This report begins with a description of the Quaternary geologic setting of the region and some of the stratigraphic and structural relations in the Brigham City trench. The report continues with a description of the most likely sequence of faulting events and a discussion of the dating and timing of these events and concludes with a discussion of some seismologic implications of the Brigham City trench data.

Quaternary geology of Fish Springs Flat, Juab County, Utah, by C.G. Oviatt, 16 p., 1 pl., 1:50,000, 1991 $6.50 SS-77
Fish Springs Flat is a sediment-filled valley between two tilted mountain blocks, the Thomas Range and the Fish Springs Range, in the Basin and Range physiographic province of western Utah. The valley is bordered on the north by the Great Salt Lake Desert and on the south by Whirlwind Valley. This report describes the surficial deposits of Quaternary age on the floor of Fish Springs Flat and along its peripheral piedmont slopes, an area of about 330 miles2. Deposits and landforms of Lake Bonneville, especially of the Stansbury, Bonneville, and Provo shorelines, are well preserved in the Fish Springs Flat area and provide an excellent stratigraphic record of the lake.

The number and timing of paleoseismic events on the Nephi and Levan segments, Wasatch fault zone, Utah, by Michael Jackson, 23 p., 3 pl., 1991 $6.50 SS-78
This report on the Holocene history of ground-rupturing earthquakes provides information on earthquake timing and recurrence, fault displacement, and fault geometry that is used to characterize seismic-source zones and to evaluate the long-term earthquake potential of active faults. Extensive use is made of the relatively new thermoluminescence technique to date events. The availability of a reliable dating technique usable in organic-poor, arid environments represents a significant advance in the dating of geologically recent events.

Quaternary geology of the Scipio Valley area, Millard and Juab Counties, Utah, by C.G. Oviatt, 16 p., 1 PL., 1:62,500, 1992 $6.50 SS-79
The Scipio Valley is located in central Utah between the Canyon Mountains and Pavant Range on the west, and the Valley Mountains on the east. The map area encompasses three connected valleys, Little Valley/Mills Valley in the north, Scipio Valley in the center, and Round Valley in the south. This report describes the surficial deposits of Quaternary and late Tertiary age in Round, Scipio, and Little Valleys. The area is in the transition zone between the Basin and Range and Colorado Plateaus physiographic provinces and was strongly affected by both Sevier orogenic thrust faulting and late Cenozoic normal faulting.
The map area contains basin-fill deposits of late Tertiary to early Quaternary age, and Quaternary deposits of alluvium, glacial till, and lacustrine deltaic sediments. Tertiary/Quaternary basin-fill deposits contain beds of silicic volcanic ash, and fine-grained deltaic deposits of Lake Bonneville contain the Pavant Butte basaltic ash. Later Quaternary faults cut the surficial deposits, and some of the faults in Scipio Valley may have had late Holocene surface rupture.

Seismotectonics of north-central Utah and southwestern Wyoming, by Michael W. West, 93 p., 5 pl., 1994 $16.50 SS-82
This publication concerns Quaternary faulting along the north flank of the Uinta Mountains in north-central Utah and southwestern Wyoming. More than the usual "site-specific" trench study, this report presents a comprehensive evaluation and regional synthesis of the seismotectonic setting along the Utah-Wyoming border. Results of the study provide strong evidence for Quaternary normal-slip reactivation of thrust faults along the leading edge of the Wyoming part of the Sevier orogenic belt. In addition, fault-trenching studies like this one provide critical information on earthquake timing, recurrence, displacement, fault geometry, and related earthquake-induced hazards that can be used to characterize seismic-source zones and to evaluate long-term earthquake potential and risk from active faults. The author, currently in private geologic consulting practice, is the former head of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Seismotectonic Section, which specializes in seismic-hazard evaluations of proposed and existing USBR dams. Work in the study area was initiated as part of an evaluation of the Meeks Cabin and Stateline dams on the north flank of the Uinta Mountains.

Neotectonic deformation along the East Cache fault zone, Cache County, Utah by J.P. McCalpin, 37 p., 1994 $5.50 SS-83
The East Cache fault zone trends along the east side of northern Utah's Cache Valley at the base of the Bear River Range. This report uses the results from two detailed trenching studies , an evaluation of Lake Bonneville highstand shoreline deformation, and a geomorphic analysis of Bear River Range front faceted spurs to characterize the prehistory seismic behavior and the earthquake potential of the fault zone.

The Oquirrh fault zone, Tooele County, Utah: surficial geology and paleoseismicity, edited by W.R. Lund, 64 p., 2 pl., 1:24,000, 1996, $15.95 SS-88
Surficial geology of the Oquirrh fault zone, Tooele County, Utah, by B.J. Solomon; Paleoseismic investigation of the Oquirrh fault zone, Tooele County, Utah, by S.S. Olig, W.R. Lund, B.D. Black, and B.H. Mayes

Paleoseismic investigation on the Salt Lake City segment of the Wasatch fault zone at the South Fork Dry Creek and Dry Gulch sites, Salt Lake County, Utah, by B.D. Black, W.R. Lund, D.P. Schwartz, H.E. Gill, and B.H. Mayes, 22 p., 1 pl., 1996 SS-92 $5.00
The two trench sites are in the southeastern part of the Salt Lake Valley and provide the only location on the heavily urbanized segment of this segment of the WFZ where it is possible to develop a complete surface-faulting chronology for the past 6,000 years. New information presented shows an earthquake hazard greater than previously assumed.

Miscellaneous Publications

In the footsteps of G.K. Gilbert - Lake Bonneville and neotectonics of the eastern Basin and Range Province guidebook for GSA annual meeting, edited by M.N. Machette, 1988, 120 p. pdf on CD-ROM, MP-88-1 $14.95
G.K. Gilbert is widely regarded as the greatest American geomorphologist.This volume of 21 papers is in his honor and shows how major his first studies of the area were by an analysis of the latest information and theories. The field trip guide covers the Wasatch Front from as far north as Cache Valley to American Fork Canyon, and Tooele Valley from the Stansbury Mountains to the Sevier Desert in an examination of Lake Bonneville's effects and Quaternary fault studies.

Soils as a tool for applied Quaternary geology by P.W. Birkeland, M.N. Machette, and K.M. Haller, 63 p., April 1991 $7.00 MP-91-3
This manual provides a brief summary of materials discussed during a short course entitled "Soils as a tool for applied Quaternary geology" taught May 30-June 1, 1990.
Pedology (the study of soils) and soil stratigraphy (the relation between soils and geologic units) are scientific specialties that are poorly appreciated and rarely applied to studies in Utah. The quantitative assessment of soils is both a useful relative-age technique and a paleoclimatic indicator that has widespread applicability. Soils are used in geologic mapping to assign a relative sense of age to stratigraphic frameworks and to indicate the duration of unconformities in stratigraphic sequences. In applied geology, soils can help assess the age and stability of landforms. This manual presents an overview and reviews several case studies from Utah and the western U.S. in which soils were used to solve problems in applied geology.

Proceedings volume, Basin and Range Province Seismic-Hazards Summit, edited by William R. Lund, 204 p., 12/98 MP-98-2 $16.00

Other Publications

Report to the Utah Geological Survey on the 1996 Gobi-Altay, Mongolia, paleoseismology expedition, by W.R. Lund, 14 p. + appendix, 4/97 RI-233 $2.10

Structural properties of the American Fork, Provo, and part of the Spanish Fork subsegments, Wasatch normal fault zone, Utah by Ronald L. Bruhn, Joong-Jeek Lee, and William A. Yonkee, 43 p., May 1990 $3.80 OFR-186
A discussion of the structure of the southern Wasatch fault zone between the Traverse Mountains and Springville, Utah. This includes the central and northern part of the Provo rupture segment as originally defined by Schwartz and Coppersmith. Subsequent work resulted in subdivision of this segment into three subsegments, the American Fork, Provo, and Spanish Fork subsegments as encountered from north to south. These three subsegments may not rupture independently to generate separate large earthquakes at distinct time intervals, at least at the temporal resolution available in paleoseismic information. However, the three subsegments have distinct geometry in map view.
The report is divided into three sections. Procedures used in the field and office are described in the first section. The orientation of the Wasatch fault zone, the geometrical properties of segment and subsegment boundaries and fault slip-directions are discussed secondly. The faults exposed in the footwall of the Wasatch fault zone and their implications for seismicity and structure are then described.

Quaternary geologic maps of Tooele Valley and the West Desert Hazardous Industry Area, Tooele County, Utah, by B.J. Solomon, 48p., 20 pl., 1:24,000, August 1993, OFR-296 $4.20 for text, $3.00 each plate; $64.20 for package

Collapsible soil hazard map for the Cedar City, Utah, by Tonya Williams and Kyle Rollins, 37 p., 3 pl., 1:24,000, July 1991 $12.30 CR-91-10
Several incidents of dramatic settlement have occurred in urbanized areas of Cedar City, Utah which can be attributed to the presence of collapsible soils. In order to reduce the potential for building damage in the future, a Collapse Potential Hazard Map of the Cedar City area has been prepared. This map provides an indication of the relative risks of collapsible soil hazard in the region and will assist an engineer in determining the extent of site investigation for collapsible soils which may be warranted. It may also be of assistance to planners in assessing the potential for similar problems in various areas.
It should be recognized, however, that soils are highly variable and problems may still be encountered in zones described as having low potential for collapsible soil.

Earthquake hazard evaluation of the West Valley fault zone in the Salt Lake City urban area, Utah, by J.R. Keaton and D.R. Currey, 69p., October 1993 $6.10 CR-93-7

Paleoseismicity and earthquake hazards evaluation of the West Valley fault zone, Salt Lake City urban area, Utah, by J.R. Keaton, D.R. Currey, and S,J, Olig, 55 p. plus 33 p. appendix, October 1993 $7.75 CR-93-8