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Upheaval Dome via Crater View Trail Canyonlands National Park-Islands in the Sky, Utah
(lemmy.world)
Moderate, 1.6 mi out and back
240 ft elevation gain
Hiked 12/22/23
NPS article describing the site.
A short hike along one side of a two mile wide crater, with a large anticline/dome located in the center. Unlike many of the other geologic features in the area, this structure has been heavily deformed- leaving a mystery as to how. Prevailing theories are a collapsed salt dome or a meteor impact.
Sign post describing Upheaval Dome with diagrams which will be read left to right, top to bottom:
A Mystery
Upheaval Dome is a mystery The rock layers below you are fractured and tilted, forming a circular depression more than two miles wide. How did it form? Scientists propose two potential causes: a salt dome that cracked and tilted the rock over time, or a violent meteorite impact that instantly fractured the rock. Recent findings support the meteorite hypothesis, but questions remain. With more research, we may solve the mystery of this crater and others on our planet.
A slow-moving salt dome?
-About 300 million years ago, a salty inland sea covered the area.
-A large basin trapped the sea, which then evaporated, leaving behind thousands of feet of salt
-Wind and water deposited more sediment, pushing down on the softer salt layer and causing it to dome upwards.
-Over time the salt rose, fracturing and distorting the rock layers in its path.
-Water eroded the salt and overlying sediment, exposing the distorted crater visible today.
An instantaneous meteorite impact?
-About 200 million years ago, a meteor hurtled towards earth.
-The meteor hit the ground with so much force it vaporized on impact.
-The force of the impact fractured the rock, creating a large crater.
-Rock layers rebounded inward and upward to fill the void.
-Erosion exposed the tilted broken core of the impact site.
A view showcasing the majority of the dome as well as a portion of the two mile wide crater surrounding it. Some Junipers and shrubs may be seen growing along the crater rim on the closest side.
A view away from the dome area, with large rock outcrops looming over an unseen cliff and a few small patches of snow visible. Behind the outcrops in the distance, several towering buttes may be seen that almost look like a painting through the mild haze.
there doesn't seem to be anything here