Geologic Mapping in Utah - Utah Geological Survey - Utah.gov
Geologic Mapping in Utah - Utah Geological Survey - Utah.gov
Geologic Mapping in Utah - Utah Geological Survey - Utah.gov
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CONTENTS<br />
GEOLOGIC MAPPING IN UTAH .......... 1–6<br />
Digital Technology ..............................1<br />
From Field to Published Map ......... 3<br />
News and Short Notes ...................... 5<br />
GeoSights ..................................................... 7<br />
Glad You Asked ........................................... 8<br />
Energy News ............................................ 10<br />
Teacher’s Corner ..................................... 11<br />
<strong>Survey</strong> News ............................................. 12<br />
New Publications .................................... 12<br />
Design: Liz Paton<br />
Cover: UGS geologist Bob Biek exam<strong>in</strong>es Cretaceous outcrop<br />
while mapp<strong>in</strong>g on the Kolob Terrace near Zion National<br />
Park. Photo by Mike Hylland.<br />
State of <strong>Utah</strong><br />
Jon Huntsman, Jr., Governor<br />
Department of Natural Resources<br />
Michael Styler, Executive Director<br />
UGS Board<br />
Steve Church, Chair<br />
Geoff Bedell Jack Hamilton<br />
Mark Bunnell Alisa Schofield<br />
Kenneth Puchlik David Simon<br />
Kev<strong>in</strong> Carter (Trust Lands Adm<strong>in</strong>istration-ex officio)<br />
UGS Staff<br />
Adm<strong>in</strong>istration<br />
Richard G. Allis, Director<br />
Kimm Harty, Deputy Director<br />
John K<strong>in</strong>gsley, Associate Director<br />
Starr Soliz, Secretary/Receptionist<br />
Dianne Davis, Adm<strong>in</strong>istrative Secretary<br />
Kathi Galusha, Account<strong>in</strong>g Officer<br />
L<strong>in</strong>da Bennett, Account<strong>in</strong>g Technician<br />
Michael Hylland, Technical Reviewer<br />
Robert Ressetar, Technical Reviewer<br />
Editorial Staff Vicky Clarke<br />
Sharon Hamre, James Parker, Lori Douglas, Liz Paton<br />
<strong>Geologic</strong> Hazards Gary Christenson<br />
William Lund, Barry Solomon, Francis Ashland,<br />
Richard Giraud, Greg McDonald, Lucas Shaw,<br />
Chris DuRoss, Tyler Knudsen, Corey Unger<br />
Energy and M<strong>in</strong>erals David Tabet<br />
Robert Blackett, Roger Bon, Thomas Chidsey,<br />
Mike La<strong>in</strong>e, Bryce Tripp, Craig Morgan, Jeff Quick,<br />
J. Wallace Gwynn, Cheryl Gust<strong>in</strong>, Tom Dempster,<br />
Brigitte Hucka, Taylor Boden, Ken Krahulec, Valerie Davis,<br />
Stephanie Carney, Brad Wolverton, Mike Vanden Berg<br />
<strong>Geologic</strong> <strong>Mapp<strong>in</strong>g</strong> Grant Willis<br />
Jon K<strong>in</strong>g, Douglas Spr<strong>in</strong>kel, Janice Hayden, Kent Brown,<br />
Bob Biek, Basia Matyjasik, Lisa Brown, Don Clark,<br />
J. Buck Ehler, Paul Kuehne<br />
<strong>Geologic</strong> Information and Outreach Sandra Eldredge<br />
William Case, Mage Yonetani, Christ<strong>in</strong>e Wilkerson,<br />
Patricia Stokes, Mark Milligan, Rob Nielson, Jim Davis,<br />
Emily Chapman, Carole McCalla, Lance Weaver<br />
Ground Water and Paleontology Michael Lowe<br />
James Kirkland, Janae Wallace, Martha Hayden,<br />
Hugh Hurlow, Lucy Jordan, Don DeBlieux, Kim Nay,<br />
Stefan Kirby, Kev<strong>in</strong> Thomas, Rebecca Med<strong>in</strong>a,<br />
Jennifer Cav<strong>in</strong>, Walid Sabbah, Rich Emerson,<br />
Matt Affolter<br />
State Energy Program Philip Powlick<br />
Denise Beaudo<strong>in</strong>, Jason Berry, Will Chatw<strong>in</strong><br />
THE DIRECTOR’S PERSPECTIVE<br />
This issue of <strong>Survey</strong> Notes highlights<br />
the digital mapp<strong>in</strong>g technologies<br />
that the <strong>Utah</strong> <strong>Geologic</strong>al<br />
<strong>Survey</strong> (UGS) is now us<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
improve the efficiency and accuracy<br />
of <strong>Utah</strong>’s geologic maps. In comparison<br />
to the country as a whole,<br />
the percentage of the state covered<br />
by relatively detailed geologic maps<br />
is low. At present rates of mapp<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
we expect to complete geologic<br />
mapp<strong>in</strong>g of the whole state at a<br />
scale of 1:100,000 by about 2015; at<br />
the same time we are also mapp<strong>in</strong>g high-priority<br />
urban growth areas at 1:24,000. With the rapid<br />
population and economic growth <strong>in</strong> <strong>Utah</strong>,<br />
<strong>in</strong>creased awareness of natural hazards by local<br />
authorities, and an exploration boom caused by<br />
high prices for many natural resource commodities,<br />
the demand for geologic <strong>in</strong>formation has<br />
never been higher.<br />
The UGS has forwarded to the Governor’s Office<br />
of Plann<strong>in</strong>g and Budget (GOPB) its annual<br />
summary of m<strong>in</strong>eral resource production value<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>Utah</strong> for 2007 (see graph). Although the<br />
total value of $7.7 billion is 4 percent less than<br />
the record high value for 2006, the trend for<br />
the past two years is about double the average<br />
value for the 1980s and 1990s. The slight dip <strong>in</strong><br />
total value for 2007 is mostly due to a decrease<br />
<strong>in</strong> natural gas prices result<strong>in</strong>g from a local oversupply<br />
<strong>in</strong> the Rocky Mounta<strong>in</strong> region. In fact,<br />
<strong>Utah</strong>’s annual natural gas production <strong>in</strong>creased<br />
14 percent and is a record at 364 billion cubic<br />
feet. New pipel<strong>in</strong>es that are planned or under<br />
construction connect<strong>in</strong>g this region to other<br />
natural-gas-demand regions mean that the price<br />
M<strong>in</strong>eral Production (million $2007)<br />
8,000<br />
7,000<br />
6,000<br />
5,000<br />
4,000<br />
3,000<br />
2,000<br />
1,000<br />
by Richard G. Allis<br />
0<br />
uranium<br />
coal<br />
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005<br />
Source: GOPB (2008). Economic Report to the<br />
Governor, Chapter on “M<strong>in</strong>erals” by UGS<br />
oil<br />
Year<br />
differential should dim<strong>in</strong>ish dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
2008. <strong>Utah</strong>’s oil production<br />
<strong>in</strong> 2007 <strong>in</strong>creased by 9 percent<br />
to 19.5 million barrels, cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the growth trend that began<br />
<strong>in</strong> 2004 when oil prices started<br />
to rise. Coal production <strong>in</strong> 2007<br />
decreased by 10 percent to 24<br />
million tons due to m<strong>in</strong>e closures.<br />
Non-fuel m<strong>in</strong>eral production<br />
values cont<strong>in</strong>ue to be dom<strong>in</strong>ated<br />
by copper and molybdenum from<br />
the B<strong>in</strong>gham m<strong>in</strong>e. F<strong>in</strong>ally, uranium<br />
production resumed <strong>in</strong> 2007 <strong>in</strong> southeastern<br />
<strong>Utah</strong> after a 15-year lull. Expected production<br />
<strong>in</strong> 2008 should be sufficient to once aga<strong>in</strong><br />
show on the graph of total production value.<br />
The Energy Information Agency’s latest compilation<br />
of oil and gas reserves <strong>in</strong> each state has<br />
<strong>Utah</strong> at or near the top for reserve additions <strong>in</strong><br />
both oil and natural gas (EIA, 2006 annual report,http://www.eia.doe.<strong>gov</strong>/pub/oil_gas/natural_gas/data_publications/advanced_summary/<br />
current/adsum.pdf). Although total oil reserves<br />
for the U.S. decreased by 3.6 percent, <strong>Utah</strong> had<br />
the largest reserve additions (78 million barrels,<br />
or 30 percent <strong>in</strong>crease) compared to 2005<br />
reserves. <strong>Utah</strong> also had the third-largest natural<br />
gas reserve additions (850 billion cubic feet, or<br />
20 percent <strong>in</strong>crease) to the national total, which<br />
<strong>in</strong>creased by 3.3 percent <strong>in</strong> 2006. The ratio of<br />
total reserves to the annual production rate for<br />
<strong>Utah</strong> has risen to 17 years for oil and 14 years for<br />
natural gas, which is near the historical maximum<br />
for each product. Drill<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>Utah</strong> has<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ued at record high levels through 2007,<br />
with over 1100 wells spudded (Division of Oil,<br />
Gas and M<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, http://<br />
oilgas.ogm.utah.<strong>gov</strong>/<br />
Statistics/Statistics.cfm).<br />
In 2007, over 50 percent<br />
of wells exceeded 8000<br />
feet, compared to only 32<br />
percent of wells just five<br />
years earlier. The deeper<br />
drill<strong>in</strong>g is f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g new<br />
gas reserves, particularly<br />
<strong>in</strong> the U<strong>in</strong>ta Bas<strong>in</strong>. The<br />
UGS expects these suc-<br />
natural gas<br />
cesses to cont<strong>in</strong>ue, and<br />
for the m<strong>in</strong>eral resources<br />
sector to play an important<br />
part <strong>in</strong> <strong>Utah</strong>’s vibrant<br />
economy.<br />
nonfuel m<strong>in</strong>erals<br />
<strong>Survey</strong> Notes is published three times yearly by the <strong>Utah</strong> <strong>Geologic</strong>al <strong>Survey</strong>, 1594 W. North Temple, Suite 3110, Salt Lake City, <strong>Utah</strong> 84116; (801) 537-3300. The <strong>Utah</strong> <strong>Geologic</strong>al <strong>Survey</strong> provides<br />
timely scientific <strong>in</strong>formation about <strong>Utah</strong>’s geologic environment, resources, and hazards. The UGS is a division of the Department of Natural Resources. S<strong>in</strong>gle copies of <strong>Survey</strong> Notes are distributed<br />
free of charge with<strong>in</strong> the United States and reproduction is encouraged with recognition of source. Copies are available at http://geology.utah.<strong>gov</strong>/surveynotes<br />
ISSN 1061-7930