3D Geology of Exhumed Cretaceous River Channels EXPOSED in the Utah Desert (the MARS connection)

Exhumed, 3D river channel deposits of the Cretaceous Cedar Mountain Formation in northeastern Utah are perfect exposures to serve as analogs for similar deposits on Mars! NASA has been studying the geology and ichnology of these channel sandstone bodies for decades to get a better understanding of what we’re seeing in images beamed back to earth from the red planet. We’ll examine the stratigraphy, sedimentology, and ichnology of these fluvial channel sandstones to learn more about the Cretaceous landscape, salt diapirism, unconformities, and the role of mini-basins in preserving sediment. These Early Cretaceous deposits represent a time when most of western North America was being eroded and sediment was being transported to the Arctic Ocean. But salt tectonism (Halokinesis) led to preservation of fluvial deposits like these in protected low spots. The channels are well-cemented sandstone and conglomerate that resist erosion, while the surrounding, fine-grained overbank mudstone weathers away. This results in the spectacular exposure of 3D channel bodies that can even be seen on satellite images like Google earth! You won’t want to miss this exciting field trip, so let’s look at some rocks!