The Earth Story

Paternoster Lakes Paternoster lakes are just one of the many beautiful landforms left behind by glaciers. Melt from alpine glaciers is often dammed by a series of terminal moraines (ridges of rocks and sediment left behind by a receding glacier). As water collects behind these moraines, it forms a string of pristine mountain lakes, which are often connected by a stream. How did these lakes get their name? Many think they resemble a string of rosary beads, and paternoster means “Our Father” in Latin. -CM Photo credit: Mine

Gopro view from a wingsuit flight over the Wasatch Mountains, Utah. Watch for the pilot’s shadow! (do you call them pilots? I have no idea!)

marshall__miller

Chasing #shadows down #wangsoverwasatch summer edition.

The Wasatch Range

This panoramic photo shows a wonderful example of Basin and Range topography. This is the snow-covered Wasatch Range in Utah just outside of Salt Lake City; picked because I think this range in winter is particularly picturesque.

Take a look at the side of the mountains facing you. Can you see how the slopes form triangular shapes? This setup, known as “triangular facets” are acommon feature formed by normal faults. Normally, mountain ranges grow channels and ridges off their sides as they erode, but when those ridges are cut by normal faults, the ground sinks down, leaving a triangle shape facing you.

The Wasatch Range is one of the many ranges in the Western U.S. bounded by Basin and Range normal faults (more here: https://tmblr.co/Zyv2Js2eV_zoD)

-JBB

Image credit: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/WasatchMountainsSaltLakeCountyWestSide.jpg

Drone maneuvering through a tiny window in the Wasatch Mountains

WIllard Bay State Park, on the plains of the Great Salt Lake

Eddy

Morning light rolls across the Wasatch Range, Utah

American Fork Canyon, Wasatch Mountains, utah.

Not the most hospitable environment rainfall-wise, but hard to beat the view.

The Wasatch Range This panoramic photo shows a wonderful example of Basin and Range topography. This is the snow-covered Wasatch Range in Utah just outside of Salt Lake City; picked because I think this range in winter is particularly picturesque. Take a look at the side of the mountains facing you. Can you see how the slopes form triangular shapes? This setup, known as “triangular facets” are a common feature formed by normal faults. Normally, mountain ranges grow channels and ridges off their sides as they erode, but when those ridges are cut by normal faults, the ground sinks down, leaving a triangle shape facing you. The Wasatch Range is one of the many ranges in the Western U.S. bounded by Basin and Range normal faults. -JBB Image credit: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/WasatchMountainsSaltLakeCountyWestSide.jpg