Four Corners » Geology

“Uravan: A Fading Memory” by PSU student Jess Byrne and Mary Ann McGarry

Mary Ann — Thu, 21 May 2009 13:21:42 +0000

As I walked into the elementary school in Paradox Valley, CO I was led to the office where I met Jon the principal and another faculty member who informed our PSU group about their backgrounds and where they each had grown up. The female teacher’s story intrigued me, she related that the town where she was raised no longer exists. When I asked for an explanation, she told me almost everything in the community had been placed in a big hole and buried under concrete.

Uravan is a special kind of ghost town. Once an active mining district, when the perils of human exposure to certain radioactive materials was documented, the town was declared a superfund site, and the uranium and other related toxic contaminated materials were “cleaned up”. I was astonished; I couldn’t imagine my hometown becoming non-existent and having all of my childhood memories fading into a dream-like recollection. I realized the teacher I’d met could never visit her old house, or the places she use to hang out with her childhood friends. I immediately wanted to know more about the removal of this town!

Upon returning to New Hampshire and conducting some research, I learned the site of Uravan is located in Montrose County, Colorado (refer to attached map). This 680 acre site along the San Miguel River, close to the border of southeastern Utah has not only been abandoned, all that remains is a boarding house and recreation hall and posted signs warning visitors that the area may be radioactive. The town’s name is derived from compounds mined in the area-“Ura” for uranium and “Van” for vanadium. The region supplied Madame Curie with radium for her pioneering medical research, and Manhattan Project scientists for their development of the atomic bomb- a weapon used on Japan to end World War II.

The story of Uravan began in 1881 when the yellow-colored ore carnotite – a mineral that contains radium,

Carnotite

vanadium, and uranium- was discovered in the vicinity. In 1915 a mill was established, and in 1928 the U.S. Vanadium Corporation acquired the mill and started refining vanadium, a mineral primarily used to harden steel (1). In the mid-1930’s the company then built stores, a post office, a fire station, schools, a health clinic, and other recreational amenities for its employees (2). “At one time, over 800 people lived along the tree-lined streets…” (3) Active mining in the area continued through the 1950’s, and then declined in the ‘60’s and ’70’s.

View of Uravan and the river

The mining process left large volume of wastes which contaminated the air, soil and groundwater near the plant. Contaminants included radioactive products- crystals and mill tailings containing radioactive uranium and radium. Other chemicals in the tailings and ground water included heavy metals, such as lead, arsenic, cadmium and vanadium. Environmental cleanup of the site commenced in 1986 and was essentially completed by 2001. (3) Residents had to move at this time. The contaminated materials were relocated and placed in “covered containment cells” (4). Because no one now lives in the town of Uravan the health risks are considered low; the land and water are no longer being used, so Uravan is no longer considered a hazard (5)After investigating the history of Uravan, I gained a new appreciation for the EPA and other organizations that protect human health. I wonder how many former residents of Uravan suffered consequences from years of living on the contaminated site. Not only was their health compromised, but they eventually lost their town. Former residents have tried to keep their memories alive through an online memorial website (3). I certainly didn’t expect to return from my first visit to the Colorado Plateau with such an interesting Ghost town. Learning about a place that so significantly impacted American and world history had special meaning for me as a result of personally meeting a former resident.

Ore truck unloading

Bibliography

1. http://www.mii.org/Minerals/photovan.html.
2. http://coloradohistory-oahp.org/programareas/shf/articles/2002/uravan.htm.
3. http://www.uravan.com/.
4. http://www.epa.gov/Region8/superfund/co/uravan/
5. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 4 May, 2009,
6. http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/hm/rpuravan.htm#summary.
Photo of Uravan with the San Miguel River in front http://www.dregs.org/fldtrips.html.
Photo of the mineral cartonite, http://mysite.du.edu/~jcalvert/phys/uranium.htm.
Location of Uravan

Fossils on the San Juan River: Evidence of a Changed Environment

Mary Ann — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:18:13 +0000

Ammonite Fossil Next To Quarter For Scale

Rafting down the upper section of the San Juan River from Sand Island to Mexican Hat, in southeastern Utah, there is a fossil stop near the entrance of Lime Creek, after the river emerges from the canyon. While much of the San Juan River passes through colorful layers of sandstone, the fossils of note are in a dark gray limestone. Here is definite evidence that what is now desert was once covered by marine water. The ancient Paradox Sea inundated a large area in the region and teemed with the marine life whose remains are before us.

I’m not the only one with “paleo-passion” (a term possibly coined by writer Donovan Webster in his article, “The Dino Wars: Who Owns American’s Fossils”, Smithsonian Magazine, April 2009, p. 48-57), but as an earth science educator, I feel protective of even one small trace of a fossil- what’s called a “fossil mold”, an impression made in the substrate. This is the only ammonite fossil I’ve seen in its actual place of formation and so to me it is noteworthy. A thoughtless individual could damage the find, chiseling the mold out of the surrounding matrix, although I can’t imagine the tools or techniques that would be required to do so. It’s possible the true fossil form- the actual body of the animal making the mold- was removed by an eariler collector. In discussing our itinerary on the river, I make sure our guide, Brett LeCompte, working for the Four Corners Outdoor School, stops at the fossil site.

We read and hear so much on our geo-cultural travel study trip to the Colorado Plateau about policies and practices regarding how to respectfully visit Ancestral Puebloan ruins, that I am curious about laws protecting fossils. With a little research, I learn that currently fossils can be taken from private lands with permission of the owner for private collections or auction. Some fossil materials, like petrified wood, in limited quantities, may be taken from public lands without permits. However, additional legislation- the Paleontological Resources Protection Act- has been drafted mandating, “only trained, federally certified professionals be allowed to extract fossils from public lands,” (Webster, p. 56). The intent of the bill is to substanially increase penalties for illegal fossil excavation.

I wonder how much concern there is for ammonities which can be found for sell in fossil stores and on the web. Webster logged onto Ebay and found an ammonite specimen, expecting to go for $3000. Excavating specimens from their resting place eliminates the educational and scientific context, and for me the special significance and value of the fossil.

Ammonite structure

This particular fossil, resulting from ages of compression and cementation, is an invertebrate specimen, a highly developed marine mollusk belonging to the extinct family of ammonites of the cephalopod class. Similar to the shells of snails, cephalapods shells are divided into chambers. Modern members of cephalopods, like the squid and octopus have only two gills, while members of the ammonoid and nautiloid families have four gills. (I can’t imagine gills being distinguishable in a fossil.)

These living animals first appeared during the Silurian Period, approximately 400 million years ago and were abundant and widespread in oceans during the Jurassic and Cretaceous geologic periods. Ammonites are important index fossils, because they can be used to provide a relative date for the rock layer in which they are found as species evolved over time.

The shells of ammonites had hollow chambers separated by walls called septa. A tube called the siphuncle, connected the body with the chambers allowing the animal to use water or air to change its buoyancy in order to rise or drop in the ocean. Only the last and largest chamber was occupied by the living animal. Ammonites vary greatly in size, the largest early forms could be 15 feet. Shell shapes varied as well; some can be snail like and others are uncoiled.

Ammonites fed on plankton and lived exclusively in marine environments and so their presence indicate the location of prehistoric seas. Now, the arid West means little vegetation covers the rocks, making fossils like ammonites easier to find. The limestone and other sedimentary layers of rock deposited in ancient environments are now being exposed, revealing what this corner of the world was once like. For me, this fossil stop is as rich a window into the past as any of the human related historical sites we visit.

Rowing through the Paradox Formation

Travelling along this river by boat, takes you back in time, not only to the time of Ancestral Puebloans, but to a period where the environment was very different. In relation, our modern concerns about how climate change might impact a particular region, seem so anthropomorphically insignificant.

A nice animated image show several perspectives of an ammonite can be found at: http://www.paleodirect.com/ammonites.htm, accessed on 3-27-09.

First Impressions of Arches National Park

Mary Ann — Wed, 10 May 2006 13:34:20 +0000

Driving down US 191, just north of Moab (the largest town in southeast Utah), red arches of Entrada sandstone began to emerge in the distance. The sun was midway over the red sandstone cliffs along the northern edge of Moab. It was 8:00 am and music was blasting on the rental Suburban stereo as our sport utility vehicle full of Plymouth State University students winds up the steep mountain road, past the ranger station, and up several steeper mountain sections. Dark shadows were still cast on some areas of the road where the sun had not quite made it up over the sculptured red rocks. The Suburban automatically shifted gears as we passed the sandy desert terrain that expanded as far as the eyes could see on both sides of the road. A perfectly upright column loomed in front of us as we passed the sections of the park known as Park Avenue and Courthouse Towers. These sections are comprised of monolithic spires and ridges of rock standing isolated in otherwise mostly flat, desert terrain. They have been featured in many films, including Thelma and Louise. As we continued on our geological journey, we crossed over a switchback that led us through an open, undulating landscape of petrified sand dunes and eroded pinnacles (www.americansouthwest.net), until we entered the Windows Section of the park.

The Windows Section was the first major location of arches and other geological formations that we could view from the road, including Double Arch, Cove Arch, and Balanced Rock. As we continued down the road, we passed a vantage point for the viewing of the Delicate Arch, the most famous arch in the park, and the Utah state symbol. When you visit Utah, look closely at the license plates, and you will see this arch displayed on the Utah Centennial plates.

The often snow capped blue La Sal Mountains near the Colorado border became more distinct as they stood out drastically from the brilliantly colored features of the Fiery Furnace as we continued up the road. The Fiery Furnace is an intricate maze of eroded red and cream-colored ridges with narrow gullies between them (www.americansouthwest.net). A few minutes later, we arrived at the trailhead.

When we began the 6 mile loop trail I had no idea that it would lead us to 8 major arches, including Landscape Arch, the longest arch in the world. My head was not filled with any preconceived notions because, before our Plymouth State University sponsored trip, I had never heard of Arches National Park. I had never seen any pictures, websites, or postcards. The Grand Canyon and Yosemite were the only national parks I had been familiar with and that is because I have been to the Grand Canyon and Yosemite is popular for rock climbing, which is one of my interests. I live on the East coast and state parks are what I grew up learning about. The idea of national parks was foreign to me. Since visiting Arches National Park I have expanded my interest in learning about these parks and what they were created to protect. National parks are no longer foreign to me because I was able to visit both Mesa Verde National Park and Arches National Park during my trip.

It is astonishing to me that the trail I hiked with the rest of the group was only a portion of 73,000 scenic acres of the most prestigious geological formations in the world. Our group spent almost an entire day hiking, observing, and learning about the natural sandstone arches. This amount of time was adequate considering my present knowledge of geology and the fact that I wouldn’t be able to actually study the arches like many of the geologists that travel to the park. As an avid bicycle rider, I would like to return to the area to bike the road that navigates through the park. I would like to ride with my father who has never traveled to a national park or seen anything as naturally brilliant as the arches that I witnessed in the park.

History is all around us, but rarely can you view such extraordinary geological features depicting millions of years of natural time-driven changes in one place. This place is Arches National Park, just north of Moab, Utah.

–Matt Stanton

Research and Reflections on Visiting Arches for the first time

Mary Ann — Wed, 03 May 2006 17:04:05 +0000

Arches National Park is 76,519 acres or 119 square miles long and lies in Utah. The park lies atop underground salt beds; basically a sea flowed into the region and eventually evaporated leaving behind the salt. The salt bed was eventually covered with an ocean that deposited sediments that accumulated and compressed to form sediemtnary rock. The salt beds were not stable under pressure and shifted and moved. Some sections of the rock were thrust upward into domes, while other sections dropped, and faults resulted, where arches could start to form. At one time the overlying layer of rock may have been more than a mile thick before erosional processes set to work. Fins are walls of more resistant rock that remain from differential erosion and arches form in fins. (http://www2.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/arch/).

Landscape Arch, located in the park at Devils Garden, stretches over 300 feet in length and is one of the largest arches in North America. In 1973 it was decided that in order for a hole in the rock to be considered an arch it had to have an opening of at least three feet. Even if the opening is one inch high, as long as it is three feet long, it counts as an arch. (http://www2.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/arch/).

In 1991 a slab of rock about 60 feet long, 11 feet wide and 4 feet thick fell from the underside of Landscape Arch, leaving behind an even thinner ribbon of rock. Luckily no one was injured and excitingly a person photographed it when it was in the middle of falling (http://www.arches.national-park.com/info.htm#geo).

Over 200 species of vertebrates and hundreds of species of invertebrates inhabit the park. Only with a keen eye will one see any organisms because they have adapted to the high desert conditions which means they’re not too active during the heat of the day. I remember starting the a hike on the Devil’s Garden Trailhead in the Park and seeing many lizards jetting into the shade, trying to avoid the sun as much as possible. Most animals simply avoid the extremes by staying in burrows or in the shade of a tree during the day and venturing out to feed in the evening. For example, the kangaroo rat, well known for its ability to tolerate desert environments, retreats underground during the day. (http://www.arches.national-park.com/info.htm#geo).

There are more than 100 other plant species in the park, but the rock formations impressed me more than any plant communities. Mountain mahogany and cliff rose often grow alongside and take advantage of the moisture that the Pinon and Juniper roots have penetrated (http://www.arches.national-park.com/info.htm#geo).

The beautiful scenery was something I had never seen before; looking out over miles and miles of land, arches, and canyons is certainly something I will never forget. I felt like Indiana Jones in the Last Crusade (http://www.moabutah.com/Resources/Arches.php).

–Chris Matthews

Learning about A Navajo Legacy- Canyon de Chelly

Mary Ann — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 17:16:37 +0000

One of the neatest places I visited while out West was Canyon de Chelly in Chinlee, AZ. The “Chelly” is pronounced “shay” and not as it is looks. I found out that this is a big deal with the native residents, they get very upset if the name is pronounced wrong. The canyon is designated as a National Monument and is home to much fascinating history. I had been told that it was a neat place by both my professor and the regional coordinators I was with, but seeing it in person was a whole different story. As we did not have a guide with us and were limited on time, we were only able to visit certain areas of the monument, but each was well worth it. Navajo guides are required to be with you to visit many areas of the canyon due to the immense amount of historical artifacts and mainly because many Navajo still live on this land as they traditionally did. The guides serve to make sure the inhabitants of the canyon are not disturbed, and the guides also serve as interpreters, describing unique aspects of the area.

As we drove along the winding South Rim Drive of Canyon de Chelly, I could only catch glimpses of canyon walls off to the left. We drove until we seemed to come to the end of the canyon, where we turned off onto a side road. This brought us to the Spider Rocks overlook. As you cannot see the Spider Rocks from the parking area, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but as I rounded the trail and they came in to view, I was immensely impressed. The Spider Rocks are two 800 ft twin towers sitting in the middle of the canyon. I was told by one of the coordinators that Navajo legend states that a woman, known as Spider Woman, lives on top of one of these rocks. Mainly told to children, the story states that if someone was bad or was to climb to the top of the rock, they would fall victim to the Spider Woman and their bones would rest upon the top of the rock forever.

The second area we stopped at is known as the White House Ruins. The ruins cannot be seen from the road and one must hike 1.5 mi down into the canyon to reach them. This is the only area within the canyon walls that someone can visit without a guide. The hike down was fun, yet frightening at times due to the fact that we were basically winding our way down a steep rock face. There were a few tunnels to pass through and many small lizards running about the rocks. Once down on the canyon floor, we came upon a farm with a Navajo Hogan in the middle of a field. The Hogan is used by the Navajo as a place for meetings, spiritual undertakings, and many other things. These structures play an important role in Navajo life and are found next to nearly every house on the reservation. Passing the farm, we came to a stream bed with a small foot bridge crossing it. As we crossed the bridge we came upon a herd of sheep, most likely belonging to one of the inhabitants of the canyon. I remembered being somewhat surprised because they looked different from the sheep I am used to in New England.

As we rounded the bend we came upon some Navajo people with several tables of merchandise. I was told by the regional coordinator that they could actually get in trouble for selling things there because they needed a permit to sell in the area and permits were not usually given to sell down by the ruins. I didnâ€™t really know how to feel about this because I felt like it was their land, and selling souvenirs seems to be a big source of income for them. But I don’t know all the logistics surrounding the situation so I cannot judge. As we passed the merchants, the ruins came into view. I was in awe because the sun was hitting them just right so they looked majestic. I had seen other ruins on the trip, but these seemed different somehow. The White House Ruins are left from when the ancestral puebloan, formerly referred to as the Anasazi, inhabited the canyon, around 1200 years ago and are some of the oldest in Canyon de Chelly. Anasazi, is said to be a Navajo word for “ancient enemy” and so is considered to be culturally insensitive, (Secrets of the Range Creek Ranch, Smithsonian, March 2006, p. 74.) They ruins are set into the wall at the bottom of a 500 foot cliff and are well preserved. As we left the ruins and started the trek back up the canyon, I tried to imagine what it would have been like to live in this place hundreds of years ago. Even though the hike back up in the intense noontime sun was rough, it was still well worth it to have experienced one of Arizona’s natural treasures. –

Alyssa Langley

Geologic Discoveries from the Field, Badlands in New Mexico!

Mary Ann — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 17:43:40 +0000

Driving south out of Farmington, New Mexico on Highway 271, to visit a school on the Navajo Reservation, we happened by a sign for the Bisti Badlands. As a science educator teaching Earth Science at Plymouth State University, I had to explore further. I learned the Bisiti/De-na-zin Badlands is a federally designated wilderness area. About 36 miles south of Farmington, there is a brown interpretive historical marker on the west side of the highway, and then a marked gravel road turns east off the highway leading to a parking area. The road continues past the parking area, but deadends at a fence across the road making a loop drive impossible, we tried. At the parking lot, there is a wire fence with a gate to allow hikers through. The entry is posted ˜No motorized vehicles”. There doesn’t appear to be a clear, marked hiking trail. We later found a description in the Best Western Guest Directory claiming the best formations are about a two mile hike from the parking area. The rest of the description read, ˜Once home to dinosaurs, [the Bisti Badlands] now offers excellent photographic opportunities of its strange and unique formations.” The highway historical marker reads, “The highly scenic badlands of the Bisti were created by the erosion and weathering of interbedded shale, sandstone and coal formations into unusual forms. The area is also rich in fossil flora and fauna. 3,946 acres of the Badlands were designated a Wilderness Area by Congress in 1984 to preserve their scenic and cultural value. The Wilderness is protected by federal law.”

I found another reference in, ‘Hiking The Southwest’s Geology: Four Corners Region’, by Ralph Lee Hopkins, 2002, Moutaineers Books, p. 237-239. Some of my questions were answered about the age and unusually vibrant red color of the rocks. I learned from Hopkins that the eroded sedimentary rocks are of the Cretaceous Fruitland Formation. In the register box by the gate there were pieces of petrified wood. Hopkins also explained that the dark bands of rocks we saw are organic-rich shales intermized with thin coal seams.

Most interesting to me, was Hopkin’s explanation about the formation of the most colorful, pinkish-red rocks, known as ‘clinker’. Apparently, burning coal layers beneath oxidized or ‘cooked’ these sedimentary sandstone and shale rock layers above. “The burning is a natural process sparked by lightning when coal beds are at or near the surface. Erosion has now exposed the clinker beds” (p. 239). Regretfully, we didn’t hike far enough to notice the petrified wood marking the channels of ancient streambeds. I was also curious about what kind of fossil fauna could be found as referenced on the highway marker and learned from Hopkins that there are dinosaur tracks and bones (of tridactyls) discovered in the same geologic layer not too far from the Designated Wilderness Area.

I realized we should have been more persistent in our explorations, when I learned what we had missed and only later read about in texts. Fortunately, the fabulous, maneuverable virtal tour of the Bisti Badlands, fills in the pictures, until I can return: http://jux2position.com/jux2position.html. Click on the lower left image of the Bisti Badlands to start your tour. You can see the badland hoodoo formations (formed by differential erosion of softer shale versus overlying sandstone caprocks) up close for yourself.

Another intriguing website, http://www.robertchavez.com/chavez/bisti/index.html, with the photos of aptly named formations like, “Alice in Wonderland”, “The Dali”, “The Cracked Eggs”, “The Hammer”, “The Mars Area”, and individual rocks with names like, “the duck” and “the lips”, convinced me, to return.

The more I’ve learned, the more I’ve decided the area warrants further exploration on my next trip.

I still have questions about the dinosaurs that roamed the area and details about turtle fossils I heard had been found in the area from a Farmington science educator.

It is nice to know that with so many nationally recognized, significant parks and monuments in the Four Corners area, there are still relatively unexplored, less frequentely visited geologic gems.

–Mary Ann McGarry, instructor

Welcome to the first blog about a trip to the Four Corners

Mary Ann — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 13:58:42 +0000

This is the first post about a bio-geo-cultural education course on the Colorado Plateau. The Plymouth State University (PSU) travel study course is visiting the four corners region of the United States March 16-27th. We will be sharing our experiences and learning about this region before, during, and after the trip. Highlights of our trip will include raftering the San Juan River, exploring Ancestral Puebloan rock art and ruins, examining Southwest geology, visiting culural sites, and interacting with teachers and students from diverse Mormon, Navajo, and other reservation schools. This course is part of the Bioregional Outdoor Education Project, a program of the Four Corners School.

The PSU students will be assisting with a book project, entitled, ‘Discovering our Watershed: Voices and Images from students on the Colorado Plateau.’ If you’re a student in grades K-8 living on the Colorado Plateau you are eligible to submit an entry, by May 1st, 2006. Entries can be poetry, artwork, interviews, or essays about the Colorado River Watershed on the Colorado Plateau.

If you decide to follow our journey, a bonus feature is that a PSU librarian will be assisting us in answering questions that arise as we explore the region.

–Mary Ann McGarry, instructor

Four Corners » Geology

“Uravan: A Fading Memory” by PSU student Jess Byrne and Mary Ann McGarry

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