About This Item

Share This Item

The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

Utah Geological Association

Abstract


Environmental and Engineering Geology of the Wasatch Front Region, 1995
Pages 521-532

Gilbert’s Vanishing Deltas: A Century of Change in Pleistocene Deposits of Northern Utah

Marjorie A. Chan, Mark R. Milligan

Abstract

Deltas and shoreline deposits of Pleistocene Lake Bonneville, exposed along the Wasatch Front of northern Utah, are a geologic resource with great historical, scientific, and environmental importance. In the last century, increased societal demands along the heavily populated Wasatch Front have induced dramatic changes on the Bonneville-shoreline deposits which now show the effect of humans as geomorphic agents.

The Bonneville deposits are important to society for aquifers, sand and gravel, and land for housing, as well as scenic value. Classic Bonneville deltas with steeply dipping foresets are commonly known as Gilbert deltas, described over a hundred years ago by G.K. Gilbert; a famous geomorphologist. Although the Gilbert deltas have been highly regarded as an economic resource, they have been largely undervalued as a geologic resource. There are geomorphic, sedimentologic, hydrogeologic, and climatic aspects of the Gilbert deltas that still need to be understood and explored before the geologic resource rapidly and permanently disappears. More scientific studies on the Gilbert deltas and Lake Bonneville shorelines will contribute to a better understanding of potential geologic and seismic hazards along the Wasatch Front. Private land purchases could help preserve some of the Gilbert deltas. Without preservation of the geologic resource, the window for new scientific study and resource evaluation is very limited.


Pay-Per-View Purchase Options

The article is available through a document delivery service. Explain these Purchase Options.

Watermarked PDF Document: $14
Open PDF Document: $24