Big Cottonwood

Romeo Ali

June, 2017

Big Cottonwood Canyon is one of the more popular sites Utah has to offer. Big

Cottonwood Canyon known for many things like rock climbing, hiking trails, biking

trails, and last but not least two world-class ski resorts Utah has; Solitude and Brighton.

For first time travelers to Utah it is a must see because of all the beautiful scenic areas it

has to offer.

Big Cottonwood was formed about 20,000 years ago when the canyon was

covered by ice and was at a much higher elevation. Big Cottonwood canyon is in the

Wasatch Range 12 miles south east of Salt Lake City. The 15 mile long canyon provides

several recreational activities for outdoor lovers.

When entering the trailhead the canyon splits into different Mills, which were

named alphabetically in the 1850’s. Since Big Cottonwood once was covered by ice at a

very high elevation when driving through the canyon you’ll see a V-shape through the

valley, which is referred to as a valley glacier. The V-shape of the valley is due to erosion

of the glacier. Glaciers are moving masses of ice and snow that are formed when enough

snow accumulates to compress the lower layers into ice. Which makes for great skiing

slopes for those who come to ski on the greatest snow on earth. The mountains have

become very sharp and have rigid edges because the glacier took its toll on the

mountains. Although through most of Big Cottonwood Canyon you’ll see the formation

of a V-shape in some parts you’ll also notice a deepened and widen the V-shape that

looks more like its been turned it into the U-shaped valley, because of the plowing

glaciers. The upper part of Big Cottonwood Canyon is when the U-shape is more

apparent.

The way the land was formed is very apparent from the look of it, it happened in

the later Devonian times long, long ago. The force of the tectonic boundary from the

movement of the pacific plate when it moved toward the San Andreas was formed, and

because of that compression is how our state and its beautiful mountains were formed.

Technically Utah is described as half basin range, mountain range, and half rocky

range. With the plateau reaching as high as 2.5 miles the altitude the mountains become

more-dense closer to the end of the Cretaceous era. Taking a look at the topographic

history of the area, we find that is produced by low viscosity magma. The erosion caused

the mountain to become weaker and now it can’t support a thicker crust.

On my hike I noticed the formations around me and came to the conclusion that

our planets natural weathering pattern has everything to do with the shape and forms I

saw. I noticed different sized rocks that looked like sedimentary rocks; the varying sizes

are due to the mechanical weathering from the all the hikers that hike this canyon.

The variables of weather that we experience in our state are constantly changing

and attacking the formation of nature’s creations. During winter, the water that we have

in Big Cottonwood and other canyons in our state will filter into cracks in the earth and

will freeze due to the drop in temperatures. Later on the water will harden and expand

creating large cracks.

The frozen ice causes erosion, which make up some of the waterfalls that Big

Cottonwood has. Within those waterfalls there are rocks that the glacier deposits which

are composed of clay, sand silts, and boulders that form the valley as well as erosion from

the streams, rivers, lakes that form the glacier. When ice isn’t at solid state it is eroding

and it is clear that ice is the main source of erosion.

Sedimentary rocks are some of the rocks that you’ll notice in Big Cottonwood

Canyon. Sedimentary rocks are formed when ice melts and turns into a liquid, then the

liquid becomes steam and that works to breakdown to form a rock. Along with

sedimentary rocks you will also find some igneous rocks and metamorphic rocks.

Igneous rocks are formed from hot magna that solidifies on or within the earth’s crust.

Metamorphic rocks are pre-existing rocks that have been altered by heat, pressure, and/

or chemical reactions at depth. This powerful erosion makes up the canyon walls and

floors.

Rocks are a brunt force of erosion, from the rocks that were formed yesterday to

rocks that were formed 100 years ago. Erosion is a part of nature that continuously keeps

occurring. The glacier of the canyon has been there for years, and will keep evolving.

This exercise has helped me learn about the geology of the mountains in the state that I

live in. Utah has beautiful geology that can’t be found anywhere else in the world, and I

appreciate the place in where I live even more. This assignment helped me really notice

all of the things we see but don’t really notice or give much attention to.

http://files.geology.utah.gov/geo_guides/c_wasatch/pdf/pi-87.pdf