Strataman's Corner - Utah 2006 (DAY 1)

The photos were taken by John and Henry


Click the underlined links to navigate or the thumbnail photo to enlarge



Day OneSt George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson FarmPink Water Tank Site at Washington CityWarner Valley Site
Day TwoPink Water Tank Site at Washington City (again)Zion ParkMoqui CaveWire PassGrand Staircase via CottonwoodCamped at Paria Camp Grounds - White House Trailhead
Day ThreeFlag Point Track Site and Indian PictogramsExplored K1-K2-K3 exposures along
the Kolob Terrace section of Zion
No photos or notes taken
Zion Park (again)Warner Valley Site (again)



Day One  First Stop - St George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm
 

A panoramic view of the museum floor and the individual photos below it.

The St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site represents a snapshot of an Early Jurassic (~195 million year old) lake ecosystem at a time when the supercontinent called Pangaea was in its initial phase of break-up and dinosaurs were beginning their ascendancy to becoming the predominant land vertebrates of the Mesozoic Era.
John points to the slabs covered by boxes waiting for prepping and displaying.


John and Henry are happy to meet Dr S Johnson (actually a photo display of Dr Johnson).


During this Early Jurassic Period, the land in the St. George area was at or near sea level since the Rocky Mountains had not yet begun to form.  The location was close to the equator and all of the continents of Earth were attached into the supercontinent of Pangaea.  Streams and lakes once covered portions of southern Utah and northern Arizona depositing the many rocks we now see in the St. George area. An enormous freshwater lake called "Lake Dixie" once covered this area during the Early Jurassic period.  The St. George Dinosaur Discover Site at Johnson Farm is contained within the Moenave Formation, which consists of sequences of sandstone, mudstone, siltstone, and shale.  The Moenave overlies the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation and underlies the Lower Jurassic Kayenta Formation that forms the red cliffs above St. George.  http://www.sgcity.org/dinotrax/discoveries.php


Various Eubrontes prints.


Various Grallator prints.


The left side view of the giant slab with Grallator trackways.


The right side view of the giant slab with Grallator trackways.


The front view of the giant slab with Grallator trackways.


Eight trackways highlighted.


John and Henry imagining how the slab was moved to this location if not for heavy equipment.


The skin impression of a Eubrontes.


A close-up of the same skin impression.


Another angle view of the same skin impression and scale scratch lines.


A Grallator print inside a Eubrontes print.


The metatarsal print of a Eubrontes.








Radial desiccation cracks caused by the weight or pressure of the foot on the mud.


Possible Therapsipus track on ripple rock.


Parallel scratch marks caused by a swimming creature.


Insect traces.


Misc fossils found in Utah.




Day One  Second Stop - Pink Water Tank Site at Washington City

Henry pointing the way to the tracks.


John finds the tracks.


... a whole lot of tracks.


Henry finds one huge Eubrontes on sandstone.


And a small Grallator.


 
.
The Pink Water tower site where we had to hike up the mountain about a mile to a white limestone band of the Kayenta formation.  Here there were many mid sized Eubrontes-like tracks about 25 or so and then a single trackway of a very large Eubrontes-like trackway with excellent metatarsal impressions.  Compared to the tracks all around these tracks, it is suggested that this dinosaur that left the metatarsal tracks was definitely a big guy with a lot of weight under his belt.  Later we scanned the area and hills around the tracksite and did manage to find a few more tracks on loose rocks in the area but none like the main trackway area.


Two views of a very large Eubrontes-like trackway with excellent metatarsal impressions and with a relatively short step.


Photos of modern tracks from reptiles and insects exhibiting discontinuation, ripples, tail & body drag marks.


John striking a famous pose.


...describe geo strata...


John smells prints over the next mountain range.




Day One Third Stop - Warner Valley Site









The Warner Valley Site from a distance and up close.  Excuse the error in the sign.  The larger prints are not prosauropod because they had 5 toes, and no 5 toed prints are found here.  These three toed prints are known as Eubrontes (larger ones) and Grallator (smaller ones).


Part of the trackway showing two Eubrontes trackways.
(A1 - A4 & B1 - B3*)
*B3 - not shown here.

Close-ups of one trackway.
(A4 - not shown)
Close-ups of the other trackway.
(B3 - is shown here)
John is intrigued about this deep Eubrontes print.
With a little hunting we found the tracksite and numerous trackways.  Two trackways were of Eubrontes with about 8 steps in a row (A1 - A4) and the other with about 3 steps (B1 - B3).  With the positioning of the tracks and depth of impressions, it seems we found a trackway where the Eubrontes was taking its last steps before entering into the water along a lakeshore (B1 - B3).  Another interesting trackway we found was of Grallator tracks.  We counted up to 17 tracks in a row, all with impressive detail.  If it were not for sand and rock in the way this trackway we're sure that it would have continued further.  Finally one other track we found that was interesting to us and confusing was a positive cast on a down sloping water spill of a Eubrontes.  All the other tracks we found were mold impressions except for this one which was a positive cast.  If anyone can suggest why this one lonely track was the other way compared to the rest we would all like to know the theory's why.



A Eubrontes print. Typically prints in-situ are molds and not raised (cast) liked this one. Interestingly, the cast was preserved and imbedded in the mold of the print.


Part of a Grallator trackway we found, further downstream, with 5 or 6 Grallators in a row and amazingly deep.  These tracks were about 2 to 3 inches deep!!!  This suggests the mud was much softer here than upstream.  I.e., deeper tracks created by a lighter smaller creature.


Part of the 17 print Grallator trackway.


One print of a 17 print Grallator trackway.


Close-up of the same print.




Day OneSt George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson FarmPink Water Tank Site at Washington CityWarner Valley Site
Day TwoPink Water Tank Site at Washington City (again)Zion ParkMoqui CaveWire PassGrand Staircase via CottonwoodCamped at Paria Camp Grounds - White House Trailhead
Day ThreeFlag Point Track Site and Indian PictogramsExplored K1-K2-K3 exposures along
the Kolob Terrace section of Zion
No photos or notes taken
Zion Park (again)Warner Valley Site (again)


Special Thanks
To the folks and volunteers of the St George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm, the office of BLM, and Moqui Cave.



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