#Uinta Basin

[rabbitcruiser]

Musket Shot Springs Scenic Overlook, UT (No. 4)

The Uinta Basin forms a geologic structural basin, and is the source of commercial oil and gas production. Separated from the Piceance Basin by the Douglas Creek Arch, both basins formed during the Laramide Orogeny, and are bounded by the Charleston-Nebo thrust fault, the Uinta Basin boundary fault, and the Grand Hogback monocline. The Uinta Basin includes the Wasatch Plateau. According to the USGS Uinta-Piceance Assessment Team, "The black-shale facies of the Green River Formation is the main petroleum system of Tertiary age whereas the Mahogany zone of the Green River Formation is a minor component. The Cretaceous Mancos Group and equivalent rocks are the main source of Cretaceous oil and a major contributor of gas in the basin, whereas the Upper Cretaceous Mesaverde is a lesser contributor of oil but a significant source for gas. Ferron Sandstone coals are known to be a source of coalbed methane. The most prominent source of oil from Paleozoic rocks is the Permian Phosphoria Formation.

During the Laramide Orogeny along the Wasatch Mountains, the north-south trending coast during the Late Cretaceous was receding eastward, at the same time the area where the basin is located was subsiding, creating a lacustrine environment. A clastic wedge consisting of the North Horn, Colton, and Wasatch was deposited northwards. These sediments interfingered with organic-rich lacustrine clays and carbonate muds of the Green River and Flagstaff facies. Later, deposits originated from the Uinta Mountains from the north, forming a southward-thinning clastic wedge. A carbonate sediment consisting of an organic-rich oil shale was deposited from the middle Eocene into the Oligocene. The basin is also known for solid-hydrocarbon-filled fractures consisting of ozocerite, gilsonite, and wurtzilite.

In 1948, oil was discovered in the Paleozoic portion of the basin at Ashley Valley. Tertiary discoveries followed in 1948 at Roosevelt, and then the Red Wash Field and Duchesne Field in 1951. The Bluebell Field was discovered in 1967 and the Altamont Field in 1970. The Altamont-Bluebell structural trap occurs where the Wasatch sandstone pinches out.

Source: Wikipedia

[wstevenphotography]

Hades Pass - Grandaddy Basin Utah

[kp777]

by Sammy Herdman

MongaBay

3 October 2022

The Uinta Basin is home to a diverse set of creatures from endangered black-footed ferrets to plants that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, such as the Uinta Basin hookless cactus and Graham’s beardtongue.

But the basin also sits atop pockets of crude oil and natural gas, which are being extracted: to transport these fossil fuels to the Gulf Coast, local governments and oil companies are planning to invest up to $4.5 billion to construct a new railway through it.

Although the project has been approved, construction hasn’t begun and it’s not too late for U.S. President Biden to keep his climate pledges and stop the new railway, a new op-ed argues.

This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.

The Uinta Basin, named after the Ute Tribe, is located in Northeast Utah and Western Colorado, about 200 miles from Salt Lake City. Streams from the Uinta mountains roll through the basin into a tributary of the Colorado River – supplying 40 million people with water throughout the drought-ridden West. Plants that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, such as the Uinta Basin hookless cactus and Graham’s beardtongue, flourish in the Uinta Basin. The ecosystem also harbors endangered species such as the sage grouse and black-footed ferret.

By all accounts, the Uinta Basin is a beautiful ecological haven. Unfortunately, however, it sits atop pockets of crude oil and natural gas, which are being extracted. To transport crude oil to the Gulf Coast where it will be refined, local governments and oil companies are planning to invest $1.5 to $4.5 billion to construct a new railway through the basin.

The Uinta Basin Railway is a proposed 88-mile stretch of train tracks that will blast through mountains, reroute 443 streams, bulldoze through endangered sage grouse habitat, appropriate private property and even fragment a roadless area in the Ashley National Forest. According to the U.S. Forest Service Chief, “a railway does not constitute a road.” The railway is projected to quadruple the region’s oil extraction from 85,000 up to 350,000 barrels of oil per day – resulting in an increase in air pollution, noise pollution, habitat degradation and a greater risk of water pollution, train derailments and wildfires. The region already suffers from chronic air pollution, falling below federal standards for ozone pollution set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

By quadrupling fossil fuel extraction in the Uinta Basin, construction of the railway is projected to increase U.S. carbon emissions by 1%. Escalating climate change will bring more wildfires and more drought to the region – at a time when the Biden administration should be actively trying to reduce carbon emissions to prevent further climate change-fueled catastrophes.

Uinta Basin is freckled with small cities and towns such as Vernal, Duchesne and Jensen. The region’s economic history can be summarized as a series of boom and bust cycles due to its reliance on fossil fuels. The whims of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the fluctuations of oil prices determine the quality of life for many people in the Uinta Basin. These fluctuations often send communities into periods of growth and stretches of economic depression that threaten small business and family security.

Proponents of the Uinta Basin Railway claim that its construction will diversify the economy of the region by connecting it to the global market. However, there is little evidence that the railway will be used to transport anything but oil to or from the region, especially because at least 130,000 barrels of oil per day will have to be transported to recoup the cost of construction. This will only cause harm and exacerbate boom and bust cycles.

[valhikes]

Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Utah

Into the woods along the west end of the Uinta Highline Trail to start off a three day trip touring a plethora of beautiful lakes. The first day was taking the trail to the Four Lakes Basin for the start of the big lakes.

[nolonelyroads]

This panel and so many others just like it are in danger due to a proposed Hydrocarbon Highway through Nine Mile Canyon in Utah. From the Nine MIle Canyon Coalition:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is considering a proposal by Duchesne County to construct a Hydrocarbon Highway through Gate Canyon, connecting the Uinta Basin to Nine Mile Canyon. The intent of the project is to facilitate trucking of Uinta waxy crude oil and expand oil production in the Basin. The project would obliterate Gate Canyon, removing its meanders and filling the canyon with over 180 feet of dirt. Once completed, it is anticipated there will be one oil tanker every three minutes through Nine Nile Canyon. Full article here: https://etvnews.com/hydrocarbon-highway-threatens-historic-nine-mile-canyon/

The BLM is taking public comments on the proposal through Feb. 8. Project description can be found and comments made here: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022551/510.

[mindblowingscience]

Fossil evidence from the Tornillo Basin in West Texas and the Uinta Basin in Utah reveals two new species of omomyids—a family of small-bodied early primates from the Eocene epoch. The findings also clarify previously disputed taxonomic distinctions among these primates, according to researchers from The University of Texas at Austin, Des Moines University in Iowa and Midwestern University in Arizona. The study, published in the Journal of Human Evolution, significantly expands the fossil record of primates from these regions and also allowed the researchers to confirm the existence of three distinct genera of omomyids.

Continue Reading.

[ultrameganicolaokay]

Hunt for the Skinwalker #1 by Zac Thompson and Valeria Burzo. Cover by Martin Simmonds. Variant cover by Suspiria Vilchez. Out in September.

"Unidentified flying objects. Animal mutilation. Terrifying otherworldly cryptids. Countless strange phenomena. For more than 50 years, a remote ranch in the Uinta Basin has been the most significant nexus for the paranormal. Inspired by one family's confrontation with the unexplainable and terrifying… and what happened when they invited the largest scientific investigation of the paranormal to their ranch. Based on the 2005 groundbreaking, electrifying nonfiction book by Dr. Colm Kelleher and veteran investigative journalist George Knapp that revealed the captivating true history of Gorman Ranch for the first time, seizing mainstream imagination and inspiring high profile investigations, documentaries, and genre fiction in various media. Now, working hand-in-hand with Kelleher and Knapp, and incorporating never-before-seen new revelations, writer Zac Thompson (X-Men Unlimited, Undone By Blood) with Valeria Burzo (Castle Full of Blackbirds) adapts the category-defying tale in a series perfect for fans of I Hate This Place and The Low, Low Woods!"

[lucentparanormal]

“Jack Osbourne brings his friends, actors Jay Mewes and Jamie Kennedy, to the edge of the unknown in search of the truth behind UFOs. Utah’s Uinta Basin has been shrouded in mysteries for centuries, with stories of otherworldly visitors dating back to ancient times. In recent years, even stranger sightings have been reported and captured. Osbourne, Mewes and Kennedy embark on an unflinching investigation to figure out if these phenomena are connected and why this strange activity is concentrated in the Uinta Basin.”

Watch Jack Osbourne's Night of Terror: UFOs now on Discovery+.

[towneplacesuitesvernal]

Stay at TownePlace Suites Vernal Near Dinosaur National Monument

Planning a trip to Vernal, Utah? Stay at the TownePlace Suites Vernal, one of the best hotels near Dinosaur National Monument. Our extended-stay hotel offers a prime location near the gas and oil industries, making business travel convenient. Families can easily venture to the Dinosaur National Monument and Salt Lake City or enjoy outdoor activities like rafting, fishing, and swimming. Located in the Uinta Basin with easy access to Highway 40, our hotel caters to relocating families, business guests, and other visitors.

Amenities and Features:

Free Hot Breakfasts: Start your day with a delicious complimentary breakfast.

Indoor Pool and Hot Tub: Relax and unwind after a day of adventure.

Fitness Center: Keep up with your workout routine with our well-equipped gym.

Prime Location: Close to outdoor activities and major industrial hubs.

[rabbitcruiser]

Musket Shot Springs Scenic Overlook, UT (No. 3)

The Uinta Basin (also known as the Uintah Basin) is a physiographic section of the larger Colorado Plateaus province, which in turn is part of the larger Intermontane Plateaus physiographic division. It is also a geologic structural basin in eastern Utah, east of the Wasatch Mountains and south of the Uinta Mountains. The Uinta Basin is fed by creeks and rivers flowing south from the Uinta Mountains. Many of the principal rivers (Strawberry River, Currant Creek, Rock Creek, Lake Fork River, and Uintah River) flow into the Duchesne River which feeds the Green River—a tributary of the Colorado River. The Uinta Mountains forms the northern border of the Uinta Basin. They contain the highest point in Utah, Kings Peak, with a summit 13,528 feet (4123 metres) above sea level. The climate of the Uinta Basin is semi-arid, with occasionally severe winter cold.

Source: Wikipedia

[laresearchette]

Thursday, April 04, 2024 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES: STAR TREK: DISCOVERY (CTV Sci-Fi) 9:00pm/10:15pm

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA MÜSICA REBEL

NETFLIX CANADA CROOKS (DE) I WOKE UP A VAMPIRE (Season 2) RIPLEY THE TEARSMITH (IT)

CURLING (TSN/TSN5) 10:00am: LGT World Men's Curling Championship: Canada vs. Norway (TSN/TSN5) 1:00pm: LGT World Men's Curling Championship: Sweden vs. Canada

2024 IIHF WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (TSN4) 11:00am: China vs. Japan (TSN4) 3:00pm: Denmark vs. Germany (TSN/TSN4) 6:00pm: Pre-Game (TSN/TSN4) 7:00pm: Canada vs. Finland

MLB BASEBALL (SN Now) 4:00pm: Guardians vs. Twins (TSN) 7:30pm: Cubs vs. Rangers

NHL HOCKEY (SN1) 7:00pm: Pirates vs. Capitals (TSN2) 7:00pm: Lightning vs. Habs (TSN5) 7:00pm: Panthers vs. Sens (SNWest/TSN3) 8:00pm: Flames vs. Jets (SN) 10:30pm: Kings vs. Sharks

NBA BASKETBALL (SN1) 8:00pm: Warriors vs. Rockets (TSN/TSN4) 10:00pm: Nuggets vs. Clippers

THE GREAT CANADIAN POTTERY THROW DOWN (CBC) 8:00pm (SEASON FINALE): After 16 grueling challenges, Seth Rogen prepares to crown The Best Potter in Canada.

THE BRIDGE (Discovery Canada) 8:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): For a chance at £200,000, eight strangers are given 12 days to construct a 1,000-foot bridge, but little do they know that just across the beach, another team is hard at work for the very same prize.

THE GREAT POTTERY THROW DOWN (Makeful) 8:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): Ten home potters from around the United Kingdom travel to Stoke-on-Trent, the home of British pottery, to take part in a competition to become top potter.

THE NATURE OF THINGS (CBC) 9:00pm: Secrets of the Jurassic Dinosaurs

LEGO MASTERS AUSTRALIA (Discovery Canada) 9:00pm: Teams must create a bridge that can survive two shake plates, with the decision coming down to aesthetics if more than one bridge can survive all 12 levels of shaking.

WORST COOKS IN AMERICA (Food Network Canada) 9:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): Anne Burrell and Tiffany Derry are ready to transform sixteen coddled culinary novices into home cooks, but they need to see what they are working with. The recruits must recreate their favorite takeout dish, giving the chefs a look at their skills.

PORTRAIT ARTIST OF THE YEAR (Makeful) 9:00pm: Richard Curtis, Emma Freud, Fleur East

JACK OSBOURNE'S NIGHT OF TERROR: UFOS (DTour) 9:00pm: Jack Osbourne brings friends Jason Mewes and Jamie Kennedy to the edge of the unknown in search of the truth about UFOs; they embark on an investigation to figure out if reports of unexplained aerial phenomena in Utah's Uinta Basin are real.

SEDUCED TO SLAY (Investigation Discovery) 10:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): Thirty miles outside of Dallas, in Royse City, Texas, Fire Capt. Robert Poynter and his young wife, Chacey, enjoy an idyllic small-town life, but that's shattered when a dramatic physical transformation leads to infidelity and a dead body.

CANADIAN REFLECTIONS (CBC) 11:30pm: Latchkey; Babatoura

[valhikes]

Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Utah

Final day backpacking the High Uintas Wilderness and I found the requisite bit of bad trail as I completed the loop through Big Meadows.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

The West is best to spot UFOs

Most sightings of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena occur in the American West where proximity to public lands, dark skies and military installations afford more opportunities to see strange objects in the air.

“This [Tic Tac-shaped object that] had just traveled 60 miles in…less than a minute, was far superior in performance to my brand-new F/A-18F and did not operate with any of the known aerodynamic principles that we expect for objects that fly in our atmosphere.” 

In July of 2023, retired commander in the U.S. Navy David Fravor testified to the House Oversight Committee about a mysterious, Tic Tac-shaped object that he and three others observed over the Pacific Ocean in 2004. The congressional hearings riveted the world by bringing Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) out of the “alien truther” realm and into the mainstream. 

As sensor technology has advanced and personal aircraft-use has skyrocketed, our ability to explain strange events has become harder to resolve. The U.S. Department of Defense has increasingly taken UAP, formerly known as Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), as a serious threat to national security. 

A new study led by University of Utah geographers attempts to understand if local environmental factors increase or decrease the number of sighting reports.The authors used data from the National UFO Research Center, and included approximately 98,000 total sighting reports over a 20-year period, from 2001 to 2020. For each county in the contiguous U.S., the researchers analyzed two conditions: Sky view potential, which refers to the area’s light pollution, cloud cover and tree canopy cover; and the potential for objects to be present in the sky, meaning the proximity to airports and military installations.

The majority of sightings were in western parts of the U.S. due to the region’s physical geography—lots of wide-open spaces and dark skies. UAP-reporting hotspots had credible relationships with air traffic and military activity, suggesting that people are spotting real objects, but not recognizing what they are.

“The idea is that if you have a chance to see something, then it's more likely that you're going to see unexplained phenomena in the sky,” said Richard Medina, associate professor of geography at the University of Utah and lead author of the study. “There’s more technology in the sky than ever before so the question is: What are people actually seeing? It’s a tough question to answer, and it is an important one because any uncertainty can be a potential threat to national security.”

Understanding the environmental context of these sightings will make it easier to find explanations for their occurrence and help identify truly anomalous objects that are a legitimate threat.

The paper published on Dec. 14, 2023, in the journal Scientific Reports. 

Hot spots and cold spots

The authors looked at the number of sightings per 10,000 people per county and identified significant clusters of low numbers of reports (cold spots) and high numbers of reports (hot spots). There were far more sightings reported in the West and in the very Northeast, along some isolated areas. The cold spots were in the central plains and the Southeast. All results except for cloud cover supported the general hypothesis that people will see things when there’s an opportunity.

“The West has a historical relationship to UAP—Area 51 in Nevada, Roswell in New Mexico and here in Utah we have Skinwalker Ranch in the Uinta Basin and military activity in the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground,” said Medina. “Plus, there’s a robust outdoor community that recreates in public lands year-round. People are out and looking skyward.”

Traditional academia has mostly avoided UAP research because of the stigma of flying saucers and space invaders. Yet people around the world continue to spot unexplainable objects in the sky. What little research exists tends to rely on firsthand accounts or look for cultural and psychological explanations, which limits the ability to analyze patterns over a large area.

Additionally, legitimate data sources and questionable accounts have limited rigorous study. The authors note that the National UFO Research Center’s data is a public, self-reporting system with no real way to verify hoaxes. However, the authors assert that if the data were entirely invalid due to some psychological and sociological cause, then there would be no spatial pattern. But there is.

“There are many factors that can contribute to the report of anomalous objects,” said Simon Brewer, associate professor of geography at the U and co-author of the study. “By examining the spatial distribution of reports and how they relate to the local environment, we hope to provide some geographical context that may help resolve or understand reports by both the public and in military settings.”

Roswell, X-Files and Starlink

In July of 2022 the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Director of National Intelligence, directed the establishment of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) as the single authoritative UAP office to lead and synchronize a whole government approach to the issue. Earlier UAP tracking efforts include Project BLUE BOOK, a U.S. Air Force-led project that investigated UFO sightings between 1947 and 1969. Project BLUE BOOK’s most famous report is the Roswell, New Mexico, incident alleging that a flying saucer crashed in the desert town on July 8, 1947, and its alien occupants were recovered by government officials. Many Roswell residents witnessed the unexplainable event, which may have led to the flurry of flying-saucer-sightings that swept the nation. Silence from government officials led to wild speculation of otherworldly visitors and subsequent coverups. Later, the U.S. Air Force disclosed that the incident was caused by a classified, multi-balloon project to detect Soviet nuclear tests.

Many UAP sightings have a natural explanation—the planet Venus is a regular culprit, for example. The last few years have seen a boost in UAP reports, likely related to the exponential growth in spacecraft launches and orbiters, such as the Starlink satellite-train blazing across the night sky and the ubiquity of personal drones. The challenge is to parse which reports signal a real threat. 

The authors are exploring whether there are temporal considerations for fluctuations in sightings, based on socio-cultural triggers. For example, were there more reports after the congressional hearings in July of 2023 or after a Space X launch? They’re also investigating whether sociocultural factors influence UAP sightings—is there a spike in reports after a show like “X-Files” gets popular? Are some cultures more likely to see UAPs because of their beliefs?

“The U.S. government—the military, intelligence and civil agencies—needs to understand what is in the operating domains to ensure the safety and security of the nation and its people,” said Sean Kirkpatrick, first director of the AARO, adjunct assistant professor of physics at the University of Georgia and co-author of the study. “Unknowns are unacceptable in this age of ubiquitous sensors and data availability. The scientific community has a responsibility to investigate and educate.”

TOP IMAGE....Hotspot analysis of reported sightings from 2001 to 2020. Credit Medina, Brewer & Kirkpatrick. Sci Rep (2023)

LOWER IMAGE....Timeline of the National UFO Research Center reported sightings from 2001 to 2020. Credit Medina, Brewer & Kirkpatrick. Sci Rep (2023)

[lightelfearthling]

Generous giveway by author Conrad Bauer but only till 7PM EST today!! Don't miss it!

[mongowheelie]

Meet The Secretive ‘Mastermind’ Behind Utah's Oil Boom

Meet The Secretive ‘Mastermind’ Behind Utah's Oil Boom