Running head: The Environmental History of Ensign Peak Gaucin 1

The Environmental History of Ensign Peak

Garden Gaucin

Salt Lake Community College

March 18, 2018

The Environmental History of Ensign Peak Gaucin 2

Ensign Peak Trail is situated on the North purpose of Salt Lake City, found directly

behind the Utah State Legislative Building. The trail is a much-possessed place, for its level of

straightforwardness and its exquisite view at the highest point of the trail. In the interest of the

Utah Geological Survey Interactive Map, the area region where Ensign Peak is found, it’s

protected with many Conglomerate developments. The place itself has an extremely humble

history to it, and it’s situated on our popular Wasatch Fault Line. The trail offers us with various

cases of weathering and disintegration from the base to the highest point of the peak

Along with topographical highlights of Ensign Peak, it additionally has an immense

foundation of religious history to it. The peak got its name when Brigham Young- the leader of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, led his Mormon pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley.

Young and his supporters consented to climb the peak and that’s when Young said it “was an

appropriate place to raise an ensign to the nations”. Young had likewise requested that he had a

“vision” of Joseph Smith demonstrating him to a peak and that he requested Young to “build

under the point where the colors fall, and you will prosper and have peace” (Smith, 1927). The

peak likewise has had a long landmark at the exceptionally best of the trail, which was produced

using stones that Young and his devotees gathered and stacked along the Mormon Trail (Arave,

1991).

The Wasatch Fault is the most noteworthy geographical element at Ensign Peak, since it

lies at its base. The fault stretches out from Fayette, Utah, which is South of Provo, which goes

down Malad City, Idaho up toward the Northern border of Utah. The fault is depicted as a break

on the outside layered crust where rocks slip past each other (Reynolds, Johnson, Kelly, Morin &

Carter, 2008). As indicated by the Utah Geological Survey Interaction Map, the Wasatch Fault is
The Environmental History of Ensign Peak Gaucin 3

viewed as an ordinary blame “on the grounds the slip is mostly vertical; the mountain piece

Wasatch Range moves toughly with respect to the contiguous downhill valley square.”

The collection where the peak lies is exceptionally rough and uneven, which can be

found in photograph 5, which is an aftereffect of the Wasatch Range and Fault. Yet, what framed

both were consequences of seismic tremors that pushed up on the Wasatch Range making the

Wasatch Fault Line that grounds at the base of Ensign Peak (Utah Geological Survey Interaction

Map). In any case, being precipitous, it’s likewise extremely green in a few zones and in others

exceptionally rough. Normally the rough are more dominating and show numerous in addition to

a very long time of weathering and disintegration. The green zones additionally incorporate the

assortment of Oak Brush and Sagebrush and Prickly Pear, which indicates well-soiled areas.

Both the disintegration and weathering are unavoidable, is has been in propriety since the

get-go and will remain in place until the finish of time. Disintegration and weathering are what

causes the developments of rocks, enabling them to pick up their rakish and round arrangements.

In various of my images at the end of my essay, I demonstrate diverse types of disintegration. In

image 3, there’s a small peak where rocks have weathered down and rocks that have fallen in

favor of the peak. This is an impact of wind as well as water disintegration. More precisely,

photo 5 likewise exhibits how the stones on the west side of the peak have disintegrated away

through time and have framed a smooth and rakish rocky sides.

All around the globe there is an absurd measure of various amount of rock types and

there’s some that are very prominent in various zones. The greater part of our Earth contains

both volcanic and Metamorphic rock, but for the most part the solid surface of Earth is

Sedimentary rock. Our state Utah itself has various rocks that originate from our Wasatch

Mountains to our most well-known Arches-located down South of Utah. Most of the Salt Lake
The Environmental History of Ensign Peak Gaucin 4

Valley holds Lake Bonneville deposits and quaternary flood plain deposits containing rocks from

the Precambrian period up to the Cretaceous time (State of Utah, Department of Natural

Resources, Utah Geological and Mineral Survey).

Ensign Peak is situated above and to the right of the Salt Lake Valley. As indicated by the

Department of Natural Resources and the Utah Geologic and Mineral Survey, the peak is

comprised of tertiary Sedimentary rocks which are both youthful and old, yet with the more

established rocks being more conspicuous. A substantial portion of the stones that were found on

the trail happened to demonstrate this data remedy. As indicated by the Utah Geological Survey

Interaction Map-Ensign Peak is viewed as Conglomerate Dominant. Most Conglomerate rocks

are a kind of Detrital Sedimentary rock, which mean most rock types are consisted of rock parts

or produced using mud or Quartz.

Most of the Conglomerate zone is comprised of pale dark colored and dim shades of

hues. Most of those sediments and rocks are ineffectively arranged and comprise of

Conglomerate and Sandstone rocks. These stones likewise contain coarse, which are

incompletely adjusted and somewhat precise bits of Quartzite and Limestone with bits of

Metamorphic rocks towards the Northern end of the peak. The peak likewise incorporates little

zones encompassing it with humbug formations. A humbug formation begins from the upper

Mississippian period and comprises of dark Limestone and Dolomite. It likewise contains beds

and/or layers of reddish-brown Sandstone and some interbeds of red Siltstone, however Siltstone

is generally uncommon to come across (Utah Geological Survey Interactive Map).

As I continued strolling along the trail, I came across more dirt and gravel instead of

rocks. There were more rocks toward the highest point of the peak. All through the initial

segment of the trail it was all grass and dirt-which can be seen in photo 6. Most of the Gravel
The Environmental History of Ensign Peak Gaucin 5

deposits is what was deposited and left behind of the ancient Lake Bonneville (The Department

of Natural Resources and the Utah geologic and Mineral Survey). Half far up way the trail is

where you begin seeing rocks on the trail and off to the side. Many of the stones I went over

were Sedimentary rocks. Four of the rock samples I gathered were all one of a kind in their own

specific manners. The main example was an 18” inch. x 12” inch long Conglomerate rock, which

was the main rock type that I saw midway through the trail. The second sample I came across

was a 2cm. x 1cm. red Sedimentary Siltstone that I discovered standing out of some mud. My

third sample was a 24” in. x 20” in. white Feldspar rock with a small tint of orangey-red in one

corner. What’s more, the last sample I came across with on my way down the trail was an

extensive Sandstone rock, the bottom half was smooth flat Sandstone and the top was rough with

white points of interest to it.

Ensign Peak is an excellent region that preserves many years of ecological geologic

history to it, alongside religious history. Numerous individuals get a kick out of the chance to

take a gander at the territory as just rocks, dirt and grass. But many researches have investigated

it and have proved that it’s a region loaded with history, loaded with numerous intriguing objects

and landscapes to learn about. Ensign demonstrates a mind-blowing case of Erosion,

Weathering, Sedimentary rock types, Gravel, and dirt deposits along with an old type rock

geology. Alongside the Geological history, the climb is a neighborhood most loved to numerous

Utahans, out of state voyagers, families and pets, its accepted to keep being most loved

considering the exquisite view and the religious portrayal to it.

.
The Environmental History of Ensign Peak Gaucin 6

Works Cited

Arave, L. (1991). Ensign Peak: Utah’s Own Mount Siani. Deseret News Publishing Company.

Reynolds, S. J., Johnson, J. K., Kelly, M. M., Morin, P.J., & Carter, C.M. (2008). Exploring

Geology. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Smith, A. G. (1927). Ensign Peak. Mormon Historic Sites.

State of Utah, Department of Natural Resources, Utah Geological and Mineral Survey. (1990).

Geologic Resources of Salt Lake County, Utah. (Ser.5). UGMS Public Information.

Utah Geologic Survey. (1996). The Wasatch Fault.

 The Environmental History of Ensign Peak
Photo #1: Shows one of the
many examples of erosion
that has taken place along the
peak trail.
Photo #3 (1): Shows the
rocky mountain top and
shows the line where
rocks have weathered
down up closely.
Photo #2: Shows the
smoothed down and
weathered trail.
Photo #4: Shows the very
rocky angular west side of
the mountain at the edge of
the trail.
Gaucin 7
Photo #3: Shows the rocky
mountain top and shows the
line where rocks have
weathered down.
Photo #5: Shows the grassy
area east of the trail.
The Environmental History of Ensign Peak Gaucin 8

Photo #6: Shows one side of the Photo #7: Shows the burnt down
mountain and how it has a strict trees due to an old volcano
line between grassy and dirt. eruption.

Photo #8: Shows various amounts

of dried out Sagebrush. Photo #9: Shows an 18” inch. x
12” inch long Conglomerate rock
midway through the trail.
The Environmental History of Ensign Peak
Photo #10: Shows a 24” in. x
20” in. white Feldspar rock
with a small tint of orangey-red
in one corner.
Photo 12: Shows a 2cm. x 1cm.
red Sedimentary Siltstone that I
discovered standing out of some
mud
Gaucin 9
Photo #11: Shows a large
Sandstone rock, the bottom
half was smooth flat Sandstone
and the top was rough with
white points of interest to it.
Photo #13: Shows my husband
and I at the monument at the very
top of the trail.
 The Environmental History of Ensign Peak Gaucin 10

Ensign Peak Trail

Scale:
The Environmental History of Ensign Peak Gaucin 11