imported>Chris the speller: /* Description */ replaced: currently-accepted → currently accepted

2025-06-22T15:08:26Z

Description: replaced: currently-accepted → currently accepted

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{{short description|Geological feature in Utah, United States}}
{{Infobox terrestrial impact site
| name = Upheaval Dome
| other_name =
| photo = Upheaval Dome aerial.jpg
| photo_size =
| photo_alt =
| photo_caption = Oblique aerial view of Upheaval Dome, 2012
| map = United States#Utah
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of Upheaval Dome in Utah
| map_size =
| location = [[Canyonlands National Park]]
| label =
| label_position =
| coordinates = {{coord|38|26|13|N|109|55|45|W|region:US-UT_type:landmark_scale:50000|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_ref =
| confidence = Confirmed
| diameter = {{convert|10|km|abbr=on}}
| depth =
| rise =
| imp_size =
| age = <170 Ma<br>[[Middle Jurassic]] or younger
| exposed = Yes
| drilled = Yes
| bolide =
| translation =
| language =
| pronunciation =
| topo =
| access =
| country = {{flag|United States}}
| state = [[Utah]]
| province =
| district = [[San Juan County, Utah|San Juan County]]
| municipality =
}}

'''Upheaval Dome''' is an enigmatic geological structure in [[San Juan County, Utah|San Juan County]], [[Utah]], [[United States]], that has been variously interpreted as a meteorite [[impact structure]] or a [[salt dome]]. The structure lies {{convert|22|mi|km}} southwest of the city of [[Moab, Utah]], in the Island in the Sky section of [[Canyonlands National Park]].

== Description ==
[[File:UpheavalDomeUtah.jpg|thumb| Aerial [[orthophoto]], 2011. Note scale at lower right.]]
Upheaval Dome is approximately {{convert|10|km|mi|abbr=on|order=flip}} in [[diameter]] and the crater is known to be less than 170 million years old ([[Jurassic]] or younger, but how much younger is not established.) The crater is clearly visible on the surface as light and dark brown concentric rings.

[[Stratigraphy|Stratigraphically]], the oldest formation exposed in the center of the dome is the [[Permian]] [[Organ Rock Shale]]. This is overlain by the Permian [[White Rim Sandstone]]. Both are sometimes considered part of the [[Cutler Formation]]. Overlying these are the [[Triassic]] [[Moenkopi Formation]] (which is bounded top and bottom by [[unconformity|unconformities]]), the [[Chinle Formation]], the [[cliff-former|cliff-forming]] [[Wingate Sandstone]], the [[Kayenta Formation]], and the [[cross-bedding|crossbedded]] Triassic-Jurassic [[Navajo Sandstone]].<ref name=Huntoon>Geologic Map of Canyonlands National Park and Vicinity, Utah, 1982 Edition, by P. W. Huntoon et al. Scale: 1:62500 (map)</ref>

[[Structural Geology|Structurally]], the dome is anomalous. Most of the rock strata of Canyonlands National Park are flat-lying or gently [[strike and dip|dipping]] with the exception of a series of linear salt walls and associated synclines. Upheaval Dome is a circular, dome-shaped structure. Some strata near the center are nearly vertical in orientation. Dips of 70 degrees have been measured in the Kayenta Formation on the U-shaped plateau surrounding the center of the structure. A [[syncline]] surrounds the center, where the axis forms a complete circle approximately two miles across. The syncline is primarily visible in the Navajo Sandstone. Another [[anticline]] has been mapped to the north of this ring syncline, which is also concentric with it.<ref name=Huntoon />

There were two well-known theories as to the origin of the upheaval. One theory was the upheaval is a [[salt dome]], an [[anticline|anticlinal structure]] which occurs when a salt [[diapir]] is pushed up by the weight of overlying rocks.

The currently accepted theory is an interpretation of the dome as an [[erosion|eroded]] impact crater, like the much younger [[Meteor Crater]] near Winslow, Arizona. In the 1990s, a team of [[geologist]]s and [[seismology|seismologists]] from [[NASA]] and the [[University of Nevada, Reno|University of Nevada]] at [[Reno, Nevada|Reno]] performed a detailed study that included [[seismic refraction]] and rock mapping. The results of this study support the [[meteorite]] theory.<ref name="EID">[http://www.passc.net/EarthImpactDatabase/New%20website_05-2018/UpheavalDome.html Earth Impact DB - Upheaval Dome]</ref><ref>{{cite web |last= Kriens |first= Bryan J |author2= Eugene M Shoemaker |author2-link= Eugene Merle Shoemaker |author3= Ken E Herkenhop |title= Geology of the Upheaval Dome Impact Structure, Southeast Utah |date= 1998-04-16 |publisher= [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory|NASA JPL]] |url= http://trs-new.jpl.nasa.gov/dspace/bitstream/2014/20176/1/98-1053.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090501134950/http://trs-new.jpl.nasa.gov/dspace/bitstream/2014/20176/1/98-1053.pdf |url-status= dead |archive-date= 2009-05-01 |format= PDF |access-date= 2009-10-01 }}</ref> In 2008, it was announced that [[shocked quartz]] was discovered in addition to the numerous impact-related features described by Kriens et al. in 1998.<ref>{{cite web |last= O'Hanlon |first= Larry |title= Utah Crater Mystery Cracked |work= Discovery News |publisher= [[Discovery Channel]] |date= 2008-03-11 |url= http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/03/11/upheaval-dome-utah.html |access-date= 2009-10-01 |archive-date=2012-11-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121130184520/http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/03/11/upheaval-dome-utah.html }}</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery widths="250px" heights="200px">
Image:Upheaval_Dome_air.jpg|Oblique air photo facing southeast from about 30,000 ft.
Image:Upheaval Dome.jpg|Upheaval Dome as seen from the rim of the crater.
Image:Upheaval_Syncline_campsite.jpg|[[Syncline]] in [[Navajo Sandstone]] visible from the Syncline Campsite on the northwest side of the structure, facing south
Image:Upheaval_center.jpg|Steeply dipping rock strata near the center of the dome

</gallery>
{{wide image|UpheavalDomePanorama.jpg|1280px|Panoramic photo of the dome taken from the second overlook point on the Upheaval Dome overlook trail}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.passc.net/EarthImpactDatabase/upheavaldome.html Upheaval dome on PASSC Earth Impact Database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302075522/http://www.passc.net/EarthImpactDatabase/upheavaldome.html |date=2016-03-02 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061010083304/http://www.nps.gov/cany/naturescience/upheavaldome.htm U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service ''Upheaval Dome'']
* [http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/03/11/upheaval-dome-utah-print.html Shocked Quartz discovery]
* [http://craterexplorer.ca/upheaval-dome-impact-crater/ Aerial Exploration of the Upheaval Dome impact crater]

{{Impact cratering on Earth}}

[[Category:Impact craters of the United States]]
[[Category:Jurassic impact craters]]
[[Category:Canyonlands National Park]]
[[Category:Landforms of San Juan County, Utah]]

Upheaval Dome - Revision history

imported>Chris the speller: /* Description */ replaced: currently-accepted → currently accepted