Antelope Island Geological Survey

A geological survey of Antelope Island will show that there are many significant elements and
geology throughout the island. There is a diverse ecosystem of various animals and plant life, habitat to
both the Great Salt Lake and natural fresh water springs. The island is the result of a fault line, and
holds some of the oldest rocks to be dated. The Island also has some of the newest rock formations
called Tufa. Despite its diversity, most of the island is covered in grasslands.
Antelope Island is a unique historical treasure that has a lot of diversity hidden throughout. It is
about fifteen miles long and five miles wide. To really see the beauty of its diverse geology, I had to
observe past the grasslands that make up ninety percent of the island. (Various, 2003). The main tourist
entrance is on the northeast side of the Island, the initial drive into the island a man-made stretch of
road about a mile long, that passes through the Great Salt Lake. Its the biggest island of the Great Salt
Lake. I observed its beaches and could see that they are constantly effected and changing by the rising
and lowering water levels, which have had a lot of influence on what you see on the island today. Some
beaches are too wet to walk, while others have remained dry and untouched by the lakes waters for
years. I observed that on certain slopes of hills, there are salt deposits on stones and some smaller salt
rocks that show that the water level once was as high as those slopes. However, I learned that the water
level has overall decreased since some of the first written observations in the 1860s. (Stum, 1999)
I observed that the grasslands are an important geological and historical part of the island. When
Mormon Pioneers first discovered the island, there were many antelope preset. (Various, 2003) This is
due to the large amount of grassland that the antelope and the infamous bisons had to feed on. I
observed that the grasslands have gone through thousands of changes throughout their lifetime.
Because of the flat, low slopes that make up most of the island, and its position amongst the lake, the
island is often suspect of lighting storms, sparking annual fires that eat away quickly re-growing grass

types. However, grasses re-grow and spread quickly, especially over soils that go through regeneration.
During my observations, I noticed that some flat, slow sloped areas that had been subject to previous
fires were more barren then the grasses near the the top of slopes. I also noticed that even amongst
some of the dead ares of grass, new grasses and plant life in early stages of their growth were peaking
out through the dead shrubbery. The man working at the visitors center, Mr. Sherri, informed me that
the island did not experience large fires this year, and that the moisture from this year kept possible
fires at bay. Some grasses died because of over-exposure to water, and some thrived because of it. He
also informed me that the grasslands changed after over-grazing of grasses caused many species to die
in the 1900s, including types of bugs, which affected the diversity of species of bird that would flock
there. I also observed that because of the extent of grasslands, the island lacks a lot of bark plants or
trees, shrubbery often overgrowing any slow-growing plants, until you travel towards the southern end
of the island and near the natural springs.
The geology of antelope island is unique in the fact that it holds some of the oldest rocks in the
world, as well as some of the youngest. The island was formed by fault thrusts, or sub-horizontal faults,
during continental collision 150 million years ago (King, Willis, 19). The oldest rocks on the island
migrated to where they are now through the fault. I was able to observe many types of rocks, and one
of the most common of these that I saw was precambrian rocks, and metamorphic rocks. These rocks
were subject to metamorphism, creating the swirls and layers that are seen in them, and that they are
famous for. I also observed an abundance of Quartzite, once I recognized how to identify it. Quartzite is
much of the larger white rocks that cover especially the northern end of the island. Another very
interesting rock type that the island hosts is Tufa. This is some of the newest rock formations to exists,
formed by the pervious existing Lake Bonneville over 15 thousand years ago. Another interesting
geological fact that can be observed when looking closely is that that elevation of Antelope Island has
continued to grow, the fault it lays on allowing for the island to grow and rise slowly over time.
One of the incredible things I observed of Antelope Island was the fact that it is home to 40

fresh water springs. They run intricately underground and through the surface, and especially where
they merge with salt water of the lake, allow for a huge variety and diversity within the ecosystems of
the island. (Hall, Mull, Cavitt, 2009). Near these springs, I observed much more vegetation, some
smaller bark shrubs and some trees, and the grass types were much more alive and green. The
topography of the land near the springs I observed was sometimes moist where the springs came near
to the surface, but few spots I observed for myself had full on springs or rivers. I also observed that
some slopes more south in the island had eroded in small, winding and very narrow cuts where the
water had previously run down the slope. I also was able to observe more birds flying near the areas
where the springs were, however many of the bird species had already started to migrate for the winter.
My geological survey of the land showed me that looks can be deceiving, and that there can be
much to learn about what can seem, at first, like barren terrain. Antelope Island is home to thousands of
different species, and is an ecological wonder of diverse geology and history.

WORKS CITED
Various. "Antelope Island." Stateparks.utah.gov. Utah State Parks, 06 Feb.
2003. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.
King, J., & Willis, G. The Geology of Antelope Island, Davis County, Utah,
2000. Salt Lake City: Utah Geological Survey.
Hall, L., Mull, J., & Cavitt, J. (2009). RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHEATGRASS
COVERAGE AND THE RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF SNAKES ON ANTELOPE
ISLAND, UTAH. Western North American Naturalist, 69. Retrieved January 1, 2014, from
https://journals.lib.byu.edu/spc/index.php/wnan/article/viewFile/27517/25980
Stum, M. Visions of Antelope Island and Great Salt Lake. Logan: Utah State University Press.
(1999).

Layered metamorphic rock on the northern end of the island. These rocks were plentiful
throughout my entire geological survey. The layers, swirls, and lines are due to metamorphism, or
intense heat and melting, millions of years ago. (1)

Quartzite is a metamorphic rock that has formed from sandstone through heating and pressure and time.
It is very abundant throughout the island. (2)

Grasslands of Antelope Island The diverse amount of grasses and shrubbery cover most of the island.
(3)

A common shrub found throughout the island. Because of the colder season, the grasses were very
brown. (4)

The beaches created by The Great Salt Lake. On the far left, you can see on the slope where the water
line has been in the past, and the beach fluctuates constantly throughout the year, a wet beach where
your feet would sink down an inch or two into the salty mud. (5)