Canyonlands forms the heart of a "high" or "cold" desert called the Colorado Plateau. The arid climate of this area is caused by many factors.
Deserts form when weather patterns or geographic land forms create an environment where lack of water limits biotic productivity. Water may exist in an unusable form such as ice, or may be absent altogether. There are four basic types of desert: high pressure, rain shadow, interior continental and coastal.
High pressure deserts generally form at the middle latitudes (30 degrees) in each hemisphere where warm, dry air masses descend toward the earth's surface. Rain shadow deserts form in localized high pressure zones caused by warm, dry air descending from mountain ranges. The Colorado Plateau is also in the interior of a large continent, far away from significant water sources.
Because of the elevations throughout the region, with a mean of around 3,000 feet and peaks over 12,000 feet above sea level, the Colorado Plateau is also known as a cold or high desert. Though low humidity allows greater penetration of solar radiation, winter air temperatures frequently drop below freezing. In turn, summertime air and especially ground temperatures can reach levels lethal for many organisms. After sunset, the ground rapidly loses heat to the night sky and ambient air temperatures may drop significantly before dawn. Temperature fluctuations of over 40 degrees in a 24-hour period are not uncommon.
Canyonlands receives more precipitation than many other deserts: about 9 inches annually. August is generally the wettest month, as weather systems from the southwest bring brief, intense tropical storms. However, precipitation is highly variable both temporally and spatially. During a single storm, one area may receive significantly more or less water than a neighboring spot less than a mile away.
Locations:Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Good, clean water is essential for healthy ecosystems--for people, vegetation, and animals--making it one of the most important resources in the semi-arid west. The Northern Colorado Plateau Network and its partners monitor water quality in 8 national parks in Utah and Colorado to help scientists and managers conserve these resources. This article summarizes 2019-2022 water quality data and how they compare to state standards.
Locations:Arches National Park, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Colorado National Monument, Death Valley National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, El Malpais National Monument, El Morro National Monument, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Hovenweep National Monument, Joshua Tree National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Mojave National Preserve, Natural Bridges National Monument, Navajo National Monument, Petrified Forest National Park, Petroglyph National Monument, Rainbow Bridge National Monument, Saguaro National Park, Walnut Canyon National Monument, Yosemite National Park, Zion National Parkmore »
Offices:Geologic Resources Division
Ever wondered what those dark lines were on the rock walls of canyon country? These black, brown, and red streaks are called desert varnish.
Locations:Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Colorado National Monument
A bouquet of tiny arches? A miniature cave system?
Known as honeycomb weathering or "swiss-cheese rock," tafoni (singular: tafone) are small, rounded, smooth-edged openings in a rock surface, most often found in arid or semi-arid deserts.
Locations:Arches National Park, Aztec Ruins National Monument, Bandelier National Monument, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, El Malpais National Monument, El Morro National Monument, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Grand Canyon National Park, Hovenweep National Monument, Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, Mesa Verde National Park, Natural Bridges National Monument, Navajo National Monument, Petrified Forest National Park, Petroglyph National Monument, Rainbow Bridge National Monument, Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Walnut Canyon National Monument, Wupatki National Monument, Yucca House National Monumentmore »
Describes the origin, uses, threats to, and conservation of water on the Colorado Plateau.
Locations:Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Pesticides, antibiotics, and personal care products are all being found in streams and rivers. But would you expect to find them in a national park? On the northern Colorado Plateau, scientists found that even in isolated areas, these "contaminants of emerging concern" are not uncommon. Find out what we found where--and how you can help.
Locations:Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park
In Moab, Utah, the Northern Colorado Plateau Network is helping to determine if improved methods of wastewater treatment can help reduce the presence of unregulated contaminants in effluent. The results have important implications for water quality in some of our nation’s most treasured rivers—and the news is good.
Locations:Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Hovenweep National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument
Be careful where you step because the dirt is alive! This bumpy, lumpy, crust black soil is called biological soil crust and is made up of living organisms.