Upheaval Dome Overlook: A Mystery

A wayside that provides information about Upheaval Dome

K. Wright

Quick Facts

Location:

Island in the Sky

Significance:

Wayside Panel

Amenities

1 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

Upheaval Dome is a mystery. The rock layers below you are fractured and tilted, forming a circular depression more than two miles wide. How did it form? Scientists propose two potential causes: a salt dome that cracked and tilted the rock over time, or a violent meteorite impact that instantly fractured the rock. Recent findings support the meteorite hypothesis, but questions remain. With more research, we may solve the mystery of this crater and other on our planet.            

A slow-moving salt dome?    
About 300 million years ago, a salty inland sea covered the area.    
A large basin trapped the sea, which then evaporated, leaving behind thousands of feet of salt.     
Wind and water deposited more of sediment, pushing down on the softer salt layer and causing it to dome upwards.     
Over time the salt rose, fracturing and distorting the rock layers in its path.   Water eroded the salt and overlying sediment, exposing the distorted crater visible today.                   

An instantaneous meteorite impact?
About 200 million years ago, a meteor hurtled toward earth.         
The meteor hit the ground with so much force, it vaporized on impact.       
The force of the impact fractured the rock, creating a large crater.           
Rock layers rebounded inward and upward to fill the void.         
Erosion exposed the tilted, broken core of the impact site.