Union Pacific for Scale
April 14, 2005
Provided and copyright by: Jason Gross, N/A
Summary authors & editors: Jason Gross; Martin Ruzek
Just inside the Utah border on westbound Interstate 80 lies some of the most spectacular geology in the country. Without the Union Pacific railraod at the base of the mountain for scale, the size of this cliff would be hard to gage. Consider that the standard rail car is about 50 feet (16 meters) long. This massive outcrop of sediment was deposited as river, lake and basin sand and silt in the early Tertiary, some 60 million years ago, subsequently uplifted and eroded to form this spectacular backdrop for the observant traveler.
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