Geology: Lake Bonneville

Lake Bonneville

Lake Bonneville was sited in the Basin and Range Province. It is called the Basin and Range province because water does not leave the Basins, which are bounded by Ranges. There’s no outlet such as the Snake River for the water to use to get to the ocean. Lake Bonneville was nestled all snug in its Basin filling valleys and flats over a large portion of Northern and Western Utah. The only outlet for the water was a small stream that flowed North into Idaho. Lake Bonneville retained its level until the stream eroded through the harder rocks into soft rocks. Once the stream hit the softer rocks it eroded quickly and the dam that had retained so much of Lake Bonneville was broken. Water poured through this gap for months. It flooded North through Downey, the Portneuf Gap, Pocatello and on into the Snake River. The volume of water was about 600 cubic miles in total. The maximum discharge exceeded the total fresh water flowing into all the oceans of the earth today. Another way to perceive the flow is to compare it to the Amazon River. The Lake Bonneville flood flowed at 3 times the rate of the Amazon. The Snake River, engorged by this additional water raced to the sea. Months later, Lake Bonneville was no more. In its place was the new Lake Provo. The little stream heading into Idaho had hit harder rocks again. It stabilized Lake Provo at its new level approximately 350 feet below the Lake Bonneville mark. If the climate were to change and water rained down on Utah, Lake Provo could refill.

Take a look at the map here:
http://geology.utah.gov/online/PI-39/pi39pg01.htm

It's really hard to get a grasp on how large the lake really was. To really get an idea, look for Logan. North of Logan is Red Rock Pass then find Provo, Wendover (over in Nevada) and South to Milford. This lake was HUGE.

Other Interesting Lake Bonneville Web Sites:
Lake Bonneville -- Digital Atlas of Idaho Project
http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/hydr/lkbflood/lbfdex.htm
http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/geog/rrt/part2/26.htm
http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/hydr/lkbflood/lbf.htm

Final Report - GIS 18 (Utah State University, College of Natural Resources)
http://www.nr.usu.edu/Geography-Department/rsgis/Projects/RSGIA96/gis18/gis18.html

History of Lake Bonneville (University of Houston)
http://geoinfo.geosc.uh.edu/VR/idaho/index.htm

I'm working on a field trip guide for Nick and I to use to really understand the scope of Lake Bonneville and the effects of the flood.

Jenny

Photos...

I work with this amazing woman named Kris. She is so smart and on top of all things technological. She did an education hour on social software on the web. Education Hour is a library activity where we teach each other about new databases, reference books, web stuff, and generally work on our skills. Melinda attended a recent one where we discussed the library's disaster plan. But back to Kris and social software, she showed us this wonderful web site called Flickr. Flickr is a free site for hosting photographs. I thought it might come in useful as part of this blog since you can interlink the two.

I’ve added a few recent photos, and they can be seen at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/

Next I'm going to have to create a post that includes the pictures. :) Something to look forward to.

Jenny

April 8th, My Anniversary

Saturday, April 8

Nick and I have been married (this time) for 10 years, today. So what do we do for our anniversary? We go shopping. Of course, we're not shopping in normal stores like normal people. After dropping Erika off at Wendy practice we headed for Idaho Falls. Um, Erika (Nan's daughter) is playing Wendy in the big Mystique production of Peter Pan. Back to Idaho Falls, we stop at the Army Surplus store where Nick bought another wool watchcap.

I had hoped to find another gorgeous thick green wool blanket, but no luck. I found one there earlier this year and am going to turn it into my new camping cape. In the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism – medieval re-creationist group) I discovered that a cape was far more useful than a coat. It is easy to put on in the middle of the night when you are stumbling out of a tent in search of the nearest shrubbery. It keeps your back warm when standing in front of a fire. It makes a handy blanket when it gets really cold. And it’s shareable if you want to snuggle with your honey. The blanket I already have probably has enough fabric, I just wanted to be sure. I’m going to line it with a brown cotton velvet upholstery fabric that has a diamond pattern. I used a candle to burn scraps of fabric, looking for one that didn’t catch on fire easily. I did not take the candle to the fabric store. Instead I went through the boxes of fabric in my own home. I have way to much fabric and I don’t really sew much anymore. I just can’t seem to part with it though.

After the Army Surplus store we headed in to downtown Idaho Falls to the Gem & Mineral Show. It was quite disappointing. Pocatello’s has more vendors and a larger venue. Still, it was fun to watch Nick (Geology student) look really closely at all of the mineral specimens. I didn’t buy anything here. Nick however got rooked into buying a polished stone to which someone glued eyes. It’s now riding around in my car watching the occupants.

Next, since we were so close, we went to the D.I. (thrift store). Nick had been hoping to buy a Dutch oven (he’s taking a Dutch oven cooking class this semester). I walked him out to the back yard part of the store and there it was, a 10” Lodge for $15.00. This was much cheaper than from a regular store. We also found more amber glass serving dishes. Mom shipped me all of the amber glasses we had as kids in Taylor. It’s been fun collecting serving items to go with. I figure I can use the amber with one of my white sets of dishes or the clear glass set of dishes when having a party.

Going to thrift stores is addictive. We have a hard time stopping at just one, so we headed to the large Salvation Army. There instead of finding anything to purchase we found Susan & Jeff Crandall. Susan had called me earlier in the week and I had not gotten back in touch, even though I had wanted to. When Melinda gets out of school I think we’ll try to go to Menan, Market Lake, Mud Lake, and Camas on a big birding trip and include Susan. We had a lot of fun last year when we did this.

Next we went to the Youth Ranch and Humane Society thrift stores, but found nothing of note. There were a couple of interesting candleholders that I picked up. Candles make great Christmas presents for work colleagues.

Lunch was a fast stop at the nearby Taco Bell. We were on a timetable. I had promised to be at work by 3:00 so Nick dropped me off at the Ross Dress For Less so I could continue my hunt for the perfect purse. He went over to the Sportsman’s Warehouse to see what their prices on Dutch Ovens were. Remember the family motto of “if it is worth doing it is worth over doing.” Now apply it to cooking outdoors. We’ll certainly need more than one Dutch oven.

Nick met me back at Ross. The Dutch ovens were reasonably priced, but I had the credit card. I found a purse. I wasn’t sure if it was perfect. I now know it is, absolutely, positively perfect. It is lightweight, with a long shoulder strap, black leather with lots of pockets for all of my electronic gadgets and best of all it will fit a small notebook and a novel. On our way back to Sportsman’s Warehouse he decided we should wait on buying another one until later.

To continue my fun-filled anniversary day, we went to the library. Here, I had promised to weed the science and technology books. Every two years we have a huge book sale. The books that are not purchased are boxed back up and saved for the next sale. The problem with this is that we end up with a lot of dreck coming back out year after year. It took me a dusty hour but I removed about 75% of the remaining science and technology books from the book sale round. This 75% will now be put out in the library for the public to take free of charge.

For dinner we had Kentucky Fried Chicken. Somehow this has become a tradition. For the past two years Nick has been embroiled in heavy classes and studying. We cook better than any of the “fancy” restaurants in town. So it’s not exactly a treat to go to one of these places. Nor do we really want to cook for our anniversary, so we’ve ended up with KFC. This year we might have done something different, but why mess with tradition?

April 8th is on a Sunday next year. I hope I’m not on sabbatical.

Jenny

April 1 & 2, Pocatello to Logan to Provo and Back

April 1, 2006

We got up bright and early (6:00 a.m.) so we’d be on the road in time to hook up with Melinda at Nanette’s in Logan. Our ETA was 9:30… allegedly. The plan would have worked, except for the distraction of the geology books and maps. I wanted the books sequenced; so that I’d know what to read at which part of the journey. So instead of leaving at 7:00 a.m. which would have put us there waaaay too early, we left at 8:30 which put us there late (10:15ish).

Drive to Logan
I was shocked to discover that the Roadside Geology guides were not up to par for the road from here to Logan. Actually, I’m not all that shocked. They are definitely weaker than I’d like. If I ever have time I’d love to rewrite those books… We only stopped a couple of times to look at birds. The red tailed hawk sitting on a tree was a must to stop for. Then Nick definitely had to climb the hill by the Geology marker for Red Rock Pass. This is the pass that Lake Bonneville eroded away to flood Pocatello and parts of Idaho. What’s disappointing is that the geology marker at the bottom doesn’t tell you that the monument at the top is for a group of graves.

At Logan we found Nanette’s new place. It’s fabulous. Lots of room, plenty of storage, a great place to live. We went to breakfast at the nearby diner and then back to her house. Nick and Nan loaded the wagon wheel bunk beds into the jeep. It was raining. They got damp. Thanks guys.

Drive to Provo
Melinda left her car at Nan’s house and took off with us towards Provo. We used a Utah Geological Association (1) field trip guide to explore the geologic features around Logan. This field guide was designed to stat in Salt Lake City an end in Logan. So I had to try and read it in reverse. Not fun, but it was a lot more interesting and thorough than using one of those roadside guides So we went up the canyon, along the valley, through the snow… over the dam, around the bend, up the hill, down the highway, along the dirt track… Pretty rocks on a hillside, faults, folds, mountains, rivers, lakes, alluvial fans… Melinda brought her geography book to study for a test. I had the mini-library and we had a great time. The reasonably short trip from Logan to Provo took us 8 hours. We saw lots of rocks and birds.

In Provo, we toted the bed up the stairs of Melinda’s new place and helped her put the beds together as a trundle set. This way she can use the top bed as a shelf and the bottom bed as a bed. Nick and I drove over to the Marriott hotel. While Nick was in working on the reservation situation I called Shanna. Apparently the power went off in our part of Pocatello. Someone hit a power pole. Two hours later everything was fine. Shanna is so cool. She already had a candle lit and wasn’t worried a bit. We went to bed and I slept like a rock.

April 2, 2006

And Back
The time changed while we slept. I hate daylight savings time. Got up, got moving early and headed back to Logan (yes Melinda came with us). Anyway, we drove to Antelope Island and did ½ the field trip there. Nan called, and unfortunately she had to go to Pocatello, leaving before we got to Logan. After Antelope Island we headed for Logan. Nick and I talked geology while Melinda napped.

At Logan we parted ways and Nick and I headed for Idaho. I was tired of talking/reading. So we stopped at the nearby Borders and bought a book on tape, or rather CD., a Louis L’Amour story read/acted by Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings. It was great.

I’ve become fascinated by the scope of Lake Bonneville and the scale of the flood. I want to pursue this a little more, and am planning to do a Lake Bonneville trip soon.

Weekend Bird List:
Crows
California Gulls
Coots
Canada Geese
Red Winged Blackbirds
Starlings
Magpies
Red Tailed Hawk
Domestic Geese – on way up canyon
Chinese Swan Goose
Mallards
Horned Larks – triangle intersection by McMurdie Hollow
Meadowlarks
Kestrel
Robins
Brewers blackbirds
Kildeer
Avocets
Cormorants
Northern shovelers
Ring necked ducks
Great blue herons
Cinnamon teals
Canvasback ducks
Dark variant Canada goose
Rough legged hawk
Northern harrier
Song sparrow
Coopers hawk
Gadwalls
Eared grebes
Chukkar
Ravens
Yellowheaded blackbird
Snowy egrets
Sandhill cranes

Weekend Mammal List:
Muskrat
Bison
Coyote

(1)

“Geology of the Northern Wasatch Front, Utah: Utah Geological Association Field trip Road Log September 11, 1999. Compiled by W. Adolph Yonkee and Jeffrey G. Eaton, Department of Geosciences, Weber State University, Ogden UT.” In Geology of Northern Utah and Vicinity, Utah Geological Association Publication Vol 27 pages 378-402.

Cast of Characters: My Family -- Part 3

Last but certainly not least are my parents and my brothers. :)

The Parents
Judy (my Mom) is the person most directly responsible for this fascination I have with the natural world. She has studied, flowers, herbs, birds and many other things while I was growing up. She is interesting and interested in the world and people around her. Known for her wisdom, caring and gentleness, Mom is one of the people I turn to when I need help sorting things out.
Occupation: Mom, volunteer, knowledge repository

David (my Dad) is the guy who took us camping when there were only three of us daughters. He grew up in Island Park and has always displayed an interest in rocks. He teaches constantly. We've had lectures on physics, geology, math and other business or science topics when on road trips our whole lives. Now that I really think about it, how could I not turn into this mad naturalist? Dad is caring, practical, inspired, dynamic and has a charisma that makes him the tallest man in any room.
Occupation: Dad, inventor, and president of several companies
See: http://www.monolithic.com

The Brothers
David is patient and brainy. He has a wife named Jen and three (almost four) kids: Amy, Aubrey, and Sam plus the one on the way. They are a great family and I wish I had had half as much sense when raising my own daughter. David is a gifted writer and is launching his own newspaper business online.
Occupation: Entrepreneur

Mike is loving and fun. He is always up for a grand adventure. He can build just about anything heading up as foreman construction teams for Monolithic. He also works with computers and networks. Mike is married to Tessa and has four kids: Mike, Caty, Evie and Frank. Mike is a great dad. He loves his kids very much and can frequently be spotted toting several around.
Occupation: Construction Foreman, Computer Network Dude

That's it for the central family. I have a score of aunts and uncles and hordes of cousins. We'll just have to introduce them as they come and go from the stage.

Jenny

Cast of Characters: My Family -- Part 2

I have a very large family and I refer to them constantly. My sisters are my best friends, so let me introduce them.

The Sisters
Sarah has looked about 27 years old for a long time now. She's sweet, adventurous, and loves horses and dogs. She has a penchant for odd, arty movies that matches my husband’s tastes exactly. Sarah studied martial arts for a long time and loves beautiful poetry and jewelry. She is married to Brad, a glass blower. Brad is great, laid-back, and easy going. Like me, Brad enjoys knowing the names of things.
Occupation: Math professor

Nanette is courageous and kind. She is the communication nexus for our family. If you really want to know what’s going on, ask her. Nanette is incredibly smart and has great facility for sticking to something till it is really over. It is the only way a single mom could have ever achieved a Masters degree in Engineering. Sociability is one of her innate qualities, which is good because her four kids (Matt, Kaleb, Erika, and Sydney) and all of their friends are frequently at her house. This makes her place an ongoing party to visit.
Occupation: Rocket scientist

Sarah, Nanette and I used to ride horses all over the place. We are the three that mom and dad took camping. I have fond memories of playing card games such as War, Go Fish, and Old Maid for endless hours in the tent. The tent was huge, made of yellow canvas. The light was this golden color and the sound of the trees and water were right outside.

Melinda is smart and funny. She has great facility for words and speaks several languages. She is in school right now working towards a geography degree. Melinda is the chief birder of the family, able to identify a bird in its zippy flight into the trees, usually before I even realize there’s a bird around. She works remotely for Monolithic managing their extensive photograph collection and editing many of their publications.
Occupation: Student, Editor for Monolithic

Rebecca is the life of the party, any party. She is also smart, wise, witty, and wonderful. She will always welcome you to dinner, to spend the night, the day or the week. Rebecca is bold and adventurous, willing to travel and experience life. Although she may be our most cosmopolitan of sisters, she loves the outdoors and camping just as much as the rest of us. Rebecca manages the ever-growing and evolving website for Monolithic. She also edits their videos. Recently she began work on her own non-profit organization to provide safe structures for housing in developing nations. Rebecca is married to Brady who works in promotions/advertising. She has daughter named Hannah.
Occupation: Webmaster for Monolithic, Leader of a Nonprofit

Jessica is determined, smart and kind. She sets her mind on something and gets it done, whether that’s moving hundreds of miles away from her family or finding the perfect present. She loves fine things and people and has a gift for setting the stage for parties, get-togethers and occasions. Reticent about the spotlight, she nonetheless stands out in her own fashionable way. Jessica truly cares about people and wants to help; this shines through in her interactions with others. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Health Promotion and Education
Occupation: Graduate Student

Jamie is sweet and funny. She writes amusing poetry and can charm anyone. She has the gift of being open and friendly. She is only two years older than my daughter Shanna. Jamie loves anime, computer games and fun. Jamie edits pictures. She clears up scratches, erases immovable or objectionable objects and adjusts lighting and backgrounds. She has an artistic eye and a gift seeing the details. She is married to Quinton who works with computers.
Occupation: Photo Editor

I have one other sister; she passed away as a baby. Her name is Julie. Since she was older than I, I didn’t meet her. I don’t have stories that include her, but since we’re a set of ten kids with her I thought you might like to know how.

That's it for the girls
Jenny

Cast of Characters: My Family -- Part 1

I thought a few introductions might be in order:

Jenny, that’s me. I’m a librarian and curious adventurer. I’m a little prone to leaping before looking which has led me to a few odd things. As I’ve gotten older I try to plan more carefully. This doesn’t always help. I love rocks, flowers, trees, mountains, all things in nature and am obsessed with knowing their names and how they work and fit together. I enjoy the outdoors a great deal and while you may have a picture in your head of some fit, trim, athletic looking woman, let me disabuse you of it. I am a very cute, short, pudgy sort of person who is a LOT stronger than she looks. :) It is nice to be underestimated.

Nick is my husband of ten or twenty years, depending on which date you’re working from. I’ll save the rest of that story for another post. Career wise he has been in the Navy, worked as a line chief in a plant, and been a computer network dude. He is currently a geology student. He loves being outside and is an avid mountain biker, hiker and picker up of rocks. He’s very good at spotting birds and insists that he is NOT a birder.

Shanna is my daughter. She is wonderful, bright, beautiful and precious to me. She is currently a student at the same university where my husband is going and where I work. She is fascinated by all things Japanese. Her anime collection is quite large and she is taking classes to learn the language. She is more indoor girl than outdoor and can be found online by her friends at all hours of the day. Still, she likes pretty rocks as much as the next person and is always ready to dig for crystals.

Boo & Barkley are our dogs. Boo is an old mutt that my husband came with when I remarried him. Barkley is a charming and huge, cream colored standard poodle. They, of course love to go on adventures. Mountain biking and hiking around looking for rocks with Nick are two of their favorite activities.

That's my little group at home right now.
Jenny

The Semenza Chronicle

Greetings,

I am tired of trying to get people emailed about our adventures. I'm tired of trying to write my own journal entries. And, I'm tired of not keeping better track of all the fun stuff in my life. I've tried blogging before and it just didn't work out. However, this time, my topic is way more fun, and I'm far more interested in chronicling about our trips, adventures, and misadventures. I hope that you who find this are entertained. I know I have been.

Jenny