San Rafael Swell Satellite Image

Document Type

Map

Publication Date

1-1-2022

Abstract

As a contribution to the Utah as Art collection created by UtahView, a member of the AmericaView consortium (https://americaview.org/), this image of the San Rafael Swell, Utah is intended to act as an educational resource to increase interest in the contributions of remote sensing satellites as an aid to Earth resource management. The San Rafael Swell, located in central Utah, is a large and unique geologic feature characterized by badlands, canyons, mesas, and colorful sandstone formations. It covers 1,800 square miles and has elevations ranging from 4,000 to 7,000 feet above sea level. The San Rafael Swell was formed roughly 40 to 70 million years ago when the geologic layers in the region were uplifted forming a broad, arch-shaped dome called an asymmetrical anticline. The sedimentary strata on the east limb of the anticline are steep and form the San Rafael Reef, a north-south trending hogback ridge composed of jagged fins, deep canyons, and dramatic cliffs. This image of the San Rafael Swell was captured on July 12, 2016, by the Operational Land Imager onboard the NASA/USGS Landsat 8 satellite. The image was enhanced to bring out variations in geology and vegetation. It was integrated with terrain data to enhance topographic relief.

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