ABSTRACT Two sites in Kane County, south-central Utah, were selected for this two-day field trip. Stunning outcrop examples of the internal structure of eolian, wadi, and microbialite beds are accessible in the Middle Jurassic Carmel Formation at White House camp along the Paria River, and outcrop details of deformed bedding are accessible in the Lower Jurassic Navajo Sandstone on Wire Pass/Coyote Wash trail. Respective facies are described and interpreted within a theme of “back to basics in sedimentology” and within a landscape framework of the Grand Staircase and the East Kaibab monocline. A tan, cross-bedded facies of coastal eolian origin and a red lenticular facies of wadi origin in the Thousand Pockets Member, Carmel Formation, were coeval with a wavy laminated facies of organo-sedimentary origin in the Judd Hollow Tongue of the Carmel Formation. Grainflow, wind-ripple, and grainfall processes conspired on Jurassic dunes to deposit a cross-bed array of eolian sandflow, wind-ripple, and grainfall foreset strata, and wind-ripple and possibly grainfall toeset strata in the tan cross-bedded facies. Episodes of wadi flooding are preserved in the red lenticular facies as cyclical, upward-fining sandstones-mudstones punctuated by exposure and mudcrack fills. They locally and temporarily interrupted eolian sedimentation before being overrun and buried by eolian dunes. Ripples and microbes built up the wavy laminated facies at a supratidal marine shoreline of the Middle Jurassic seaway. Ground-shaking from an earthquake or extraterrestrial impact triggered severe deformation of eolian dune sand in the disturbed facies of the Navajo Sandstone.

Abstract Engineering geologists and hydrogeologists assigned to the 416th Engineer Command (ENCOM) supported the planning and execution of construction and tactical operations during the Gulf War. Military geology applications included locating potential quarry sites for sources of construction aggregate and fill, evaluating terrain features such as sabkhahs to assess cross-country mobility, and developing water sources. Sources of construction aggregate were needed to support sustainment engineering requirements in building and maintaining roads, heliports, and aircraft parking aprons in Saudi Arabia. Technical advice and assistance were provided to host nation forces who supported the production and transportation of aggregate from the source to the stock pile. Terrain analysis contributed to the success of the ground war. Obsolete or inaccurate maps were updated with new satellite images and field reconnaissance. Areas with inadequate terrain data were investigated to document natural as well as man-made obstacles. Coastal sabkhahs were evaluated and tested to determine their effect on mobility. Extensive surficial samples were collected for detailed geologic analysis, and field-expedient methods to improve trafficability were recommended. Military hydrogeologists and engineers worked closely with the Saudi Ministry of Agriculture to design and site new water wells. Several water wells were drilled by military teams to support operations deep in the desert. Satellite images, aerial photographs, maps, existing reports, and field reconnaissance were utilized to evaluate geologic conditions, thorough knowledge of which greatly contributed to the success of the ground war.