The Great Unconformity: a geologic feature spanning 1.3 billion years high in the Wasatch Mtns, Utah

The northern portion of Utah's Wasatch Range proudly displays one of the great geologic features in western North America - the Great Unconformity. This feature is typically buried miles below the surface but is exposed in tall, young mountain ranges (like the Wasatch or Tetons) or deep canyons (like the Grand Canyon). The unconformity is a distinct contact between dissimilar rock units and represents a whopping 1.3 billion years, nearly 30% of Earth's entire history. Here geology professor Shawn Willsey treks up the steep mountain front near Willard Canyon to show you the rocks on either side of the unconformity and explain its significance.

GPS location: 41.41166, -112.01365

I love doing these videos and will continue to do so but if you want to provide support or much appreciated gas money, you can send support via Venmo @Shawn-Willsey (be sure to put two L's in last name)

or PayPal:

or a good ol' fashioned check to this address:
Shawn Willsey
College of Southern Idaho
315 Falls Avenue
Twin Falls, ID 83303

[jamesdunn]

I love geology and your enthusiasm when informing your audience. Thank you.

[chrisloganmusic]

For those out in the Las Vegas area, The Great Unconformity is also accessible right off of Lake Meade Blvd. as it begins to make its way over the hill to Lake Meade, on the south side of the road. There is a sign there, pointing it out.

[barrywells]

Thank you Shawn. As a finance executive for a number of Australian resource companies, I was always impressed with the presentations given by our exploration geologists. By subscribing to you presentations I can continue to be impressed in my retirement.

[muzikhed]

Pretty amazing being able to actually touch the conformity and bridge it with both hands, such a clean sharp line. Massive Quartzite deposit !

[carltuckerson]

So, long story but I became a geologist when I took intro to geology at BYU and touched a billion year old rock at Rock Canyon on a field trip. I left BYU (was not meant to go there) and finished by degrees at UTEP. We have the unconformity in El Paso and 500 million years of missing time is one of the most intriguing things to me still in geology. You got a new sub today. Look forward to more content.

[jamessmelcer]

Another good show Shawn! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us brother. Educational and entertaining. Keep the videos coming! Jim

[abulahab]

I’ve hiked exactly there and also above Honeyville to hunt trilobites. Great specimens.

[cadevalcarce]

Shawn, thanks so much for making this video! I grew up in Willard and spent countless hours hiking all over those mountains and though I've heard of The Great Unconformity I had no idea there was such a good example of it literally in my backyard. This gives me an even deeper appreciation of that area that is so near and dear to my heart.

[naoakiooishi]

Thanks! I felt as if I were there and listening to you directly standing right at the edge of the cliff. Somewhat ominous sky fitted to the feeling of jumping 1.3 billion years from grey to cream.

[johnstonewall]

A great video made in somewhat difficult conditions!

[chagildoi]

Love this! Not sure why the algorithm picked this video for me, but having grown up in Box Elder and moved away long ago, it’s wonderful to learn something fascinating about these mountains I saw everyday as a kid.

[bestgrams]

Thanks for sharing this portion of the fascinating story of earth's past. Now that I've found your channel, I will very much enjoy catching up on your expeditions. Subscribed.

[jakegroat]

1.3 billion years is really hard to wrap your head around. I love driving by the Wasatch range. Great to learn about some of the history I'm always curious about. thank you!

[roneldridge]

I am Miner ! I look for Pocket Gold in my region. Have found some spectacular Rock Deposits in which I display in my Restaurant. But unraveling these Rock structure’s and identifying them is really what it’s about for me. Ty just found your channel and love your take on it for the common person. I’m from the Klamath mountains of Southern Oregon so the Geology is unbelievably complex with faults folding an covered by vegetation. Makes for a Awesome challenge.

[lzugner]

Great vids. I'm a retired geologist living in Prescott, Arizona. We have a great exposure of the Great Unconformity here between the Tapeats and the Proterozoic basement rocks on Route 89A going up the west side of Mingus Mountain. I love pointing it out to visiting guests. Keep up the good work. We love going thru Idaho to visit son in Bozeman, MT.

[andrewrivera]

Cool! I’m heading to Logan next week, will keep my eye out.

[ajduker]

THANK YOU! I went to USU and often drove past this section of mountains. As a kid on the east coast, I always imagined all the "Rocky Mountains" would look like this section. Always one of my favorites. Thanks for the video!

[austinfarnworth]

A great video on a really interesting topic! You do a great job making geology more accessible to those without a geology degree in these videos.

[TheDude]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing that spot.

[gretchenlhommedieu]

This is one of the most interesting videos I’ve ever seen. I love learning and this geology video is the best. Thank you.