Arches National Park (Moab, Utah) By Andrew Farrell, James Sullivan, and Stephen Fung
Dec 15, 2015
Arches National Park(Moab, Utah)
By Andrew Farrell, James Sullivan, and Stephen Fung
Geology (How the Arches Formed)
Type of rock
Sandstone: made of grains of sand cemented together by minerals. The Entrada Sandstone was once a massive desert, full of shifting dunes of fine-grained sand. When packed together, they formed a rock that is very porous (full of tiny spaces).
In contrast, the Carmel layer just beneath the Entrada contains a mix of sand and clay. Clay particles are much smaller than sand grains; making the rock denser and less porous than a purer sandstone.
Geology (Erosion)• On average, the park receives 8-10 inches
(18-23cm) of precipitation a year.
Drops of rainwater soak into the porous
Entrada sandstone easily and then slowly
dissolve the calcite bonding the sand
together – in other words, rotting the rock
from the inside out.
Water puddles just above the denser
Carmel layer where it erodes a cavity. In
winter, water trapped between the two
layers expands when it freezes and pries
the rock apart.
Geology (Formation of the Arches)
Deep beneath the surface lies a thick layer of salts. Squeezed by the tons of rock above it, the salt flowed and bulged upward, creating long domes.
The rock layers covering these domes were forced to crack, into a series of more-or-less parallel lines.
Ecological History (Climate) Climate data for Arches National Park Headquarters (1981–2010 normals)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F
(°C)
43.1(6.2)
50.7(10.4)
62.2(16.8)
70.7(21.5)
81.5(27.5)
92.7(33.7)
99.3(37.4)
96.3(35.7)
87.2(30.7)
72.9(22.7)
56.7(13.7)
43.9(6.6)
71.4(21.9)
Average low °F (°C)
21.4(−5.9)
27.9(−2.3)
36.3(2.4)
43.5(6.4)
52.4(11.3)
62.1(16.7)
69.1(20.6)
67.5(19.7)
57.3(14.1)
43.8(6.6)
32.3(0.2)
23.5(−4.7)
44.8(7.1)
Precipitation inches (mm)
0.58(14.7)
0.50(12.7)
0.78(19.8)
0.74(18.8)
0.68(17.3)
0.44(11.2)
0.83(21.1)
0.96(24.4)
0.84(21.3)
1.24(31.5)
0.60(15.2)
0.55(14)
8.74(222)
Snowfall inches (cm)
1.9(4.8)
.9(2.3)
.7(1.8)
0(0)
0(0)
0(0)
0(0)
0(0)
0(0)
0(0)
.6(1.5)
2.5(6.4)
6.6(16.8)
Avg. precipitatio
n days (≥ 0.01 in)
4.0 4.4 6.1 5.3 4.6 3.1 5.2 6.6 5.2 5.5 4.5 3.9 58.4
Avg. snowy
days (≥ 0.1 in)
1.3 .8 .4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .4 1.4 4.3
Source: NOAA (extremes 1893–present)[8]
Ecological History (Biome/Dominant wildlife)
Main biome in the arches is Desserts.
About one-third of the area's mammals are rodents, which include squirrels, packrats, chipmunks and porcupines.
Largest predators are the coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions.
Endemic Species
Desert Bighorn Sheep- no longer endangered
Mule Deer
Western Collard Lizard
Kangaroo Rats
Datura (plant)
Cacti
Human History
Hunter and Gatherers first entered the area 10,000 years ago after the Ice Age
About 2,000 years ago was when people first started cultivating the land
Around 700 years ago the people started leaving the area
Europeans first visited the lands in the 1840’s
Protection of the Park
National Parks Service is the government organization protecting the Park
It is beautiful and one of the most unique places on earth
The biggest collections of Arches on Earth
Threats and cures
Biggest Threat: HumansExtreme sportsTraffic congestion
Lack of Budget
Non-native speciesRussian KnapweedEnglish sparrows
Largest Rope Swinghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B36Lr0Unp4
Bibliography
National Parks Service. U.S. Department of The Interior, 16 Feb. 2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.
"Arches National Park." National Geographic. National Geographic, 2012. Web. 18 Feb. 2014
Google Images
Gantenbein, Douglas. "Our National Parks Are in Danger." Travel + Leisure. Time Inc., Aug. 2004. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.
Webquest
Denis Julien was a - explorer that was the first recorded European to visit the area.
Which President made this area an official national park?
What species once had its population reduced to 1,000?
The Arches are composed of what type of rock?
What is the biggest threat to Arches?
Webquest
How much precipitation does Arches National Park average each year?
True or False: It has snowed in Arches National Park
About of all mammals in Arches National Park are rodents.
True or False: Arches National Park is the only place on earth with natural arches
Tourists in Arches National Park increase the rate of in the park.