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-orless 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
43.1 50.7
high °F
(6.2) (10.4)
(°C)
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 21.4
27.9
low °F (−5.9
(−2.3)
(°C)
)
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)
Precipita 0.58
0.50
tion inch (14.7
(12.7)
es (mm)
)
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
1.9
inches
(4.8)
(cm)
.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. prec
ipitation
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. sno
wy
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: Humans
 Extreme sports
 Traffic congestion
 Lack of Budget
 Non-native species
 Russian Knapweed
 English sparrows
Largest Rope Swing
http://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
rodents.
of all mammals in Arches National Park are
 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.