Eastern Mojave Vegetation Utah Highway 261, San Juan County, Utah  
 

Edited by Tom Schweich  
Home Page  The Moqui Dugway ia a steep, partially paved road (UT RT 261) with a series of tight switchbacks that climbs up and over Cedar Mesa north of Mexican Hat, UT. There are panoramic views of the Valley of the Gods and the canyons of the San Juan River at various pullouts along the road. The road is cut into the Halgaito Formation (first switchback at the base of the mesa) and Cedar Mesa Sandstones of the Permian Cutler Group. Large-scale cross stratification and reddish interdune deposits, including permineralized roots in the Cedar Mesa Sandstone can be examined at several of the pullouts. The Raplee anticline, a smaller, en echelon fold in the eastern limb of the Monument Upwarp is also visible to the south along the San Juan River.

Literature Cited:
- Demko, T. M., 2003.

Other articles:
• Utah Highway 95:   at UT Hwy 261;  

 Junction: Utah Highway 95
 

Other articles:
• Field Notes:   20 Apr 2017;

Locations: Moki Dugway.
Full Size ImageValley of the Gods from Cedar Mesa at the top of the Moki Dugway  
Full Size Image
Valley of the Gods from the Moki Dugway.
View point near the top of the Moki Dugway.

Other articles:
• Field Notes:   20 Apr 2017;
Full Size ImageAbout 2/3 of the way to the top.  

 Pullout at a switchback about 2/3 of the way to the top.

 

 

Literature Cited:
- Retallack, Gregory J., 2009.

Locations: Moki Dugway.  

Moki Dugway

Near this location are paleosol collection sites in the Permian Halgaito Shale and Cedar Mesa formation used by Retallack in his 2009 study of greenhouse crises of the past 300 million years. Retallack used stomatal index data for fossil Ginko and related leaves as a proxy for past CO2 spikes and paleosol chemical data as proxies for temperature and humidity changes. These data show that global warming due to CO2 rise is a not a unique event in earth history and that the magnitude of the coming anthropogenic greenhouse pales in comparison with past greenhouse spikes at times of global mass extinctions.
 
  Junction: Valley of the Gods Road

Other articles:
• Field Notes:   20 Apr 2017;
Full Size ImageCedar Mesa above Valley of the Gods, Moki Dugway circled.  

 View of Cedar Mesa and Moki Dugway.

Other articles:
• US Highway 163:   at UT Hwy 261;  

 Junction: US Highway 163
If you have a question or a comment you may write to me at: tomas@schweich.com I sometimes post interesting questions in my FAQ, but I never disclose your full name or address.  

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Date and time this article was prepared: 12/9/2024 7:38:02 PM