Subdivisions of the Major Physiographic Provinces in Utah

Abstract

Utah includes large segments of three major physiographic provinces, the Colorado Plateau, Middle Rocky Mountains, and Basin and Range. Small parts of the Wyoming Basin and Columbia and Snake River Plateaus are also included. Because these provinces are all very large, it is advantageous to subdivide them into sections for description and reference. The following sections are proposed as subdivisions of the major physiographic provinces: Colorado Plateau: Uinta Basin, Book Cliffs-Roan Plateau, Mancos Shale Lowlands, Uncompahgre Extension, Salt Anticline, La Sal Mountains, Hatch Syncline, Great Sage Plain, Abajo (Blue) Mountains, Blanding Basin, Monument Upwarp, Slick-rock, Kaiparowits Plateau Escalante Benches, Grand Staircase, St. George Basin, Circle Cliffs-Teasdale Anticlines, Henry Mountains, San Rafael Swell, Green River Desert, Inner Canyonlands. Middle Rocky Mountains: Wasatch Range, Wasatch Hinterland, Clarkston Mountain, Cache Valley, Bear River Plateau-Bear Lake, Bear River, Crawford Mountains, Uinta Mountains. Wyoming Basin: Green River Basin. Basin and Range-Colorado Plateaus (Subprovince): Wasatch Plateau, Sanpete-Sevier Valleys, Gunnison Plateau-Valley Mountains, Pavant Range-Canyon Range, Tushar Volcanic, Southern High Plateaus, Tonoquints Volcanic. Basin and Range: Great Salt Lake, Lakeside, Wasatch Front Valleys, Uinta Extension, Thomas Mountains-Tintic Mountains, Sevier Desert-Black Rock Desert, Confusion Basin, Beaver Dam Range, Deep Creek Mountains, Great Salt Lake Desert, Goose Creek-Raft River (a small part is in the Columbia and Snake River Plateaus), Curlew Valley, Hansel Mountains-West Hills