GEOANTIQUITIES HERITAGE AREAS are world-class natural archives of Earth system history, in landscape parcels optimized for maximum Earth Science information and minimum land area (maximum information per unit area).

Case Study- Geoantiquities Heritage Site: The Stockton bar (Tooele County, Utah) has an exceptionally well-preserved series of littoral deposits from Lake Bonneville. Shoreline deposits of the last Bonneville deep-lake cycle contain valuable information about Late Pleistocene-Holocene climate, and are proxies for wind and water transport.

Threats- The young, unconsolidated deposits of the Stockton Bar are at risk of destruction by rapidly growing demands for aggregate building materials. Permits for the removal of 400,000 tons of sand and gravel from the Stockton Bar were issued in 1999 alone. Upon removal of these deposits, the opportunity to study geomorphic and sedimentologic expressions is permanently lost. Environmental and aesthetic aspects of the Stockton Bar are also threatened by the presence of a nearby solid waste reduction center and a toxic waste pond.

Our Study- Documentation of the sedimentologic, geomorphic and climatologic information contained in the Stockton Bar deposits allows us to determine the processes involved, and to reconstruct the Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene developmental history. GIS mapping, air photograph interpretation, field reconnaissance, and mass budget models will be used to determine rates of erosion and deposition for the Stockton Bar.

Geoantiquity Implementation - The Ultimate Goal
The Stockton Bar is a unique natural landform that preserves the evidence of Earth- surface processes during the Bonneville lake cycle. Presently, this site is a rare island of relatively intact Bonneville deposits in one of the fastest growing urban areas in the country. The Stockton Bar also has aesthetic and environmental importance. Designation of this site as a Geoantiquity Heritage Area would ensure that the integrity of its scientific, educational, environmental and aesthetic values are maintained.