A remnant of the Gilbert Shoreline showing the protective cap-rock effect of the shoreline sand and gravel deposits. Note the amount of erosion that has taken place in the last 10,000 years
Geoantiquities are records of Earth history, in which natural landscapes preserve material evidence of geologically recent surface processes and environments. Utah's Lake Bonneville basin contains excellent examples of geoantiquities. The natural records left by Lake Bonneville (24,000-12,700 radiocarbon years or 29,000-15,000 calendar years ago) are prominent shorelines, deltas, bars, spits, and beaches. These loose, unconsolidated sediments can easily be disturbed and are vulnerable to removal and burial, particularly in areas like the Wasatch Front where growth rates are double the national average.
