Utah’s Oolitic SandstoneĪround 50 million years ago, large fresh- and salt-water lakes covered parts of Utah, and in these areas, vast amounts of sediments, including oolites, were deposited. The beaches on the west side of Antelope Island are a great place to find oolitic sand, which will look and feel as though you have a handful of tiny pearls. The main difference, aside from a pearl being much larger, is that oolites are typically oblong, rather than round. This is very similar to how a pearl, also layers of calcium carbonate around a small particle, is formed within the shell of an oyster or mussel. In shallow areas of the lake, where wind and waves routinely mix the water, these small particles gradually accumulate layers of calcium carbonate, forming an oolite (spelled o-o-l-i-t-e). These pellets, along with sand grains and other bits of debris, eventually settle to the bottom of Great Salt Lake. Well, as the billions of brine shrimp feed on bacteria in Great Salt Lake, they excrete waste in the form of tiny fecal pellets. ![]() In a previous episode of Wild About Utah, I discussed the life cycle of brine shrimp and the important role that they play in the Great Salt Lake Ecosystem. Okay, so it may be a bit of a stretch, but let me explain. Imagine if prehistoric brine shrimp were responsible for one of the finest examples of architecture in Salt Lake City today. Hi, this is Mark Larese-Casanova from the Utah Master Naturalist Program at Utah State University Extension. ![]() Utah’s Oolitic Sand, Photo Courtesy and Copyright Mark Larese-Casanova Download file | Play in new window | Duration: 3:36 | Recorded on March 24, 2011
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