JACKSON, Wyo. — A new Wyoming State Geological Survey (WSGS) map depicts the geology of one of the state’s most landslide-prone regions that neighbors Teton County and provides an important transportation corridor to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.
The map focuses on the northwestern Wind River Range and Wind River Basin, as well as the southern Absaroka Range, an area that has been historically impacted by landslide activity. According to the WSGS, the only prior landslide inventory in the area was completed over 20 years ago without field verification.
“These data are used by land managers, local governments and the public to make informed land-use decisions, and they have wide-ranging applications from infrastructure siting to real estate to emergency management,” says Dr. Erin Campbell, WSGS director and Wyoming state geologist. “This map and accompanying report align with the WSGS’s mission to characterize Wyoming’s geologic resources and hazards.”
The WSGS used a combination of digital and field methods to complete the mapping. According to the press release, since most of the northern half is part of the Washakie and Teton wilderness areas that lacks road access, initial mapping was completed through interpretation of lidar data and aerial photographs followed by five weeks of field mapping.
In addition to assessing geologic hazards within the map area, the project also provides more understanding of the Pleistocene glacial systems in the Wind River and Absaroka ranges.
The Preliminary Surficial Geologic Map of the West Half of The Ramshorn 30′ x 60′ Quadrangle, Fremont and Park Counties, Wyoming, Open File Report 2023 is available as a free downloadable PDF and as a hardcopy for purchase from the WSGS, along with a 34-page report.
The 1:100,000-scale geologic map was supported with funding through the U.S. National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, which is managed by the U.S. Geological Survey.
