Erosion in the Wind River Range
by Eric Peterson
IS
EROSION GOOD OR BAD? LET'S THINK IN BIG SCALES. LOOK AT THE WIND RIVER RANGE
HERE IN WESTERN WYOMING. HERE MOUNTAINS ARE BEING BUILT AS THE EDGES OF BUCKLING LAND MASSES COLLIDE TOGETHER.
THE
HIGHEST PLACED IN WYOMING ARE HERE, INCLUDING GANNETT PEAK, WYOMING'S HIGHEST,
MEASURING A WHOPPING THIRTEEN THOUSAND, EIGHT HUNDRED AND FOUR FEET.
NOW,
EVEN AS THESE MOUNTAINS ARE UPLIFTING, THERE HAVE BEEN TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
FEET WHICH HAVE BEEN WORN AWAY. EROSION DOESN'T WAIT UNTIL MOUNTAIN BUILDING IS
DONE.
WIND,
WEATHER AND THE FORCE OF GRAVITY HAVE CHIPPED AWAY AT THE UPLIFTED AND EXPOSED MOUNTAIN RANGES. BITS OF MOUNTAIN,
LARGE AND SMALL, FOLLOW THE LAWS OF PHYSICS IN THEIR JOURNEY TO THE LOWEST
POINT THEY CAN.
MOST
OF THESE BITS OFROCK AND SOIL ARE GATHERED UP IN WATER. SMALL TRICKLES AT
FIRST, BUILDING INTO CREEKS, STREAMS AND RIVERS UNTIL THE LAWS OF PHYSICS AND
THE DECREASE IN ENERGY THEY CARRY FORCE THM TO COME TO REST.
AGAIN,
THINKING ON THE BIG SCALE, THAT IS WHERE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FEET OF MOUNTAINS
THAT ARE NOT THERE ANYMORE WENT, ON DOWNSTREAM. THAT IS WHERE LOUISIANA CAME
FROM.
EROSION
IS A NATURAL PHENOMENON. IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. BUT IT'S A REASONABLE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR US NOT TO ACCELERATE IT. FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE, I'M ERIC PETERSON.