- Abajo Mountains
The Abajo Mountains, also called the Blue Mountains, are a small mountain range west of
Monticello, Utah , south ofCanyonlands National Park and north ofBlanding, Utah . The mountain range is located within theManti-La Sal National Forest . The highest peak within the range isAbajo Peak at 11,360 ft (3,463 m).This mountain range, like both the
La Sal Range andHenry Mountains in the same part of theColorado Plateau , is formed about igneous intrusions that are relatively resistant to erosion. Some of these intrusions formlaccolith s emplaced at depths of a few kilometers. The predominant igneous rock is porphyritichornblende diorite . Ages of intrusion in the Abajo Mountains fall in the interval from 22 to 29 million years. These mountain ranges are part of theColorado Plateau province, west of theRocky Mountains and geologically distinct from them.The name "Abajo" comes from a Spanish word meaning "low". [cite book|title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States|year=1905|pages=22|author=Gannett, Henry|url=http://books.google.com/books/pdf/The_Origin_of_Certain_Place_Names_in_the.pdf?id=BqwPAAAAIAAJ&output=pdf&sig=3IVIg6u-evPGlrv4j1uDL7rQ09c]
Notes
References
* Jules D. Friedman and Curtis Huffman, Jr., coordinators, "Laccolith Complexes of Southeastern Utah: Time of Emplacement and Tectonic Setting -- Workshop Proceedings",
United States Geological Survey Bulletin 2158, 1998. http://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/b2158/B2158.pdf
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