La Sal Mountains

The range rises above and southeast of Moab and north of the town of La Sal.

This range is part of the Manti-La Sal National Forest and the southern Rocky Mountains.

Syenite, some containing the unusual mineral nosean, makes up a few percent of the igneous rocks present.

The formation of these igneous rocks in two distinct time intervals has attracted the interest of scientists seeking explanations for magma production below relatively stable parts of the Earth's crust.

Jules D. Friedman and A. Curtis Huffman Jr., Coordinators, Laccolith Complexes of Southeastern Utah: Time of Emplacement and Tectonic Setting—Workshop Proceedings, United States Geological Survey Bulletin 2158, 292 pages, 1998. http://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/b2158/B2158.pdf

Mountain ranges associated with laccoliths and other igneous intrusions on part of the Colorado Plateau . The red dot marks the Four Corners, the intersection of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. L, La Sal Mountains; A, Abajo Mountains ; S, (Sleeping) Ute Mountain ; C, Carrizo Mountains ; N, Navajo Mountain ; H, Henry Mountains .