Argon Tower

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Argon Tower
Argon Tower in Arches National Park.jpg
Southeast aspect
Highest point
Elevation 4,750 ft (1,448 m) [1]
Prominence 230 ft (70 m) [1]
Parent peak The Organ (4,735 ft) [2]
Isolation 0.28 mi (0.45 km) [2]
Coordinates 38°37′59″N109°36′07″W / 38.633081°N 109.602056°W / 38.633081; -109.602056 [1]
Geography
USA Utah relief location map.svg
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Argon Tower
Location in Utah
Usa edcp relief location map.png
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Argon Tower
Argon Tower (the United States)
CountryUnited States
State Utah
County Grand
Protected area Arches National Park
Parent range Colorado Plateau [1]
Topo map USGS The Windows Section
Geology
Rock age Jurassic
Rock type Entrada Sandstone
Climbing
First ascent 1964 by Layton Kor [3]
Easiest route class 5.9 climbing [2]

Argon Tower is a 4,750-foot-elevation (1,448-meter) pillar in Grand County, Utah. It is located within Arches National Park and like many of the rock formations in the park, Argon Tower is composed of Entrada Sandstone. The tower is 260 feet tall, [4] and topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 450 feet (137 meters) vertically above the Park Avenue Trail in 400 feet (122 meters) laterally. Precipitation runoff from Argon Tower drains to the nearby Colorado River via Courthouse Wash. This landform was shown briefly in the opening scene credits of the 1989 American action-adventure film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade .

Contents

Climbing

The first ascent of the summit was made January 17, 1964, by Layton Kor, Bob Bradley, and Charlie Kemp via the class 5.9 North Face. [5] [6] Layton Kor named this tower. [7]

Other rock-climbing routes on Argon Tower:

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Argon Tower is located in a cold semi-arid climate zone with cold winters and hot summers. [10] Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to experience Arches National Park, when highs average 60 to 80 °F (15 to 25 °C) and lows average 30 to 50 °F (0 to 10 °C). Summer temperatures often exceed 100 °F (40 °C). Winters are cold, with highs averaging 30 to 50 °F (0 to 10 °C), and lows averaging 0 to 20 °F (−20 to −5 °C). As part of a high desert region, it can experience wide daily temperature fluctuations. The park receives an average of less than 10 inches (25 cm) of rain annually.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Argon Tower, Utah". Peakbagger.com.
  2. 1 2 3 "Argon Tower - 4,700' UT". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  3. ↑ The American Alpine Journal 1989, The Mountaineers Books, 1997, ISBN   9780930410391, p. 156.
  4. ↑ Stewart M. Green, Rock Climbing Utah, Rowman & Littlefield, 2012, ISBN   9780762792849, p. 20.
  5. ↑ First Ascent Timeline, deserttowersbook.com, Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  6. ↑ Eric Bjørnstad, Desert Rock: Rock Climbs in the National Parks, Chockstone Press, 1996, ISBN   9781575400105.
  7. ↑ Katy Cassidy, Canyon Country Climbs, Pruett Publishing Company, 1989, ISBN   9780871087669, p. 35.
  8. ↑ North Northeast, Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  9. ↑ West Face, Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  10. ↑ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L. & McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification" (PDF). Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11 (5): 1633–1644. Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P. doi: 10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 . ISSN   1027-5606. S2CID   9654551.
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