By Kenneth L. Harris James A. Berg

1
��������������! ! ! ! ! ! ! Prepared and Published with the Support of THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, DIVISION OF WATERS QUATERNARY STRATIGRAPHY By Kenneth L. Harris James A. Berg Minnesota Geological Survey Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Division of Waters 2006 REGIONAL HYDROGEOLOGIC ASSESSMENT RHA-6, PART A Plate 2—Quaternary Stratigraphy REGIONAL HYDROGEOLOGIC ASSESSMENT TRAVERSE–GRANT AREA, WEST-CENTRAL MINNESOTA ©2006 by the State of Minnesota, Department of Natural Resources, and the Regents of the University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer MINNESOTA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Harvey Thorleifson, Director DESCRIPTION OF STRATIGRAPHIC UNITS The stratigraphic units described here are used on this plate and color coded to all relevant figures and tables. This stratigraphic nomenclature is a combination of formal (Formation/Group) and informal terms (formation/group/till). Outcrops, drill cuttings, auger samples, water-well logs, and cores were used to interpret the Quaternary stratigraphy of the Traverse-Grant study area. References are given for all terms used. Lobe names are informal working terms. "RRV" numbers correspond to those described in Harris (1995). Texture is given in percent sand-percent silt-percent clay; coarse-grained sand lithology is given in percent crystalline rock fragments-percent carbonate rock fragments-percent shale fragments. An overview of upper Midwest glacial geology and glacial stratigraphy can be found in Wright (1972), Moran and others (1976), and Clayton and Moran (1982). Patterson and Wright (1998) provided a summary of more recent work in Minnesota. PLEISTOCENE Glacial Lake Agassiz sediment (undifferentiated)—Figure 1 shows the area influenced by Glacial Lake Agassiz. This area consists of water-eroded glacial sediment with a thin mantle of lake sediment or river sediment. The central part of the area is mantled by offshore lake sediment (Argusville Formation) and alluvium (see Plate 1). The margins of this area are mantled by nearshore lake sediment, silt and sand, sand, and gravel ridges (see Plate 1). The Argusville Formation is the only formal stratigraphic unit in this map area. Argusville Formation—Clay and silty clay; obscurely laminated (millimeters to centimeters thick); clayey in the central part of the lake plain and silty toward the margins; light gray where unoxidized and yellowish-gray to olive-brown where oxidized; offshore lake sediment (Moran and others, 1976; Arndt, 1977). Upper Goose River group Barnesville formation (RRV 6)—Clay loam, pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; shale pebbles are common; light yellowish-brown to very dark gray; calcareous; average texture (23-46-31); average coarse-grained sand lithology (43- 41-16); glacial sediment (Anderson, 1976; Perkins, 1977; Harris, 1999; Thorleifson and others, 2005). St. Hilaire Formation (RRV 7) —Clay loam, pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; columnar structure or weak vertical jointing is common; shale pebbles are common; contains lignite fragments; light yellowish-brown to very dark gray; calcareous; average texture (31-41-28); average coarse-grained sand lithology (38-34-28); glacial sediment (Harris, 1973, 1975, 1999, 2003; Harris and others, 1974; Moran and others, 1976; Arndt, 1977; Thorleifson and others, 2005). Lake Benson sediment (undifferentiated)—Glacial Lake Benson was ponded south and east of the Big Stone moraine. This area consists of sediment deposited in three depositional settings. Sand, silt, and gravel ridges were deposited along the shoreline on wave-eroded glacial sediment. Sand, silt, and clay were deposited in a shallow-water nearshore environment. The Glacial Chippewa River transported the sand, silt, and gravel and deposited them in a deltaic environment where the river entered Glacial Lake Benson (Patterson, 1999) Lower Goose River group Dahlen Formation (RRV 8) —Clay loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; contains abundant shale pebbles; light yellowish-brown to olive- gray; calcareous; average texture (30-40-30); average coarse-grained sand lithology (24-25-51); glacial sediment (Salomon, 1975; Hobbs, 1975; Moran and others, 1976; Harris, 1995, 1999, 2003; Thorleifson and others, 2005). Heiberg formation (RRV 9)—Loam to clay loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; shale pebbles are abundant; lignite fragments are common; light yellowish-brown to very dark gray; lacustrine facies is present in the Wahpeton, North Dakota area; calcareous; average texture (33-40- 27); average coarse-grained sand lithology (33-28-39); glacial sediment and lacustrine facies (Harris, 1995, 1999, 2003; Thorleifson and others, 2005). Otter Tail River group Hawley formation (RRV 10)—Loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; light yellowish-brown to very dark grayish-brown; contains lignite and wood fragments; calcareous; average texture (43-36-21); average coarse-grained sand lithology (51-36-13); glacial sediment (Anderson, 1976; Perkins, 1977; Harris, 1995, 2003; Thorleifson and others, 2005). New York Mills formation (RRV 11)—Loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; light yellowish-brown to very dark grayish-brown; calcareous; average texture (48-34-18); average coarse-grained sand lithology (64-27- Table 2. Ice margins and associated Pleistocene units and events in the Traverse–Grant study area. Ice margin Group Geologic unit Ice advance 1 Crow Wing River group Marcoux and Sebeka formations Northeastern source area—Rainy lobe 2, 2A Otter Tail River group Hawley, New York Mills, and Villard formations North–northwestern source area—Red River lobe 3, 3A Lower Goose River group Dahlen and Heiberg formations North–northwestern source area—Red River lobe 4, 4A Lower Goose River group Dahlen and Heiberg formations North–northwestern source area—Red River lobe 5 Upper Goose River group St. Hilaire formation North–northwestern source area—Red River lobe 6 Upper Goose River group St. Hilaire formation North–northwestern source area—Red River lobe 7, 7A Upper Goose River group Barnesville formation North–northwestern source area—Red River lobe Figure 4. Correlation and approximate age of stratigraphic units. Figure 3. Graphic summary of the seven rotary-sonic core holes that were drilled in the Traverse–Grant area (Fig. 1). The rotary-sonic drilling method provided continuous, undisturbed, four-inch diameter core to depths of 150 to 220 feet (46 to 67 meters). Each rotary-sonic core is presented in a log format with 4 columns that describe uncalibrated gamma-ray response, texture, lithology, and stratigraphy. The gamma-ray log is a lithology log used to distinguish between sandy layers (plot to the left) and clayey layers (plot to the right). Texture results are shown as cumulative percentages of sand, silt, and clay for each sampled interval. Sand horizontal bars mark zones of sand and gravel; silt horizontal bars mark zones of silt and clay. Lithology results are shown as cumulative percentage of three rock types (crystalline, carbonate, and shale) for each sampled interval. The relative proportions of the rock types indicate the source and path of the depositing ice. Stratigraphic units are divided into formations and group. The occurrence of older stratigraphic units within younger stratigraphic units (repeated sections) can only be accomplished by the glacier incorporating older material, from the base of the glacier, and redepositing it along with younger material (a thrust fault). This interpretation relies on the thrust unit having textural and lithologic characteristics that are more than two standard deviations from the mean of the host unit, and that fall within two standard deviations of the mean of an older identified unit. An alternative interpretation is that the textural and lithologic variations reflect the expected variability within a stratigraphic unit and are not thrust deposits. Other studies in this region have favored this interpretation. Group boundary interpretations are based on the lowest occurrence of the youngest formation. These are more conservative interpretations and are the interpretations shown on Figures 1 and 2 and on the surficial map (Plate 1). Figure 2. Structural cross sections showing the interpreted spacial relationship of identified stratigraphic units. Figure 1. Digital elevation model of the Traverse–Grant study area. Colors show areas where identified lithostratigraphic units are exposed at the surface. Line symbols show location of cross sections, ice margins, the crest of the Big Stone moraine, major tunnel valleys and palimpsest drainage, and stream-lined islands in the Lake Agassiz outlet channel. Table 3. This table shows the correlation of stratigraphic units reported in this study with stratigraphic units reported in the Red River Valley Regional Hydrogeologic Assessment (Harris, 1995); Upper Minnesota River Valley Regional Hydrogeologic Assessment (Patterson, 1999); and Stearns County Geologic Atlas (Meyer and Knaeble, 1996). The upper set of numbers (for all but the Upper Minnesota River Valley Regional Hydrogeologic Assessment) represents texture (percent sand-percent silt-percent clay); the lower set of numbers represents coarse-grained sand lithology (percent crystalline fragments-percent carbonate fragments-percent shale). Abbreviations used for the Upper Minnesota River Valley Regional Hydrogeologic Assessment: sd, percent sand; sl, percent silt; cl, percent clay; pc, percent Precambrian rock fragments; pa, percent Paleozoic rock fragments; sh, percent shale fragments. ���������������������� �� ������ ������������������������ �� �� �� ���� ���� �� �� ���� �� �� �� ���� ���������� ���������� �� ���� �� ���� �� ���� ���������������� �������������� �� �� �� �� �� ������ �� �� �� �� ������ �� ������ �� �� ���������� ������������������ ������ ���������� ������������ ������ ���� �� �� �� �������������������09); glacial sediment (Harris, 1995, 1999, 2003; Thorleifson and others, 2005). Villard formation (RRV 12)—Loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; light yellowish-brown to dark grayish-brown; contains lignite and wood fragments; calcareous; average texture (43-36-21); average coarse-grained sand lithology (49-30-21); glacial sediment (Harris, 1995, 1999, 2003; Thorleifson and others, 2005). James River group James River formation (RRV 5)—Loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; shale is common; lignite fragments are present; calcareous; average texture (45-35-22); average coarse-grained sand lithology (43-29-28); glacial sediment (Biek, 1994; Harris, 1995, 1999, 2003; Thorleifson and others, 2005). Lake Tewaukon group Gardar Formation (RRV 13) —Clay loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; abundant shale pebbles; yellowish-brown to dark gray; calcareous; average texture (31-39-30); average coarse-grained sand lithology (19-13- 68); glacial sediment (Hobbs, 1975; Solomon, 1975; Moran and others, 1976; Harris, 1995, 1999, 2003; Thorleifson and others, 2005). Buffalo River group Buffalo River formation (RRV 15)—Clay loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; olive-brown; calcareous; average texture (35-36-29); average coarse-grained sand lithology (64-32-04); glacial sediment (Harris, 1995; Thorleifson and others, 2005). Crow Wing River group Sebeka formation (RRV 16) —Sandy loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; dark grayish-brown; calcareous; average texture (57-28-15); average coarse-grained sand lithology (82-17-01); glacial sediment (Harris, 1973, 1975, 1995, 1999, 2003; Harris and others, 1974; Anderson, 1976; Moran and others, 1976; Perkins, 1977; Thorleifson and others, 2005). Marcoux formation (RRV 17)—Sandy loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; abundant pebbles, cobbles, and boulders; light gray to grayish- brown; very hard in outcrop; calcareous; average texture (54-29-17); average coarse-grained sand lithology (74-22-4); glacial sediment (Harris, 1973, 1975, 1995, 1999, 2003; Harris and others, 1974; Moran and others, 1976; Thorleifson and others, 2005). Sheyenne River group Sheyenne River formation (RRV 18)—Loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; calcareous; average texture (30-44-26); average coarse-grained sand lithology (56-33-11); glacial sediment (Harris, 1995; Thorleifson and others, 2005). Browerville formation—Loam; unbedded; unsorted; massive; light yellowish- brown to very dark grayish-brown; compact; calcareous; average texture (48-35-17); average coarse-grained sand lithology (62-35-03); glacial sediment (Meyer, 1986; Meyer and others, 1995; Meyer and Knaeble, 1996; Harris, 2003; Thorleifson and others, 2005). Gervais Formation (RRV 20)—Loam; very slightly pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; light olive-gray to dark gray; contains abundant wood chips, twigs, and logs, plus fragments of mollusk shells, insects, carbon flakes, and moss; calcareous in the Red Lake River area; carbon-14 dates: more than 39,900 years B.P. (I-5317), more than 46,900 years B.P. (BIRM 522); average texture (34-40-26); average coarse-grained sand lithology (47-50- 03); glacial sediment (Harris, 1973, 1975, 2003; Harris and others, 1974; Moran and others, 1976; Ashworth, 1980; Thorleifson and others, 2005). Older tills—These units are either very similar in texture and coarse-grained sand lithology to previously described units, but occur stratigraphically lower in the section, or are distinctly similar to previously described units in coarse-grained sand lithology, have significantly different texture, and occur stratigraphically lower in the section. Old Hawley till—Loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; very compact; contains calcareous; abundant carbonate clasts and very few shale fragments; locally contains "pebbles" of regolith; average texture (47-30-23); average coarse-grained sand lithology (46-46-8); glacial sediment (Thorleifson and others, 2005). Old Sebeka till —Clay loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; dark grayish-brown; compact; calcareous; average texture (34-38-28); average coarse-grained sand lithology (84-15-1); glacial sediment (Thorleifson and others, 2005). Old Marcoux till—Loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; olive-gray; compact; calcareous; average texture (34-46-20); average coarse-grained sand lithology (74-23-3); glacial sediment (Thorleifson and others, 2005). REFERENCES Anderson, C.A., 1976, Pleistocene geology of the Comstock-Sebeka area, west-central Minnesota: Grand Forks, N. Dak., University of North Dakota, M.S. thesis, 111 p. Arndt, B.M., 1977, Stratigraphy of offshore sediment Lake Agassiz—North Dakota: North Dakota Geological Survey, Report of Investigations 60, 58 p. Biek, R., 1994, Geology of the Jamestown, Bloom, and Spiritwood quadrangles, Stutsman County, North Dakota: North Dakota Geological Survey Open-File Report 94-1, 62 p. Clayton, L., and Moran, S.R., 1982, Chronology of Late Wisconsinan glaciation in Middle North America: Quaternary Science Reviews, v. 1, p. 55-82. Harris, K.L., 1973, Pleistocene stratigraphy of the Red Lake Falls area, Minnesota: Grand Forks, N. Dak., University of North Dakota, M.S. thesis, 117 p. ———1975, Pleistocene geology of the Grand Forks–Bemidji area, northwestern Minnesota: Grand Forks, N. Dak., University of North Dakota, Ph.D. dissertation, 142 p. ———project manager, 1995, Regional hydrogeologic assessment: Quaternary geology—southern Red River valley, Minnesota: Minnesota Geological Survey Regional Hydrogeologic Assessment RHA-3, pt. A, 2 pls., scales 1:200,000 and 1:750,000. ———project manager, 1999, Regional hydrogeologic assessment: Quaternary geology—Otter Tail area, west-central Minnesota: Minnesota Geological Survey Regional Hydrogeologic Assessment RHA-5, pt. A, 2 pls., scales 1:200,000 and 1:400,000. ———project manager, 2003, Geologic atlas of Pope County, Minnesota: Minnesota Geological Survey County Atlas C-15, pt. A, 7 pls., scale 1:100,000. Harris, K.L., Moran, S.R., and Clayton, L., 1974, Late Quaternary stratigraphic nomenclature, Red River Valley, North Dakota and Minnesota: North Dakota Geological Survey Miscellaneous Series 52, 47 p. Hobbs, H.C., 1975, Glacial stratigraphy of northeastern North Dakota: Grand Forks, North Dakota, University of North Dakota, Ph.D. dissertation, 42 p. Meyer, G.N., 1986, Subsurface till stratigraphy of the Todd County area, central Minnesota: Minnesota Geological Survey Report of Investigations 34, 40 p. ———project manager, 1995, Geologic atlas of Stearns County, Minnesota: Minnesota Geological Survey County Atlas C-10, pt. A, 7 pls., scale 1:100,000. Meyer, G.N., and Knaeble, A.R., 1996, Quaternary geology, in Meyer, G.N., and Swanson, L., eds., Text supplement to the geologic atlas of Stearns County, Minnesota: Minnesota Geological Survey County Atlas C-10, pt. C, p. 16-39. Minnesota Geological Survey, 2005, [QBASE—a digital file of nearsurface stratigraphic data]: St. Paul, Minnesota. Moran, S.R., Arndt, M., Bluemle, J.P., Camara, M., Clayton, L., Fenton, M.W., Harris, K.L., Hobbs, H.C., Keatinge, R., Sackreiter, D.K., Salomon, N.L., and Teller, J., 1976, Quaternary stratigraphy and history of North Dakota, southern Manitoba, and northwestern Minnesota, in Mahaney, W.C., ed., Quaternary stratigraphy of North America: Stroudsburg, Pa., Dowden, Hutchinson, and Ross, p. 133-158. North Dakota Geological Survey, 1991, [N–File—a digital file of nearsurface stratigraphic data]: Bismarck, N. Dak. Patterson, C.J., project manager, 1999, Regional hydrogeologic assessment: Quaternary geology—Upper Minnesota River basin: Minnesota Geological Survey Regional Hydrogeologic Assessment RHA-4, pt. A, 2 pls., scale 1:200,000. Patterson, C.J., and Wright, H.E., eds., 1998, Contributions to Quaternary studies in Minnesota: Minnesota Geological Survey Report of Investigations 49, 208 p. Perkins, R.L., 1977, The Late Cenozoic geology of west-central Minnesota from Moorhead to Park Rapids: Grand Forks, N. Dak., University of North Dakota, M.S. thesis, 99 p. Salomon, N.L., 1975, Glacial stratigraphy of northeastern North Dakota: North Dakota Academy of Science Proceedings, v. 27, pt. 2. Thorleifson, L.H., Harris, K.L., Berg, J., Tipping, R., Malolepszy, Z., Lusardi, B.A., Setterholm, D.R., and Anderson, F., 2005, Geologic mapping and 3D model of deposits that host ground-water systems in the Fargo-Moorhead region, Minnesota and North Dakota: Minnesota Geological Survey, report submitted to the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in fulfillment of Cooperative Agreement No. 04FG601925 in support of the Red River Valley Water Supply Project, 155 p., 2 pls., scales 1:200,000 and 1:400,000. Wright, H.E., Jr., 1972, Quaternary history of Minnesota, in Sims, P.K., and Morey, G.B., eds., Geology of Minnesota: A centennial volume: Minnesota Geological Survey, p. 515–547. ���������������� �� �� �� �������������� �������������� �� �� �� ���������� �������������� �� �� �� ���������� �������� �������� �� �� ����������� ������������������ �� �� �� ���������� �������������� �� �� �� ������������ Every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the factual data on which this map interpretation is based; however, the Minnesota Geological Survey does not warrant or guarantee that there are no errors. Users may wish to verify critical information; sources include both the references listed here and information on file at the offices of the Minnesota Geological Survey in St. Paul. In addition, effort has been made to ensure that the interpretation conforms to sound geologic and cartographic principles. No claim is made that the interpretation shown is rigorously correct, however, and it should not be used to guide engineering-scale decisions without site-specific verification. ������������ GIS compilation by T.E. Wahl Edited by Lori Robinson MAP SYMBOLS Ice margin Sharp scarp Palimpsest channel Tunnel valley Crest of the Big Stone moraine Streamlined island Location of rotary-sonic drill core �������������� �� �� �� ��������������� ��Group/Formation Textural number unit group labeled labeled classification samples percent percent units units of total of total Barnesville till clay loam 23 1.2 St. Hilaire Formation clay loam 245 12.8 14.0 Dahlen Formation clay loam 188 9.8 Heiberg formation loam/clay loam 226 11.8 21.6 Hawley formation loam 19 1.0 New York Mills formation loam 46 2.4 Villard formation loam 211 11.0 14.4 James River group James till loam 154 8.0 8.0 81.9% Lake Tewaukon group Gardar Formation clay loam 6 0.3 0.3 Buffalo River group Buffalo formation clay loam 39 2.0 2.0 87.1% Upper Marcoux Formation sandy loam 79 4.1 Lower Marcoux Formation sandy loam 121 6.3 10.4 Sheyenne River group Sheyenne formation loam 17 0.9 0.9 Browerville formation Browerville formation loam 101 5.3 5.3 Gervais Formation Gervais Formation loam 95 5.0 3.6 Old Hawley till loam 3 0.1 Old New York Mills till 0.0 0.1 Old Buffalo till loam 21 1.1 1.1 5.2% Old Upper Marcoux till clay loam 26 1.4 Old Lower Marcoux till loam 50 2.6 4.0 no correlation 50 2.6 2.6 sand, silt, clay, shale dominant 198 10.3 10.3 12.9% 12.9% Till samples 1,670 87.1% Miscellaneous samples 248 12.9% Total samples 1,918 100.0% older till Crow Wing River group Otter Tail River group Lower Goose River group Upper Goose River group �� �� �� ��� ���� ���� �� �� �� ������ �� �� ��� ���� ���� �� �� �� ������������ �� �� ��� ���� ���� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��� ���� ���� �� �� �� �������� �� �� ��� ���� ���� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��� ���� ���� �� �� �� ������������Table 1. Summary of information on 20 lithostratigraphic units identified in the Traverse–Grant study area. ������� A' B' C' A B C !

Transcript of By Kenneth L. Harris James A. Berg

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

����

����

����

����

����

����

����

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

Prepared and Published with the Support of

THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, DIVISION OF WATERS

QUATERNARY STRATIGRAPHY

By

Kenneth L. Harris James A. Berg Minnesota Geological Survey Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Division of Waters

2006

REGIONAL HYDROGEOLOGIC ASSESSMENTRHA-6, PART A

Plate 2—Quaternary Stratigraphy

REGIONAL HYDROGEOLOGIC ASSESSMENTTRAVERSE–GRANT AREA, WEST-CENTRAL MINNESOTA

©2006 by the State of Minnesota, Department of Natural Resources, and the Regents of the University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer

MINNESOTA GEOLOGICAL SURVEYHarvey Thorleifson, Director

DESCRIPTION OF STRATIGRAPHIC UNITS

The stratigraphic units described here are used on this plate and color coded to all relevant figures and tables. This stratigraphic nomenclature is a combination of formal (Formation/Group) and informal terms (formation/group/till). Outcrops, drill cuttings, auger samples, water-well logs, and cores were used to interpret the Quaternary stratigraphy of the Traverse-Grant study area. References are given for all terms used. Lobe names are informal working terms. "RRV" numbers correspond to those described in Harris (1995). Texture is given in percent sand-percent silt-percent clay; coarse-grained sand lithology is given in percent crystalline rock fragments-percent carbonate rock fragments-percent shale fragments. An overview of upper Midwest glacial geology and glacial stratigraphy can be found in Wright (1972), Moran and others (1976), and Clayton and Moran (1982). Patterson and Wright (1998) provided a summary of more recent work in Minnesota.

PLEISTOCENE

Glacial Lake Agassiz sediment (undifferentiated)—Figure 1 shows the area influenced by Glacial Lake Agassiz. This area consists of water-eroded glacial sediment with a thin mantle of lake sediment or river sediment. The central part of the area is mantled by offshore lake sediment (Argusville Formation) and alluvium (see Plate 1). The margins of this area are mantled by nearshore lake sediment, silt and sand, sand, and gravel ridges (see Plate 1). The Argusville Formation is the only formal stratigraphic unit in this map area.

Argusville Formation—Clay and silty clay; obscurely laminated (millimeters to centimeters thick); clayey in the central part of the lake plain and silty toward the margins; light gray where unoxidized and yellowish-gray to olive-brown where oxidized; offshore lake sediment (Moran and others, 1976; Arndt, 1977).

Upper Goose River group

Barnesville formation (RRV 6)—Clay loam, pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; shale pebbles are common; light yellowish-brown to very dark gray; calcareous; average texture (23-46-31); average coarse-grained sand lithology (43-41-16); glacial sediment (Anderson, 1976; Perkins, 1977; Harris, 1999; Thorleifson and others, 2005).

St. Hilaire Formation (RRV 7)—Clay loam, pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; columnar structure or weak vertical jointing is common; shale pebbles are common; contains lignite fragments; light yellowish-brown to very dark gray; calcareous; average texture (31-41-28); average coarse-grained sand lithology (38-34-28); glacial sediment (Harris, 1973, 1975, 1999, 2003; Harris and others, 1974; Moran and others, 1976; Arndt, 1977; Thorleifson and others, 2005).

Lake Benson sediment (undifferentiated)—Glacial Lake Benson was ponded south and east of the Big Stone moraine. This area consists of sediment deposited in three depositional settings. Sand, silt, and gravel ridges were deposited along the shoreline on wave-eroded glacial sediment. Sand, silt, and clay were deposited in a shallow-water nearshore environment. The Glacial Chippewa River transported the sand, silt, and gravel and deposited them in a deltaic environment where the river entered Glacial Lake Benson (Patterson, 1999)

Lower Goose River group

Dahlen Formation (RRV 8)—Clay loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; contains abundant shale pebbles; light yellowish-brown to olive-gray; calcareous; average texture (30-40-30); average coarse-grained sand lithology (24-25-51); glacial sediment (Salomon, 1975; Hobbs, 1975; Moran and others, 1976; Harris, 1995, 1999, 2003; Thorleifson and others, 2005).

Heiberg formation (RRV 9)—Loam to clay loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; shale pebbles are abundant; lignite fragments are common; light yellowish-brown to very dark gray; lacustrine facies is present in the Wahpeton, North Dakota area; calcareous; average texture (33-40-27); average coarse-grained sand lithology (33-28-39); glacial sediment and lacustrine facies (Harris, 1995, 1999, 2003; Thorleifson and others, 2005).

Otter Tail River group

Hawley formation (RRV 10)—Loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; light yellowish-brown to very dark grayish-brown; contains lignite and wood fragments; calcareous; average texture (43-36-21); average coarse-grained sand lithology (51-36-13); glacial sediment (Anderson, 1976; Perkins, 1977; Harris, 1995, 2003; Thorleifson and others, 2005).

New York Mills formation (RRV 11)—Loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; light yellowish-brown to very dark grayish-brown; calcareous; average texture (48-34-18); average coarse-grained sand lithology (64-27-

Table 2. Ice margins and associated Pleistocene units and events in the Traverse–Grant study area.

Ice margin Group Geologic unit Ice advance

1 Crow Wing River group Marcoux and Sebeka formations Northeastern source area—Rainy lobe

2, 2A Otter Tail River group Hawley, New York Mills, and Villard formations North–northwestern source area—Red River lobe

3, 3A Lower Goose River group Dahlen and Heiberg formations North–northwestern source area—Red River lobe

4, 4A Lower Goose River group Dahlen and Heiberg formations North–northwestern source area—Red River lobe

5 Upper Goose River group St. Hilaire formation North–northwestern source area—Red River lobe

6 Upper Goose River group St. Hilaire formation North–northwestern source area—Red River lobe

7, 7A Upper Goose River group Barnesville formation North–northwestern source area—Red River lobe

Figure 4. Correlation and approximate age of stratigraphic units.

Figure 3. Graphic summary of the seven rotary-sonic core holes that were drilled in the Traverse–Grant area (Fig. 1). The rotary-sonic drilling method provided continuous, undisturbed, four-inch diameter core to depths of 150 to 220 feet (46 to 67 meters). Each rotary-sonic core is presented in a log format with 4 columns that describe uncalibrated gamma-ray response, texture, lithology, and stratigraphy. The gamma-ray log is a lithology log used to distinguish between sandy layers (plot to the left) and clayey layers (plot to the right). Texture results are shown as cumulative percentages of sand, silt, and clay for each sampled interval. Sand horizontal bars mark zones of sand and gravel; silt horizontal bars mark zones of silt and clay. Lithology results are shown as cumulative percentage of three rock types (crystalline, carbonate, and shale) for each sampled interval. The relative proportions of the rock types indicate the source and path of the depositing ice. Stratigraphic units are divided into formations and group. The occurrence of older stratigraphic units within younger stratigraphic units (repeated sections) can only be accomplished by the glacier incorporating older material, from the base of the glacier, and redepositing it along with younger material (a thrust fault). This interpretation relies on the thrust unit having textural and lithologic characteristics that are more than two standard deviations from the mean of the host unit, and that fall within two standard deviations of the mean of an older identified unit. An alternative interpretation is that the textural and lithologic variations reflect the expected variability within a stratigraphic unit and are not thrust deposits. Other studies in this region have favored this interpretation. Group boundary interpretations are based on the lowest occurrence of the youngest formation. These are more conservative interpretations and are the interpretations shown on Figures 1 and 2 and on the surficial map (Plate 1).

Figure 2. Structural cross sections showing the interpreted spacial relationship of identified stratigraphic units.

Figure 1. Digital elevation model of the Traverse–Grant study area. Colors show areas where identified lithostratigraphic units are exposed at the surface. Line symbols show location of cross sections, ice margins, the crest of the Big Stone moraine, major tunnel valleys and palimpsest drainage, and stream-lined islands in the Lake Agassiz outlet channel.

Table 3. This table shows the correlation of stratigraphic units reported in this study with stratigraphic units reported in the Red River Valley Regional Hydrogeologic Assessment (Harris, 1995); Upper Minnesota River Valley Regional Hydrogeologic Assessment (Patterson, 1999); and Stearns County Geologic Atlas (Meyer and Knaeble, 1996). The upper set of numbers (for all but the Upper Minnesota River Valley Regional Hydrogeologic Assessment) represents texture (percent sand-percent silt-percent clay); the lower set of numbers represents coarse-grained sand lithology (percent crystalline fragments-percent carbonate fragments-percent shale). Abbreviations used for the Upper Minnesota River Valley Regional Hydrogeologic Assessment: sd, percent sand; sl, percent silt; cl, percent clay; pc, percent Precambrian rock fragments; pa, percent Paleozoic rock fragments; sh, percent shale fragments.

����� �����

��������

��������������������

�����������������������

�����������������������

����������������������

�����������������

�������������������

�������������������

��������������������

���������������������

�����������������

����������������������

���������������

����������������������������

������������������������������������������������������

��

��

��

��

���

�������

������������

���������������

����������������������

����������������

�������

�������

����������������������

���������������������

����������������

������������������

��������������������

�����������������������

���������������

����������������

����������

�������

�������������

���������

����������������

����������������������

���������������������

��������������

���������������

�����������

���������������

����������������

����������������������������

��������������������������������

�����������������������

����������������

���������������������������������

����������������

����������������

��������������������������������

��������������������������������������

��������������������������������

���������������������������������

���������������������������������������

�������������������������������������

���������������������������������

��������������������������������������

�������������������������������������

�������������������������������

�������������������������������

��������������������������������

��������������������������������

�������������������������������������

�����������������

������������������������������

����������������������������������

��������������������������������������������

����������������

�����������������������������

����������������

��������������������

����������������

�������������������������������������

��������������������������

�������������������������

��������������������������������

������������������������������

���������������������������

����������������������������

���������������������������

�������������������������������������

��������������������������������

�������������������������������

�������������������������������

����������������������������

���������������������

���������������

�����������������������������������������

��������������������������������������

�������������

������������������������

������������������������������

������������������������

�����������������

������������������������

�����������������

������������������������

�����������������

����������������������������������������

�����������������������������������������

�������������������������������������������

�������������

������������������������

�������������

����������������������

������������

�����������������

������������

�������������������

������������

����������������������

�����������������

�������������

��������������

��������������������

�������������������������������������

�������������������������������������

��������������������������������

����������������������������

��������������������������������

�����������������������

����������������

���������������������������������

����������������

����������������

��������������������������������

��������������������������������������

��������������������������������

���������������������������������

�����������������������

����������������

�������������������������������������

���������������������������������

�������������������������������������

�������������������������������

�������������������������������

��������������������������������

�������������

��������������

��������������������������������������

������������������

���������������������������

�����������������

���������������������������������������

09); glacial sediment (Harris, 1995, 1999, 2003; Thorleifson and others, 2005).

Villard formation (RRV 12)—Loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; light yellowish-brown to dark grayish-brown; contains lignite and wood fragments; calcareous; average texture (43-36-21); average coarse-grained sand lithology (49-30-21); glacial sediment (Harris, 1995, 1999, 2003; Thorleifson and others, 2005).

James River group

James River formation (RRV 5)—Loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; shale is common; lignite fragments are present; calcareous; average texture (45-35-22); average coarse-grained sand lithology (43-29-28); glacial sediment (Biek, 1994; Harris, 1995, 1999, 2003; Thorleifson and others, 2005).

Lake Tewaukon group

Gardar Formation (RRV 13)—Clay loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; abundant shale pebbles; yellowish-brown to dark gray; calcareous; average texture (31-39-30); average coarse-grained sand lithology (19-13-68); glacial sediment (Hobbs, 1975; Solomon, 1975; Moran and others, 1976; Harris, 1995, 1999, 2003; Thorleifson and others, 2005).

Buffalo River group

Buffalo River formation (RRV 15)—Clay loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; olive-brown; calcareous; average texture (35-36-29); average coarse-grained sand lithology (64-32-04); glacial sediment (Harris, 1995; Thorleifson and others, 2005).

Crow Wing River group

Sebeka formation (RRV 16)—Sandy loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; dark grayish-brown; calcareous; average texture (57-28-15); average coarse-grained sand lithology (82-17-01); glacial sediment (Harris, 1973, 1975, 1995, 1999, 2003; Harris and others, 1974; Anderson, 1976; Moran and others, 1976; Perkins, 1977; Thorleifson and others, 2005).

Marcoux formation (RRV 17)—Sandy loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; abundant pebbles, cobbles, and boulders; light gray to grayish-brown; very hard in outcrop; calcareous; average texture (54-29-17); average coarse-grained sand lithology (74-22-4); glacial sediment (Harris, 1973, 1975, 1995, 1999, 2003; Harris and others, 1974; Moran and others, 1976; Thorleifson and others, 2005).

Sheyenne River group

Sheyenne River formation (RRV 18)—Loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; calcareous; average texture (30-44-26); average coarse-grained sand lithology (56-33-11); glacial sediment (Harris, 1995; Thorleifson and others, 2005).

Browerville formation—Loam; unbedded; unsorted; massive; light yellowish-brown to very dark grayish-brown; compact; calcareous; average texture (48-35-17); average coarse-grained sand lithology (62-35-03); glacial sediment (Meyer, 1986; Meyer and others, 1995; Meyer and Knaeble, 1996; Harris, 2003; Thorleifson and others, 2005).

Gervais Formation (RRV 20)—Loam; very slightly pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; light olive-gray to dark gray; contains abundant wood chips, twigs, and logs, plus fragments of mollusk shells, insects, carbon flakes, and moss; calcareous in the Red Lake River area; carbon-14 dates: more than 39,900 years B.P. (I-5317), more than 46,900 years B.P. (BIRM 522); average texture (34-40-26); average coarse-grained sand lithology (47-50-03); glacial sediment (Harris, 1973, 1975, 2003; Harris and others, 1974; Moran and others, 1976; Ashworth, 1980; Thorleifson and others, 2005).

Older tills—These units are either very similar in texture and coarse-grained sand lithology to previously described units, but occur stratigraphically lower in the section, or are distinctly similar to previously described units in coarse-grained sand lithology, have significantly different texture, and occur stratigraphically lower in the section.

Old Hawley till—Loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; very compact; contains calcareous; abundant carbonate clasts and very few shale fragments; locally contains "pebbles" of regolith; average texture (47-30-23); average coarse-grained sand lithology (46-46-8); glacial sediment (Thorleifson and others, 2005).

Old Sebeka till—Clay loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; dark grayish-brown; compact; calcareous; average texture (34-38-28); average coarse-grained sand lithology (84-15-1); glacial sediment (Thorleifson and others, 2005).

Old Marcoux till—Loam; pebbly; unbedded; unsorted; massive; olive-gray; compact; calcareous; average texture (34-46-20); average coarse-grained sand lithology (74-23-3); glacial sediment (Thorleifson and others, 2005).

REFERENCES

Anderson, C.A., 1976, Pleistocene geology of the Comstock-Sebeka area, west-central Minnesota: Grand Forks, N. Dak., University of North Dakota, M.S. thesis, 111 p.

Arndt, B.M., 1977, Stratigraphy of offshore sediment Lake Agassiz—North Dakota: North Dakota Geological Survey, Report of Investigations 60, 58 p.

Biek, R., 1994, Geology of the Jamestown, Bloom, and Spiritwood quadrangles, Stutsman County, North Dakota: North Dakota Geological Survey Open-File Report 94-1, 62 p.

Clayton, L., and Moran, S.R., 1982, Chronology of Late Wisconsinan glaciation in Middle North America: Quaternary Science Reviews, v. 1, p. 55-82.

Harris, K.L., 1973, Pleistocene stratigraphy of the Red Lake Falls area, Minnesota: Grand Forks, N. Dak., University of North Dakota, M.S. thesis, 117 p.

———1975, Pleistocene geology of the Grand Forks–Bemidji area, northwestern Minnesota: Grand Forks, N. Dak., University of North Dakota, Ph.D. dissertation, 142 p.

———project manager, 1995, Regional hydrogeologic assessment: Quaternary geology—southern Red River valley, Minnesota: Minnesota Geological Survey Regional Hydrogeologic Assessment RHA-3, pt. A, 2 pls., scales 1:200,000 and 1:750,000.

———project manager, 1999, Regional hydrogeologic assessment: Quaternary geology—Otter Tail area, west-central Minnesota: Minnesota Geological Survey Regional Hydrogeologic Assessment RHA-5, pt. A, 2 pls., scales 1:200,000 and 1:400,000.

———project manager, 2003, Geologic atlas of Pope County, Minnesota: Minnesota Geological Survey County Atlas C-15, pt. A, 7 pls., scale 1:100,000.

Harris, K.L., Moran, S.R., and Clayton, L., 1974, Late Quaternary stratigraphic nomenclature, Red River Valley, North Dakota and Minnesota: North Dakota Geological Survey Miscellaneous Series 52, 47 p.

Hobbs, H.C., 1975, Glacial stratigraphy of northeastern North Dakota: Grand Forks, North Dakota, University of North Dakota, Ph.D. dissertation, 42 p.

Meyer, G.N., 1986, Subsurface till stratigraphy of the Todd County area, central Minnesota: Minnesota Geological Survey Report of Investigations 34, 40 p.

———project manager, 1995, Geologic atlas of Stearns County, Minnesota: Minnesota Geological Survey County Atlas C-10, pt. A, 7 pls., scale 1:100,000.

Meyer, G.N., and Knaeble, A.R., 1996, Quaternary geology, in Meyer, G.N., and Swanson, L., eds., Text supplement to the geologic atlas of Stearns County, Minnesota: Minnesota Geological Survey County Atlas C-10, pt. C, p. 16-39.

Minnesota Geological Survey, 2005, [QBASE—a digital file of nearsurface stratigraphic data]: St. Paul, Minnesota.

Moran, S.R., Arndt, M., Bluemle, J.P., Camara, M., Clayton, L., Fenton, M.W., Harris, K.L., Hobbs, H.C., Keatinge, R., Sackreiter, D.K., Salomon, N.L., and Teller, J., 1976, Quaternary stratigraphy and history of North Dakota, southern Manitoba, and northwestern Minnesota, in Mahaney, W.C., ed., Quaternary stratigraphy of North America: Stroudsburg, Pa., Dowden, Hutchinson, and Ross, p. 133-158.

North Dakota Geological Survey, 1991, [N–File—a digital file of nearsurface stratigraphic data]: Bismarck, N. Dak.

Patterson, C.J., project manager, 1999, Regional hydrogeologic assessment: Quaternary geology—Upper Minnesota River basin: Minnesota Geological Survey Regional Hydrogeologic Assessment RHA-4, pt. A, 2 pls., scale 1:200,000.

Patterson, C.J., and Wright, H.E., eds., 1998, Contributions to Quaternary studies in Minnesota: Minnesota Geological Survey Report of Investigations 49, 208 p.

Perkins, R.L., 1977, The Late Cenozoic geology of west-central Minnesota from Moorhead to Park Rapids: Grand Forks, N. Dak., University of North Dakota, M.S. thesis, 99 p.

Salomon, N.L., 1975, Glacial stratigraphy of northeastern North Dakota: North Dakota Academy of Science Proceedings, v. 27, pt. 2.

Thorleifson, L.H., Harris, K.L., Berg, J., Tipping, R., Malolepszy, Z., Lusardi, B.A., Setterholm, D.R., and Anderson, F., 2005, Geologic mapping and 3D model of deposits that host ground-water systems in the Fargo-Moorhead region, Minnesota and North Dakota: Minnesota Geological Survey, report submitted to the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in fulfillment of Cooperative Agreement No. 04FG601925 in support of the Red River Valley Water Supply Project, 155 p., 2 pls., scales 1:200,000 and 1:400,000.

Wright, H.E., Jr., 1972, Quaternary history of Minnesota, in Sims, P.K., and Morey, G.B., eds., Geology of Minnesota: A centennial volume: Minnesota Geological Survey, p. 515–547.

���������������

�����

��������������������

�����������������

��������������������

����������������

���������������

���������������

���������������

����������������������

���������������������

��������� �������� ��� �

��

���

���

������� ���������

�� ������

���

��������������������������������������������������������������������������������

���������������������

��������������������

����������������

��������������������

����������������

����������������������

���������������������

��� ��� �

��

���

���

������� ���������

�� ������

���

���������������������������������������������������������������������������������

��������������������

���������������������

����������������

��������� �����

��������������

�����

��������������������

����������������

��������������������

���������������

����������������

����������������������

���������������������

��� ��� �

��

���

���

������� ���������

�� ������

���

��������������������������������������������������������������������������������

����������������

����������������

����������������

��������������������

�����������������

��������� �����

���������������

�����

��������������������

����������������

����������������

����������������

����������������

����������������������

���������������������

��� ��� �

��

���

������� ���������

�� ������

���

�������������������������������������������������������������������������������

���������������

�������������

����������������

��������

��������� �����

���������������

�����

��������������������

�����������������

����������������

�������������

�����������������

����������������

����������������������

���������������������

��� ��� �

��

���

���

������� ���������

�� ������

���

���������������������������������������������������������������������������������

��������� �����

���������������

�����

��������������������

�����������������

���������������������

�������������

���������

����������������

����������������������

���������������������

��� ��� �

��

���

���

������� ���������

�� ������

���

��������������������������������������������������������������������������������

�����������������

��������� �����

Every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the factual data on which this map interpretation is based; however, the Minnesota Geological Survey does not warrant or guarantee that there are no errors. Users may wish to verify critical information; sources include both the references listed here and information on file at the offices of the Minnesota Geological Survey in St. Paul. In addition, effort has been made to ensure that the interpretation conforms to sound geologic and cartographic principles. No claim is made that the interpretation shown is rigorously correct, however, and it should not be used to guide engineering-scale decisions without site-specific verification.

����������������������

���������������

�����������������������

�����������������������

����������������������

���������������������

���������������������

����������������������

�����������������

����������

�������

GIS compilation by T.E. WahlEdited by Lori Robinson

MAP SYMBOLS

Ice margin

Sharp scarp

Palimpsest channel

Tunnel valley

Crest of the Big Stone moraine

Streamlined island

Location of rotary-sonic drill core

����

����

����

����������������������������

��������������

�����

������������������

����������������������������

���������������

�����

���������������������������

���������

����������������

����������������

����������������������

���������������������

��� ��� �

��

���

���

������� ���������

�� ������

���

���������������������������������������������������������������������������������

��������������

�����

����������������

����������������

��������� �����

Group/Formation Textural number unit group labeled labeled classification samples percent percent units units of total of total

Barnesville till clay loam 23 1.2

St. Hilaire Formation clay loam 245 12.8 14.0

Dahlen Formation clay loam 188 9.8

Heiberg formation loam/clay loam 226 11.8 21.6

Hawley formation loam 19 1.0

New York Mills formation loam 46 2.4

Villard formation loam 211 11.0 14.4

James River group James till loam 154 8.0 8.0 81.9%

Lake Tewaukon group Gardar Formation clay loam 6 0.3 0.3

Buffalo River group Buffalo formation clay loam 39 2.0 2.0 87.1%

Upper Marcoux Formation sandy loam 79 4.1

Lower Marcoux Formation sandy loam 121 6.3 10.4

Sheyenne River group Sheyenne formation loam 17 0.9 0.9

Browerville formation Browerville formation loam 101 5.3 5.3

Gervais Formation Gervais Formation loam 95 5.0 3.6

Old Hawley till loam 3 0.1

Old New York Mills till 0.0 0.1

Old Buffalo till loam 21 1.1 1.1 5.2%

Old Upper Marcoux till clay loam 26 1.4

Old Lower Marcoux till loam 50 2.6 4.0

no correlation 50 2.6 2.6

sand, silt, clay, shale dominant 198 10.3 10.3 12.9% 12.9%

Till samples 1,670 87.1%

Miscellaneous samples 248 12.9%

Total samples 1,918 100.0%

older till

Crow Wing River group

Otter Tail River group

Lower Goose River group

Upper Goose River group

�����������������������������������������

������������������������

����������������������������

���������������������

��������������������

������������������������

��

��

���

��

���

��

���

��

���

��

����������������������������

����������������������������

��

��

���

��

���

��

���

��

���

��

���������������������

��������������������

������������������������

�����������������������������������������

���������������������������������

�������������������� ��������������

�������������

���������������������

��������������������

������������������������

�����������������������������������������

������������������������

����������������������������

��

��

���

��

���

��

���

��

���

��

� ��������������������

��������������

������������������� �������������

�������� �����������

Table 1. Summary of information on 20 lithostratigraphic units identified in the Traverse–Grant study area.

����������������� ����������

� �� ���������������

A'

B'

C'

A

B

C

!