University of North Dakota UND Scholarly Commons Theses and Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, and Senior Projects 1977 The late Cenozoic geology of west-central Minnesota from Moorhead to Park Rapids Roderic L. Perkins University of North Dakota Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.edu/theses Part of the Geology Commons Recommended Citation Perkins, Roderic L., "The late Cenozoic geology of west-central Minnesota from Moorhead to Park Rapids" (1977). Theses and Dissertations.edu/theses/225 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, and Senior Projects at UND Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of UND Scholarly Commons.
For more information, please contact zeineb. THE LATE CENOZOIC GEOLOGY OF WEST-CENTRAL MINNESOTA FROM MOORHEAD TO PARK RAPIDS. Perkins Bachelor of Arts> State University of New York College. 1974 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of North Dakota in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degrea of Master of Arts Grand Forks, North Dakota GEOLOGY LIBRARY Universtty of North Dakota August 1977 " ''' \ Thin thesis submitted by Roderic L.
Perkins in partial fulfill- ment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts from the University of North Dakota is hereby approv~d by the Faculty Advisory Committee under whom the work has been done.~ Dean of the Graduate School ii Permission # THE LATE CENOZOIC GEOLOGY OF WEST-CENTRAL Title MINNESOTA FROM MOORHEAD TO PARK RAPIDS Department Geology Degree Master of Arts In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a graduate degree from the University of North Dakota, I agree that the Library of this University shall make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for extensive copying for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor who supervised my thesis work or> in his absence, by the Chairman of the Department·or the Dean of the Graduate School. It is under- stood that any copying or publication or other use of this thesis or part thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also under- stood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of North Dakota in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis.
,,;k,__·~-~_-::;i=·, Date 7/!~ftz iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am grateful to many individuals and organizations for their assistance and financial support during this study. My graduate com- mittee, Drs. Lee Clayton, Stephen R. Moore are gratefully acknowledged for their constructive crit.icisms and sugges- tions.
I would like to sincerely thank the following people for their • helpful suggestions and encouragement they gave throughout the course of the project: John and Anita Himebaugh, Joanne Groenewold, Richard Pilatzke> Thomas Heck> Daniel Daly, and Michael Camara. This study was supported in part with funds provided by the Minnesota Geological Survey and Sigma Gamma Epsilon Society. The financial support of these institutions made this project possible. iv DEDICATION To my mother.
V TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv LIST OF TABLES vii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS viii LIST OF PLATES ix ABSTRACT. INTRODUCTION 1 GEOLOGIC HISTORY. 5 Episode I Episode II Episode III Episode IV Episode V Episode VI Episode VII APPENDIX A. Methods and Procedures • • • • • • • • • 42 APPENDIX B.
Description of Lithostratigraphic Units APPENDIX C. Description of Geomorphic Features •• 83 APPENDIX D. Data of Near Surface Samples. 96 vi LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1.
Correlation of Stratigraphic ~nits Present in the Study Area with Stratigraphic Units in Other Areas 9 2. List of Aerial Photographs in this Study. Temperature and Corresponding Setting Time Required to Deterr:rl.ne the Amount of Clay in Suspension Using a Hydromater • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 48 4. Summary of the Laboratory Analysis of the Pebble-Loam in the Lithostratigraphic Units, Showing the Means and Standard Deviations ••••••• 55 s.
Data of the Pebble-Loam Analysis for Each Sample. 90 vii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Location of the Study Area in West-Central Minnesota 3 2. Time-Distance Diagram Showing Periods of Deposition of Formations Present in the Study Area • • • • 7.
Early Wisconsinan Advance of Glacial Ice from the Northeast. First Late Wisconsinan Glacial Advance from the Northwest • • • • • • • • • • • • • 21 5. Second Late Wisconsinan Glacial Advance from the Northwest: 25 6. Third Late Wisconsinan Glacial Advance from t:he Northwest.
Phases of Lake Agassiz During Late Wisconsinan t:o Holocene Time • • • • • • • • • • • • 35 8. Graph of t:he Compositional Variation of Pebble-Loam of Lithostratigraphically Correlated Units in West-Central Minnesota and North-Central Minnesota 58 9. East-West Cross Section of the Type Sections for the Hawley and Downer Formations. East-West Cross Section of the Reference Section for the Hawley Formation.
73 viii LIST OF PLATES Plate Page 1. Geology of the Moorhead to Park Rapids Area West-Central Minnesota • • • • • • • • • • • • • (in pocket) 2. Isopach Map of the Sand and Gravel Lithology New York Mills Formation, Park Rapids Area • • • • • (in pocket) ix ABSTRACT Based on lithostratigraphic and geomorphic information, the Quaternary history of an area boun~ed by the Red River of the North, 95°00' west longitude, 47°00' and 46°45' north latitude in west- central Minnesota, includes seven geologic episodes: Glacial advances and retreats over all or part of the study area occurred during the first six geologic episodes. The glaciers advanced either southward across northern Minnesota, entering the study area from the northeast; or across eastern North Dakota and southwestern Manitoba, entering the study area from the northwest.
As a result of these glacial events the sediment of Unit A, Sebeka Formation, New York Mills Formation, Dunvilla Formation, Barnesville Formation, and Hawley Formation (new) was deposited in the study area. The creation and drainage of Lake Agassiz occurred during the seventh episode, between 13 000 years B. The sediment deposited as a result of this event is contained in the Sherack Formation, Downer Formation, Argusville Formation, and Poplar River Formation. During this episode, starting about 12 300 years B., the present-day streams, bogs, and sloughs were created.
The sediment deposited during this event is contained in the Walsh Forma- tion. X INTRODUCTION The area between Moorhead and Park Rapids in west-central Minne- sota (Figure 1) is underlain by 30 to as much as 200 metres of Quater- nary sediment of which only the upper few tens of metres is exposed in outcrops in the area. Sparse subsurface informatio~ suggests that scat- tered patches of pre-Cretaceous pisolithic conglomerates and clay depos- its and Cretaceous shale and sandstone lie between the Quaternary depos- its and the Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rock (Bingham, 1960 artd Anderson, 1957). The overlying Quaternary deposits, the subject of this study:, consists largely of glacial sediment and associated fluvial and lacustrine sediment.
The surface sediment in the Red River Valley, the western quarter-of the study area:, was for the most part deposited in Lake Agassiz at the.end of the last Wisconsinan glaciation. The east- ern three-quarters of the study area is characterized by glacial col- lapse topography:, fluvial plains> and melt-water channels created dur- ing several pre-Wisconsinan and Wisconsinan glacial advances. This thesis is presented in an unconventional format. The conclusions of the study:, the geologic history of west-central }Ii.nn- esota, are presented as the major part of the text.
Much of the detail has been omitted and only the evidence which is essential to support the conclusions is given. It is hoped that the text will be more readable by not belaboring the reader with data:, numbers, and definitions which can be better presented in appendix form. Location of the Study Area in West-Central Minnesota. Showing adjacent study areas of Sackreiter (1975) and Anderson (1976).
Size of study area is 3850 kilometres._---------10 a:: CLAY BECKER )i Moomead H~wley • Detroit Lakes. 46° 3c/ N 95° oo' ,'I 4 The map on Plate 1 shows the distribution of surficial sediments and geomorphic features in the area and i.ary of the study. The map units are briefly described and their genetic origins are given in the map legend. A more detailed description of the sediments is presented in Appendix B.
The diagram> Age of the Stratigraphic Units, on Plate 1, presents the stratigraphic order of deposition and the estimated or kno'W'!l ages of the formations exposed in the study area. Description of the geomorphic features is presented in Appendix C. Those persons interested in the methods are referred to Appendix A. Composition, regional correlation, and other detailed description of the surficial sediments are included in Appendix B.
The origin and description of the topography in the study area is given in text section eP-titled Geologic History and in Appendix C. Basic laboratory-data from the analysis of the glacial sediment is given in Appendix D. GEOLOGIC HISTORY The late Cenozoic history of the study area is here presented in seven episodes. An episode is~ happening or occurrence of geo- logic importance.
In this report, each episode is first described, and then the evidence to support the geologic history is pres~nted. The geologic history is reconstructed from the study of nine litho- stratigraphic units found within the study area (Figure 2). Seven of these units have been described in previous studies in eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota; the Downer and Hawley Formations are defined in this study. All of the units are pre-Wisconsinan, Wis- consinan, or Holocene in age.
!Pisode I Episode I, probably occurring during pre-Wisconsinan time, is the first late Cenozoic event for which there is any evidence. During that time, a glacier advanced from the northeast probably over, 3.ll of the study area. Glacier ice deposited in the pebble-loam of Unit A) and melt water deposited the sand and gravel of Unit A. The ice advance is thought to have occurred in northwestern Minnesota because Unit A is correlated with Unit 2 (Sackreiter> 1975), and it is thought to have occurred in northeastern North Dakota because Unit A is corre- lated with the Tiber Formation (Sackreiter, 1975) (Table 1).
The maximum observed thickness of Unit A is 2. Nowhere in the study area has the lower contact been observed, and the upper 5 6 Fig. Time-Distance Diagram Showing Periods of Deposition of Formations in West-Central Minnesota. II C WEST EAST YEARS B.J 14 000 33 000 ? ? W/ZZ//_7_/Z/oz7 /7Z 1 ? ? ? ? UNIT A - - - ?- -? - - - - - ?--1- 8 Table 1.
Correlation of Stratigraphic Units Present in the Study Area with Stratigraphic Units in Other Areas. - 7 ,, ' LITHOSTRATIGRAPHIC CORRELATION CHART Red Lake Southwestern Falls Area Grand Porks- Comstock- North Dakota Northwestern · Bemidj i Area Sebeka Area Northeastern M, Camara · Minnesota Northwestern Study Area Wes.t-Centr al Southwestern North Dakota (in K. Harris Minnesota West-Central Minnesota Minnesota H. Hobbs preparation)· and Others D, K.
Matsch (1975) (1974) (1975) (1976) : (1971) Walsh Fm. Sherack Fm, Downer Fm. Unit D Hawley Pm. u,Red Lake Falls Fm.Red Lake Palls Fm.
New Ulm Till 0.45 l,Red Lake Palls Fm. 1,Red Lake Palls Fm. New York Mills Fm. New York Mills F:n·.
Granite Falls Till 0.02 Vang Fm, Marcoux Fm. Hawk Creek Till 0. 10 contact of Unit A with the overlying Sebeka Formation has been observed in only one outcrop in the study area (for description of Unit A> see Appendix B). The sand and gravel lithology of Unit A was observed in the study area, and probably has an associated pebble-loam that was not observed.
The pebble-loam is probably the same as the pebble-loam of Unit 2. Unit 2 is found below the Marcoux Formation. in two testholes in Sackreiter's (1975) study area to the north.