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What is the geography of Iowa?
What is the Iowa Geological Survey?
Why is geology important in Iowa?
What is Iowa's Geologic History?
What are Iowa's landforms made of?
How did Iowa's land form?
Iowa has been shaped by seas, glacial ice, strong winds, and flowing rivers during the geologic past. Generally, Iowa’s bedrock originated as layers of loose sediment accumulating in shallow seas and along coastal and floodplain environments.
- Landforms
A landscape is a collection of terrain features, or...
- Stratigraphy & General Geology
Studying Iowa’s nearly 3 billion year rock record has been...
- Landforms
The geography of Iowa includes the study of bedrock, landforms, rivers, geology, paleontology and urbanisation of the U.S. state of Iowa. The state covers an area of 56,272.81 sq mi (145,746 km 2). Bedrock features. Iowa's bedrock geology generally increases in age from west to east.
- Waves of Change
- Frozen in Time
- Mining Iowa’s Treasures
- Recreation
- Geology Today
Iowa is far from an ocean or vast lake, but water still has played an important role in shaping its land. Water has at least three major roles in geology. 1. Water erodes rocks. Rain, ice, waves and creeping glaciers break rocks into smaller pieces. 2. Fast moving water carries away eroded rocks and soil as sediments. 3. When moving water slows, it...
Although the plate became more stable as it moved close to its current location, it hasn’t stayed dry for long. Frozen water in the form of mile-thick glaciers creeped across parts of Iowa at least four different times. The glaciers pushed a mix of loose gravel and soil, called till, across Iowa. This glacial till forms the base of Iowa’s rich farm...
The rocks and soil of Iowa have provided the raw materials for many occupations. Native Americans found chert in the Nishnabotna River valley in western Iowa. They chipped this sedimentary rock to make arrowheads and spear points. Early European explorers discovered deposits of lead and zinc near Dubuque. These ores were mined and refined. Coal was...
Geology is not all about work—it has also created some of Iowa’s most interesting places to play. Iowa’s great lakes in the north central part of the state were formed when huge hunks of ice broke off and melted slowly in one place. Caves with stalactites and stalagmites are common in the limestone rocks near the surface in northeast Iowa. Geode hu...
A lot is known about Iowa’s geologic history, but there is still much to be studied. Water washed away much of the evidence from millions of years ago. Geologists working with the Iowa Geologic Services Bureau and many universities are trying to piece together what happened during that time. Farmers study their soil to determine how to best use it....
A landscape is a collection of terrain features, or landforms. Iowa’s landforms are composed of earth materials derived from glacial ice, strong winds, flowing rivers, and marine environments during the geologic past.
Iowa's Geology. Iowa’s bedrock, glacial deposits and soils are the rich legacy of a billion years of earth history. They contain valuable minerals, energy resources, and ample supplies of groundwater.
Studying Iowa’s nearly 3 billion year rock record has been one of the principle activities at the Iowa Geological Survey since its inception. Stratigraphic research focuses on the correlation by characterizing the lithology, distribution, and thickness of geologic units, as well as establishing the three dimensional relationships between units.
This guide to Iowa’s Landforms and Geology presents an overview of this story. The story is organized roughly by age, beginning with the state’s oldest features and rocks and ending with the youngest sediments, landforms, and water resources.
