Pleistocene Geology of the Embarrass Area, St. Louis County, Minnesota

Abstract

Minnesota's landscapes and surficial deposits have resulted from the interaction of late Cenozoic continental glaciers upon a weathered bedrock surface. Erosion and deposition during subsequent glacial stages have largely obscured the effects of earlier glaciations. During the late Wisconsinan Stage, the Laurentide Ice Sheet advanced into Minnesota several times, becoming lobate as the ice followed preexisting regional bedrock lowlands. Each lobe of ice deposited a lithologically distinct drift, reflecting the nature of the bedrock over which it flowed. This thesis is one in a continuing sequence of detailed studies of geomorphology, sedimentology, stratigraphy, and drift lithology intended to clarify the complex glacial history of Minnesota. The Embarrass area was selected for study because of its importance to understanding the style and chronology of deglaciation in northern Minnesota.