The Story of the Prairies (Classic Reprint): Or the Landscape Geology of North Dakota: Or the Landscape Geology of North Dakota (Classic Reprint) - Softcover

Inhaltsangabe

Discover the deep history that shaped North Dakota’s landscape, from ancient seas to glacial plains.

In Prairie Foundations, Daniel E. Willard guides readers through the rocks and rivers that define North Dakota today. The book blends map-like descriptions with accessible explanations of geologic events, including how coal beds formed in the Laramie epoch and how Cretaceous formations record a sea that once covered the region. It ties natural features—valleys, moraines, and streams—to their ancient origins, offering a clear view of the state's underground story.

You’ll get a grounded sense of the landscape’s evolution: the rise and fall of seas, the carving power of ice sheets, and the layers that shape mineral resources and scenery. The text uses detailed observations of rock types, formations, and fossil evidence to explain why North Dakota’s coal, sandstones, and shales appear where they do, and how landscape features came to be.

• How coal beds form and vary across the state, with references to Laramie-age peat and bed thickness
• The sequence and characteristics of upper Cretaceous formations like Dakota Sandstone, Fort Benton, Niobrara, and Fox Hills
• How ancient seas and later ice sheets shaped valleys, moraines, and drainage patterns
• Connections between rock layers, mines, and present-day landscapes across North Dakota

Ideal for readers of natural history, geology, and North Dakota’s physical past.

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