GEOLOGY-Lecture 16-Missouri Geology
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Transcript GEOLOGY-Lecture 16-Missouri Geology
GEOLOGY
CMU
Bill Palmer
Lecture 16
Missouri Geology
GEOLOGY
Goals
Learn
about Missouri Geology.
Learn
about some cool places you might want to visit.
GEOLOGY-Rocks
Igneous Rocks-Rhyolite
Earth
is 4.6 BYO
Oldest rocks in MO are Rhyolite-2-3 BYO
Rhyolite-cooled at two different rates
Found in St. Francois Mtns.
Pyroclastic -Volcanoes (think Mt. St. Helens)
GEOLOGY-Rocks
Igneous Rocks-Granite
After the Rhyolite there were intrusions of magma
The magma cooled slowly forming Granite
Most MO granite is pink-red
Several periods 1.2-1.5 MYO
GEOLOGY-Rocks
Igneous Rocks-Basalt
After the granite, Basalt dikes cut through the granite
Much younger-only 1 MYO
GEOLOGY-Rocks
Igneous Rock Characteristics
Weather slowly
This slow erosion forms mountains, hills, and knobs
These ancient igneous rocks plunge deep into the earth
and are thought to lie under the entire state at great
depths
GEOLOGY-Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Composed of fragments of previously existing rocks or
chemical deposition
Many sedimentary rocks in MO
MO alternately submerged and exposed many times
500 MYA
Limestone, dolostone, shale, sandstone
Most natural rocks N of MO river are sedimentary
GEOLOGY-Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Formation is a uniform rock unit that can be recognized
over a large area
“Type Section” is locality where a formation is first
described
This allows a geologist to go to the original site to
compare to a known standard
GEOLOGY-Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Missouri has several type sections:
Jefferson
City Dolomite-found on MO River bluffs on N side
of river
Bonneterre Dolomite-host rock for most of MO lead
Gasconade Dolomite-Rich in caves
Eminence Dolomite-Rich in caves
Burlington (IA) Limestone-Crushed Rock
Warsaw Limestone-cut and sold as Carthage Marble
GEOLOGY GEOLOGY-Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Forget it!
Zero!
Nada!
None!
GEOLOGY-Natural Divisions
Missouri
1.
has four main Natural Divisions:
Ozarks
2. Southeast Lowlands
3. Western Plains
4. Northern Glaciated Plains
GEOLOGY-Natural Divisions
Ozarks
Rugged hilly Country
Rock layers are relative flat, tipping gently away from
the St. François Mtns.
Repetitive uplift and erosion
About 1,000-1,200 ft. above sea level
GEOLOGY-Natural Divisions
Ozarks
Deep valleys
Good for building reservoirs-Lake of the Ozarks
Old river meanders give these lakes long shorelines
with many coves
Rejuvenated Rivers
GEOLOGY-Natural Divisions
Ozarks
Great MO Unconformity-100 MY of rocks missing
GEOLOGY-Natural Divisions
Southeast Lowlands
“Bootheel”
Flat as a board
Lowest point in state-St. François River leaves the state
at 230 ft. above sea level
Big Oak Tree State Park is characteristic
GEOLOGY-Natural Divisions
Big Oak Tree State Park
Southeast Lowlands
GEOLOGY-Natural Divisions
Western Plains
Layers of sandstone, shale, coal, petroleum bearing
sandstone
Flat topography
Springfield Plateau, Osage Plains
Prairie State Park is in this area
GEOLOGY-Natural Divisions
Western Plains
Prairie State Park
GEOLOGY-Natural Divisions
Northern Glaciated Plains
Fairly flat topography
Most of MO N of MO River
Covered at least twice by continental glacier ice sheets
Glacier meltwater carved much of path of MO River
Left behind rock and boulders know as glacial till
GEOLOGY-Natural Divisions
Northern Glaciated Plains
Great farmland due to till left by
glaciers.
GEOLOGY-Igneous Features
Igneous Features
Taum Sauk Mtn.
Elephant Rocks
Johnson’s Shut-Ins
Basalt Dikes
GEOLOGY-Rocks
Taum Sauk Mtn. Taum Sauk State
Park is highest point in state-1,772 ft
above sea level.
GEOLOGY
Taum Sauk Power plant is
really on Proffit Mountain.
This Dam failed and
trashed Johnson’s Shut-Ins
State Park.
The case is still in court.
Watch news for settlement
details.
GEOLOGY-Rocks
Granite Boulders
about 1.5 MYO
Elephant Rocks State Park
GEOLOGY-Igneous Features
Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park
Rhyolite about 2-3 BYO
GEOLOGY-Igneous Features
Basalt dike in MO road cut.
The basalt is only 1 BYO.
GEOLOGY-Waterfalls
Waterfalls
Westin Crown Center Waterfall
Mina Sauk Falls
GEOLOGY-Waterfalls
Westin Crown Center
Waterfall, Kansas City,
MO
About 50 ft. High.
Visit this geologic
feature in air
conditioning and no
bugs.
GEOLOGY-Waterfalls
Upper Mina Sauk Falls
Lower Mina Sauk Falls
Highest waterfall in
Missouri. 132 feet.
GEOLOGY-Rocks and Bluffs
Rocks and Bluffs
Loess Hills
Pinnacles-Boone Co.
Slave Rock-I-70, Montgomery Co.
GEOLOGY-Rocks and Bluffs
Loess hills are formed from
wind blown particles at
the end of the last ice age.
Some in Boone Co; Most
in NW MO.
Loess Hills in NW MO
GEOLOGY-Rocks and Bluffs
Pinnacles-N of Columbia
70 feet High
Burlington Limestone
Crinoids
GEOLOGY-Rocks and Bluffs
Slave or Picnic Rock
I-70 Montgomery County
Windblown sand filled a
sinkhole and then softer
rocks eroded leaving a big
round sandstone rock.
Slaves were sold here in
1800s
GEOLOGY-Karst
Karst
Karst-an area of caves, springs, sink holes, natural
bridges all formed by the action of water dissolving
rock.
Karst is an area in Yugoslavia.
HaHaTonka State Park
Rock Bridge Memorial State Park
GEOLOGY-Karst
HaHaTonka Spring
HaHaTonka is said to mean “Laughing
Waters.”
HaHaTonka State Park
GEOLOGY-Karst
Scottish Castle
Natural Bridge
A wealthy Kansas City man built a
Scottish Castle here. Burned in
1917. Only walls remain.
GEOLOGY-Karst
Devil’s Icebox Cave at
Rockbridge Memorial State
Park. This cave is in
Burlington Limestone.
GEOLOGY- Caves
Show Caves
Onondaga Cave State Park
Meramec Caverns
GEOLOGY-Caves
Queen’s Canopy
Lilly Pad Room
The Twins
Onondaga Cave State Park.
State operated on Meramec
River
GEOLOGY-Caves
Meramec Caverns
Commercial cave;
famous throughout
USA due to “barn
signs.”
Frank and Jesse James
GEOLOGY-Great Springs
Geologic
Wonders and Curiosities-Springs
Big Spring
Alley Spring
Greer Spring
Blue Spring
GEOLOGY-Great Springs
Big Springs feeds
water to the Current
River.
Big Spring
Largest in State
840m gal/day
GEOLOGY-Great Springs
Big Spring
Enough dolostone is dissolved by
the spring each year to make a
cave passage 30ft high, 50ft wide,
and 1 mile in length.
Our descendants will have a
tremendous cave to explore
when the Current River drains
the spring.
GEOLOGY-Great Springs
32 ft deep
Alley Spring
685m gal/day
GEOLOGY-Great Springs
583m gal/day
Greer Spring
2nd Largest
100+ ft deep
GEOLOGY-Great Springs
Deepest spring-256 ft.
Blue Spring
6th Largest
90m gal/day
Geology-Great Rivers
Great
Rivers
Current
and Jack’s Fork
Meramec
Eleven Point
Missouri-Mississippi
Geology-Great Rivers
Caution-Don’t Flip
Current RiverOzark national
Scenic Riverways.
NPS-operated
Eminence Dolostone
Geology-Great Rivers
Gasconade
Dolostone Bluff
Meramec RiverMostly private
land.
Green’s Cave
Geology-Great Rivers
Eleven-Point River
USFS operated
Geology-Great Rivers
Missouri River
KATY Trail
Canoeing MO River
Big Manitou Bluffs
Pictographs
Les Bourgeois Winery
GEOLOGY
Geologic Trivia-The Devil must have loved MO
80+ place names feature “Devil”
25 Devil’s Backbones
8 Devil’s Den
4 Devil’s Boot
2 Devil’s Cave
Devil’s Icebox
Devil’s Sugar Bowl
And about 40 more
GEOLOGY
Geologic Trivia
Highest Point=Taum Sauk Mtn. 1772 feet
Lowest point=St. Francois River-230 ft
Deepest Road Cut=150 ft. Hwy, 65, 8 ml. North of
Branson
State Rock=Mozarkite
State Fossil=Crinoid
State Mineral=Galena
Chert is probably Missouri’s most common rock
GEOLOGY-Wrap Ups
1.
How old are the oldest rocks in Missouri and
where are they found?
2. Which has the older rocks-Johnson’s Shut-Ins
SP or Elephant Rocks SP?
3. Where are the St. Francois Mountains of MO?
4. What is the highest point in Missouri?
Elevation?
5. Give an age for sedimentary rocks in Missouri?
GEOLOGY-Wrap Ups
6.
Where do you find most of the sedimentary
rocks in Missouri?
7. Name four sedimentary rocks found in
Missouri.
8. What is a “type section?”
9. What kind of rock is found in the Jefferson City
Formation?
10. What rock section provides high quality
crushed limestone?
GEOLOGY-Wrap Ups
11.
Where are metamorphic rocks found in
Missouri?
12.What are the four Main Natural Divisions of
Missouri?
13. Name a site associated with each Natural
Division.
14. What is a “Shut-Ins?” Name one.
15. Name the highest waterfall in MO, its height,
and location.
GEOLOGY-Wrap Ups
21.
Who operates the Ozark National Scenic
Riverways?
22. What is the lowest point in Missouri and where
is it?
23. What is the state rock?
24. What is the state mineral?
25. What is the state rock?