MAPPING THE SURFICIAL GEOLOGY OF THE IOWAN EROSION SURFACE

The educational component of the National Cooperative Mapping Program (EDMAP) is a collaborative effort between the USGS, local/state geological surveys and academic settings. The EDMAP program has two primary goals: (a) Foster the development of field mapping skills in students and (b) Construct useful high-quality geologic maps that benefit our geologic understanding of our local environments and evolving communities. UNI has partnered with the Iowa Geological and Water Survey and USGS to provide its students real world learning experiences. Students are collaborating with state geologists (STATEMAP), their professors and peers throughout the entire mapping process. Mapping includes idea development, literature and field reconnaissance, gaining permission to access land, field work, lab analyses, construction of final mapping deliverables and submitting these data for publication. UNI students are developing a greater understanding of the Iowan Erosion Surface specifically the Waverly (2008-2009), Readlyn (2009-2010) and Dunkerton (2010-2011) (7.5”) Quadrangles.

The UNI EDMAP Team is interested in characterizing northeastern Iowa’s surficial geologic sediments to learn more about the geologic events that led up to the area’s present distribution of landforms. The five primary surficial units identified, sampled, and mapped include alluvium (Qal), low terrace alluvium (Qal_lt), sandy eolian sediment (Qe), sand and gravel (Qnw2, Noah Creek Formation), and loamy and sandy sediment to glacial till (Qwa2, unnamed reworked Pre-Illinoian till). Secondary mapping products also seek to identify the interrelationships of these surficial sediments with flooding events, contaminant transport, and development of Karst topography and to help Iowa’s communities develop sustainably.