Pipestone National Monument Geologic Resources Inventory Report

Pipestone National Monument Geologic Resources Inventory Report

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Pipestone National Monument Geologic Resources Inventory Report Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2017/1512 George Catlin wrote of his journey to Pipestone: “For many miles we had the Coteau in view in the distance before us, which looked like a blue cloud settling down in the horizon . On the very top of this mound or ridge, we found the far-famed quarry or fountain of the Red Pipe, which is truly an anomaly in nature. The principal and most striking feature of this place, is a perpendicular wall of close-grained, compact quartz, of twenty-five and thirty feet in elevation, running nearly North and South with its face to the West, exhibiting a front of nearly two miles in length, when it disappears at both ends by running under the prairie . At the base of this wall there is a level prairie, of half a mile in width, running parallel to it; in any and all parts of which, the Indians procure the red stone for their pipes, by digging through the soil and several slaty layers of the red stone, to the depth of four or five feet. From the very numerous marks of ancient and modern diggings or excavations, it would appear that this place has been for many centuries resorted to for the red stone; and from the great number of graves and remains of ancient fortifications in its vicinity, it would seem, as well as from their actual traditions, that the Indian tribes have long held this place in high superstitious estimation; and also that it has been the resort of different tribes, who have made their regular pilgrimages here to renew their pipes.” (Quote from the Smithsonian website below, citing Truettner 1979 and Gurney and Heyman 2002) ON THE COVER George Catlin’s 1836 painting Pipestone Quarry on the Coteau des Prairies. Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr. 1985.66.337 http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/?id=4319. THIS PAGE Photograph of a modern quarry in Pipestone National Monument. National Park Service photograph available online: http://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery.htm?id=F7D55D62-155D-4519-3E1DF0A992F7F295 Pipestone National Monument Geologic Resources Inventory Report Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2017/1512 John P. Graham Colorado State University Research Associate National Park Service Geologic Resources Division Geologic Resources Inventory PO Box 25287 Denver, CO 80225 September 2017 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado, publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics. These reports are of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Rep​​ort Series is used to disseminate comprehensive information and analysis about natural resources and related topics concerning lands managed by the National Park Service. The series supports the advancement of science, informed decision-making, and the achievement of the National Park Service mission. The series also provides a forum for presenting more lengthy results that may not be accepted by publications with page limitations. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received informal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U.S. Government. This report is available from the Geologic Resources Inventory website, and the Natural Resource Publications Management website. To receive this report in a format optimized for screen readers, please email [email protected]. Please cite this publication as: Graham, J. P. 2017. Pipestone National Monument: Geologic resources inventory report. Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2017/1512. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 372/140095, September 2017 iiii Contents Page Figures . iv Tables . iv Executive Summary . v Products and Acknowledgments . .. vii GRI Products . .vii Acknowledgments . .vii Geologic Setting and Significance . ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 1 Geologic Setting . 1 Sioux Quartzite . 3 Catlinite . �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������12 Proposed Development at Pipestone National Monument . ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������14 Geology and Ecosystem Development . 14 Geologic Features, Processes, and Resource Management Issues . ������������������������������������������������������������� 15 Features and Processes (table 2) . �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������15 Resource Management Issues (table 3) . 15 Geologic Resource Management . 15 Resource Management Guidance for Geologic Features and Processes . �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������15 Potential Resource Management Actions . 18 Geologic History . 25 2.6 billion to 1.6 billion years ago (Precambrian): Continental Collisions and River Systems. �������������������������������������������������������������������25 The past 2.6 million years (Quaternary Period): The Ice Ages . 26 Geologic Map Data . ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 29 Geologic Maps . 29 Source Maps . 29 Conversion of Source Maps to GRI GIS Data . 29 GRI GIS Data . 29 Geologic Map Poster . 30 Use Constraints . �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������30 Literature Cited . ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 32 Additional References . 35 Geology of National Park Service Areas . 35 NPS Resource Management Guidance and Documents . 35 Climate Change Resources . 35 Geological Surveys and Societies . 35 US Geological Survey Reference Tools . ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������35 Appendix A: Scoping Participants . ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 36 2008 Scoping Meeting Participants . 36 2016 Conference Call Participants . 36 Appendix B: Geologic Resource Laws, Regulations, and Policies . 38 iii Figures Page Figure 1. Location map of Pipestone National Monument in southwestern Minnesota. ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������viii Figure 2. Geologic time scale. ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������2 Figure 3. Relief map of a portion of the northern Great Plains showing the Coteau des Prairies, southwestern Minnesota. 4 Figure 4. Photographs of Winnewissa Falls and Lake Hiawatha, Pipestone National Monument ������������������������������������������������������������������������������5 Figure 5. Photographs of Sioux Quartzite, Pipestone National Monument.. 6 Figure 6. Photographs of ancient sedimentary features found in the Sioux Quartzite. 8 Figure 7. Braided stream system and schematic vertical section of the Sioux Quartzite of southwestern Minnesota . 10 Figure 8. Photograph of calumet pipes on display in the Pipestone National Monument visitor center �������������������������������������������������������������������11 Figure 9. Photograph of the Three Maidens at sunset, Pipestone National Monument . 17 Figure 10. Photograph of polished and pitted surface of the Sioux Quartzite . 18 Figure 11. Photograph and schematic illustration of Sioux Quartzite quarry at Pipestone National Monument . 19 Figure 12. Aerial imagery of jointed outcrops of Sioux Quartzite and quarries in Pipestone National Monument . 20 Figure 13. Photograph of flood waters inundating the Circle Trail in 2010 . 21 Figure 14. Photograph of water in a quarry ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������22 Figure 15. Map of Precambrian land masses that sutured together to form Minnesota approximately 2.7 billion

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