Geology of the Yankton Area South Dakota and Nebraska GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 328 Prepared as part of the program of the Department of the Interior for the development of the Missouri River basin Geology of the Yankton Area South Dakota and Nebraska By HOWARD E. SIMPSON GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 328 Prepared as part of the program of the Department of the Interior for the development of the Missouri River basin UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1960 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FRED A. SEATON, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas B. Nolan, Director For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office Washington 25, D. C. CONTENTS Page Page Abstract-_-_.....________.________________ 1 Stratigraphy Continued Introduction.-____......________.____________ 2 Pleistocene deposits Continued Location and size of area _.._...__._ 2 Outwash Continued Previous geologic investigations _ 2 Topographic expression 55 Fieldwork. ._... _ ....._...___ 4 Engineering characteristics ._. _.._.._.._ 55 Acknowledgments _ ____...._ 5 Ice-contact stratified deposits 56 Geography.._.___ ___ ._____ _ _. .. _._._......._. 5 Lithology _.. - 56 Surface drainage. ._.. ....___..__ 6 Topographic expressions __ 57 Soils.. ._ _ _._- _ _ 7 Engineering characteristics . 57 Surface soils. _.__....._.. ....... 7 Nonglacial deposits 59 Relation to geology. _ ... ________... 8 Loess.______________________ ____ 59 Buried soils._ __________________________ 10 Nomenclature _ 59 Climate, vegetation, and industry . 10 Facies-__________________-__ - _-- 59 Stratigraphy. _. ..__........_..._.._.____ ....... 11 Lithology ...... 59 Pre-Pleistocene rocks. ..._ ________ 11 Contacts _ _ 65 Pre-Cretaceous rocks ............. 15 Fossils _ 65 Sioux quartzite _.________..... 15 Topographic expression... 67 Cretaceous rocks. ._ 16 Origin _. ..._.........._ ....... 67 Dakota sandstone __..._.... 16 Time and rate of deposition. - 68 Lower sandstone member (Lakota (?) Engineering characteristics 68 sandstone equivalent) _ ._ _ ...____ 17 Alluvium 68 Middle shale member (Fuson ( ?) Facies __ ~_________-___-_ .__. 69 shale equivalent) -_ .______. _ 17 Lithology 69 Upper sandstone member ._....... 18 Topographic expression 70 Graneros shale .... ._._. __ .._ .._______________________ 18 Engineering characteristics . _.._. 70 Greenhorn limestone _ '__ 18 Summary- __._... - _ 70 Carlile shale. _ .......____.. 19 Age and distribution 71 Fairport chalky shale member .. .. ._...... ....... 19 Pre-Wisconsin stages ... 71 Blue Hill shale member ._ _. _ 20 Pre-Illinoian glacial deposits _ . ....... 74 Codell sandstone member. ._._ ___.____......... 20 Grand Island formation 75 Sage Breaks(?) member _ ___._..____ _ 20 Illinoian stage ... .____. ... ... ~.~ 76 Engineering characteristics 21 Illinoian outwash 76 Niobrara formation ._._ _ __.__ ____. 21 Illinoian till.--.-. 77 Fort Hays limestone member 23 Loveland loess 77 Smoky Hill chalk member ______........_..... .... 24 Wisconsin stage . 78 Engineering characteristics ._.____..___.____ _ 29 Farmdale substage (?) of Leighton and Willman 79 Pierre shale __ _ __ ._. _.._.._. 29 Farmdale loess of Leighton and Willman ...... 79 Sharon Springs member __ .____ _ _ 31 lowan and Tazewell substages ................ 81 Gregory member..._____......._ 34 lowan till. _ 81 Crow Creek member. .._...__. _....__._ _.......____... 35 Iowan( ?) ice-contact stratified drift 82 DeGrey and Verendrye members _.. _... 36 lowan and Tazewell loess ... ... 82 Virgin Creek member .__ 38 Gary substage 83 Mobridge member... ._. ........... 39 Gary till - - - 83 Engineering characteristics . _____________ 39 Gary outwash 84 Environment of deposition of Upper Cary(?) kame-terrace deposits 84 Cretaceous rocks .._... 40 Gary ice-contact stratified drift. 84 Tertiary rocks _ __ __.___._ _____. 43 Gary loess 84 Ogallala formation _ _ _ _ _. .... 43 Mankato substage 85 Engineering characteristics __. ___ _._ _____ 44 Mankato till 87 Pleistocene deposits.... ............_................. ._ ...._... _._. 45 Mankato ice-contact stratified drift 87 Glacial drift ..._...._...... .._ 46 Mankato outwash....._ 87 Till_____________.__._____.___.__.__ 46 Mankato loess 88 Lithology ______ .._.. .._... _ .. ........._.__.......... 47 Summary 89 Topographic expression. 50 Recent deposits - 89 Engineering characteristics.. ... 52 Landslide deposits.....__ _.._ _____ ___-~ 89 Outwash ___-_- ___.. ._.. ... 53 Alluvium and colluvium .____ .__.. - 90 Lithology _..__..__. .......__......_ ...... 53 Swale deposits 91 111 IV GEOLOGY OF THE YANKTON AREA, SOUTH DAKOTA AND NEBRASKA Page Page Stratigraphy Continued Geomorphic development Continued Recent deposits Continued Post-Illinoian time Continued Terrace alluvium ... 91 Gary meltwater channels . ._ ...._ ..._._.._... 106 Tributary alluvium.... ... _ _ ._.._ 92 Disruption of drainage by the Mankato glacier 106 Alluvial fan deposits. .... .._ .. _ ... 92 Mankato meltwater channels _...................... ....... 107 Eolian sand. ....... .. 92 James River trench. ............__..... 107 Flood plain alluvium 93 Engineering characteristics . _..-_ _... 93 Beaver Creek valley _._ .. .. 107 Structural geology 94 Recent epoch _ _.... _ 108 Joints________________________________ 94 Summary--. .-- ._ _ . _ ...._ 108 Faults. - - . _._._. 97 Geologic history _ ..... .._._........_.. 108 Warps_ _ - - . 97 Pre-Pleistocene history 108 Engineering aspects---- .-.. 97 Pleistocene and Recent geologic history . 110 Geomorphic development. _ 98 Economic geology _.._ 112 Preglacial time. .- . - 98 Construction materials. .. ... ... 112 Pre-Illinoian time 99 Evidence of a pre-Illinoian drainage pattern - 100 Road metal -- -- - - 112 The ancient Niobrara River valley ...... 100 Concrete aggregate 113 The ancient Ponca Creek valley. ...... 100 Mineral filler._____._______________ ___ 113 The ancient James River valley 101 Plaster sand ... 113 Illinoian time . 101 Building stone__-___ ________... _._.__ 113 The Missouri River..._ . ... .. 101 Fill and subgrade- 114 Process of diversion 102 Riprap__.________-______________.___ 114 Date of diversion-..... 102 Portland cement-- . ....... 114 Entrenchment 102 Light-weight aggregate . 115 Post-Illinoian time 103 Water resources 115 lowan diversion channel . - 103 Fuel resources _ .._ ._ _. .. .. 117 Gary diversion channels 104 Crofton channel 104 Metallic resources .._....... 117 West Bow Creek channel. ___.____. ... 105 Agricultural geology . 118 St. Helena terrace channel _... ... ... 105 References cited _ 118 CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS [Plates 1-3, 10, and 13 in pocket] PLATE 1. Geologic map of the Yankton area, South Dakota annd Nebraska. 2. Migration of the principal channel of the Missouri River. 3. Correlation of electric logs of four wells near Yankton, S. Dak. 4. A, Fort Hays limestone member, Niobrara formation, exposed in south end of Gavins Point Dam powerhouse excavation; B, Smoky Hill chalk member, Niobrara formation, exposed in quarry. 27 5. A, Laminae in the lower part of the Smoky Hill chalk member; B, coarse "boxwork" of gypsum-filled bedding planes and joints in the Smoky Hill chalk member _ 28 6. A, Contact of Niobrara formation with overlying Sharon Springs member, Pierre shale; B, Gregory member, Pierre shale. _.._______ __ ___. ...____.__...__.____.___.___..___-______-_ 30 7. A, Crow Creek member, Pierre shale; B, distinctive sequence of four bentonite beds within the DeGrey and Verendrye members, Pierre shale; C, Typical phosphatic, oolitic nodules in the DeGrey and Verendrye mem­ bers, Pierre shale; D, lowan till overlain by loess... _ . 37 8. A, Collapsed strata in a Gary (?) kame-terrace deposit; B, wind-stratified post-Iowan pre-Mankato loess.. 58 9. A, Gradational contact between Loveland loess and post-Iowan pre-Mankato loess; B, alluvium of western ori­ gin correlated with the Grand Island formation of Kansan age 66 10. Approximate locations of drift borders, boulder composition counts, major preglacial valleys, and drainage diversion routes. 11. A, Gary loess with Cary-Mankato soil overlain by Mankato loess with post-Mankato soil complex; B, undula- tory topography that is characteristic of many landslide deposits _ 86 12. Typical joints representing two sets in the Smoky Hill chalk member, Niobrara formation 96 13. Profile and geologic section of the Missouri River trench at Gavins Point Dam. FIGURE 1. Index map of the Yankton area, South Dakota and Nebraska..- - 3 2. Diagram showing direction of wind, in percent of time, at Yankton 10 3. Composite columnar section of the Niobrara formation, together with the calcium carbonate content, mois­ ture content, and density of certain parts . _ 25 4. Map showing localities at which loess of post-Iowan pre-Mankato age was sampled 61 5. Cumulative curves representing grain-size distribution characteristic of loess... 62 6. Decrease in average of median grain sizes of post lowan pre-Mankato loess with increasing distance south from Missouri River_ _ ___ ...____._ .. .........-...--....-...... 63 7. Variation of average percent by weight of the coarse silt and medium fine silt fractions of post-Iowan pre- Mankato loess with increasing distance south from the Missouri River. 63 8. Diagrammatic correlation chart of Pleistocene units in eastern Nebraska and the Yankton area 72 9. Diagrammatic geologic section and profile, Yankton County to Knox County 73 10. A, Diagram of stratigraphic relations of Loveland loess eastward from the type locality; B, diagram of sig­ nificant Pleistocene