Larry D. Berg

Date of Award

1960

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (BS)

Department

Geology

First Advisor

Dr. L. Gillett

Abstract

Considerable controversy has arisen over the naming of Pleistocene deposits in Kidder County, North Dakota. This controversy deals with the naming of drift sheets in the western two-thirds of the County. The eastern one-third and limited portions in the northern part of the County have definitely been established as being Post Cary in age. The main controversy lies in determining whether the western two-thirds is of Post-Tazewell-pre-Two Creeks or of Cary age. Lenke and Colton designated this portion as being of Post-Tazewell-pre-Two Creeks ages while recent studies by University of North Dakota students Lee Clayton, James Chemlik, and Wallace Bakken seem to cast some doubt on the situation. They believe at least part of this part may be Cary in age. They believe that field evidence of outwash occurrence and that some deposits differ in general appearance may be evidence of Cary deposits. Some of these deposits differ in immediately adjacent areas. The deposits often differ in general appearance and in texture.

It was the purpose of this author to try and differentiate individual samples from this part of the County. To do this he conducted various laboratory methods for differentiating sediments. Sieve analysis, heavy mineral analysis, staining analysis, magnetic mineral separation and pebble count analysis were conducted. Two samples from Cleveland Quadrangle in Stutsman County, North Dakota were also analyzed to make an attempt at correlating equal deposits between Counties.

Differences were found to exist between individual samples in one respect while similarities were found in other respects. Certain samples were nearly identical in grain size range and in the amount of potash feldspar grains, but differed in the amount of soda-lime feldspar or in the amount of magnetic material grains present. The tendencies of samples to be similar in one respect while differing in another aspect caused confusion and did not lead to any definite conclusions on age differentiation. It may be possible to find differences between the drift sheets in Kidder when more and better samples are obtained, but it is the opinion of the author that no correlation is possible on the data obtained in this analysis.

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