Stewards of the Beautiful Land – All of Iowa was Glaciated

Geologists have known that all of Iowa was covered by ice at some point over the last 2.5 million years. The most recent advance by the Des Moines Lobe around 16 thousand years ago is to thank for central Iowa’s the flat topography.

This presentation will use landforms within that landscape can be used to reconstruct the behavior of the long-melted glacier. Insights from this obviously glaciated landscape reveal how glacial advances have shaped our state, literally. Continental glaciation played a role in the formation of all of the rivers between and including the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Despite the rumors, there is no “driftless” landscape in Iowa. The steep-walled valleys off the Mississippi River in northeast Iowa have a more complicated and interesting history than a simple “driftless” explanation.

Stewards of the Beautiful Land is an educational series that covers the importance of native plants and trees. Join us throughout the spring, summer, and fall for webinars covering topics that will help you enjoy the native environment around you and keep your part of the world a little greener! We offer our individual webinars to everyone free of charge. Stewards of the Beautiful Land