The Untold Story Of Indiana's Rich Geologic Past Is Downright Fascinating
By Tori Jane|Published January 25, 2021
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Tori Jane
Author
Tori Jane is a storm chaser, writer, photographer, and the village idiot - in that order. When she's not out and about dancing with the meanest storms on planet Earth for funsies she can be found wandering, shooting landscapes, writing, editing photos, and otherwise up to no good. Legend has it that she can also be occasionally spotted typing up short bios in the third person, but those rumors are unsubstantiated.
Indiana is a beautiful state. Depending on which part of it you visit, you might find flat plains for as far as your eye can see, or rolling hills, dunes, and caves. Most folks don’t realize just how fascinating the history of this beautiful land is; the geology of the Hoosier state is full of it.
During the most recent ice age (around 3 million to 2.5 million years ago) and up to approximately 11,000 years ago, glacial ice came and went numerous times. This "ebb and flow" was responsible for much of the landscape.
As the glacial ice melted, particles suspended within it known as "glacial till" were deposited across the landscape.
Some of these glaciers carved valleys and hills out of the sediment on top of the already-existing wind and water erosion. The result is the valleys, hills, and breathtaking landscape of central and northern Indiana.
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At the end of the glacial age, as the behemoth ice receded for the final time, sediment now known as the Tipton Till Plain covered the central 1/3rd of the state.
People looking over Indiana tend to see only these flat lands without any idea just how much "work" the landscape had to go through to look that way. One might find a new appreciation for those "boring," flat plains once they know the fascinating history of this area! Dunes are also common sights on the banks of southern Lake Michigan.
Southern Indiana sometimes seems like it's an entirely different world than the northern 2/3rd of the state. Here, you'll find hills and valleys, cliffs, and even caves.
This region was carved out by meltwater floods and also built up by sediment deposits in many places.
The result of this process is some absolutely amazing cave systems, some extending for miles and miles. Stalactites and stalagmites can be found in these beautiful wonders, and when a cave collapses, it forms sinkholes, which are also found peppered around southern Indiana.
Of course, this is a much-simplified version of events; it’s difficult to jam literal millions of years of history into a short article! It’s clear, though, that Indiana is not at all as “boring” as it might seem. The state is made up of fascinating geology, beautiful waterfalls, endless plains, stunning forests, and so much more. Perhaps a love for the Hoosier state is an acquired taste for some, but for those who appreciate the amazing natural processes that forged the region, it’s a source of never-ending fascination.
What kind of Indiana landscape is your favorite? Have you ever visited a cave? Which one? Tell us all about it in the comments section below!
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