Transcriber's note: The Dalles of the Wisconsin are known today as the Wisconsin Dells. Minor punctuation errors from the original text have been corrected; any unusual capitalization from the original was kept. The formatting for lists has been standardized for easier reading. The footnotes have been placed at the end of the document instead of at the end of the page; there are links to them at their original positions in the text. I apologize for the poor quality of some of the maps; they have been made as clear as possible.

Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey.

E. A. BIRGE, Director. C. R. VAN HISE, Consulting Geologist.
BULLETIN NO. V.EDUCATIONAL SERIES NO. 1.

THE GEOGRAPHY
OF THE
REGION ABOUT DEVIL'S LAKE
AND THE
DALLES OF THE WISCONSIN,
With Some Notes on Its Surface Geology.

BY

ROLLIN D. SALISBURY, A. M.,
Professor of Geographic Geology, University of Chicago,

AND

WALLACE W. ATWOOD, B. S.,
Assistant in Geology, University of Chicago.

MADISON, WIS.
Published by the State.
1900.

Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey.

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS.

Edward Scofield,

Governor of the State.

L. D. Harvey,

State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Charles K. Adams, President,

President of the University of Wisconsin.

Edwin E. Bryant, Vice-President,

President of the Commissioners of Fisheries.

Charles S. Slichter, Secretary,

President of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters.

E. A. Birge, Director of the Survey.

C. R. Van Hise, Consulting Geologist.

E. R. Buckley, Assistant Geologist.

In charge of Economic Geology.

S. Weidman, Assistant Geologist.

In charge of Geology of Wausau District.

L. S. Smith, in charge of Hydrography.

S. V. Peppel, Chemist.

F. R. Denniston, Artist.

Frontispiece

[See larger image]

CONTENTS.

PART I. THE TOPOGRAPHY WITH SOME NOTES ON THE SURFACE GEOLOGY.
CHAPTER I.
PAGE
GENERAL GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES [3]
I. The Plain Surrounding the Quartzite Ridges.
Topography [6]
Structure [8]
Origin of the Sandstone and Limestone [9]
Origin of the Topography [12]
II. The Quartzite Ridges [13]
Topography [13]
The Structure and Constitution of the Ridges [14]
III. Relations of the Sandstone of the Plain to the Quartzite of the Ridges [19]
PART II. HISTORY OF THE TOPOGRAPHY.
CHAPTER II.
OUTLINE OF THE HISTORY OF THE ROCK FORMATIONS WHICH SHOW THEMSELVES AT THE SURFACE.
I. The Pre-Cambrian History of the Quartzite [23]
From loose Sand to Quartzite [23]
Uplift and Deformation. Dynamic Metamorphism [24]
Erosion of the Quartzite [25]
Thickness of the Quartzite [26]
II. The History of the Paleozoic Strata [27]
The Subsidence [27]
The Potsdam Sandstone (and Conglomerate) [27]
The Lower Magnesian Limestone [31]
The St. Peters Sandstone [32]
Younger Beds [33]
Climatic Conditions [34]
Time involved [34]
The Uplift [34]
CHAPTER III.
GENERAL OUTLINE OF RAIN AND RIVER EROSION
Elements of Erosion [36]
Weathering [36]
Corrasion [36]
Erosion without Valleys [37]
The Beginning of a Valley [37]
The Course of a Valley [39]
Tributary Valleys [39]
How a Valley gets a Stream [40]
Limits of a Valley [43]
A Cycle of Erosion [44]
Effects of unequal Hardness [47]
Falls and Rapids [48]
Narrows [49]
Erosion of folded Strata [50]
Base-level Plains and Peneplains [50]
Transportation and Deposition [55]
Topographic Forms resulting from Stream Deposition [56]
Rejuvenation of Streams [56]
Underground Water [58]
CHAPTER IV.
EROSION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRIKING SCENIC FEATURES
Establishment of Drainage [61]
Striking scenic Features [64]
The Baraboo Bluffs [65]
The Narrows in the Quartzite [66]
Glens [68]
Natural Bridge [69]
The Dalles of the Wisconsin [69]
The Mounds and Castle Rocks [71]
CHAPTER V.
THE GLACIAL PERIOD.
The Drift [73]
Snow Fields and ice Sheets [74]
The North American ice Sheets [78]
The Work of glacier Ice [79]
Erosive Work of Ice. Effect on Topography [79]
Deposition by the Ice. Effect on Topography [85]
Direction of ice Movement [88]
Effect of Topography on Movement [89]
Glacial Deposits [94]
The ground Moraine [97]
Constitution [99]
Topography [101]
Terminal Moraines [102]
Topography of terminal Moraines [103]
The terminal Moraine about Devil's Lake [105]
The Moraine on the main Quartzite Range [107]
Constitution of the marginal Ridge [110]
The Slope of the upper Surface of the Ice at the Margin [111]
Stratified Drift [111]
Its Origin [112]
Glacial Drainage [113]
Stages in the History of an Ice Sheet [114]
Deposits made by extraglacial Waters during the maximum Extension of the Ice [115]
At the Edge of the Ice, on Land [115]
Beyond the Edge of the Ice, on Land [116]
Deposits at and beyond the Edge of the Ice in standing Water [120]
Deposits made by extraglacial Waters during the Retreat of the Ice [121]
Deposits made by extraglacial Waters during the Advance of the Ice [123]
Deposits made by subglacial Streams [124]
Relations of stratified to unstratified Drift [125]
Complexity of Relations [126]
Classification of stratified Drift on the Basis of Position [127]
Extraglacial Deposits [127]
Supermorainic deposits [127]
The submorainic (basal) Deposits [127]
Intermorainic stratified Drift [128]
Changes in Drainage effected by the Ice [128]
While the Ice was on [128]
Wisconsin Lake [129]
Baraboo Lake [130]
Devil's Lake in glacial Times [132]
After the Ice had disappeared [135]
Lakes [136]
Existing Lakes [137]
Changes in Streams [138]
Skillett Creek [138]
The Wisconsin [139]
The Driftless Area [142]
Contrast between glaciated and unglaciated Areas [143]
Topography [143]
Drainage [144]
Mantle Rock [144]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PLATES.
PAGE
The Dalles of the WisconsinFrontispiece.
Plate I.General map of the Devil's Lake region [4]
II.Local map of the Devil's Lake region [4]
III.Fig. 1—Ripple marks on a slab of sandstone [9]
Fig. 2—Piece of Potsdam conglomerate [9]
IV.Lower Narrows of the Baraboo [12]
V.Devil's Lake notch [14]
VI.East bluff of Devil's Lake [14]
VII.East bluff at the Upper Narrows of the Baraboo near Ableman's [16]
VIII.Vertical shear zone face of east bluff at Devil's Lake [16]
IX.Massive quartzite in situ in road through Upper Narrows near Ableman's [18]
X.Brecciated quartzite [18]
XI.Northwest wall of the Upper Narrows [20]
XII.Steamboat Rock [30]
XIII.Fig. 1—A very young valley [38]
Fig. 2—A valley at later stage of development [38]
Fig. 3—Young valleys [38]
XIV.Fig. 1—Same valleys as shown in Pl. XIII, Fig. 3, but at a later stage of development [45]
Fig. 2—Same valleys as shown in Fig. 1 in later stage of development [45]
XV.Diagram illustrating how a hard inclined layer of rock becomes a ridge in the process of degradation [46]
XVI.Skillett Falls [48]
XVII.A group of mounds on the plain northwest from Camp Douglas [50]
XVIII.Castle Rock near Camp Douglas [50]
XIX. Fig. 1—Sketch of a young valley [54]
Fig. 2—Same valleys as shown in Fig. 1 in later stage of development [54]
XX.Fig. 1—Sketch of a part of a valley at a stage of development corresponding to the cross section shown in Fig. 21 [54]
Fig. 2—Sketch of a section of the Baraboo valley [54]
XXI.Cleopatra's Needle [64]
XXII.Turk's Head [64]
XXIII.Devil's Doorway [64]
XXIV.Talus slope on east bluff of Devil's Lake [67]
XXV.Dorward's Glen [68]
XXVI.Natural Bridge near Denzer [68]
XXVII.The Navy Yard [68]
XXVIII.Chimney Rock [70]
XXIX.An island in the Lower Dalles [70]
XXX.View in Lower Dalles [70]
XXXI.Stand Rock [72]
XXXII.Petenwell Peak [72]
XXXIII.North American ice sheet [78]
XXXIV.Owl's Head [78]
XXXV.Cut in glacial drift [94]
XXXVI.Glaciated stones [96]
XXXVII.Topographic map of a small area about Devil's Lake [108]
XXXVIII.Distorted laminæ of silt and clay [120]

FIGURES IN TEXT.
PAGE
Figure 1.Profile across the Baraboo quartzite ranges through Baraboo [4]
2.Profile across the Baraboo ranges through Merrimac [5]
Transcriber's note: There is no figure 3.
4.Diagram showing the structure of the quartzite [15]
5.Diagram showing the relation of the Potsdam sandstone to the Baraboo quartzite [16]
6.Diagram illustrating effect of faulting on outcrop [27]
7.Diagram showing the disposition of sediments about an island [28]
8.The same as 7 after subsidence [28]
9.Diagram showing relation of Potsdam conglomerate to quartzite at Devil's Lake [29]
10.Cross section of a delta [31]
11.The geological formations of southern Wisconsin [33]
12.A typical river system [41]
13.Diagram illustrating the relations of ground water to streams [42]
14.Diagram illustrating the shifting of divides [44]
15.Diagram showing topography at the various stages of an erosion cycle [46]
16.Diagram illustrating the development of rapids and falls [48]
17.Sketch looking northwest from Camp Douglas [52]
18.Diagrammatic cross section of a young valley [52]
19.Diagrammatic profile of a young valley [53]
20.Diagrammatic cross section of a valley in a later stage of development [53]
21.The same at a still later stage [54]
22.Diagram illustrating the topographic effect or rejuvenation of a stream by uplift [57]
23.Normal profile of a valley bottom [58]
24.Profile of a stream rejuvenated by uplift [58]
25.Diagram illustrating monoclinal shifting [62]
26.Diagram showing the relation of the Potsdam sandstone to the quartzite at the Upper Narrows [67]
27.Diagrammatic cross section of a field of ice and snow [75]
28.Shape of an erosion hill before glaciation [81]
29.The same after glaciation [82]
30.Diagram showing the effect of a valley on the movement of ice [83]
31. The same under different conditions [84]
32.Diagram showing the relation of drift to the underlying rock where the drift is thick [87]
33.The same where the drift is relatively thin [87]
34.Diagrammatic representation of the effect of a hill on the edge of the ice [90]
35.The same at a later stage of the ice advance [91]
36.Map showing the relation of the ice lobes during the Wisconsin epoch of the glacial period [92]
37.Sketch of the terminal moraine topography east of Devil's Lake [104]
38.Cut through the terminal moraine east of Kirkland [106]
39.Cross section of the marginal ridge of the moraine on the south slope of the Devil's nose [107]
40.Cross section of the marginal ridge of the moraine on the crest of the quartzite range [108]
41.Morainic outwash plain [118]
42.The same in other relations [119]
43.Skillett Creek and its peculiarities [139]
44.The Wisconsin valley near Kilbourn city [141]
45.Drainage in the driftless area [144]
46.Drainage in the glaciated area [145]
47.Section in the driftless region showing relation of the soil to the solid rock beneath [146]

PART I.