Great Plains Geology

R. F. Diffendal Jr. is professor emeritus in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He is the author of Lewis and Clark and the Geology of the Great Plains.

"Diffendal's ability to write from first-hand experience, and his talent for summarizing very complex geology and huge amounts of detailed scientific information in a candid, appealing, and understandable way, make this the best handbook of its type currently available for the Great Plains region."-Priscilla C. Grew, Nebraska History "Great Plains Geology is not just a book, it’s a gift, offered by a scientist from his life’s experience. The book is a work of great and selfless generosity for which we should be grateful as we sally forth to explore this vast and varied region."-Joe Alan Artz, Journal of the Iowa Archeological Society “This book should be in the travel bag of anyone interested in exploring this remarkable stage in the heart of North America.”-Michael Forsberg, photographer and author of Great Plains: America’s Lingering Wild“Great Plains Geology is a book I wish I’d had fifty years ago when we moved to Nebraska and started commuting to Oklahoma to visit relatives. [Diffendal’s] narrative enriches the Great Plains experience immeasurably, especially for those who’ve made their homes here.”-John Janovy Jr., Varner Professor Emeritus at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and author of Keith County Journal “This is an indispensable travel guide for anyone wishing to explore and appreciate the mysteries of this beautiful landscape.”-Dale A. Winkler, research professor of paleontology at Southern Methodist University “Until now, eco-tourists visiting the Great Plains faced a void of geological information. . . . [Great Plains Geology] is clearly and succinctly written by a leading geologist in a way that nongeologists will understand and appreciate.”-James Stubbendieck, director emeritus of the Center for Great Plains Studies at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and author of North American Wildland Plants “Professor Diffendal has done a marvelous job of assembling information and images about the rich geological history and terrain of the Great Plains. For those who have ever lived in or spent time in the region, as I have, or been as smitten with geology as I was. . . . I highly recommend it.”-Robert Wuthnow, professor of sociology at Princeton University and author of Remaking the Heartland: Middle America since the 1950s “An enjoyable guide to the best geological sites in the Great Plains of Canada and the United States. Professor Diffendal’s lively writing unites geology with personal and historical references to provide a great resource for those traveling and sightseeing.”-David Watkins, professor of earth and atmospheric sciences at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln"From the inquisitive tourist or landowner, to the 'wannabe' archaeologist or dinosaur hunter, to the professional scientist or historian who seeks information in a related field, this book is a must-read. . . . [It] will quickly dispel the idea that the Great Plains are a monotonous and continuously flat region."—Gerald Schultz, professor of geology at West Texas A&M University

• List of Illustrations    Preface    Acknowledgments    Introduction    1. What Is the Great Plains?     2. Geologic History of the Great Plains    3. Visiting the Great Plains    Sites in Canada    Site 1. Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Alberta    Site 2. Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta    Site 3. Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, Alberta and Saskatchewan    Site 4. T. rex Discovery Centre, Saskatchewan    Site 5. Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan    Sites in the United StatesMontanaSite 6. Giant Springs State Park    Site 7. Upper Missouri Breaks National Monument    Site 8. Pompeys Pillar National Monument    Site 9. Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument    Site 10. Judith Mountains    North DakotaSite 11. Theodore Roosevelt National Park    Site 12. Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site    South DakotaSite 13. Slim Buttes    Site 14. Badlands National Park    Site 15. Mount Rushmore National Memorial    Site 16. Wind Cave National Park    Site 17. Jewel Cave National Monument        Site 18. Hot Springs Mammoth Site    Site 19. Petrified Forest, Black Hills    Site 20. Big Bend of the Missouri River    WyomingSite 21. Devils Tower National Monument    Site 22. Pine Bluffs Archaeological Site    NebraskaSite 23. Toadstool Geological Park    Site 24. Hudson-Meng Bison Kill Research Center    Site 25. Pine Ridge    Site 26. Agate Fossil Beds National Monument    Site 27. Scotts Bluff National Monument    Site 28. Chimney Rock National Historic Site    Site 29. Courthouse and Jail Rocks    Site 30. Ash Hollow State Historical Park    Site 31. Sand Hills Region    Site 32. Snake River Falls    Site 33. Fort Falls and Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge    Site 34. Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park    Site 35. Niobrara State Park    Site 36. Harlan County Lake    KansasSite 37. Monument Rocks    Site 38. Castle Rock    ColoradoSite 39. Castle Rock    Site 40. Section Boundary, Raton/Colorado Piedmont    Site 41. Comanche National Grassland    Site 42. El Huerfano    Site 43. Spanish Peaks    New MexicoSite 44. Raton Pass    Site 45. Sugarite Canyon State Park    Site 46. Capulin Volcano National Monument    Site 47. Clayton Lake State Park    Site 48. Section Boundary, Raton/Pecos Valley    Site 49. Carlsbad Caverns National Park    Site 50. Blackwater Draw Clovis Culture Site    TexasSite 51. Guadalupe Mountains National Park    Site 52. Llano Estacado Escarpment    Site 53. Enchanted Rocks State Park    Site 54. Gault Archaeological Site    Site 55. Balcones Fault Zone    Site 56. Confluence of Pecos River and Rio Grande    Site 57. Seminole Canyon State Park    Afterword    Appendix 1. Geologic Subdivisions of the Great Plains    Appendix 2. Chronology of the Development of Some Geological Concepts    Appendix 3. Cautions for Travelers on the Great Plains    Glossary    Bibliography    Index