Table Name

Field Name

Begin Column

Definition

Valid Values

Descriptions

Meekagppy.dbf

Uq_id

 

Number, 11

Values from 100 to 616.

Unique identifier for the field mapping units

 

 

Fieldudesc

 

Text, 100

e.g.,   Sand and Gravel - Low Potential; till slope modified by outwash,   Sands, silts and gravel over collaspesed till- low relief.

A short, summarized description of the field mapping units.

 

 

Sgeo_plB

 

Text, 80

Listed below as Sgeo_plb (Sgeo_lab), youngest units to oldest units.

The surficial geologic unit shown on Plate B.  Mapping units may be glacial sediment, or modern Holocene sediment.

 

 

 

 

Alluvial Sediments (Qav)

Silt, fine sand, coarse sand, gravel, and clay layers overlying coarser sand and gravel layers and lenses.  The sediment is generally moderately- to well-sorted and is interpreted to be alluvial overbank and stream bottom deposits.  Within this unit, coarser sediment is typically found in abandoned and modern channels, point bars, and river bars.  Alluvial sediments exist throughout the county in valleys, or in low-lying areas where drainage occurs as channelized flow.

 

 

 

 

 

Glaciolacustrine Sediments (Qlu)

Massive silt, clay, or fine sand with interbeds of sandy silt, silt, and clay.  The sediment is associated with the ponding of glacial meltwater to form short-lived glacial lakes. Some of the sediment is deposited in pre-existing meltwater valleys and may cover till and thick outwash sediments.  Other glaciolacustrine sediments formed in lakes partially or entirely bounded by ice.  The largest deposits of sediment are associated with the presence of stagnant ice that dammed glacial meltwater and prevented it from flowing to the east. Therefore, lake margins can be steeply walled to poorly defined.  Within the lake sediments are discontinuous channels and drainage features that were created by the drainage of glacial meltwater.

 

 

 

 

Deltaic/Glaciolacustrine Sediments  (Qdl)

Stratified and massive silt and fine sand with interbedding of gravel, coarse sand, sandy silt, silt, and clay.  This sediment is associated with the highest lake levels from the ponding of glacial meltwater by stagnant ice.  This

mapping unit is deposited as a large, flat, sand plain.  Steep slopes on the eastern edge of

the unit suggests stagnant ice partially bound the lake margin.  Sediments grade into glaciolacustrine sediments along the northern boundary of the mapping unit.

 

 

 

 

Lake Modified Till Sediments (Qdt)

Thin, discontinuous layers of sands, silts and clays mantling unsorted till sediments (unsorted clay, silt, sand, gravel, cobbles, and boulders). The sediment is interpreted to be till that has been modified by wave action of water.  Thicker accumulations of lake sediment are found in the small depressions between till hummocks.  This unit is interpreted to have formed by the ponding of glacial meltwater over existing till sediments and is associated with deltaic/lacustrine sediments.

 

 

 

 

Glaciofluvial Outwash Sediments (Qoc)

Stratified coarse to fine sand, and gravel with layers of cobbles and small boulders.  The sediment is generally rounded to well-rounded and moderately well- to very well-sorted.  The sediment is associated with meltwater of the Des Moines Lobe.  The sediment is located in meltwater channels and outwash plain features.  Outwash sediment deposited proximal to the glacial ice margin may be covered with supraglacial sediment and interstratified with till.  Within the meltwater

channels, the sediment is observed protruding from Holocene alluvial sediment.

 

 

 

 

 

Glaciofluvial Outwash Terrace Sediments (Qot)

Stratified fine to coarse sand and gravel, with layers of silt, fine sand, and cobbles scattered throughout.  The sediment is rounded to well -rounded and moderately-well to very well sorted.  The sediment was deposited in glacial meltwater channels that range in width from 200 meters to 2000 meters.  Generally, terraces within larger meltwater channels are well defined, while, poorly defined terraces are often located in smaller meltwater channels.

 

 

 

 

Outwash Modified Till Sediments (Qmt)

Thin, discontinuous layers of fine to coarse sand and gravel, with occasional layers of silt, fine sand, and cobbles.  The sediment mantles scoured, unsorted till sediments (unsorted clay, silt, sand, gravel, cobbles and boulders), which may have produced a pebble/cobble lag at the contact.  The sediment is interpreted to be till that has been modified by glacial meltwater in or near outwash channels.              

 

 

 

 

Ice Contact Sediments (Qic)

Stratified silt, fine sand, coarse sand, and gravel, with an occasional thick mantle of glacial till.  The sediment is rounded to well-rounded and moderately-poor to moderately-well sorted.  Associated with the Des Moines lobe, ice contact sediments are typically deposited as features called eskers and kames.  Eskers are typically long, narrow, sinuous ridges of stratified sand and gravel that were formed as sub-glacial streams flowing between ice walls or in ice tunnels within stagnant glacial ice, and were left behind as the ice melted.  The kame features are low mounds, knobs, hummocks, and small terraces also composed primarily of stratified sand and gravel that were formed in holes or low areas on the ice surface.  The smaller ice contact sediments were not sorted as well as still contain a significant amount of silt and clay within the sand and gravel.  These sediments can be found in the southern and eastern portions of the county.

 

 

 

 

Till- Ground Moraine Sediments (Qtg)

Mostly unsorted and unstratified clay, silt, sand, gravel, cobbles, and boulders.  The sediment is clay-rich and occasionally contains lenses and pockets of sorted silts, sands, and gravels on top of and within the mapping unit.  This till sediment (also called unsorted drift) was deposited directly by and underneath the glacier, and subsequently has been slightly reworked by ponded glacial meltwater behind and in front of the higher relief of end moraines. The random melting of ice and deposition of material produced a relatively flat to gently rolling, hummocky topography that is characteristic of ground moraine.  Ground moraine sediments are located in the southern part of the county.                                          

 

 

 

 

Till- Cosmos End Moraine Sediments (Qcm)

Mostly unsorted and unstratified clay, silt, sand, gravel, cobbles, and boulders.  The sediment occasionally contains lenses and pockets of sorted silts, sands, and gravels on top of and within the mapping unit.  This till sediment was deposited into a large, arcuate landform that marks a relatively long-standing ice margin deposited by a small tongue of the Des Moines Lobe.   Meltwater was briefly ponded between morainic ridges that make up the end moraine.  End moraine sediments are located in the southern part of the county.                   

 

 

 

 

Till- Stagnant Ice Moraine Sediments (Qts)

Till sediment (unsorted and unstratified clay, silt, sand, gravel, cobbles, with occasional boulders) with pockets of sorted and stratified silt, sand, gravel, and cobbles.  This till sediment was deposited beneath glacial ice, within glacial ice, and on top of glacial ice and has been subsequently modified by gravity and meltwater. Stagnation ice moraine sediments are interpreted to be the result of Des Moines Lobe ice overriding and stagnating on top of stagnant ice of the Superior Lobe.  Therefore, the rolling topography is mostly related to Superior Lobe sediments buried by Des Moines Lobe till and sorted sediments.

 

 

 

 

Till- Sandy Ground Moraine Sediments (Qsm)

Mostly unsorted and unstratified clay, silt, sand, gravel, cobbles and boulders.  The sediment grades sandier to the north and occasionally contains lenses and pockets of sorted silts, sands, and gravels on top of and within the mapping unit.  This till sediment was deposited by active and stagnating ice. To the northeast, the sediment varies in thickness from less than 2 feet to greater than 30 feet. Consequently, Superior Lobe sediments are discontinuously exposed at the surface.  The random melting of ice and deposition of material produced a relatively flat to gently rolling, hummocky topography that is characteristic of ground moraines.  This mapping unit is observed in the northern half of the county.

 

 

 

 

Till- Hummocky Moraine Sediments

(Qsm)

Mostly unsorted and unstratified clay, silt, sand, gravel, cobbles and boulders.  The sediment occasionally contains lenses and pockets of sorted silts, sands, and gravels on top of and within the mapping unit.  This till sediment was deposited directly by and underneath the glacier; and was not subsequently re-worked by glaciofluvial meltwater. The random melting of ice and deposition of material produced rolling and hummocky topography that is characteristic of ground moraine.  This mapping unit also corresponds to and covers a larger moraine feature called the Alexandria moraine.  Hummocky moraine sediments are located in the central part of the county.                                             

 

 

 

 

Interlobate Complex Sediments (Qit)

Unsorted and unstratified clay, silt, sand, gravel, cobbles and boulders intricately mixed with sorted silt, sands, and gravels.  This till/outwash complex was deposited between two glacial lobes originating from the northeast (Des Moines Lobe).  Sediment deposition is associated with both glacial and glaciofluvial processes that create a complex of till and outwash.  This sediment is located in the northwestern portion of the county.                  

 

 

 

 

Till (Des Moines Lobe) over Ice Contact Sediments (Superior Lobe) (Qst)

Unsorted and unstratified clay, silt, sand, gravel, cobbles and boulders (associated with the Des Moines Lobe) over stratified medium to coarse sand, gravel with occasional layers of silt, cobbles, and small boulders (associated with the Superior Lobe).  The sands and gravels are interpreted to be outwash deposited in between and within stagnant ice.  Till from the Des Moines Lobe caps the outwash with varying thickness (2 to 20+ feet).  This mapping unit is associated to stagnant ice moraine and is located along the northeastern and eastern boundary of the county.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

 

 

Sgeo_lab

 

Text, 4

Qlu, Qdl, Qdt, Qoc, Qot, Qmt, Qic, Qtg, Qcm, Qts, Qsm, Qht, Qit, Qst

The label for the geomorphology-sediment association used on map Plate B.

 

Sgeo_age

 

Text,30

Holocene, Holocene/Wisconsin, and Wisconsin

Describes the age of the material encountered at the surface:

Holocene: 0-8,000 years

Wisconsin: >8,000 to 20,000+

 

Sgeo_process

 

Text, 40

 

The type of geological process that deposited these features.

 

 

 

 

Alluvial

Modern stream processes

 

 

 

 

Alluvial over Glaciofluvial

Modern stream processes overlying glaciofluvial (glacial stream) processes

 

 

 

 

 

Deltaic/Lacustrine

Sorted sediment deposited in a basin of water.

 

 

 

 

Glacial

Unsorted glacial material deposited in place.

 

 

 

 

Glacial/Glaciofluvial

Unsorted glacial material deposited and glacial sediments.

 

 

 

 

Glaciofluvial

Glacial sediments that have been sorted by meltwater.

 

 

 

 

Glaciofluvial over Glaciolacustrine

Glacial sediments that have been sorted by meltwater over sediments deposited at the bottom of a glacial lake.

 

 

 

 

Lacustrine

Sediments deposited at the bottom of a glacial lake.

 

 

 

 

Lacustrine over Glaciofluvial

Sediments deposited at the bottom of a glacial lake over glacial sediments that have been sorted by meltwater.

 

Sgeo_feat

 

Text, 50

Alluvial fan, Alluvial Valley, Alluvium in Outwash Valley, Collapsed Feature, Collapsed Outwash Channel, End Morain, Esker, Fan/Delta, Glacial Lake, Ground Moraine, Hummocky Moraine, Ice Walled Lake, Kame, Lake in Outwash Channel, Medial Moraine, Modified Ground Moraine, Outwash Channel, Outwash Feature, Outwash Terrace, Outwash Valley, Stagnant Ice Moraine, Thrust Feature, Tunnel Valley.

The type of geological feature encountered at the surface (surficial geology).  Surficial Geology is defined as the geologic units encountered within the top 5 to 10 feet of the surface.

 

Sgeo_mat

 

Text, 40

e.g., Clay, silt, and sand over till; Sand; Sand and gravel; Granite; Till with patchy sand and gravel.

The dominant type of material encountered in the surficial geologic unit.

 

SG_sigpot

 

Text,50

 

The aggregate resource potential for sand and gravel, as shown on map Plate A.  From the legend on Plate A….

POTENTIAL SAND AND GRAVEL RESOURCES:  Geologic units that are inferred to contain sand and gravel.  These units exhibit the geologic characteristics that typically produce sand and gravel deposits.  Existing gravel pit and MN/DOT aggregate sources lying within these units indicate identified or known resources.  The geologic units having potential for sand and gravel include alluvial features (flood plains, terraces, and fans), glacial outwash features (channels and terraces), and ice-contact features (eskers and kames).  These units typically contain sorted sand and gravel with little silt or clay.

 

SG_PotA_SG

 

Text, 50

Potential Sand and Gravel Resources; Potential Crushed Stone Resource; Limited Potential for Aggregate Resources.

Significant Aggregate Resources Deposits are defined as those deposits most likely to be explored and evaluated for future commercial use.  They include all the moderately and highly desirable sand, gravel, and crushed stone deposits as well as very large areas of finer sand and gravel that could be blended with coarser material to make more highly desirable deposits.

 

 

 

 

Highly Desirable Sand and Gravel Deposits

Glaciofluvial features, such as terraces and outwash channels. These deposits are very large in aerial extent. These deposits consist of sand and gravel with thickness typically ranging from 15 to 75+ feet with less than 5 feet of overburden.  The probability that a potential sand and gravel deposit exists within this unit is high to very high.  The textural characteristics of these deposits are classified as good to very good.  The quality is typically moderately high to very high relative to all deposits within Meeker County.

 

 

 

 

Moderately Desirable Sand and Gravel Deposits

Glaciofluvial features, such as outwash channels and terraces; ice-contact features, such as eskers and kames; as well as Holocene age terraces, floodplains, and fans.  These deposits are moderately small to large in aerial extent with sand and gravel thickness typically ranging from 10 to 50+ feet, with less than 10 feet of overburden.  The probability that a potential sand and gravel deposit exists within this unit is moderately to very high.  The textural characteristics of these deposits are moderate to very good, with the quality ranging from moderately high to high.

 

 

 

 

Less Desirable Sand and Gravel Deposits

Glaciofluvial features, such as outwash channels and terraces; ice-contact features, such as eskers and kames; and alluvial
features such as flood plains, terraces, fans, and sand bars.  These deposits are moderately small
to very large in aerial extent and consist of sand and fine sand with thickness ranging from 0 to 40+
feet, with overburden thickness between 0 to 50+ feet.  The probability that a potential sand and
gravel deposit exists within this unit is moderate to very high.  The textural characteristics of these
deposits are moderate poor to good, with the quality ranging from moderately low to high.

 

 

 

 

Limited Potential Sand and Gravel Deposits

or

Limited Potential for Aggregate Deposits

Units that include glacial features such as collapsed glaciofluvial channels, ground moraines, end moraines, colluvial slopes, and small alluvial features such as flood plains and streams.  The probability that a significant aggregate deposit exists within this unit is very low to moderate.  The aggregate deposits occurring in this unit are very small to moderately small in aerial extent and typically consist of finer material (sand with some gravel).  The thickness of these aggregate deposits are typically less than 10 feet, with overburden thickness
sometimes reaching over 100 feet.  The textural characteristics are poor to moderately poor with the
quality ranging from low to moderate. 

 

SG_Prob

 

Text, 20

Very High, High, Moderately High, Moderate, Moderately Low, Low.

The relative degree of certainty that sand and gravel exists within a unit.  Based on air photo interpretations, field observations, CWI, drilling, presence of gravel pits and quarries, etc.  Each unit is relative to the other units and range from very high to very low.

 

Sg_Depsize

 

Text, 20

Very large, Large, Moderately large, Moderate, Moderately small, Small

The relative size of the sand and gravel deposit

 

Size_in_ac

 

Text, 7

>50, 40-50, 30-40, 20-30, 10-20, 5-10

The size of the deposit in acres.

 

SG_thickmn

 

Integer, 6

0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30

Describes the minimum thickness of the sand and gravel unit.

 

SG_thickmax

 

Integer, 6

5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 75

Describes the maximum thickness of the sand and gravel unit.

 

SG_thickmd

 

Text, 1

+

The sg_thickness modifier indicates that the thickness of the unit exceeds the value listed in the Sg_thickmx field.

 

SG_overmin

 

Integer,6

0, 3, 10, 20

Describes the minimum thickness of the overburden covering the sand and gravel.

 

SG_overmax

 

Integer,6

1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50

Describes the maximum thickness of the overburden covering the sand and gravel.

 

SG_overmod

 

Text,1

+

The sg_overburden modifier indicates that the thickness of the overburden exceeds the values listed in the Sg_overmax field.

 

SG_Texture

 

Text, 20

Very Good, Good, Moderately Good, Moderate/Good, Moderate, Moderately Poor, Poor/Good, Poor.

A relative scale of the textural quality of the sand and gravel resource (sieve analysis).  The coarser the material the higher the rating.  Fine sand material would have a poorer rating.  See MN/DOT Pit sheets for more detail.

 

SG_Quality

 

Text, 20

Very High, High, Moderately High, Moderate/High, Moderate, Moderately Low, Low/High, Low

A relative scale of the quality of the sand and gravel (soundness, durability, and mineral makeup).  Determined from MN/DOT pit sheets. 

 

SG_thick

 

Text, 15

5-15, 10-30, 20-100+

Gives range of minimum and maximum thickness for sand and gravel deposit

 

SG_overbdn

 

Text, 15

0-100+, 0-5, 10-50

Gives range of minimum and maximum thickness for overburden

 

BuriedDep

 

Text, 5

Yes or No

 

Roughly outlines deposit of sand and gravel that is buried by significant overburden (40-60 ft.)