Geology of the Chicago Region – Part I and Part II

Mapping the long and complex geologic history of the Chicago Region.

This highly regarded study on the geologic history of the Chicago metropolitan area was compiled by J. Harlen Bretz and published by the Illinois State Geological Survey in Urbana in 1953 (Part I) and 1955 (Part II). Consisting of two parts – an informational paper and accompanying maps – the volume covers a wide range of topics; including the bedrock and surface geology, glacial history, soil composition, and hydrology of the region. A wealth of diagrams, charts, and photographs illustrate the easy to read booklet, which provides a fascinating overview of Chicago’s physical geography from its Precambrian origins to the mid-20th century.

J. Harlen Bretz was an American geologist who earned his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1913. He taught there between 1914 until his retirement in 1947, after which he continued to write and perform research. He is best known for his theory about a series of ancient cataclysmic floods that shaped the geography of eastern Washington – initially met with skepticism but later broadly accepted by the scientific community.

Source: University of Illinois;