Glacial erosional features and the deposition of several tills

Please do not visit quarries.  Quarries are extremely hazardous locations due to unanticipated slumping walls and rock falls, in addition to quarry operations such as dynamiting, trucking, and equipment operations.  Quarries should only be visited on field trips and/or when conducting legitimate scientific research, and then only with the explicit permission and escort of quarry personnel.

Enjoy, learn, and marvel! But please respect (as always) photo credits. Gary Larson once commented that his Far Side cartoons are like his children. I feel the same way about photography.


A quarry inland of Lake Michigan from the Two Creeks Forest Bed shows at least 3, possibly 4 tills exposed above dolomitic bedrock. Quarry operations often move "overburden" off of bedrock leaving a mud-free bedrock "pavement" for staging trucks.
Photo Detail: View to north of quarry wall.
Caption Credit: John Hoaglund
Photo Credit: John Hoaglund
Photo Date: Friday, May 28, 1999


View to northeast of the same section. A fourth till may exist below dark line at base of wall, but is obscured by slumping.
Photo Detail: View to northeast of quarry wall
Caption Credit: John Hoaglund
Photo Credit: John Hoaglund
Photo Date: Friday, May 28, 1999


View to north-northeast of generally N-S and E-W striation sets on bedrock caused by abrasion from clasts entrained in flowing ice.
Photo Detail: View to north-northeast of striation sets
Photo and Caption Credit: John Hoaglund
Photo Date: Friday, May 28, 1999


View to south-southwest of generally N-S and E-W striation sets on bedrock. Note poor man's wallet for scale.
Photo Detail: View to south-southwest of striation sets on bedrock.
Caption Credit: John Hoaglund
Photo Credit: John Hoaglund
Photo Date: Friday, May 28, 1999


View to north-northeast of same striation sets in a different location within the quarry. Striations can be distinguished from bulldozing markings by consistency and degree of polishing of the bedrock surface.
Photo Detail: View to north-northeast of different location with consistent striation sets.
Caption Credit: John Hoaglund
Photo Credit: John Hoaglund
Photo Date: Friday, May 28, 1999


View to west of N-S and E-W striation sets.
Photo Detail: View to west of N-S and E-W striation sets.
Caption Credit: John Hoaglund
Photo Credit: John Hoaglund
Photo Date: Friday, May 28, 1999


N-S and NE-SW striation sets (pen and pen cap for scale and directions) in a quarry in Door County, Wisconsin, northeast of the previous location about ?? miles.
Photo Detail: N-S and NE-SW striation sets, Door County, Wisconsin.
Caption Credit: John Hoaglund
Photo Credit: John Hoaglund
Photo Date: Friday, May 28, 1999


Close-up of striation sets in previous photograph.
Photo Detail: Close-up of N-S and NE-SW striation sets, Door County, Wisconsin.
Caption Credit: John Hoaglund
Photo Credit: John Hoaglund
Photo Date: Friday, May 28, 1999


Close-up of N-S striation sets set under different light conditions. Note bedrock polishing in areas of striations, and lack of striations where bedrock surface is chipped.
Photo Detail: Close-up view to west of N-S striation sets, Door County, WI.
Caption Credit: John Hoaglund
Photo Credit: John Hoaglund
Photo Date: Friday, May 28, 1999


Chattermarks on Montello granite, left of hammer handle shown for scale. Glacial flow direction was parallel to, and in the direction of, the hammer handle. Unlike striations, chattermarks indicate the unique flow direction, whereas a striation set indicates 2 possible, diametrically-opposed flow directions.
Photo Detail: Chattermarks on Montello granite, Montello, Wisconsin.
Caption Credit: John Hoaglund
Photo Credit: John Hoaglund
Photo Date: May, 1986