Glacial and Quaternary geology

The North America landscape north of about 40°N was extensively glaciated during the last Ice Age, which ended about 14,000 years ago. Thus, much of the landscapes that we see around us was created or modified by glacial erosion and/or glacial deposition. In addition, glacial deposits are a common material on which we build our houses, roads, and cities, and glacial outwash sand and gravel is a very common groundwater aquifer. The stratigraphic record of glacial deposits serves as a register of global climate change and a major branch of geology is focused on comparing records of glaciation in different parts of the world. Thus, a knowledge of glacial geology is of critical importance to geologists, civil engineers, groundwater hydrologists, and environmental scientists.