Formation of the Loess Hills

The Loess Hills collection of silt and dust took thousands of years to form. The Loess Hills were formed during the ice ages when glacial movement ground up material in the river valley. The light, loose material was blown to the Loess Hills and settled out in the river valley. It is a very fragile and unique collection of dust and silt.

Video

Pisgah

Iowa Core Standard

MS-ESS3-1

Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth's mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes

Driving Question

How did the soil and dust get to the Loess Hills?

Probing Questions

In what way(s) is the Loess Hills area unique?

Classroom Suggestions

Students could:

Brainstorm how soil is deposited in different places on the Earth.
Research how different places on Earth uses different resources (i.e. soil, water, etc.).
Make hypothesis about future movement of glaciers.

Resources

Iowa Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) | Soils: This resource from Iowa NRCS provides links to different sites, videos, and resources.
Iowa Geological Survey (IGS) | Loess Hills: An in-depth description of the geological history of the Loess Hills
National Snow and Ice Data Center | What is a Glacier?: Overview of glaciers and the ice ages.
US Geological Survey (IGS) | What is a Glacier?: This resource from the USGS defines glaciers and contains links for more information.
Live Science | Glaciers: This resource contains multiple articles exploring how glaciers are changing and continue to change the landscape today.

Contributors

Media produced for Iowa Outdoors by Iowa PBS.

Submitted by Chantel Karns and Olivia Tebben as part of their Iowa STEM Teacher Externship experience at Iowa PBS.