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Category Archives: Earth Science
Watching the Wind
Last week we had another ground blizzard similar to the one that we had back in mid-December. Both of these storms had lots of wind. The “dust of winter” made it possible to “see” the wind. What little snow there … Continue reading
Posted in Earth Science, Family History
Tagged ground blizzard, loess, ventifacts, Weather Service
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Frost Fall
The New Year started out with several days that were a monochromatic fantasy world of white. Mysterious white-gray fog encased every exposed surface with pure white frost crystals. When the frost fell, the dirty snow and the brown grass got … Continue reading
Double Eagle Days
Earlier this month we had a string of eight or nine days that were mostly clear, sunny, and warm. And, almost every day we saw a mature bald eagle “parked” in the big cottonwood that we can see from our … Continue reading
Posted in Earth Science, Life Science
Tagged eagles, Happy New Year, Nature's lessons, weather
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SEASONS CHANGE
Seasonal rounds are an intrinsic part of life on the prairie. They’re an experience shared by Ice Age animals and plants, by Native American hunters and farmers, and by homesteaders and people in agribusiness. But, 2020 has been different. COVID-19 … Continue reading
Posted in Earth Science, Family History, Farm History, Life Science
Tagged pandemic, precipitation, rural, urban
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ENVIRONMNETAL CHANGES
This is the first in a series of four seasonal posts that speak to changes: environmental changes, cultural changes, generational changes, and seasonal changes. They’re all based on insights provided directly by life on the Farm and rooted in the … Continue reading
Posted in Earth Science, Life Science
Tagged climate change, Covid-19, glaciers, mammoths
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Buried Sand Aquifer
The last couple of posts have described fractured clay till and an overlying terrace gravel that store groundwater in the Creek pasture. Both aquifers “leak” out onto the ground surface to form springs. However, this post is about a layer … Continue reading
Fractured Clay as Aquifer
This post is a continuation of our “walk about” exploring underground water stored in glacial deposits. The layers of sediment deposited by glacial melt water (“outwash”) and directly by the ice itself (“till”) have been mapped regionally in southwestern Minnesota … Continue reading
Underground Water Along the Creek
In 2018 and 2019 we had record total rainfalls, but this year it’s been dry. That gives us a window on how water is stored underground and how that water interacts with vegetation, topography, and surface water in sloughs, springs … Continue reading
Exposing Artifacts
Six generations of kids have hunted for arrowheads and buffalo bones along Kanaranzi Creek. But, in the last two or three years it seems like the high water levels have opened up a treasury of cultural resources. An archaeological survey … Continue reading
Posted in Earth Science, Farm History
Tagged archaeology sites, buffalo bones, deposition, erosion
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Place-Based Stacked Experiences
That’s a weird title! It’s trying to communicate that some places seem to host multiple experiences that don’t seem to be related. But, sometimes these “coincidences” have a common thread, other than sharing a specific location. This picture taken in … Continue reading
Posted in Earth Science, Farm History, Life Science
Tagged archaeology, beaver den, cache pit, erosion
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