Letter to Taylor from Leverett, May 24, 1926

Item — Box: 2, Folder: 19

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Series:

The correspondence series includes approximately 1100 letters written between 1892-1939. The majority of the collection are letters between Frank Leverett and Frank Bursley Taylor; they discuss their field work, Monograph 53, other publications and various related problems. There is also other correspondence with other geologists, including T.C. Chamberlin, Grove K. Gilbert, J.W. Goldthwait, H.L. Fairchild, et alia. There is extensive correspondence with the U.S. Geological Survey, the Geological Survey of Canada, and the Michigan Geological Survey. The primary subject of this series is the surficial glacial geology of the midwestern U.S. and Canada. Leverett & Taylor's work was essential for understanding how the Great Lakes were formed as the Pleistocene glaciers advanced and retreated from the midwestern states. The letters describe the 30 year process of gathering data, mapping the data and constructing the picture of glacial processes during the last Ice Age.

Dates

Creation: May 24, 1926

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Access

The material is stored offsite in Remote Storage. Please contact Special Collections 3 working days in advance if you wish to use it.

Extent

From the Collection: 1 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

General

Case asked me to read your paper "Evidences of recurrent depression and resilience in the region of the Great Lakes". My only criticisms are marked on page 4 & 7. Two years ago, Mr. Wright & I discussed the St. David's gorge and the fact it had been cut back only 2-3 miles in the interglacial stage seemed strange if it had the volume of the present Niagara. Wright thought it was not strange if only the Erie basin drained through it, and the three other upper lakes had some other discharge outlet. This struck me as very pertinent, and I have given to my classes ever since. I see you recognize the width of St. David's gorge may have increased by weathering in the long interglacial stage, so it may have been the size of the Whirlpool Rapids gorge at first and widened by weathering after. I think the point as to whether only Erie or all of the lakes discharged through the Gorge is not essential to your main thesis of uplift and subsidence with each ice invasion, so I suggest you qualify this statement on p.4. Please send the MS promptly back to Case (who has the figure to go with it) and he will send it to Oklelberg.