185 



Loess and Sand Dune Deposits in Vigo County, 



Indiana. 



Wax. A. McBeth. 



Loess deposits are mentioned in various places as occurring along the 

 bluffs of the lower Wabash river. Dr. J. T. Scovell, who in the twenty-first 

 annual report of the State Geologist has given the most extended and de- 

 tailed description of the geography and geology of Vigo county yet published, 



Looking west along National Road from upland along east side of Wabash Valley. 



mentions in a single sentence that "Along the eastern margin of the main 

 valley there are extensive areas of dune sand and at some localities in the 

 eastern bluffs there are thick beds of loess." So far as I have observed 

 slight reference has been made to the distribution, appearance and extent 

 of the loess or loess-like deposits of the lower Wabash valley. The loess is 

 so involved with sandy material that it is difficult to distinguish between 

 the two and interstratified clay. The inclination in examining these materials 

 is to consider them but different phases of the same thing. The interstratified 

 clay does not contain boulders and may be weathered or chemically decom- 

 posed loess, while the sandy covering may be due to wind assortment. 



