GEOLOGY OF MINNESOTA

The diversified scenery of Minnesota—of which the Rochester area is one phase—is due to the location of the state in the approximate center of the continent. Situated midway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Hudson Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, the state has within its boundaries three principal divides in the watersheds of North America. Minnesota lacks the rugged topography and high elevations found in most continental divides. Its highest elevation, 2,300 feet on the Mesabi Range, is in close proximity to its lowest, the surface of Lake Superior, 602 feet above the sea.

The general surface of the state slopes from the north-central portion near Itasca Park, in four directions toward its distant and opposite corners.

The 10,000 lakes of Minnesota cover 5,600 square miles, an average of 1 square mile of water for every 15 of land. This unprecedented supply of water, which has a surface exceeding the water area of any other state, finds its way to the ocean through Hudson Bay, the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico.

Erected by the Geological Society of Minnesota and the Department of Parks, City of Rochester aided by a grant from the Louis W. and Maud Hill Family Foundation. 1954