Geology

Pipestone is about as hard as your fingernail.

If the weather is nice, go out and walk the Circle Trail.

Visit the Exhibit Quarry—#16 on the Circle Trail.

Walk to the bottom of the quarry and stop at the rock wall.

Geology is the study of rocks and minerals. Here at Pipestone National Monument we have three types of rock:

• Pipestone

The type of pipestone found here is called Catlinite.

• Sioux Quartzite

This is the hard pink-colored rock that makes up the cliffs at the Monument and the historic buildings in Pipestone City. This is also the rock that the quarriers need to dig through to get to the pipestone layer.

• Granite

These hard rocks are not from this area but were brought here by glaciers. Good examples of granite are the Three Maidens.

Estimate how tall you think the quartzite layer is.

Pipestone: this layer is approximately 1 foot high⇒

Quartzite: this layer is approximately feet high

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