In this paper the author talks about the past of Wisconsin in regards to glaciers and the Driftless area. The author talks about its affects on the landscape of Wisconsin, and goes into some detail on Devils Lake State Park. .
Wisconsin has a very important history when it has anything to do with glaciers or the Driftless Area. These occurrences of the past helped form the unique landscapes of today. In this paper the author will talk about the influences that glaciers have had, and also why a part of Wisconsin was names the Driftless Area. .
Glaciers sculpted about one-third of the earth's land mass (Ice Age Park, 2001). Wisconsin has an abundant amount f lakes and rivers. There are approximately 15,000 lakes that are around due to glacial activities 12,000 to 14,000 years ago (Outdoor Central). "The glacier retreated from northern Wisconsin about 9,500 years ago- (University of Wisconsin-Extension [UWEX], 1990). .
To completely understand the affects that glaciers truly created, one must first understand what activities took place. One resource states,.
As glaciers move they scrape and scour the land surface, removing large amounts of gravel, sand, and boulders and carrying this debris along. When glaciers recede, this debris, or "moraine,"" is left behind, changing the landscape until the next glacial age (Outdoor Central). .
When people refer to glaciers the term "Ice Age- comes up. During the past 2 ½ million years the world struggles with ice sheets approximately fifteen times (Ice Age Park, 2001). Wisconsin is on of the best place to witness many of the landforms created by glaciers. .
The current landscapes of areas that have encountered glaciers when viewed are much flatter. Lakes surround the land. The vegetation from the past has become extinct. The soil of the land is very fertile; however, because of the boulders it makes it difficult to plow (Driftless Area, 2002).