Guide to Rocks and Minerals of Illinois

Synopsis

Illinois has so long been known as the Prairie State that at first glance it seems a most unlikely place in which to collect rock and mineral specimens. But Illinois has a surprising wealth of rock and mineral resources, not only to be collected as interesting specimens but to be put to practical and profitable use.

The rich prairies that gave the state its nickname are themselves derived from ancient rocks, worn and changed by millions of years of action by weather, water, wind, plants, and animals. Unmeasured depths of rock underlie the prairies, hills, and valleys, and in some parts of the state are exposed in outcrops, canyons, and river valleys. Boulders and gravel brought in by the glaciers thousands of years ago are strewn over many parts of the state.

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