Reading the Glacial Record: How Three Generations of Scientists Revealed Michigan’s Ice Age

New! Beneath Michigan’s forests, farms, and shorelines lies a story written in ice. This class explores how geologists learned to interpret this hidden record over three transformative generations. Participants will follow the evolution of discovery: from the rugged, horseback expeditions of Frank Leverett and Frank B. Taylor in the early 1900s, to Helen M. Martin’s influential mid-century mapping, and finally to William Farrand’s modern integration of Michigan’s glacial past. Along the way, we track the shift from hand-drawn sketches to the sophisticated digital tools used by environmental scientists today.