Geologic units in Benton county, Minnesota

Granite (Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers 60 % of this area

Granite, reddish, variably porphyritic, massive; includes the St. Cloud Red (~1,779 Ma), Foley (~1,774, 1,779 Ma), Pierz (~1,779 Ma), and Pease granites, and Richmond charnockitic granite (~1,772 Ma). An unnamed granite in south-central Minnesota is slightly older at ~1,792 Ma.

Granitoid intrusions, variably magnetic (Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers 18 % of this area

Granitoid intrusions, variably magnetic. Includes the Ann Lake granite (~1,784 Ma) and Glendorado pluton (~1,788 Ma).

Sartell Gneiss (Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers 9 % of this area

Quartzofeldspathic orthogneiss and schist; local metaconglomerate; age unknown.

Little Falls Formation (Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers 6 % of this area

Schist and slate of graywacke-mudstone protolith.

Gabbro, pyroxenite, diorite, and lamprophyre (Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Gabbro, pyroxenite, diorite, and lamprophyre. Includes the Watab quartz diorite (~1,780 Ma), St. Wendell quartz gabbro, and an unnamed diorite (~1,786 Ma).

Gray granodiorite to granite intrusions (Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Gray granodiorite to granite intrusions. Includes the Reformatory (~1,783 Ma), Freedhem (~1,775, 1,776 Ma), Isle (~1,779 Ma), and Warman (~1,787 Ma) intrusions.

Mafic intrusions including pyroxenite, peridotite, gabbro, and lamprophyre (Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Mafic intrusions including pyroxenite, peridotite, gabbro, and lamprophyre. Defined largely by magnetic signature. One intrusion in Morrison County is ~1,791 Ma, and lithologically similar intrusions cut the Foley Granite (~1,774 Ma).

Mylonitic, gneissic, and schistose rocks of plutonic and volcanic protolith (Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers 0.6 % of this area

Mylonitic, gneissic, and schistose rocks of plutonic and volcanic protolith.

Mille Lacs and North Range Groups and equivalent sedimentary rocks (Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Includes the Mahnomen and Rabbit Lake Formations and Trout Lake marble. Unit descriptions from GEOLEX - Mahnomen Formation: Upper member described as gray to light-gray siltstone, argillite, and fine-grained quartzose sandstone containing irregularly distributed beds and lenses of iron-formation and allied anomalously iron-rich sedimentary rocks; base of unit defined arbitrarily as the top of the lowermost mappable iron-formation layer of the middle, iron-formation member. Middle, iron-formation member--interlayered cherty and slaty iron-formation that is similar lithologically to the smaller iron-formation lenses within the upper and lower members; contains rocks formerly assigned to the Trommald Formation and the Emily Member of the Rabbit Lake Formation (Morey, 1978). Lower member--predominantly siltstone, fine- to medium-grained quartzose graywacke, and argillite; also includes minor quartz arenite and irregularly distributed layers and lenses of anomalously iron-rich sedimentary rocks. Rabbit Lake Formaiton: gray to very dark-gray slate, siltstone, and very fine-grained graywacke; includes irregularly distributed layers and lenses of carbonaceous slate and also carbonate- and sulfide-facies iron-formation, chiefly in the lower part of the unit.