BEDROCK TOPOGRAPHY OF ELGIN QUADRANGLE Introduction

Illinois Department of Natural Resources

ILLINOIS STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
KANE AND COOK COUNTIES, ILLINOIS Illinois Geologic Quadrangle Map
Bedrock topography indicates the elevation of the contact between the Quaternary glacial drift and Paleozoic
bedrock. Bedrock is exposed at ground surface in a few places in the southern part of the quadrangle
IGQ Elgin-BT along the Fox River and in quarries. The primary use of this map is to show the location of buried bedrock
William W. Shilts, Chief
valleys and other low areas that are filled with deposits of sand and gravel and are potential aquifers. A
B. Brandon Curry primary example is a segment of the St. Charles Bedrock Valley located in the southeastern corner of Elgin
2007 Quadrangle. The St. Charles drift aquifer occurs in the lower part of the sediment succession filling the
valley, and it supplies the groundwater pumped by municipal water wells for South Elgin (Curry and Seaber
1990). Data in several areas of the quadrangle suggest the occurrence of sinkholes developed in Silurian-age
dolomite formations.
S
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Gk
" 704
k "S
698k
7 " 696
k Regional Setting

5
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6
S
" 701
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k S
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700
The bedrock surface is a significant unconformity found throughout Illinois. Below this surface in
" 654
k 7 00 northeastern Illinois the bedrock is more than 400,000,000 years old, and above it the sediment is less than
"
Sk
"
686 k 675 681 about 500,000 years old and, in many places, less than 25,000 years old (Curry et al. 1999, Curry 2007c).
" 688
k Most of the rock that occurs at and just below the bedrock surface was originally deposited as sediment in
"
k
702 " 697
k S
"682
k
" 682
k warm, tropical oceans during the Paleozoic Era; most of the sediment above the bedrock surface is of glacial
650
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644 k
S
" 728
k " 698
k origin and was deposited during the Quaternary Period.
"682
k "706
k
692
"
k "
k
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k " 713
" 697 k 727 The bedrock surface in the Elgin Quadrangle was eroded into resistant Silurian dolomite and softer shaly
675
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k 706 " 680
k Ordovician dolomite. Drift thickness ranges from nil along southern reaches of the Fox River valley and in
"
k "
677 k

70
S
" 712
k

0
700 S 668 nearby quarries to more than 290 feet in uplands west of the Fox River valley (Curry 2007b). Figure 1 shows
"
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k
the generalized topography of the bedrock surface of a portion of the northeastern Illinois region (Herzog
702 k
" et al. 1994). The bedrock topography of Kane County (Dey et al. 2004, Vaiden and Curry 1990) has been
mapped at 1:100,000. This 1:24,000-scale map of the Elgin Quadrangle is more detailed than the previous
0
S 65 maps and shows the location, value, and type of the data used to compile the map.
" 740
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661k R7E R8E R9E R 10 E 88˚W
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673 k 550
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MCHENRY

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k
697 k "742
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" " 739
k Bedrock Elevation
S Barrington (feet above mean
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722k " 720
k sea level)
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728 k S 723
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k 679
750
713 k
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k 678
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T 42 N 700
671 692 S Quadrangle
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"702
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KANE

ey
Schaumburg T 41 N
675 500

Vall
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ock
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har
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St. C
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k G St. Charles
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k 691 " 678
k
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k
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k k"
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717 Figure 1 Regional bedrock topography (from Herzog et al. 1994). The differences between this map and the new map
"
k
693 k
" 703 on the left are due to incorporation of new data and inclusion of details that can be shown at a scale of 1:24,000.
"
722 k "694
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k
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720k

674 The topography of the bedrock surface was sculpted by pre-glacial stream erosion and later modified,
" 716
k "
k
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708k
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k 689 711
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k "
k "
k perhaps significantly so, by glacial agents including ice and meltwater. The best evidence for glacial erosion
"681 674k
k " 685k
" 639
"686
k
679 "
k is boulder-sized fragments of the underlying rock in the unsorted glacial sediment (diamicton) and the
"677
k 636k 672
" " 619 k
k "
678 k polished and striated bedrock surface once exposed in several quarries in South Elgin. There is evidence that
647k"k " " 693

5
"k 675 675
67
672 k 646k "667
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k some low areas may have formed by pre-glacial karst (chemically eroded carbonate rock).
" " 620
"678
k 648
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k " 651
k "693
k
"
716 k
686 695 k
"
k "
k " 685
k "
k " "699
k Discussion
714 686 699 k
" 688
k
"
The most significant features of the bedrock topography of the Elgin Quadrangle include the St. Charles
G
" 715 704 Bedrock Valley in the southeastern portion of the map and several large depressions or low areas. The St.
675

k " 720
"k
k "k 700
"
k
699
Charles Bedrock Valley is the longest and deepest bedrock valley in Kane County and is important because it
S S S
" 717
k S " 690679k
k "677
" k is where sand and gravel aquifers, collectively known as the St. Charles aquifer, are especially prolific (Curry
" 666
k " 706
k
5 "
k 686 and Seaber 1990). Within and just south of the Elgin Quadrangle, the municipalities of South Elgin, Valley
67 677 SS 692
G
"676
k "
k "
688 k "
k View, and St. Charles have several water wells that pump water from drift aquifers, primarily from the St.
"
k Charles aquifer. A major tributary to the St. Charles Bedrock Valley, the Elgin Bedrock Valley, occurs in the
717 " 700 700
k "
695k southwestern and west-central portions of the map.

701 Little is known about the origin of the approximately 70-foot deep depression located in the north-central
"
k part of the bedrock topography map northwest of the intersection of Interstate 90 and Route 31 (Sec. 33,
" 649
k 651k S
T42N, R8E) and a smaller, shallower depression near the mouth of Tyler Creek (Sec. 11, T41N, R8E). There
636
"
k " k
"686 S are two likely origins for these features. First, the depressions may be extensions of bedrock valleys. In this
" 696
k S " 652
k
697
k
" " 690
k case, the valley segments that would connect the depressions with the main valleys are not discernible with
the available data. Second, the depressions may be attributed to sinkholes. This choice, however, seems less
" 645
k 70
0 S likely because the underlying bedrock units include thin-to-absent Silurian dolomite formations and the
k
" 631
k
"638 666 k
" 644 S
k
"699 k
"k
"
640
k
" 676 Maquoketa and Galena Groups (Curry 2007c). Large sinkholes have been mapped in Chicago and Joliet
637
k
" Sk
" where near-surface Silurian dolomite is more than 100 feet thick (e.g., Bushbach et al. 1982). On the Elgin
k
" 642 k
" 665 716 S
S " 671
k Quadrangle, the elevations of the base of the aforementioned depressions are 625 and 645 feet above mean
G
" 689
k 676 k
"
sea level, respectively, about 25 feet below the upper surface of the shaly Maquoketa Group. Whatever their
origin, the orientation and location of the depressions or valleys are likely influenced by the density and
654 orientation of joints and other discontinuities in the bedrock (Foote 1982, Bauer et al. 1988).
6 50 k
"
649
5

k
"
72

641k" 666 k " k "648 687

653 671 k
" Mapping Methods
k
"
672 k
697 k
"
k
" 682 750
" k " 722 k
702 k
" k " 718k ""
k 709
" k
k " 710 Bedrock surface elevations were interpreted from the logs of stratigraphic, water-well, and engineering
" k " 727 717
706 k
k"
" 730 " 772
k test borings that penetrate the bedrock surface and from observations in quarries (Curry 2007a). Bedrock
731 k
" 646
surface elevation data from a one-township-wide buffer around the Elgin Quadrangle were included in the
"733 " 716
k
k k
" 726 calculation but are not shown on the map. Each bedrock surface elevation was calculated by subtracting
715 k
" 715
k
" the total thickness of unconsolidated materials penetrated by a well from the ground surface elevation.
" 727
k
659
" 677
k k " 659
" k The surface elevations of water wells were estimated from a digital surface created from a digital elevation
719 k
"
657 k
" k
" 685 model (DEM) of Kane County (Kane County Regional Planning Commission 2001) using EarthVision®
716 software (Dynamic Graphics Inc. 1997). The elevations of the DEM occur on a 32.8-foot (10-m) grid with
k
"
675 k
"663
k"
719 an accuracy of ±2 feet. The surface elevations of most structural borings are recorded on the logs available at
714 k
" 669 k
"
k
" the Geologic Records Unit at the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS). These elevations were determined
712 k
" 720 S
S
k
" " 655
k by normal surveying procedures carried out by private consulting companies. The elevations of most
S S "662
k 677
" 708
k "747
k " 660
k borings from the Cook County portion of the Elgin Quadrangle are from engineering borings; the surface
6 25
S
" 699 S 709
674 k
" k" 657 elevations of water wells in Cook County were estimated from a regional 30-m DEM with an accuracy of
S k "
k 600
687 706 703 k
" 707 ±5 feet (http://data.geocomm.com/catalog/US/ 61071/3112/group1-3.html). The inverse distance weighted
k
" 697 k
" 705 k
" "k
k "
Sk
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575 564 57
5 algorithm in ESRI’s ArcGIS 9.0 was used to grid the data at 10-m spacings. The final contours of the bedrock
662 k
"
72

" 676
k 650 topography were placed so that all data were honored using digitally generated contours as a guide.
5

k
" 685 " 704
k " 717
k
684 652
664
k
" " 704
k
k
" k
"
S
k
" 690 The quality of much of the data used to compile this map is excellent, although the data points are not evenly
677 k
" k " 712
k
" 710 711k
" distributed. Of the 349 data points used to make this map, 55 were of especially high quality because they
" k" k
"S " 644
k
717 "720 720 731
k k 729 693 k
" were described by engineers and geologists. The remaining 294 records were from logs supplied by water-
k
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"
620 well drillers, including 71 with sample sets examined by ISGS geologists. Sample sets consist of washed
716 k
" cuttings collected by the well driller at 5-foot intervals and at each significant change in lithology. The
" 700
k k
"
k " 710
713 S k
" 721 reliability of data derived from water-well logs was verified, in part, by similar bedrock surface elevations
722 S in residential subdivisions where the density of available data is great. The locations of all data points were
" 692
k k
" " 639
k
0 G 731 700 verified in the field by consulting engineers, hydrologists, or ISGS staff.
70 k
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"664 k
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" 724
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References
S 678 67 S 653
k
" k
"658 k
"
Bauer, R.A., J.P. Kempton, B.B. Curry, W.G. Dixon, Jr., A.M. Graese, M.J. Hasek, R.C. Vaiden, P.J.
673 Conroy, P.A. Dickson, E.M. Cikanek, and M.P. Bruen, 1988, Geotechnical summary to the proposal
50 " 731
k Sk
"
T683
$ 623
00

651 6 5 k
" to site the Superconducting Super Collider in Illinois: Illinois State Geological Survey, 48 p.
6

k
" 62
688
S
" "
k 674 Buschbach, T.C., R.T. Cyrier, and G.E. Heim, 1982, Geology and deep tunnels in Chicago, in R.F.
640 5 708k T
$ 667
k
" k
"
k 72 691 668 k
" "
702
Legget, ed., Geology under cities, Reviews in engineering geology: Geological Society of America,
702
k
"k
"
"
k 707 $
T 670 p. 41–54.
"650 721
654
"k
k " 656 k "657
666
k "
k S 628 Curry, B.B., 2007a, Data point locations of Elgin Quadrangle, Kane and Cook Counties, Illinois: Illinois
" 643
k
637
" k
k " 646 665 672 " 713
k k
"652
"
Sk
6 75
"k 574
"
k 641 "k
654 k "k" 700
"
k S
" 660
k State Geological Survey, Illinois Geological Quadrangle Map, IGQ Elgin-DP, 1:24,000.
"
k 645 660k" "
642k
639 "
k S "
Sk Curry, B.B., 2007b, Drift thickness of Elgin Quadrangle, Kane and Cook Counties, Illinois: Illinois State
641 "638
k "
695 k 601
"
k 636 "
k "706
k Geological Survey, Illinois Geological Quadrangle Map, IGQ Elgin-DT, 1:24,000.
612 k 670
" 733
" 722
k k
"
651 " 671 " 677 Curry, B.B., 2007c, Surficial geology of Elgin Quadrangle, Kane and Cook Counties, Illinois: Illinois State
0

"
k k "
k Sk
65

S 691
k
" 712 "
k Geological Survey, Illinois Geological Quadrangle Map, IGQ Elgin-SG, 1:24,000.
683 5
G
k
"655 k
" 72 "683 k
k " 686
S
" 675 675
k
k
"678 Curry, B.B., D.A. Grimley, and J.A. Stravers, 1999, Quaternary geology, geomorphology, and climatic
" 680
k history of Kane County, Illinois: Illinois State Geological Survey, Guidebook 28, 40 p.
647k
"
683 679k
" Curry, B.B., and P.R. Seaber, 1990, Hydrogeology of shallow groundwater resources, Kane County, Illinois:
k
"
70
0 S
k
"
706 T 705
$ Illinois State Geological Survey, Contract/Grant Report 1990-1, 37 p.
" 714
k S
675 "643
k 664
"693
k
k
" " 685
k Dey, W.S., A.M. Davis, B.B. Curry, and J.C. Sieving, 2004, Preliminary bedrock geology map, Kane
k
" 677
County, Illinois: Illinois State Geological Survey, Illinois Preliminary Geologic Map, IPGM Kane-BG,
1:100,000.
Dynamic Graphics Inc., 1997, EarthVision® , User’s guide 5.0: Alameda, California, Dynamic Graphics, Inc.,
Base map compiled by Illinois State Geological Survey from digital data provided by the SCALE 1:24,000 Geology based on field work by B. Curry, 2004.
v. 1.
United States Geological Survey. Topography compiled 1988. Planimetry derived from 1 1/ 2 0 1 MILE Foote, G.R., 1982, Fracture analysis in northeastern Illinois and northern Indiana: University of Illinois,
imagery taken 1998. PLSS and survey control current as of 1991. Boundaries current as of Digital cartography by J. Carrell, J. Domier, M. Barrett, and A. Tovey, Illinois State Urbana-Champaign, master’s thesis, 192 p.
1000 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 FEET
2002. Geological Survey.
1 .5 0 1 KILOMETER Herzog, B.L., B.J. Stiff, C.A. Chenoweth, K.L. Warner, J.B. Sieverling, and C. Avery, 1994, Buried bedrock
North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) The Illinois State Geological Survey, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and the surface of Illinois: Illinois State Geological Survey, Illinois Map 5, 1:500,000.
Projection: Transverse Mercator State of Illinois make no guarantee, expressed or implied, regarding the correctness of the
10,000-foot ticks: Illinois State Plane Coordinate system, east zone (Transverse Mercator) interpretations presented in this document and accept no liability for the consequences Kane County Regional Planning Commission, Development Department, 2001, Topography map of Kane
1,000-meter ticks: Universal Transverse Mercator grid system, zone 16 BASE MAP CONTOUR INTERVAL 10 FEET of decisions made by others on the basis of the information presented here. The geologic County, 2-foot contours, digital data from Tim Meischer.
NATIONAL GEODETIC VERTICAL DATUM OF 1929 interpretations are based on data that may vary with respect to accuracy of geographic lo-
Vaiden, R.C., and B.B. Curry, 1990, Bedrock topography of Kane County, Illinois: Illinois State Geological
cation, the type and quantity of data available at each location, and the scientific/technical
Recommended citation: qualifications of the data sources. Maps or cross sections in this document are not meant Survey, Open File Series 1990-2b, 1:62,500.
Curry, B.B., 2007, Bedrock Topography of Elgin Quadrangle, Kane and Cook Counties, Il- to be enlarged.
Released by the authority of the State of Illinois: 2007
linois: Illinois State Geological Survey, Illinois Geologic Quadrangle Map, IGQ Elgin-BT,
1:24,000.
Bedrock Elevation Data Type
(feet above mean sea level)
775 T
$ Outcrop

750 k
" Stratigraphic boring

725 k
" Water boring

2 1/2° k
" Engineering boring
ADJOINING
ROAD CLASSIFICATION 700
1 2 3 QUADRANGLES
Labels indicate samples (S) or geophysical log (G).
MAG NET IC NOR TH

1 Huntley Primary highway, Light-duty road, hard or 675

TRUE NORT H

2 Crystal Lake hard surface improved surface SG 728 Numeric labels indicate elevation in feet above
3 Barrington k mean sea level.
4 5 Secondary highway, 650
4 Pingree Grove hard surface Unimproved road Dot indicates boring is to bedrock.
5 Streamwood
For more information contact:
Illinois State Geological Survey
6 Elburn 625
6 7 8 7 Geneva Note: Well and boring records are on file at the ISGS Geological
615 East Peabody Drive APPROXIMATE MEAN Interstate Route U.S. Route State Route
8 West Chicago Records Unit and are available at the ISGS Web site.
Champaign, Illinois 61820-6964 DECLINATION, 2007 600
(217) 244-2414
http://www.isgs.uiuc.edu
575

550

IGQ Elgin-BT