Coteau du Missouri
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The Coteau du Missouri is a large plateau that stretches along the eastern side of the valley of the Missouri River in central North Dakota and north central South Dakota in the United States.
Geologically the plateau is part of the extended plateau of the Great Plains in the Dakotas, and is separated from the main plateau to the west by the Missouri River Trench. The plateau is underlain by Pierre shale covered with hardened deposits from repeated glaciations. The plateau also contains deposits of lignite, sodium sulphate, and bentonite.
The plateau is poorly drained and is interspersed with glacial kettle lakes. It is transversed by several broad sags marking the ancient stream valleys of the eastern continuations of the Grand, Moreau, Cheyenne, Bad, and White rivers
To the east of the plateau, the lowland valley of the James River was formed by the lobe of the most recent ice age, separating the plateau from the Coteau des Prairies to the east.
Agriculturally the plateau is a grain and livestock region.
External link
- South Dakota's Physiographic Regions (http://www.northern.edu/natsource/EARTH/Physio1.htm)