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The Physiographic Regions Map of Iowa delineates areas of the state that share similar landforms, geologic histories, and surface processes. Its primary purpose is to provide a geographic framework for understanding how geomorphology – the physical form of the landscape – influences soil characteristics, hydrology, and land-use patterns across Iowa.
Each region reflects a distinct geomorphology, defined by its origin, surface materials, relief, and topographic structure. Depositional and erosional processes, including those related to rivers, glaciers, wind, and karst activity, have formed these landscapes. These geomorphic variations affect soil properties, such as texture, drainage, and fertility, which in turn influence hydrologic dynamics, including runoff, infiltration, and groundwater flow. Consequently, landform and soil differences guide land use, with certain regions better suited for specific agricultural practices or conservation efforts.
By distinguishing these interrelated characteristics, the map supports land management, conservation planning, resource assessment, and education. It offers a unified spatial framework for interpreting Iowa’s environmental diversity and integrating geological, pedological, and hydrological data in both research and applied decision-making. |
| summary:
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The Physiographic Regions Map of Iowa delineates areas of the state that share similar landforms, geologic histories, and surface processes. Its primary purpose is to provide a geographic framework for understanding how geomorphology – the physical form of the landscape – influences soil characteristics, hydrology, and land-use patterns across Iowa.
Each region reflects a distinct geomorphology, defined by its origin, surface materials, relief, and topographic structure. Depositional and erosional processes, including those related to rivers, glaciers, wind, and karst activity, have formed these landscapes. These geomorphic variations affect soil properties, such as texture, drainage, and fertility, which in turn influence hydrologic dynamics, including runoff, infiltration, and groundwater flow. Consequently, landform and soil differences guide land use, with certain regions better suited for specific agricultural practices or conservation efforts.
By distinguishing these interrelated characteristics, the map supports land management, conservation planning, resource assessment, and education. It offers a unified spatial framework for interpreting Iowa’s environmental diversity and integrating geological, pedological, and hydrological data in both research and applied decision-making. |
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[[-96.6849012003245,40.3327757019453],[-90.0694323739515,43.5570185943006]] |
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Authors: Bradley A. Miller (Associate Professor, Iowa State University) and C. Lee Burras (Morrill Professor, Iowa State University)
The Department of Agronomy at Iowa State University supplied the funding needed to create this map. |
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["ArcGIS","ArcGIS Server","Data","Feature Access","Feature Service","providerSDS","Service"] |
| description:
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<div style='text-align:Left;'><p style='font-size:16ptmargin:0 0 11 0;'><span style='font-size:12pt'>The Geospatial Laboratory for Soil Informatics at Iowa State University created this spatial dataset, combining science and art to provide a unified perspective on the landscape, integrating geology, landforms, soil, water systems, and vegetation.</span><span style='font-size:12pt'> To create the Physiographic Regions Map of Iowa, multiple lines of evidence were synthesized to delineate areas with similar landforms, geologic histories, soil characteristics, and hydrologic patterns. However, delineations were first created by evaluating patterns observed in terrain derivatives calculated from LiDAR-based elevation data (IDNR, 2020). Interpretation of those areas was then made in consideration of a compilation of foundational maps - including the </span><span style='font-style:italic;font-size:12pt'>Outline Map of the Drift Sheets of Iowa</span><span style='font-size:12pt'> (Calvin, 1904), </span><span style='font-style:italic;font-size:12pt'>Soils of Iowa</span><span style='font-size:12pt'> (Brown, 1936), </span><span style='font-style:italic;font-size:12pt'>Principal Soil Associations</span><span style='font-size:12pt'> (Simonson et al., 1952), </span><span style='font-style:italic;font-size:12pt'>Principal Soil Association Areas of Iowa</span><span style='font-size:12pt'> (1965), </span><span style='font-style:italic;font-size:12pt'>Quaternary Geology of Iowa</span><span style='font-size:12pt'> (Ruhe, 1969), </span><span style='font-style:italic;font-size:12pt'>Principal Soil-Association Areas of Iowa</span><span style='font-size:12pt'> (Fenton et al., 1971), </span><span style='font-style:italic;font-size:12pt'>Landform Regions of Iowa</span><span style='font-size:12pt'> (Prior, 1976), </span><span style='font-style:italic;font-size:12pt'>Iowa Soil Association Map</span><span style='font-size:12pt'> (Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, 1978), </span><span style='font-style:italic;font-size:12pt'>Highway Guide of Iowa Soil Associations</span><span style='font-size:12pt'> ((Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship et al., 2012), and </span><span style='font-style:italic;font-size:12pt'>Landform Regions of Iowa</span><span style='font-size:12pt'> (Iowa Geological Survey, 2017). Newer maps carried the most weight.</span></p><div><div><p><span style='font-size:12pt'>Terrain derivatives, including slope gradient, profile curvature, and relative elevation, were computed from the LiDAR-derived digital elevation model (DEM) and integrated with a digital hillslope position classification (Miller and Schaetzl, 2015). Areas within Iowa’s state boundary (IDNR, 2020) exhibiting similar topographic patterns were delineated and correlated with existing soil and landform knowledge. These subregions were grouped into regions by similarity. The naming of subregions utilized established nomenclature, first, and then referenced representative towns. Descriptive terms were added to subregion names based on relative relief.</span></p><p><span style='font-size:12pt'>The delineated regions were evaluated for differentiation of soil properties and hydrologic behavior. Spatial statistics were applied to summarize data from existing soils (NCSS, 2025), stream networks (IDNR, 2024), and land cover maps (USDA-NASS, 2024).</span></p></div></div></div> |
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<div style='text-align:Left;'><div><div><p><a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/' style='text-decoration:underline;'><span style='font-size:10pt'>CC BY-SA</span></a></p><p><span style='font-size:12pt'>This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms. CC BY-SA includes the following elements:</span></p><p><span style='font-size:12pt'>BY: credit must be given to the creator.</span></p><p><span style='font-size:12pt'>SA: Adaptations must be shared under the same terms.</span></p></div></div></div> |
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IA_physiography_regions_2026 |
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["physiography","soil associations","landscapes","quaternary geomorphology","land use"] |
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en-US |
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