NDGS Photo Gallery

Medium

It isn't easy to convey geologic processes or concepts without using photographs, geologic maps, or illustrations. For that reason, the articles I have written and the presentations I have given over the years contain an abundance of photographs. Most of my photographs illustrate geologic features taken as part of specific projects.
However, since I was often working in some of the most scenic areas in North Dakota, the badlands, major buttes, and other areas of rugged beauty in western North Dakota, I occasionally took photographs of the local scenery.
-State Geologist, Ed Murphy

Browse through a sample of our fieldwork, geologic feature, and scenery images from across North Dakota.

Medium

A photo of a lake with a bank that has slid down.

Slump block on Lake Sakakawea near Riverdale, North Dakota. Photo credit: Fred Anderson, NDGS Geologist

A tonstein occurs near the middle of the 6.5-foot thick H bed above the Rhame bed silcrete, representing the contact of the Bullion Creek and Slope Formations. Photo credit: Levi Moxness, NDGS Geologist

Photo of white smoke coming up from a coal seam in the ground.

A burning coal seam in Billings County, ignited by the Buck Hill fire, emits smoke and is baking the overlying rock as evidenced by scattered clinker. The picture was taken in December 1988; five months after the seam began burning. Photo credit: Ed Murphy, State Geologist

A large sandstone and mudstone formation.

Yellow-brown sandstone grades upwards into sandy mudstone of the lowermost Hell Creek Formation in western Bowman County, North Dakota. Photo credit: Levi Moxness, NDGS Geologist

Photo of the Badlands with separate small, weathered formations.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Unit. Photo credit: Ed Murphy, State Geologist

A pick axe leaning against a rock formation.

Photo credit: Levi Moxness, NDGS Geologist

Photograph of a landslide along a paved road.

Landslide along River Road in NW Bismarck, North Dakota. Photo credit: Levi Moxness, NDGS Geologist

Photo of a unique formation, green grass and blue sky.

View to the north of an outcrop of weakly‐bedded Sentinel Butte Formation sandstone in central McKenzie County. Photo credit: Levi Moxness, NDGS Geologist

Photo of a truck with a canoe in the Badlands.

Near the Little Missouri River in Western North Dakota. Photo credit: Ed Murphy, State Geologist

A photo of a colorful rock formation and bright blue sky.

Photo credit: Levi Moxness, NDGS Geologist

Photo credit: Levi Moxness, NDGS Geologist

A scene of wildflowers and grass growing on a rock formation.

Camels Butte Member of the Golden Valley Formation. Photo credit: Ed Murphy, State Geologist

A small white drone flying through ravines and pine trees.

During fieldwork, geologists often ascend/descend steep and sometimes treacherous ravines and outcrops. The NDGS drone (center) is used to scout these areas to ensure they are safe and passable.

Photo of a rock formation against blue sky.

The Rhame bed outcrops, east of Logging Camp Ranch in Slope County. Photo credit: Levi Moxness, NDGS Geologist

Photo credit: Levi Moxness, NDGS Geologist

Photo credit: Levi Moxness, NDGS Geologist

A close up of white, broken ground on the side of formation with grass, trees and blue cloudy sky in the background.

Golden Valley Formation. Photo credit: Ed Murphy, State Geologist

A large hill of sand covered by grass on the top against a blue sky background. A red shovel is placed for scale.

Sand dune with surface grasses southeast of Lincoln, North Dakota. Photo credit: Fred Anderson, NDGS Geologist

Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Photo credit: Levi Moxness, NDGS Geologist

Photo credit: Levi Moxness, NDGS Geologist

Light gray to buff sandstones of the Colgate Member (Fox Hills Formation) exhibiting a distinct castellate weathering pattern in southwestern Bowman County, North Dakota. Photo credit: Levi Moxness, NDGS Geologist

Photo of different shapes and sizes of stones.

Concretions at the mouth of the Cannonball River. Photo credit: Ed Murphy, State Geologist

A photo of a pick axe leaning against a rock formation.

Butte in Adams County, North Dakota. Photo credit: Ed Murphy, State Geologist

A photo of oil pump jacks and tanks in a heavily wooded, rough terrain.

A drone photograph of a two-pad well site situated in the Little Missouri River badlands in
Dunn County. Everything to the right (north) of the pads to the base of the cliff face is comprised
of old landslides.

A tall rock formation streaked with coal next to a river against a very dark blue sky.

Photo credit: NDGS

A pedestal rock formation on a hill above fields.

Pedestal Rock in the Killdeer Mountains, Dunn County. The photo was taken looking southeast from the Medicine Hole Plateau. Pedestal Rock was formed when a carbonate and sandstone block broke from South Killdeer Mountain's south slope. Photo credit: Ed Murphy, State Geologist

A photo of a man looking and a grass hill littered with rocks.

NDGS geologist looking up at a Fox Hills outcrop east of Long Lake, near Moffit, North Dakota. Photo credit: Benjamin York, NDGS Geologist

A photo of a dirt and tree stump landslide beside train tracks.

Landslide near Williston, North Dakota. Photo credit: Ed Murphy, State Geologist

A black and white photo of a man riding a horse.

A.G. Leonard, NDGS State Geologist (1904-1932) and UND geology professor. Leonard worked on all aspects of the geology of North Dakota, but his primary focus in the field was on the lignite-bearing rocks in western North Dakota.

Old vehicle full of supplies parked beside a tent.

Photo credit: NDGS

Medium

Photos in this collection may be reproduced for non-commercial and educational purposes. When using the photos in a publication, website, or presentation, please credit the North Dakota Geological Survey. Additional photo credit information accompanies each photo.