The landscape in the Cincinnati area consists of a dissected upland surface, hillslopes along the Ohio River and principal tributaries, and flood plains and terraces. Maximum
relief is about 150 m. The uplands are mantled mainly by glacial deposits, mostly of Illinoian age. Sedimentary bedrock underlies the till at various depths. Bedrock is typically exposed in the upper parts of hillslopes as ledges of limestone and in the floors of some of the smaller postglacial valleys. The Ohio River and its tributaries (Mill Creek, Licking River, Little Miami River, Miami River, and Whitewater River; fig. 1) have been strongly imprinted by their glacial
history and have flood plains and terraces of varying widths. Materials in the terraces and flood plains vary from sand and gravel to laminated silts and clays.