The Pembina Escarpment is a scarp that runs from South Dakota to Manitoba, and forms the western wall of the Red River Valley. The height of the escarpment above the river valley is 300–400 feet. The escarpment was originally formed by the undercutting of Cretaceous sandstones by the ancestral Red River. The escarpment was later steepened by glacial …The Pembina Escarpment is a scarp that runs from South Dakota to Manitoba, and forms the western wall of the Red River Valley. The height of the escarpment above the river valley is 300–400 feet. The escarpment was originally formed by the undercutting of Cretaceous sandstones by the ancestral Red River. The escarpment was later steepened by glacial scouring. The escarpment is preserved due to a layer of erosion-resistant shale on top of the sandstone. The vista today, of wooded hills with small farms tucked into valleys, is reminiscent of pastoral sections of New England. Streams flowing off the escarpment have high gradients and a cobble substrate.
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