Session 6 Leaving New Jersey for New York and Beyond Vagabonds & Sojourners Tramping the Appalachians But first, Geology in the News

3.9 in 2008 depth 15,000’ 4.8 in 2011 depth 10,000’ Earthquake South of San Antonio

Earthquakes Oct, 20, 2011 & 2008 depths 9,820 & 15,000 feet Next, the quake in Turkey

Turkey Oct. 23, Earthquake 7.2 East of Lake Van

Lake Van (Turkish: Van Gölü, Armenian: Վանա լիճ Vana lich or Vana Lij, Kurdish: Gola Wanê [3][4][5] ) is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country in Van district. It is a saline and soda lake, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. Lake Van is one of the world's largest endorheic lakes (having no outlet). The original outlet from the basin was blocked by an ancient volcanic eruption.TurkishArmenianKurdish [3][4][5]saline endorheic lakes The lake's outlet was blocked at some time during the Pleistocene, when lava flows from Nemrut volcano blocked westward outflow towards the Muş Plain. Now dormant, Nemrut Dağı is close to the western shore of the lake, and another dormant stratovolcano, Süphan Dağı dominates the northern side of the lakePleistocenelava flows NemrutMuş PlainNemrut DağıstratovolcanoSüphan Dağı Out of New Jersey and into New York

Evidence of human intelligence 100,000 years old found in a cave in South Africa Geology in the News Sea shell containing red ochre paste suggests human intelligence

The Current Homo Fossil Record: Last 300,000 years Fossil advent of humans New evidence Maybe even here Out of New Jersey and into New York

The Graden State Parkway Leaving Ocean City Up the Garden State Parkway to IH-80 IH-80 to the GW Bridge up NJ 9W on the top of the Palisades black lava ridge to NY State The George Washington Bridge Out of New Jersey and into New York

New Jersey New York H u d s o n R i v e r G e o r g e W a s h i n g t o n B r i d g e Heading for New York state on the top of the Palisades black diabase cliff

NJ 9-W going north Palisades black diabase cliff H u d s o n R i v e r Driving North on d-W we leave the lava cliff for the glaciated red beds, Leave New Jersey, and enter New York and pass through Orangeburg. Remember, the lava rocks of New Jersey

New Jersey New York Hudson River Triassic red beds & black lavas New Jersey Orangeburg, NY What’s interesting about Orangeburg? George Washington Bridge

Orangeburg, NY: Camp Shanks and Shanks Village Camp Shanks: NY WW II port of embarkation Shanks Village: NYC Veterans Housing

Hudson River Palisades black lava ridge Glaciated Triassic red beds “Shanks Village” Today The geology of south east New York state

New Jersey New York Connecticut Triassic red beds & black lavas The Great Valley New Jersey Highlands (Blue Ridge Mountains) Teconic Mountains The geology of south east New York state Focus on the Hudson River

focus Triassic red beds & black lavas Hudson River

Notice how wide the Hudson River is here And narrow here The wide Hudson called the Tappan Zee Let’s take a side trip to Connecticut across the Tappan Zee Bridge

Triassic black lava ridge Hudson River (Tappan Zee) Glaciated metamorphic & igneous rocks of the Teconic “Mountains” Tappan Zee Bridge

Tappan Zee Bridge looking toward Connecticut

Heading for the Merritt Parkway and New Canaan, Conn

NJ New York Conn M e r r i t t P a r k w a y New Canaan, CT Tappan Zee Bridge The Merritt Parkway, Connecticut

The Merritt Parkway, opened in 1938

The Merritt Parkway, the Oldest Parkway in the United States What’s geologically interesting in New Canaan?

Glacial Deposits: Connecticut Glacial sand & mud crowning the hill top New Canaan, Village Center

Glacial sand & mud crowning the hill top How might we get river deposits on hill tops? New Canaan, Village Center

Taconic Mountain igneous rocks before last glaciation Ice filled valleys Glacial ice; last ice age Glacial outwash Sand & gravel from melting glacier to the northGlacial outwash now being removed by erosion A local example of glacial age stream deposits on the top of hills: Williamson & Travis Counties

Pilot Knob volcano volcano Who has a house built on the glacial outwash in New Canaan? Gage stream deposits on hill tops: Williamson & Travis Counties

Sandi’s home for her high school senior year Should you go to New Canaan

Now up the Hudson River Valley

topo_files2/topo_pdfs/ne_topo2.pdf Conn New York State Triassic red beds & black lavas Blue Ridge/Tectonic mountains Great Valley Our route: out of Conn into NY at West Point & on up to Vermont Hudson River

Our route: out of Conn into NY at West Point & on up to Vermont

New Canaan West Point New Jersey New York Connecticut Triassic red beds & black basalt lavas Great Valley “Blue Ridge” Mountains Taconic and older netamorphic rocks

topo_files2/topo_pdfs/ne_topo2.pdf

Great Valley “Blue Ridge” Mountains Storm King State Park West Point West Point & the Hudson River up close

Storm King State Park

Note: as we leave New Jersey, the Hudson Highlands (Blue Ridge) terminates into the Taconic Mountains after crossing the Hudson at West Point The narrow Great Valley of New Jersey spreads out in New York along the Hudson River Why the direction change of the “Blue Ridge” and Taconic mountains?

The Appalachian Mountains through geologic time Cambrian Geosyncline 12,000+ feet thick Location of New Jersey Beginning 500 million years ago, end Cambrian time The Appalachian Mountains through geologic time

The Appalachian Mountains through geologic time Beginning 500 million years ago, end Cambrian time Location of New Jersey Equator 50 million years later

The Appalachian Mountains through geologic time Location of New Jersey O r d o v i c i a n G e o s y n c l i n e 1 2, f e e t t h i c k O r d o v i c i a n G e o s y n c l i n e 6, f e e t t h i c k 450 million years ago, end Ordovician time Cambrian Geosyncline 12,000+ feet thick Taconic mountains

The Appalachian Mountains through geologic time Location of New Jersey 450 million years ago, end Ordovician time Taconian Mountains The Cambrian/Ordovician geosyncline crushed & melted into mountains 25 million years later

The Appalachian Mountains through geologic time Location of New Jersey 425 million years ago, Silurian time Silurian geosyncline: Taconic mountains being eroded

The Appalachian Mountains through geologic time Location of New Jersey 425 million years ago, Silurian time 75 million years later Equator

Location of New Jersey 350 million years ago, Devonian time Devonian geosyncline crushed & melted by Acadian mountain building These mountains are the piedmont The Appalachian Mountains through geologic time

Location of New Jersey 350 million years ago, Devonian time The Appalachian Mountains through geologic time Acadian Mountains (Piedmont?) 25 million years later

Location of New Jersey 325 million years ago, Mississippian time The Appalachian Mountains through geologic time Deposition off the Acadian Mountains

Location of New Jersey 325 million years ago, Mississippian time The Appalachian Mountains through geologic time Africa moving toward North America 25 million years later

Location of New Jersey 300 million years ago, Pennsylvanian time The Appalachian Mountains through geologic time Beginning of Appalachian Geosyncline

Location of New Jersey 300 million years ago, Pennsylvanian time The Appalachian Mountains through geologic time Appalachian mountain building geosyncline crushed & melted by collision with Africa & South America 50 million years later

Location of New Jersey 250 million years ago, Permian time The Appalachian Mountains through geologic time Appalachian mountain building geosyncline crushed & melted by?

Location of New Jersey 250 million years ago, Permian time The Appalachian Mountains through geologic time Appalachian mountain building geosyncline crushed & melted by? 50 million years later

Location of New Jersey 200 million years ago, Triassic time The Appalachian Mountains through geologic time Triassic red beds & black lavas A brief summary

What might we remember about the geologic history of the Appalachians 1.Appalachian mountain were created from geosynclinal deposits as three mountain building episodes over a period of about 250 million years 2. The Taconic mountains were formed first from a thick, narrow a geosyncline extending from New England into the Canadian Maritime Provinces 3. The Acadian mountains appear to account for the Piedmont province of the central & southern Appalachians Back to our drive north up the Hudson Valley

Hudson River “Blue Ridge” Mountains Great Valley Driving north from West Point West Point

Valley and Ridge Catskill Delta Red beds Great Valley Remember: everything we encounter from here north will be glaciated Let’s look at the big picture

Catskill Delta Area of last slide

Catskill Red Bed Delta, 350 million years old

Acadian Mountain Catskill red bed delta

Catskill Delta

Catskill Delta Area of this slide

Valley and Ridge Catskill Delta Red beds Great Valley What’s interesting near New Paltz, NY

G r e a t V a l l e y Valley & Ridge province Catskill Delta Red beds What natural resources are found here in eastern New York?

New Paltz Mohonk Mountain House Great Valley province Valley & Ridge province Mohonk Ridge

Catskill Delta red beds

Mohonk Mountain Lodge Back to the Hudson River valley

Catskill red bed delta Valley & Ridge Taconic Mountains H u d s o n V a l l e y ( G r e a t V a l l e y ) Geologic Cross Section

Valley & Ridge Catskills Taconic Mountains Hudson River Valley Another View

Catskill red bed delta Taconic Mountains Easily eroded Devonian Hudson Valley limestones and shales Marcellus gas shale at the surface

Marcellus Outcrops: Black Back to the Hudson Valley

Catskill red bed delta Taconic Mountains Easily eroded Devonian Hudson Valley limestones and shales. (Great Valley) Mohawk River Valley

Mohawk River & the Erie Canal

The Canal and the rocks of New York

Niagara Falls

Resistant Niagara Limestone ridge creating the falls Creation of the Finger Lakes

Glacial still-stand during melting Glacial lake Chautauqua

glacier Lake Chautauqua up close

Chautauqua Institute

Leaving Lake Chautauqua for Albany on the New York Throughway and on to Vermont of NY 4

Leaving Lake Chautauqua for Albany on the New York Throughway and on to Vermont of NY 4 What natural resources are in New York State?

No iron, coal, or oil in or near the Hudson River valley 1 billion year old Adirondack dome No iron, coal, or oil in or near the Mohawk River or Erie Canal What geology do we find going north from Albany into Vermont?

Appalachian Trend

Focus area

Vermont A closer look

Albany Can you find the geological provinces we have visited from New Jersey to Vermont? New Jersey Let’s look at a cross section here

Where did the Taconic Mountains of Vermont come from?

Vermont Taconic Mountains Before westward thrusting Taconic Mountains today Westward Thrusting of the Taconic Mountains

Middlebury Synclinorium Driving into Vermont

Rutland Killington Middlebury New York Vermont 1 billion year old Adirondack Mountains G r e e n M o u n t a i n s Middlebury Syclinorium Taconic Overthrust Killington Ski Resort

Fighting the New England Boiler Plate

Taconic Overthrust New York Vermont Green Mountains

Green Mountains Taconic Overthrust Adirondack Mountains Middlebury Synclinorium Middlebury Synclinorium cross section

Complex Structures of the Middlebury Synclinorium Middlebury College Middlebury Synclinorium Taconic overthrust Green Mountains

Green Mountains Middlebury College