Geology Students Name Geology Dr. Houghton April 16, 2013 White Mountains Geology Students Name Geology Dr. Houghton April 16, 2013

White Mountains The White mountains are located along a segment of the Northern Appalachian Mountains, in the U.S.A, on the North American continent (1, Fig. 1). Figure 1. Location of the Appalachian Mountains (2).

New Hampshire The White Mountains extend through New Hampshire and a small Northwestern region if Maine (1, Fig. 2). The length of the White Mountains is 87 mi or 140 km. (1, Fig. 2) Figure 2. The White Mountains are located mostly in central and northern New Hampshire. The darkest greens on the map represent the highest points in the mountain range (3).

Highest point Mount Washington (Figs. 3 and 4) is the highest peak of the White Mountains. Some call Mt. Washington, “Home of the worlds worst weather” (1). Wind speeds on the mountain have gotten up to 231 mph. The elevation of Mount Washington is 6,288 ft (1,917 m, 4) Figure 3. Map of some of the peaks in the White Mountains, including the highest peak, Mt. Washington (5). Figure 4. Topographical map of Mt. Washington (6).

Historical Geology Paleozoic Era: (541 to 252.2 million years ago) The continent that would later form into North America was over the equator (7). The region of the Appalachian Mountains was temporarily submerged under water (Fig. 5) and the mountains were not formed yet (7). Figure 5. Appalachian basin area (Devonian Ear 385 million years ago, 8).

Historical Geology Ordovician Period: (480-440 million years ago, 7) The oceanic Iapetus plate started to subduct under the craton of the North American plate (7, Fig. 6). A craton is a strong and old part of the continental lithosphere. This caused one of the first mountain building event called the Taconic orogeny, and the Appalachian Mountains started to form (7, Fig. 7). Volcanoes formed and thrust faulting shifted old sedimentary rocks along the continental margin (7). Figure 6. Appalachian basin area (Devonian Ear 385 million years ago, 8).

Taconic Orogeny Figure 7. Formation of the Appalachian Mountains (9).

White Mountain Geology The White Mountains formed as the North American plate moved over the New England hotspot about 124 to 100 million years ago (7). There is much evidence to show that glaciers also helped to shape the mountains as well. For example: U-shaped form of various notches and mountain passes (7). Glacial cirques on Tuckerman Ravine and King Ravine on Mt. Adams (7). Glacial striations on many locations including Pine Mountain (7).

White Mountain Rock Types The White Mountains can be divided into the older White Mountain series and the Younger White Mountain series (10). The older series is the dominant of the two (10). Mostly igneous and metamorphic rocks (10). The major rock types of the older series are syenite, quartz syenite, and metalumino us and peralkaline granites (10). The major rock types of the younger series are mafic and felsic plutonic rocks (10). A lot of granite (10). Figure 8. Diagram of the rock cycle (11).

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