Embedded Files
Stratigraphy, The Rock Layers
What we now know as the Acadia national park began forming about 500 million years ago. The early deposition of Acadia included a surfeit of mud, sand and volcanic ash which was placed at the bottom of an archaic ocean.
What we now know as the Acadia national park began forming about 500 million years ago. The early deposition of Acadia included a surfeit of mud, sand and volcanic ash which was placed at the bottom of an archaic ocean.
Once age and pressure affected the sediment, it transformed into rock. These rocks were altered by forces such as tectonic plates converging. This convergence led to a surplus of heat and pressure, which led to the creation and emergence of the longest-lasting rock in the Mount Desert region: Ellsworth Schist.
This notable rock formation consists of various types of minerals such as white and gray quartz, feldspar, and green chlorite.
Other important parts of Acadia's history include when an ancient mini-continent named Avalonia collided with Acadia. This collision allowed many sand and silt deposits to be hardened, creating the Bay Harbor Formation. As this formation occurred, volcanoes erupted in the area, which was then deposited in the ocean basin, producing the Cranberry Island volcanics. After the eruptions, a bountiful amount of granite was formed from all the heat and pressure
On Acadia, the intrusive igneous rock has such similar mineral composition that the granite is often only distinguished by its size and the scattered dark minerals present. Furthermore, it is inferred that ice sheets from roughly three million years ago encompassed the region. These sheets created striations and crescentic gouges that are still visible. Today, Acadia is known for its significant summits and beautiful beaches, although there is still a humongous chunk of Acadia's history that we may never know.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse