Adirondacks CEN 514 2007

Relief Map of AdirondacksThe Adirondacks are a dome of old rock 1.1 billion years, surrounded by much younger rock less than 600 million years... From Pre-Grenville Ocean prior to Grenvi

Relief Map of Adirondacks

The Adirondacks are a dome of

old rock (1.1 billion years),

surrounded by much younger

rock (less than 600 million

years)

Map of Streams and Lakes

Surface water elevations

are primarily controlled by

underlying bedrock

elevations, rather than the

type of bedrock

Radial drainage pattern:

Streams flow primarily

outward from the center

toward the edge

However, drainage in the

Adirondacks is also

controlled by faults

owned by the state and

belongs to the Forest

Preserve (created in

1885)

Mount Marcy, highest point in New York (5344’), from Haystack Predominant rock type is metanorthosite (Mineralogy: mostly blue labradorite feldpar (high in Ca, some Na, low in K), with some

pyroxene)

Shore of Lake Champlain (elevation 95 feet) from eastern Adirondacks Lowest elevation in Adirondacks.

Haystack from Marcy – July 2, 2001 Rugged topography caused by faulting, uplifting, erosion by water and glacial ice.

Gothics – September 2, 2001- Note steep rockslides

Picea rubens and Abies balsamea just below tree line on

Haystack, third highest peak in the state at 4960’

Cross section of Earth

Layers of the Earth:

Crust and very upper mantle are

hard rock, called lithosphere

Diagram by Keelin Murphy

Fossil stromatolite (blue-green alga, 1.3 bya) near Balmat in western Adirondacks From Pre-Grenville Ocean prior to Grenville Orogeny 1.3 Billion Years Ago: Pre-Grenville Ocean

Metanorthosite (intruded about 1.15 bya) with labradorite crystal on Noonmark Smaller amounts of pyroxene are present

Grenville Orogeny metamorphosed the rock about 1.1 bya while it

formed the Grenville Supercontinent and the Grenville Mountains.

1.1 Billion Years Ago: Grenville Orogeny

Boudinage in migmatite, northwestern Adirondacks formed during Grenville Orogeny 1.1 bya

Lake Placid from Whiteface Shape is controlled by a group of faults that formed about 650 million years ago, when Grenville

Supercontinent split up

650 Million Years Ago: Grenville Supercontinent Breaks Up

Colden, Avalanche Pass, Algonquin, Indian Pass, Wallface Passes are valleys formed along faults.

Lake Placid from Whiteface Shape is controlled by some

of the faults that formed about 650 million years ago.

Faulting helps to create valleys and basins for streams and lakes.

Diabase dike (650 mya) in western Adirondacks intruded during breakup of Grenville supercontinent.

Ripple marks on Potsdam Sandstone (500 mya), Ausable Chasm display Formed in warm shallow sea Potsdam sandstone probably covered

Adirondacks and was eroded from central portions after later uplift

500 Million Years Ago: A Warm Shallow Sea

Great Range from Noonmark – Adirondacks rising since 60 to 15

million years ago for uncertain reasons Some have attributed uplift

to a hot spot, but there is not much evidence for that

Beginning 60 to 15 Million Years Ago: Adirondack Mountains Form

Glacial erratic near Debar Mountain in northern AdirondacksBeginning 1.6 Million Years Ago: Continental and Alpine Glaciation

Potsdam Sandstone left by ice sheet on Poke-O-Moonshine

Au Sable Chasm with Potsdam Sandstone Au Sable River has cut into the sandstone as uplift occurs.

Heart Lake from Mount Jo Some consider it to be a glacial kettle.

Snow on Saint Regis Mountain with fall color at lower elevations, shows climate variation with elevation.

Mountain-ash on Saint Regis Mountain, October 8, 2000

Red oak at Lake Champlain shore Soil in Adirondacks is mostly acid.

Vegetation reflects geology

Walking fern near Lake Champlain shoreline favors

habitats where calcite is present.

Cystopteris bulbifera at Cascade Lakes favors habitats

where calcite is present.

Pickerelweed in marsh at Lake Champlain shoreline

Cotton grass on floating bog mat at Sunday Pond Peat is acidic and water is low in oxygen and dissolved nutrients

Insectivorous pitcher plant on Sunday Pond bog mat Bog water is low in nitrates.

Insectivorous round-leaved sundew on Sunday Pond bog mat

Labrador tea on Sunday Pond bog mat favors wet acid conditions.

Black spruce on Sunday Pond bog mat

Larch on Sunday Pond bog mat

Bladderwort in bog at Paul Smith’s is insectivorous.

Snow on bog mat at Paul Smith’s

Webb-Royce Swamp (TNC property near Westport)

Broad-leaved cattail at Webb-Royce Swamp

Cornus canadensis on Crane Mountain On August 17, 2000

Altona Flat Rock with Potsdam Sandstone – Pine barrens on very thin soil Soil washed away by catastrophic flood during glacial times.

Clintonville Pine Barrens on sandy glacial outwash

State-rare Ceanothus herbaceus in Clintonville Pine Barrens

Pteridium aquilinum in Clintonville Pine Barrens grows

well in dry, sandy, acidic soil

Bearberry in Clintonville Pine Barrens gows well in dry, sandy, acidic soil.

Balsam fir in boreal forest on Crane Mountain Cones point upward.

Red spruce in boreal forest Nun-Da-Gao Ridge Cones point downward.

Haystack Summit (4960’) – Very thin soil and cool

conditions above treeline support alpine plant community

Deer’s hair sedge on Haystack Summit

Black crowberry (green) and mountain bilberry (red) on Noonmark in October

Jay Range composed of gabbroic metanothosite

60 to 15 Million Years Ago –

Adirondacks begin to rise

1.6 Million Years Ago – Ice Ages begin

Some books:

•Rocks And Routes of the North Country – Bradford VanDiver

•Geology of New York: A Simplified Account – University of

the State of New York

•Roadside Geology of New York - Bradford VanDiver

•Bogs of the Northeast – Charles W Johnson

A Map:

•New York State Geologic Highway Map – University of the

State of New York

Lake Placid from Whiteface in winter