Geology of High Point State Park

Transcription

1 J Geology of High Poin Sae Park Sussex Couny, New Jersey NJDEP R SEY GEOLOGICAL E S U Deparmen of Environmenal Proecion Land Use Managemen New Jersey Geological Survey W NE RVEY

2 STATE OF NEW JERSEY Richard J. Codey, Acing Governor Deparmen of Environmenal Proecion Bradley M. Campbell, Commissioner Land Use Managemen Lisa Jackson, Assisan Commissioner New Jersey Geological Survey Karl Muessig, Sae Geologis New Jersey Geological Survey producs are published by he New Jersey Geological Survey, P.O. Box 427, Trenon New Jersey. This bookle may be reproduced in whole or par provided ha suiable reference o he source of he copied maerial is provided. Addiional copies of his bookle and oher Survey repors, maps, and producs may be obained from: DEP Maps and Publicaions Sales Office P.O. Box 438 Trenon, NJ A price lis is available on reques. Cover Phoo: High Poin Monumen looking norheas across Lake Marcia. Phoograph by Ron Wie, 2002.

3 New Jersey Geological Survey Geology of High Poin Sae Park, Sussex Couny, New Jersey and Field Trip Guide by Ron W. Wie and Don H. Moneverde R SEY GEOLOGICAL E S U J W NE RVEY prined on recycled paper III

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5 INTRODUCTION High Poin Sae Park affords is visiors an excepional opporuniy o learn abou New Jersey s geology and is role in shaping he landscape. The park (fig. 1) lies on Kiainny Mounain in he glaciaed par of he Ridge and Valley physiographic province in norhern New Jersey. I consiss of abou 20 square miles of hilly fores, rocky ridge cress, and welands. Rock oucrops, smoohed by glacial erosion, are very abundan along he main ridge line of he mounain, bu in he wesern par of he park, bedrock exposures are sparse because he rock surface is covered by hick glacial sedimen. In his area, he many welands, ovalshaped hills, and rolling naure of he landscape are all producs of he las ice age. Kiainny Mounain forms a prominen norheas-rending ridge exending from Pennsylvania o he Shawangunk Mounains in New York. In places is coninuiy is broken by wind gaps, such as Culvers Gap, and waer gaps, such as Delaware Waer Gap. The High Poin Monumen, which lies a he norh end of he park on he summi of Kiainny Mounain, marks he highes poin in New Jersey a 1803 fee above sea level. Kiainny Valley lies eas of he park and i in urn is bordered on is easern side by a rugged upland called he New Jersey Highlands. Wallpack Valley, Wallpack Ridge, Minisink Valley, and he Pocono Plaeau are found o he wes. Shale, silsone, sandsone, quarzie, and conglomerae form he bedrock formaions in High Poin Sae Park. These sedimenary rocks are 460 o 400 million years old, and consis of maerial originally eroded from ancien lands and deposied as sedimen in sreams and seas ha once covered he area. These loose maerials were subsequenly buried by younger sedimens, and over millions of years hey evenually changed o solid rock. Repeaed uplif and subsequen erosion has exposed hese rocks. The srong norheas-rending ridge-and-valley opography in he High Poin area developed slowly, largely conrolled by he srucure of he underlying rocks and heir varying resisance o erosion. Kiainny Mounain, which is largely underlain by quarzie and 1

6 quarz pebble conglomerae, very ough rocks resisan o erosion, forms he highes land; whereas sofer rock underlies he valleys. During he pas wo million years, coninenal ice shees from he norh modified he landscape by deeply scouring valleys, wearing down and smoohing bedrock ridges, hills and slopes, and carrying away soil and loose rock miles 653 POCONO PLATEAU Culvers Gap Del Waer Gap NJ PA KITTATINNY Delaware R Delaware River MOUNTAIN VALLEY AND RIDGE HIGHLANDS Mill Bk CLOVE RD 84 SHAWAN- GUNK MTN Area of deail PA NJ NY RIVER RD NJ PIKE CO Delaware 521 PA Clove Bk 653 PARK R STEENY KILL RD STATE PARK BDY RIDGE CLOVE RD RD 1 23 Seeny Kill Lake 84 ORANGE CO SUSSEX CO Cedar Swamp High Poin Mon Lk Marcia NAT AREA BDY 519 RD GREENVILLE NY NJ NEW RD Shimers Bk PARK OFFICE Sawmill Lake Lile Fla Bk 650 Pine Swamp Big Fla Bk RD SAWMILL H I G H P O I N T Lake Ruherford (PRIVATE) 23 Clove Bk Bierskill High Poin Sussex Co NJ DECKERTOWN TPK Forked Bk Mashipacong Pond CRIGGER RD Parker Bk S T A T E P A R K NEILSON RD FILE RD 519 BRINK RD N 0 1 mile TO Figure 1. High Poin Sae Park and viciniy in norhern New Jersey. 2

7 BEDROCK GEOLOGY Rock Formaions High Poin Sae Park is underlain by hree sedimenary bedrock formaions ha rend norheas o souhwes (fig. 2). From oldes o younges hey are: 1) he Marinsburg Formaion, HIGH POINT STATE PARK BEDROCK GEOLOGY Sb Bloomsburg Red Beds-- (Silurian age) red shale, silsone and sandsone Ss Omh Bierskill Shawangunk Formaion-- (Silurian age) whie o gray quarzie and quarz-pebble conglomerae Marinsburg Formaion, High Poin Member-- (Ordovician age) gray shale, silsone and sandsone syncline or rough anicline or arch 650 Sb Pine Swamp Sb PARK Sb Big Fla Bk STATE PARK BDY RIDGE Sb Ss RD SAWMILL Ss RD 23 Sb Sawmill Lake Sb Ss Ss Ss Sb Lk Marcia PARK OFFICE Omh ORANGE CO SUSSEX CO High Poin Mon Seeny Kill Lake Lake Ruherford (PRIVATE) Omh Cedar Swamp Ss 23 Ss NY NJ Omh NAT AREA BDY Sb Parker Bk High Poin Sussex Co Ss Sb 650 Omh NJ N Ss 0 1 mile Omh Figure 2. Bedrock geologic map of High Poin Sae Park. 3

8 2) he Shawangunk Formaion, and 3) he Bloomsburg Red Beds (back cover). The Marinsburg Formaion underlies large pars of Kiainny Valley and a small area a Lake Marcia (fig. 1). The Shawangunk Formaion forms he higher ridges on Kiainny Mounain, whereas he Bloomsburg Red Beds underlie is wesern flank. The Marinsburg Formaion is Middle and lae Ordovician in age and records a hisory of sedimenaion in a deep ocean basin abou 462 o 450 million years ago. Marinsburg sedimens consis of sand, sil and clay ha were eroded from higher areas along an ancien coninenal margin and carried downslope by densiy currens o deeper pars of he ocean. Sedimens deposied in his manner are called urbidies. Each urbidie may conain five differen layers and each layer is defined by sedimen grain size and sedimenary srucures (fig. 3). The layers range from several inches o more han en fee hick. In New Jersey, urbidie sequences generally conain only he upper hree finer grained layers (fig. 3, layers C, D, and Figure 3. This diagram porrays he five pars of a classic urbidie. No all pars are presen every ime. The mos common urbidie in his par of New Jersey lacks par A and someimes B. The remaining pars, C, D, and E have a combined hickness of several inches. E D C B A Grain Size Mud Sandsil Sand 4 E) because he lower wo were eroded or deposied farher up he coninenal slope. The Marinsburg is divided ino he Bushkill, Ramseyburg, and he High Poin Members. The Bushkill Member is he oldes, consising of abou 1,500 fee of black shale ha was formed from clay deposied in he deepes pars of he ocean basin. Overlying he Bushkill Member and younger han i are he inerlayered shales, silsones and minor sandsones of he Ramseyburg Member. This layering and overall increase in grain size shows ha hese sedimens were laid down in a slighly shallower ocean closer o heir source. The Ramseyburg ranges from 2,400 o 5,000 fee in hickness in New Jersey and is abou 3,500 fee hick near he park. The High Poin Member is

9 as much as 4,500 fee hick, and is he younges and only member in he park. I consiss of alernaing hin sandsone, silsone, and shale. The sandsone layers are ypically coarse a heir base and finer-grained near heir op, a feaure called graded bedding. These layers are as much as 6 fee hick and make up he coarses par of he urbidie sequence (fig. 3). Pebbles of shale in heir base show ha he currens ha carried hem were powerful enough o rip up and erode some underlying sedimen. The upper surface of he Marinsburg Formaion is marked by he Taconic Unconformiy, a period of 20 o 30 million years during which he upper par of he formaion was uplifed and sripped by erosion. The Shawangunk Formaion was deposied on his surface; a sligh angular difference in bedding orienaion beween he wo formaions defines he unconformiy (fig. 4). Bedding Taconic unconformiy Shawangunk Formaion Bedding Hammer for scale Marinsburg Formaion Figure 4. Phoograph of he Taconic Unconformiy, exposed during he consrucion of Inersae 84, jus norh of he Park in New York. View is oward norh. Phoo aken by Jack Epsein, U.S. Geological Survey. The Shawangunk Formaion is of Middle Silurian age (approximaely 425 million years ago), abou 1,400 fee hick and consiss of inerlayered pebble conglomerae, quarzie, and some shale. The conglomerae mosly conains rounded pebbles of quarz wih lesser cher and shale in a marix of quarz sandsone. Sedimen 5

10 grain size becomes finer upward over several layers, forming repeaing sequences of conglomerae ha change from sandsone, o silsone and finally o shale. This grain-size composiion of he Shawangunk and is sedimenary srucures (fig. 5) show ha hese maerials were deposied by braided sreams in alluvial fans. A braided sream flows in several dividing and reuniing channels ha resemble a hair braid. Alluvial fans are large cone-shaped Ss (Shawangunk Formaion) bedding cross-bed bedding measuring sick (1 uni = 1 foo) Figure 5. Phoograph of cross-bedding in he Shawangunk Formaion a Sop 1. View is oward norh. The regional bedding surfaces are oulined and labelled. The cross-bed is clearly oulined in he rock by he more seeply inclined surfaces. deposis laid down by rivers flowing ou from mounainous areas ono low level plains. Mos of he Shawangunk sedimens were carried far ou on he plain and away from he mounains. The cross-bed orienaions in he Shawangunk Formaion (fig. 5) show ha he ancien rivers flowed in a norhweserly direcion. This demonsraes ha a mounain range o he eas was he source of he Shawangunk sedimens. Laer, and afer deep burial by younger maerials, a silica-rich fluid cemened he sand and gravel, forming he rock ha makes up he Shawangunk Formaion. This ough cemen also makes he rock very resisan o weahering and erosion. 6

11 The Bloomsburg Red Beds are of Lae Silurian age and conformably overlie he Shawangunk Formaion. The Red Beds are abou 1400 fee hick, consising of repeiively layered sedimens 3 o 9 fee hick. Each sequence of layers ypically has hree pars. The lower par consiss of gray o red, cross-bedded sandsone conaining pebbles. I gradually changes ino he middle par consising of very hinly layered, finer-grained sandsone or silsone ha locally conains race fossils. Cross-bedding in he sandsone layers shows ha waer currens flowed back and forh, suggesing ha he Bloomsburg sedimens were deposied under idal condiions along he coas of a large inland sea. The upper par consiss of red shale conaining mud cracks, roo races, and evidence of soil formaion. These feaures show ha he sedimen was exposed during shor periods when sea level was lowered and he shoreline rereaed seaward. The cycles of sedimenaion show ha sea level rose and fell many imes during deposiion of he Bloomsburg Red Beds. Regionally, fossil shells and marine animal burrows in he formaion also show a change in deposiional environmen proceeding from coninenal, o nearshore, o offshore oceanic environmens. Younger, carbonae rock, which lies ouside he park, conformably overlies he Bloomsburg Red Beds, indicaing a change o clear, warm shallow seas. Srucure of he Rocks Compressional or pushing forces caused by he collision of coninenal plaes hundreds of millions of years ago formed folds, fauls, joins, and cleavage in he rocks ha underlie he park. Folds form by compressive force, similar o pushing wo ends of a piece of paper ogeher. The arches and roughs ha form are called aniclines and synclines respecively. Fold magniude varies in each formaion, bu in he park i is on he order of several hundred fee (fig. 6). Generally, folds canno be seen a an individual bedrock oucrop. One needs o walk across he rock and noe he slow change in he dip of he beds from souheas o norhwes. A faul is a fracure or group of fracures in rock where one side has moved pas he oher. Such breaks form when rock is squeezed or pulled apar. An offse of sedimenary layering marks he locaion of a faul and helps o deermine he rock s movemen direcion. Fauls ha parallel layering are harder o discern. A faul commonly exhibis linear grooves ha show he direcion of 7

12 EXPLANATION Sb Bloomsburg Red Beds Shawangunk Ss Formaion Marinsburg Fm., Omh High Poin Member Taconic unconformiy bedding Lake Marcia High Poin Monumen FEET 2000 anicline syncline anicline syncline land 2000 surface Ss 1000 Sb Sb 1000 Ss Ss SEA LEVEL SEA LEVEL Omh Omh Omh mile FEET Figure 6. Regional crosssecion hrough Lake Marcia from he norhwes (lef) o he souheas (righ). The view, aken from he Lake Marcia beach, faces norh oward he monumen. moion. These grooves form where bumps on he faul surface slide pas and gouge he opposing rock surface. Quarz veins are also common in fauls and heir alignmen is similar o ha of he grooves described above. Fauls cu he hree rock formaions in he park; all are small, have minor offses, and are no longer acive. They are mos common in he brile rocks of he Shawangunk Formaion. Joins are he mos common srucural feaure in rocks (fig. 7). They are fracures, bu unlike fauls, hey show no evidence of movemen parallel o heir common surface. Joins form where pulling or pushing forces caused he rock o break. Joins may cu across a whole oucrop or only an individual bed, and hey commonly form in parallel or subparallel arrays called join ses. Several differen ses may occur in large areas, and hey record he regional sresses ha caused he fracuring. Ground waer moves chiefly hrough fracures such as joins, so join analysis helps us o undersand ground-waer flow. Fine-grained rocks such as shale and slae spli along closely spaced parallel planes called cleavage. Cleavage forms under compressive pressure in rocks enriched in clay minerals. Fine- 8

13 join bedding Ss (Shawangunk Formaion) join join measuring sick (1 uni = 1 foo) Figure 7. Phoograph of subverical joins in a souh-facing oucrop of he Shawangunk Formaion. Bedding is dipping slighly o he eas (righ). grained rocks develop cleavage more readily han coarse-grained rocks because hey conain more clay. This allows he rock o be spli ino fla producs like chalk boards. The Marinsburg shales exhibi he bes-formed cleavage in his region and hey have been used for roofing slae and paving sone. Slae is shale in which he cleavage is highly developed. Therefore, he shales of he Marinsburg are beer ermed slaes. Silsones and sandsones in he Marinsburg also exhibi cleavage, bu i is generally no as exensive and less closely spaced (fig. 8). Poorly developed cleavage occurs locally in he Bloomsburg Red Beds and he Shawangunk Formaion. 9

14 Omh (Marinsburg Formaion, High Poin Member) 1 inch in diameer cleavage vein bedding Figure 8. Phoograph of cleavage in he slaey member of he Marinsburg Formaion looking souh (eas o he lef). Very closely spaced cleavage surfaces, almos paper hin, can be seen dipping o he eas. Subverical veins, formerly open fracures, are filled by quarz, a whieish mineral. Teconic Hisory Kiainny Mounain is par of he Appalachians, a long mounain chain ha sreches from Alabama o Newfoundland. Is hisory includes hree periods of coninenal sreching and collision ha all involved folding and fauling. In norhwesern New Jersey mos of he folds, fauls, joins and cleavage formed during hree periods of mounain building. Abou 650 million years ago, during he Lae Proerozoic, he granie and gneiss now making up he New Jersey Highlands were par of an ancien coninen called Rodinia. Abou 540 million years ago, powerful econic forces began pulling he landmass apar. As he coninenal crus hinned and sreched, elongae rif valleys were formed. As ime wen on, he rifs widened and deepened, and flooded wih sea waer, evenually forming new oceanic basins. Finally, econic aciviy along he coas subsided. Carbonae sedimens were deposied along an easward facing shoreline of a warm shallow sea unil abou 480 million years ago. During his ime, abou 3000 fee of maerial accumulaed; i now makes up he carbonae rock ha underlies 10

15 o o 74 o PA NY EXPLANATION Mesozoic rif basins 76 o High Poin Carboniferous and Permian rocks 41 o NY NJ Silurian and Devonian rocks 41 o Cambrian o middle Ordovician rocks of he early Paleozoic coninenal shelf Early Cambrian o middle Ordovician ranspored rocks of ancien Norh American coninenal slope and rise o Pa NJ 0 16 miles Proerozoic meamorphic and pluonic rocks Figure 9. Regional geologic map of he area surrounding High Poin Sae Park. par of Kiainny Valley. Abou 460 million years ago he ocean basin began o close and a period of mounain building, called he Taconic Orogeny, began. During is iniial sages, he Norh American plae collided wih several smaller plaes. This collision caused uplif and erosion of he carbonae rocks. A downwarping followed ha submerged he land beneah he sea. Folding, fauling and a wesward pushing and sacking of he rocks and sedimens in he collision zone formed a mounain chain. Over ime he mounains were lowered by erosion, he weahering producs of clay, sil, and sand were carried wesward by rivers and ocean currens o a deep ocean basin. These maerials hickened, compaced and became he shale, silsone and sandsone of he Marinsburg Formaion. Following deposiion of he Marinsburg sedimens, he enire region was again uplifed and he landmass again slowly eroded. This period lased abou 25 million years and marks he Taconic Unconformiy, a regional surface ha displays evidence of exensive erosion. Evenually, a wesward facing coasal plain formed a he base of he mounains ha became covered by sream deposis. These deposis make up he Shawangunk Formaion. As sea level rose slighly, sedimens laid down in muddy idal flas and shallow marine waers ha now make up he Bloomsburg Red Beds were deposied on he Shawangunk sedimens. As he coninenal margin furher subsided, seas evenually covered he Bloomsburg Red Beds. Carbonae maerials were deposied in his calm shallow-marine environmen. These carbonae rocks now lie jus wes of he park. 11

16 Beween 410 and 380 million years ago a second period of mounain building occurred. This even, called he Acadian Orogeny, also involved several smaller coninenal plaes colliding wih he Norh American plae. This orogeny, responsible for New England s major srucural feaures, is no represened in he rocks in High Poin Sae Park. A hird period, called he Alleghany Orogeny, occurred beween 330 and 250 million years ago. Inense folding and fauling of he park s rocks mark his collision of he Norh American coninen wih he African coninen. EVOLUTION OF REGIONAL LANDFORMS The landscape around High Poin Sae Park was shaped by many geologic processes acing hroughou millions o ens of millions of years. These processes included uplif and subsidence of he earh s crus, physical and chemical weahering, erosion by sreams, and mass wasing. Some geologiss believe ha he presen landscape had is beginnings in Permian or Triassic ime when a large river sysem flowed wesward oward he coninenal inerior (he area now drained by he Mississippi River and is ribuaries). When coninenal rifing opened he Alanic Ocean more han 200 million years ago, in lae Triassic ime, newly formed sreams along he coas worked heir way inland and capured pars of he inland drainage. As ime passed, sreams flowing over weaker rock cu valleys faser and deeper han hose flowing over ough, harder rock. Because bels of rock rend norheasward in norhwesern New Jersey, drainage developed along norheas- o souhwes rending bels of weaker rock. In some places, hard, resisan rocks were weakened by fauls or numerous joins. Sreams cu hrough hese resisan ridges a heir weakened poins and formed feaures like Delaware Waer Gap and Culvers Gap. Oher geologiss hink ha he ancesral Appalachian Mounains were worn low and subsequenly covered by a hick layer of coasal plain sedimens more han 100 million years ago during he Mesozoic Era. Newly formed sreams, which flowed souheasward following he seaward slope of he land, cu heir drainage inland from he Alanic Ocean. Following a lenghy period of erosion, he underlying folded and fauled rocks of he Appalachians were exposed and sreams began o adjus o he rock s srucure. Waer gaps were eroded in places where souheas flowing rivers firs encounered he resisan rocks ha make up he modern uplands such as Kiainny Mounain. 12

17 The principal landscape feaures of he park probably formed during he lae Teriary period (10 o 25 million years ago). During his ime, erosion and valley cuing acceleraed when sea level fell due o he growh of he Anarcic ice shee, and possible uplif of he earh s crus. Rejuvenaed sreams eroded he old land surface, deepening valleys and waer gaps and furher adjusing heir courses along bels of weak rock. I was probably during his ime ha a sream flowing in wha is now Culvers Gap was inerceped and capured by a ribuary of he Delaware River. THE ICE AGE Regional Hisory During he Pleisocene Epoch (2 million o 10 housand years ago) ice shees advanced over norhern New Jersey a leas hree imes (fig. 10). From oldes o younges, hese glaciaions are named he pre-illinoian, Illinoian, and lae Wisconsinan. Glaciers are large bodies of ice ha form over long periods from he gradual buildup of compaced and recrysallized Belvidere I Warren pi lw Hunerdon area of deail Sussex Somerse Mercer High Poin Sae Park Morris Passaic Middlesex Essex Union Perh Amboy Monmouh Bergen Hudson Saen Island Figure 10. Limis of glaciaions in New Jersey. The race of he lw limi generally marks he Terminal Moraine. Key: lw - lae Wisconsinan, I - Illinoian, and pi - pre- Illinoian. 13 snow. Evenually, he ice becomes hick enough o flow under he sress of is own weigh. Ice shees are hick glaciers ha cover large pars of coninens. In Norh America he Laurenide and Cordilleran ice shees grew o enormous sizes. I is esimaed ha heir ceners were as much as 10,000 fee hick. A High Poin, he ice may have been 2000 fee hick when he Norh American ice shees were a heir maximum size. The Norh American ice shees were cenered in he subarcic regions of Canada and grew and spread ouward during periods when he norhern hemisphere was

18 colder han i is now. Curren ideas are ha small changes in he earh s orbi, il of is axis, direcion of ocean currens and sorms, and volcanic dus in he amosphere may have all conribued o global cooling. The geologic record shows ha he growh and decay of coninenal ice shees in he norhern hemisphere was cyclic. In New Jersey, he climae varied from arcic or boreal during glacial periods o emperae or subropical during inerglacial periods. Today we are considered o be in an inerglacial sage. A precise age of he oldes glacial deposis is uncerain. Their exensive weahering and poor preservaion sugges hey were laid down more han 800,000 years ago. Laer, during he Illinoian sage abou 150,000 years ago, an ice shee again covered norhern New Jersey. Mos recenly, New Jersey was glaciaed during he lae Wisconsinan subsage, abou 20,000 years ago. Each ice shee modified he land scape. Valleys underlain by weak rock were widened and deepened; bedrock ridges, hills, and slopes were slighly worn down and sreamlined, and mos surface maerials were eroded. Rocks, gravel, sand, sil, and clay enrained in he ice shees were deposied as ill, an unsored mixure of clay- o boulder-sized maerial. This maerial was laid down on he bedrock surface in shees, in sreamlined hills called drumlins, and in ridges laid down along he former edge of he ice shee called moraines. Sraified sedimen consising of sored and layered gravel, sand, and sil was deposied by glacial melwaer sreams in valleys ha drained away from he glacier and in glacial lakes. The harsh, cold climae immediaely souh of he ice shees enhanced erosion of surficial sedimen by mass wasing, and acceleraed he physical weahering of bedrock, largely by fros shaering. In conras, emperae and subropical climaes during inerglacial periods lessened raes of physical weahering, bu increased raes of chemical weahering, which led o he formaion of hick decomposed bedrock. Local Hisory High Poin Sae Park lies enirely wihin he limi of he las glaciaion and only glacial deposis (fig. 11) and erosional feaures associaed wih he lae Wisconsinan ice shee are preserved here. Older glacial deposis and feaures were buried beneah younger glacial sedimen or were eroded during he las glaciaion. The lae Wisconsinan advance of ice ino norhwesern New Jersey consised of ice lobes iniially moving souhwesward down Minisink and Kiainny Valleys. In ime, he ice became hick enough o flow over Kiainny Mounain and, urning souh, i flowed across he 14

19 s m HIGH POINT STATE PARK SURFICIAL GEOLOGY swamp-- low area of waerlogged ground Augusa (ma), Monague (mm) and Seeny Kill (msk) moraine-- ridge of ill deposied a he glacier s erminus hick ill-- unconsolidaed mix of clay, sil, sand, gravel and boulders greaer han 10 fee hick hin ill and bedrock-- ill less han 10 fee hick, rock oucrops, and weahered rock msk PARK RIDGE STATE PARK BDY RD msk s 23 Seeny Kill Lake ORANGE CO SUSSEX CO Cedar Swamp Lk Marcia s High Poin Mon NY NJ NAT AREA BDY mm 650 Bierskill mm s mm Pine Swamp s s s s Parker Bk s ma s s s s ma msk s ma s s s ma s ma s s Big Fla Bk s 650 RD SAWMILL Sawmill Lake s PARK OFFICE Lake Ruherford (PRIVATE) s 23 High Poin Sussex Co NJ N 0 1 mile ma Figure 11. Surficial geologic map of High Poin Sae Park. region s souhweserly opographic grain. The Terminal Moraine, which lies 30 miles souh of he park (fig. 10), marks he farhes advance of he ice shee. However, in a few valleys, sublobes of he glacier exended as much as a mile souh of he Terminal Moraine. During deglaciaion, he edge of he ice shee hinned and is flow became more conrolled by he souhweserly rend of he larger valleys. The Kiainny and Minisink Valley ice lobes rereaed 15

20 NY PA N Kiainny Mn Pocono Plaeau Caskill Mounains area of deail Highlands Piedmon Coasal Plain Hudson-Wallkill Lowlands NY NJ EXPLANANTION large souh-draining valleys glacial lake basin uplands direcion of glacial-lake drainage KITTATINNY Delaware River Belvidere 2 3 MA CT 0 20 miles KITTATINNY VALLEY JENNY JUMP MOUNTAIN 5 Francis Lake WALLPACK Lake Oxford 6 7 RIDGE MOUNTAIN Lake Owassa Culvers Lake Lake Newon Lake Swarswood Lake Sillwaer Lake Big Springs Lake Millbrook Lake Wallkill Augusa spillway Lake Beaver Run Lake Peques 1 8 HIGH POINT STATE PARK N Y N J Lake Spara 3 N 0 5 miles POCHUCK MTN Lake Hamburg Lake Norh Chruch 4 ICE-MARGINAL POSITIONS 8 Sussex margin 6 Augusa margin 5 Culvers Gap margin 4 Spara margin 3 Franklin Grove margin 1 Terminal Moraine ICE-MARGINAL POSITIONS (local names in Delaware Valley) 8 Tri Saes 7 Millville 6 Monague 5 Dingmans Ferry 3 Sand Hill Church 2 Zion Church Figure 12. Ice margins of lae Wisconsinan age showing successive posiions of he ice fron as i rereaed norheasward, locaion of large glacial lakes, and exensive valley-ouwash deposis in norhwesern New Jersey. gradually o he norheas. However, a imes he edge of he ice lobes remained saionary, and in a few insances readvanced souhward a few miles (fig. 12). Deglaciaion was probably riggered by warming emperaures ha meled ice a he glacier margin faser han i was replaced by flowing ice, and by a decrease in he formaion of new glacier ice due o reduced precipiaion on he ice shee. During periods when he glacier margin remained saionary, sand and gravel laid down by melwaer sreams buil up a and beyond he glacier margin in sream valleys and glacial lakes in 16

21 Minisink, Wallpack, and Kiainny Valleys (fig. 12). Addiionally, end moraines were deposied a he glacier s erminus. Boh he ice-marginal pars of he melwaer deposis and end moraines mark he former edge of he ice shee. Mapping hese ice recessional posiions enables geologiss o reconsruc he geomery and rerea hisory of he ice shee. The Augusa margin, which runs hrough High Poin (fig. 12), is delineaed by he Augusa and Monague moraines. The coninuiy of he moraines, and he size and exen of melwaer deposis laid down in nearby valleys souh of he Augusa margin show ha he glacier s erminus mainained a nearly consan posiion for more han a hundred years. Erosion by Ice Feaures carved in bedrock by moving glacial ice are numerous in he park. They include sriaions, crescenic marks, polished bedrock, and plucked oucrops. Sriaions are linear scraches and grooves cu in bedrock by overriding ice ha show he direcion of glacial movemen. They formed in places where hard sones, frozen o he boom of he glacier, scraped across he underlying bedrock. Sriaions are also found on sones ha have been glacially ranspored. Crescenic marks, which include gouges, fracures, and chaer marks, are cracks and chips in he rock surface made when sones a he glacier s base exered grea pressure on he underlying rock. Sriaions and crescenic marks in he park show ha he glacier flowed S70 o W o due wes. These feaures were made near he edge of he Kiainny Valley ice lobe when he fron of he ice was rereaing. I is likely ha souherly oriened sriaions, made earlier when he ice was much hicker and is margin far souh of High Poin, were subsequenly removed by glacial erosion. Oher forms of glacial erosion include polishing and plucking. Polishing occurred where sand and sil, frozen o he glacier s base, slid over rock. Like sandpaper smoohing a piece of rough wood, he rock surface becomes highly smoohed and polished. Plucking occurred where rock fragmens, fracured and loosened from pressure exered by he weigh of he over riding glacier, were broken off. Generally, he fragmens, some as big as boulders, are removed from he downsream side of he oucrop. In exreme cases, he processes of abrasion and plucking can impar a whaleback shape o an oucrop, also called a roche mouonnée. 17

22 Glacial Deposis All of he deposis in he park laid down direcly by or from glacial ice are called ill. Till, a nonsored mixure of clay o bouldery sized maerial, covers he bedrock surface in mos places, excep he rocky cres of Kiainny Mounain and a few seep hillslopes. Where i is hin, he underlying bedrock opography shows hrough. Thicker ill subdues and buries his irregu lar surface, and in many places compleely hides i. Till in he park is ypically a compac, yellowish-brown, brown, or ligh olive brown sily sand consising of a mixure of quarz sand, rock fragmens, feldspar, sil, and clay. Subangular o subrounded sones of quarz pebble conglomerae, quarz ie, red sandsone, gray sandsone, and red shale may make up as much as 20 percen of he deposi by volume. Many of hese are sriaed. This maerial is called lodgemen ill and was deposied pick (for scale) shovel (for scale) basal ill 1: poorly sored, nonsraified mix of clay- o boulder-sized maerial. 1 basal ill 2 flowill 3 planar beds of gravel and sand 4 inclined beds of sand and some gravel 5 laminaed beds of sil, clay, and very fine sand bedrock 1 3 dela melwaer sream 4 dela moraine lake level lacusrine fan lake boom 1 2 planar beds 3 of sraified gravel and sand: deposi of a glacial melwaer sream. 5 GLACIER mile verical exaggeraion x20 1 debris bands Figure 13. Block diagram showing he deposiional seing of glacial sedimens wih phoo inses of ill and ouwash. 18

23 a he glacier s base (fig. 13). Overlying his lower compac ill is a hin, disconinuous, loose, poorly sored sily sand and sand conaining as much as 35 percen pebbles, cobbles, boulders, and lenses of sored sand, gravel, and sil. Overall, sones are ypically more angular han hose in he underlying ill. This maerial is debris ha was released from he glacier by meling a he glacier s erminus. I may have been le down slowly by meling ice or flowed off he ice ono adjacen land. This maerial is called ablaion ill and flow ill respecively (fig. 13). Fros heaving, burrowing animals and insecs, and roo growh have also alered he upper few fee of ill making i less compac, and reoriening is sones. A glacial erraic is a rock, commonly a boulder, ha was picked up and carried by he glacier and deposied some disance from is source, ofen many miles. Mos erraics show evidence of glacial erosion by heir subrounded shape, flaened sides, and sriaed or polished surfaces. They are found hroughou he park and were largely plucked from nearby oucrops on Kia inny Mounain and in Kiainny Valley. A few are larger han 10 fee in diameer. The mos remarkable are he Marinsburg sandsone boulders ha were carried up and ou of Kiainny Valley o he op of Kiainny Mounain. There hey res, as much as 900 fee above he valley floor. Glacial Landforms Landforms in he park ha were creaed by he glacier include drumlins, end mor aines, and keles. Drumlins are oval-shaped hills consising of ill ha were deposied a he glacier s base. Mos drumlins are in he wesern par of he park in places where ill is hick. Their long direcion is parallel o he direcion of former glacier flow and hey formed where he glacier sreamlined loose surficial maerial or molded ill a is base. Drumlins in he park rend due souh o souh 13 o wes, a more souherly direcion han shown by nearby sriaions. This suggess ha he drumlins formed when ice was much hicker, and is flow no as conrolled by opography as i was when he sriaions were made. End moraines are bouldery, cross-valley ridges ha mark he former lobae edge of he ice shee. They consis of ill wih lenses of sil, sand, and gravel and exhibi ridge-and-kele, and knob-and-kele opography. In he park he moraines are named he Augusa, Monague, and Seeny Kill Lake (fig. 11). Keles are depressions in he land ha formed by he meling of sagnan ice blocks ha were parly or compleely buried in glacial maerial and hen lef 19

24

25 behind by he rereaing ice shee. Pine Swamp and he many depressions on he Augusa moraine are good examples. POSTGLACIAL HISTORY Ice rereaed from New Jersey abou 17,000 years ago. During he few housand years following deglaciaion, he harsh climae and sparse vegeaion enhanced erosion of he land. Unconsolidaed, waer-sauraed surficial maerials were easily moved downhill by he consan pull of graviy. Disinegraion of rock oucrops by fros shaering formed exensive accumulaions of rock debris, called alus, a he base of cliffs on Kiainny Mounain. Boulder fields formed a he base of slopes where rocks, ranspored by soil creep, came o res. Oher fields were formed where melwaer carried away he finer-grained maerial from ill leaving behind he heavier sones. A few ohers may have been deposied direcly by he glacier. In places boulders sand uprigh and some form crude sone circles. These may have been formed by fros heave, and possibly ree growh. Sream deposis, called alluvium, consis of sand and gravel laid down in channels, and finer sedimen laid down on narrow flood plains. Many modern sreams in High Poin flow along channels originally cu by glacial melwaer. In a few places, such as he ravine norhwes of Seeny Kill Lake (Plae 1), hese channels are as much as 60 fee deep. Alluvial fans formed where ribuaries enered larger valleys and deposied heir heavier loads. Their composiion is highly variable, chiefly derived from local surficial maerials laid down by inermien and perennial sreams. Mos are enrenched by modern sreams. This suggess hey are probably of lae Wisconsinan and early Holocene age and formed when rigorous climae, sparse vegeaion, and abundan sedimen favored heir forma ion. Swamps and bogs conain sedimen and organic maerial ha can be used o reconsruc pas climaes. Because heir maerials were laid down layer upon layer, hey may preserve a record from he end of he Ice Age o he presen. Pollen and oher plan maerial rerieved from swamps may be idenified and provide daes used o inerpre pas climae. Several sudies of bogs and swamps in norhwesern New Jersey and norheasern Pennsylvania have esablished a daed pollen sraigraphy ha nearly goes back o he onse of deglaciaion. The pollen records he ransiion from undra wih sparse vegeaion, o an open parkland of sedge and grass wih scaered sands of spruce and fir. From abou 14,000 22

26 o 11,000 years ago a dense closed boreal fores developed ha consised largely of spruce and fir blankeing he uplands. This was followed by a period (11, 000 o 9,700 years ago) when pine became dominan. Abou 9,400 years ago oak became dominan and displaced he conifers, signaling he change from a boreal o a emperae climae. Masodon remains, excavaed from Showell Pond in Sokes Sae Fores show he presence of hese large mammals on Kiainny Mounain during he close of he Ice Age. They disappeared from his area abou 12,000 years ago, presumably because of a rapid change in climae and food source. ECONOMIC RESOURCES There has been limied economic use of he park s bedrock maerials. Minor lead and zinc deposis occur in quarz veins ha crosscu bedding in he Shawangunk Formaion. The remnans of a formerly acive small mine are found in he souhern end of he park. A small shaf and dump piles are all ha remain. The park obains maerial for road and rail mainenance from wo small borrow pis in he High Poin Member of he Marinsburg Formaion. Souheas of he park, near he village of Newon, he Bushkill Member of he Marinsburg Formaion was formerly quarried for roofing slae and flagsone. 23

27 GEOLOGIC TOUR OF THE PARK The following secion is a self-guided geologic our of High Poin Sae Park. All locaions are shown on Plae 1 and in smaller maps in his secion. For each sop a brief descripion of he local geology is given. These sies were chosen because hey illusrae he park s geology and are easily accessible. Mos of hem are near roads, or well-marked rails. Please ake only phoographs and leave only fooprins so ha ohers may also enjoy he park in is naural sae. Please noe ha some park roads may be closed during winer. More informaion abou he geology a hese sops is found in he previous par of his bookle. Inerval/Cumulaive mileage 0.0 mile/0.0 mile Begin a NJ Sae Roue 23 and High Poin Sae Park Office driveway exi. 0.0 mi/0.0 mi Turn lef ono NJ 23. Bear righ immediaely, ener High Poin Sae Park. 0.2 mi/0.2 mi Toll booh. Turn righ immediaely ono Scenic Drive (one way). 0.3 mi/0.5 mi Sop 1. Park on small gravel pad on righ. Sop 1 Locaion - Por Jervis Souh quadrangle, main ridge of Kiainny Mounain, 1500 fee norh of Roue 23, eas side of Scenic Drive. Geology - Surficial - freeze-andhaw weahering, erraics, glacial scour, sriaions, and crescenic marks. Bedrock - Shawangunk Formaion, cross-bedding, and joins. N PICNIC PAVILLION PARK OFFICE 0 1/10 mile TO MONUMENT KUSER ROAD 0.5 mile park on gravel STOP 1 TOLL BOOTH 0.0 mile 23 TO MONUMENT SCENIC DRIVE crossbedding (ONE WAY) park freeze and haw 24

28 Explanaion - The overall sreamlined and smoohed rock surface, fain sriaions, and crescenic marks are producs of glacial erosion. The scraches and crescen-shaped marks on he oucrop eas of Scenic Drive, show ha he ice shee (Kiainny Valley lobe) flowed S 70 o W. Several angular o subangular boulders of conglomerae, glacially ranspored from nearby locaions, lie on he scoured rock surface. The many-sided paern oulined by vegeaion on he rock surface (fig. 14) follows joins and fracures in he bedrock. These feaures gradually widen over ime by he acion of freezing waer, and roo growh, evenually hey fill wih rock fragmens ha form a hin soil. The expansion of ice also breaks he rock apar along bedding surfaces as shown by he upward movemen and change in posiion of some join blocks (figure 14). 1 foo polygonal ouline of join-block boulder Figure 14. Sop 1: Oucrop of he Shawangunk Formaion showing many joins and join-block boulders. The Shawangunk Formaion here consiss of hin-o- hick layers of quarzie and conglomerae ha slope genly o he souheas, forming he easern limb of an anicline. Cross-bedding, visible on pars of he oucrop, consiss of hin, sacked, and curved layers (fig. 5). The orienaion of cross bedding shows he ancien river ha laid down hese deposis flowed in a norhweserly direcion. Excellen examples of cross-beds are exposed on he norhwes side of Scenic Drive on he slope jus below he road surface. 25

29 Oher Occurrences - Evidence of glacial scour, sriaions, and cresenic marks are found hroughou he park where bedrock is exposed. In some places weahering has roughened he rock surface, obscuring hese markings. The effecs of such weahering may be seen wherever bedrock is exposed, and cross-bedding can generally be observed a mos of he Shawangunk oucrops, and in he urbidie sequences in he Marinsburg Formaion. 0.0 mi/0.5 mi From Sop 1, coninue on Scenic Drive. 0.4 mi/0.9 mi Sop 2. Park on righ on gravel road leading o picnic ables. Sop 2 Locaion - Por Jervis Souh quadrangle, main ridge of Kiainny Mounain, 4000 fee norh of Roue 23, eas side of Scenic Drive. Geology Surficial - Small boulder field, and mechanical weahering. Bedrock - Shawangunk Formaion. Explanaion - The small, ovalshaped boulder field was produced by freezing and hawing. Mos of he boulders were dislodged from adjacen oucrops of he Shawangunk Formaion, and fell direcly downslope where hey were furher moved by creep. Over ime hey accumulaed a he base of he slope. Pars of he boulder field are collapsed. This shows ha some of he boulders may have previously fallen ono a small block of remnan ice. Some boulders form crude sone circles, and many have been reoriened o a near-verical posiion (ombsone orienaion), presumably by fros heave and ree growh. Many have also been spli apar by roo growh and by he expansion of freezing waer (fig. 15). The Shawangunk Formaion here dips souheasward and forms he easern limb of he same anicline seen a Sop 1. The norhwesdipping limb of he anicline lies on he wes side of Lake Marcia (fig. 6). The fold s core conains he Marinsburg Formaion, 26 TO MONUMENT N 0 2/10 mile 23 TOLL BOOTH PARK OFFICE 0.0 mile KUSER ROAD 0.4 mile SCENIC DRIVE (ONE WAY) STOP 1 TO MONUMENT STOP 2 PICNIC TABLES park on gravel park boulder field able able

30 1 foo fracure Figure 15. Sop 2: Spli boulder showing he effecs of freeze and haw along a fracure. which crops ou on he easern side of he parking lo and along he service road leading o he lake. Oher occurrences - Boulder fields are found hroughou he park in hree seings. The firs is in hollows, swales, and saddles along he main oucrop bel of he Shawangunk Formaion. Here hey ypically lie below large ou crops or above bedrock ha lies very close o he surface. Boulders in his seing are generally angular in shape, and may be as much as 25 fee long. The second place is in areas of hick ill, boulder fields form massive, oval-shaped accumulaions ha lie near he base of hillslopes, and more rarely hey occur on broad uplands where hey may have been deposied by he glacier. Boulders in his seing generally have a subrounded shape, heir corners worn down during glacial ranspor. Soring is common and many boulders form crude sone circles. The hird locaion where bouldery accumulaions are found is in small upland valleys and elongaed fields along hillslopes formed in places where melwaer washed over he ill leaving he heavier sones behind. Bedrock is folded hroughou he park (fig. 2), bu such folds are no easily observed because of heir large size. They are bes noed when passing hrough he park in a norhwes-souheas direcion, 27

31 across he rend of he mounain. 0.0 mi/0.9 mi From Sop 2, coninue on Scenic Drive. 0.3 mi/1.2 mi Turn righ ono Monumen Drive. 0.4 mi/1.6 mi High Poin Monumen parking area. Park and walk o Sops 3 and 4. Sop 3 Locaion - Por Jervis Souh quadrangle, Kiainny Mounain, High Poin Monumen. Geology - Panoramic view of New Jersey Highlands, Kiainny Valley, Kiainny Mounain, Shawangunk Mounains, Caskill Mounains, Minisink Valley, Pocono Plaeau. N fee CONCESSION REST ROOMS PARKING Explanaion View o he souhwes along he curving ridge line of Kiainny Mounain (fig. 16). STOP 3 (NW) STOP 3 (SW) HIGH POINT MON. STOP 3 (NE) STOP 3 (E) TO 23 MONUMENT DRIVE The large, high ridge ha forms he spine of Kiainny Mounain is underlain by ough quarzie and conglomerae of he Shawangunk Formaion. The lower area wes of he ridge is underlain by less resisan red shale and sandsone of he Bloomsburg Red Beds, and several of he smaller hills in his area are drum lins. Because he Shawangunk Formaion is highly resisan o weahering and erosion, i sands ou in greaer relief han he area on is flanks, which is underlain by sofer rocks. The small noch near he ridge s midpoin is Culvers Gap, which was cu by an ancesral sream of he Rarian or Delaware Rivers. View o he eas across Kiainny Valley. The uplands visible across Kiainny Valley include Pochuck Mounain, Moun Adam, Moun Eve, and he New Jersey Highlands. These areas are all chiefly underlain by granie and gneiss, rocks 28

32 Culvers Gap Figure 16. Sop 3: Visa from High Poin Monumen looking souhwesward along he curving ridgeline of Kiainny Mounain. The small noch along he midline of he ridge is Culvers Gap. ha are more han 570 million years. Kiainny Valley forms he broad lowland beween he Highlands and Kiainny Mounain. Is upper par is drained by he Wallkill River, which flows norhward and empies ino he Hudson River jus souh of Kingson, New York. Is lower par is drained by he Peques River and Paulins Kill, which flows souhwes o he Delaware River. The valley is underlain by slae and sandsone of he Marinsburg Formaion and limesone and dolomie of he Kiainny Supergroup. The higher ridges and hills in he valley are underlain by slae and sandsone, which are more resisan o weahering han limesone and dolomie. Overall, he rocks ha underlie Kiainny Valley are much less resisan o weahering and erosion han he rocks ha underlie he New Jersey Highlands and Kiainny Mounain. View o he norheas along he curving ridge line of Kia inny Mounain. The broad upland a norheas end of ridge is he Shawangunk Mounains. The Caskill Mounains, which can be seen only on a very clear day, form a high, jagged upland wes of he Shawangunks. 29

33 View norhwes across Minisink Valley o he Pocono Plaeau. The uneven upland in he disance is he Pocono Plaeau, an area underlain by genly-norhwes-dipping, limesone, shale, and sandsone. Exensive erosion of hese rocks over millions of years has creaed a rugged landscape ha remains largely unculivaed. The Delaware River drains souheasward from he Pocono Plaeau o he owns of Maamoras, Pennsylvania, and Por Jervis, New York. Here he river eners Minisink Valley, makes a righ-angle urn and coninues is course o he souhwes. Sop 4 Locaion - Por Jervis Souh quadrangle, Kiainny Mounain, norheas side of High Poin Monumen. N fee CONCESSION REST ROOMS PARKING Geology - Surficial - Glacial erosion, sriaions, crescenic marks, polishing, roche mouonnées, and plucking. Bedrock - Shawangunk Formaion. Explanaion - Excellen examples of sriaions can be seen on he TO 23 glacially polished rock surface (fig. 17) norheas of he monumen. They consis of sraigh scraches and larger grooves ha show he glacier flowed souh 85 o wes o due wes. Crescenic marks (fig. 18) are also well developed; hey show a similar direcion of ice flow. The weserly direcion of ice flow exhibied here shows ha hese glacial markings were made near he glacier margin where ice flow was conrolled by he lobae geomery of he Kiainny Valley lobe. In places weahering has oblieraed he sriaions and roughened he polished rock surface. This suggess ha hese feaures were once covered by hin ill, which may have lessened he effecs of weahering. Laer, he ill was sripped by erosion. When viewed from a disance he rock oucrops have a sreamlined and asymmerical, 30 STOP 4 HIGH POINT MON. MONUMENT DRIVE

34 bronze survey disk sriaions pencil (for scale), parallel o sriaion FIgure 17. Sop 4: Sriaions on he Shawangunk formaion jus norh of he monumen. They show ha ice flowed wesward (oward op of phoo) across Kiainny mounain. pencil (for scale) direcion of ice flow crescenic marks Figure 18. Sop 4: Crescenic marks (a few highlighed on phoo) on he Shawangunk Formaion jus norh of he monumen. They show a similar direcion of glacial flow as nearby sriaions. 31

35 smoohed shape. On he downsream side (wes and souhwes), rock has been removed by glacial plucking and quarrying. On he upsream side (eas and norheas sides), rock has been removed by abrasion. This gives he oucrop a characerisic sheepback or whaleback shape called a roche mononnée. The Shawangunk Formaion here dips souheasward and forms he easern limb of an arch or anicline, he same one as ha described a Sops1 and 2. The seeper dip of he rock layers, he whie quarz veins ha cu across he bedding, and some small fauls show ha he rock here has been more srongly deformed han hose a he previous sops. Oher occurrences - Mos rock oucrops in he park show he effecs of glacial erosion. Sriaions and crescenic marks are bes preserved where he rock reains is glacial polish. Quarz veins and small fauls are found in he beds ha were ighly ben during folding and in beds ha were overurned. 0.0 mi/1.6 mi From Sops 3 and 4, exi parking area via Monumen Drive. 0.5 mi/2.1 mi Turn righ, follow sign o Dryden Kuser Naural Area. 0.3 mi/2.4 mi Gae. Park on paved area on righ. Walk o Sop 5. Sop 5 Locaion - Por Jervis Souh quadrangle, Cedar Swamp, Dryden Naural Area. Park in area near locked gae. Proceed norheas abou 1200 fee along abandoned road o plaque jus beyond pillars. Here Kuser Trail may be raveled o bypass he swamp, or for a shorer roue follow he boardwalk cuoff. The abandoned road cus hrough an area of hin ill and bedrock oucrop. Many of he oucrops exhibi evidence of glacial erosion in heir overall sreamlined form and lighly weahered surfaces. The base of he seep slope eas of he road and swamp is covered by a hin narrow apron of alus. Geology - Surficial - Swamp deposis, ill, alus. Bedrock - Numerous oucrops of Shawangunk Formaion. 32

36 Explanaion - Cedar Swamp occupies a norh-draining valley eroded by glacial ice along he hinge line of an aniclinal axis in he Shawangunk Formaion. During rerea of he las ice shee abou 18,000 years ago, a small glacial lake flooded his valley, is waers draining wesward across a low bedrock-floored oule. Furher glacial rerea uncovered a lower oule norh of he area now marked by he New Jersey - New York Sae line. During his ime, he lake drained norheasward over a plug of hick ill. Is waer level lowered by as much as 20 fee, bu i did no compleely drain. The lake persised well ino recen ime before decayed vegeaion filled i in, forming a swamp. The bouldery area along he swamp s modern oule is called a lag deposi. I was formed by he small sream ha drained he lake, which eroded he fine-grained sedimen from he ill i was flowing over, leaving behind he heavier sones. The lower par of he slope on he eas side of he swamp consiss of a hin layer of ill. In a few places, bedrock is very close o he surface, as shown by irregular areas of angular boulders. Large oucrops of Shawangunk Formaion form he upper par of he slope. These rocks dip o he souheas, and below hem lies a narrow apron of conglomerae and quarzie alus. Bedding on he lower par of he hillslope dips norhwesward, which shows ha he alus apron conceals an aniclinal fold axis. Figure 19 shows he change in fores cover around High Poin from he close of he las ice age o he presen; a period of 11,000 years. I is based on a pollen diagram of a core rerieved from Cedar Swamp. The lower par of he record shows ha spruce and pine formed he dominan fores cover. The high percenage of spruce, which favors a climae much cooler han ha now presen a High Poin, shows ha he fores cover 10,000 years ago was similar o he presenday foress of norhern Maine and souhern Canada. Higher up in he record, a rise in he percenage of oak, accompanied by decreasing pine and disappearance of spruce, record he ransiion o a emperae fores of mixed hardwoods dominaed by oak. The predominance of oak a he 14-foo deph (~7500 years ago) suggess 33 TO 23 K U S E R N A T U R A L A R E A N CEDAR SWAMP RD KUSER RD TRAIL PICNIC AREA PICNIC AREA S W A M P PLAQUE PILLAR GATE PARKING TO MONUMENT C E D A R STOP 5 PILLAR BOARD WALK KUSER TRAIL 0 2/10 mile

37 Age (years ago) Deph (fee) Dominan Fores Cover Climae warmer cooler presen surface 10-19% Explanaion 1, % 10-19% 2, % 10-19% Oak 3, % 20-49% 10-19% Chesnu 4, % % Birch 5, % % 6, % 10-19% Hemlock 7, % Pine 8, % 10-19% 9, % 20-49% 10-19% Spruce 10, % 20-49% Cedar Figure 19. Sop 5: Fores succession around Cedar Swamp, High Poin Sae Park, during he las 10,000 years. Dominan rees and percenages are based on a percen-pollen diagram consruced by William A. Neiring, in The Pas and Presen Vegeaion Of High Poin Sae Park, New Jersey in Ecological Monographs, April, 1953, v. 23, p Relaive climae change is esimaed on he percenage of cold- oleran vs. emperae-oleran species of ree. 34

38 a warmer and dry climae, whereas he appearance of hemlock shorly hereafer records he change o a cooler and moiser period during he middle par of he Holocene. The upper par of he diagram is marked by several climaic cycles. The co-dominance of oak and chesnu, boh warmer-emperaure oleran species, a he 2-foo level probably represens a warmer period, whereas he re-emergence of birch and hemlock may indicae a shif o cooler and possibly moiser condiions. The upper par of he record also shows an increase in he diversiy of codominan rees. This may be explained by he closing or filling of he lake basin by dead vegeaion, hereby creaing a more suiable habia for cedar and oher rees. Pollen colleced near he swamp s surface also reflec deforesaion by man during he 19 h and 20 h cenuries. Oher occurrences - Swamps are found hroughou he park and occupy various seings. The larges ones are in he wesern side of he park, in areas underlain by hick ill. Smaller swamps occupy glacially-eroded valleys and small basins cu in bedrock. Mos of hese are in he easern side of he park where he Shawangunk Formaion forms he major ridges of Kiainny Mounain. Elsewhere, small swamps have formed in small depressions ha were formerly occupied by sagnan ice blocks. These feaures are called keles and hey are common on moraines. Broad folds in bedrock occur hroughou he park (fig. 2). They are bes noed when raversing he park in a norhwes-souheas direcion, or across he rend of he mounain. When hiking, ry o find places where he dip of he rock layers changes from norhwes o souheas or souheas o norhwes. ALong his change in dip direcion a fold axis exiss. 0.0 mi/2.4 mi From Sop 5 parking area, urn around and ravel oward Monumen Drive. 0.3 mi/2.7 mi Bear righ a yield sign. Turn righ immediaely, follow sign o Inerpreive Cener. 0.1 mi/2.8 mi Monumen Trail (red/green rail) on righ. 0.1 mi/2.9 mi Circle Inerpreive Cener. Park in fron. Walk o Sop 6. 35

39 TO MONUMENT Sop 6 Locaion - Por Jervis Souh quadangle, inersecion of Monumen and Seeny Kill Lake rails, abou 1.2 miles norh of Roue 23. Park in he driveway on he norh side of he Inerpreive Cener near enrance o Monumen Trail. Walk norheas on rail (red/ green blazes) o Seeny Kill Lake rail (blue blazes) Geology - Surficial - boulder fields, erraics, glacially-scoured rock. Bedrock - Shawangunk Formaion, cross-bedding. NO BRIDGE STEENY KILL LAKE 0 2/10 mile Explanaion - The firs 1000 fee of Monumen Trail follows he rocky cres of a lower, secondary ridge on Kiainny Mounain. Glacially-scoured Shawangunk crops ou on he wes side of he rail. N STEENY KILL TRAIL boulder field park on driveway INTERPRETIVE CENTER TO 23 BLUE STEPS STEPS LAKE MARCIA KUSER RD STEPS RD/GN MONUMENT TRAIL STOP 6 GATE CEDAR SWAMP RD 1 foo Figure 20. Sop 6: Quarz-pebble conglomerae erraic (Shawangunk Formaion) along Monumen Trail. 36

40 Glacial erosion has given hese rocks an overall smoohed shape. Abou 400 fee from he rail s enrance lies a glacially ranspored Shawangunk boulder (fig. 20). The seep hillslope above sop 6 is covered wih many boulders. Some of hese were derived from fros-shaered bedrock ha lies jus beneah he bouldery manle. Oher boulders, based on heir subrounded shape, have been glacially ranspored. For hose who are more advenurous, he Seeny Kill Lake Trail provides a moderae hike down o he Seeny Kill Lake moraine, ending on he norh shore of he lake. 0.0 mi/2.9 mi From Sop 6 parking area, exi and urn righ. 0.1 mi/3.0 mi Turn righ a yield sign. 0.4 mi/3.4 mi Turn lef ino beach parking area. Park and walk o Sop 7. Sop 7 Locaion - Por Jervis Souh quadrangle, Eas shore of Lake Marcia. TO MONUMENT L A K E M A R C I A Geology - Surficial Talus. Bedrock - Shawangunk Formaion. Explanaion - The rock rubble (alus) ha borders he eas shore of Lake Marcia consiss of angular Shawangunk boulders ha were dislodged from rock oucrops by fros shaering, and over ime accumulaed a he base of he hillslope. KUSER RD TO 23 PARKING REST ROOMS B E A C H N STOP 7 BATH HOUSE AND CONCESSION fee This sop is jus eas of boundary beween he Shawangunk and he Marinsburg Formaions. The Marinsburg Formaion forms he core of an arch or anicline, and he Shawangunk Formaion overlies i. Erosion of he ougher rock of he Shawangunk Formaion exposed he sofer and more easily eroded Marinsburg Formaion forming a small valley where he lake lies. 37

41 Oher occurrences Throughou he park, alus, made up chiefly of boulders from he Shawangunk Formaion, blankes he base of cliffs and seep hillslopes. 0.0 mi/3.4 mi From Sop 7 parking area, exi and urn lef. 0.4 mi/3.8 mi Toll booh. 0.1 mi/3.9 mi Bear righ ono NJ 23, follow sign o Por Jervis. 0.4 mi/4.3 mi Turn lef, follow sign o Sawmill and Park Ridge Roads. 0.1 mi/4.4 mi Turn righ ono Park Ridge Road. 2.3 mi/6.7 mi Sop 8. Park on righ beyond Shimers Brook bridge. Sop 8 Locaion - Por Jervis Souh quadrangle, Ridge Road. Geology Surficial -Recessional moraine, drumlins, and swamp deposis. Explanaion - In his par of he park, hick deposis of ill cover he Bloomsburg Red Beds, masking he opography of he buried rock surface. This par of Kiainny Mounain lies along a hick bel of glacial drif ha exends norheasward from Culvers Gap o he New Jersey-New York boundary. Many of he hills in his bel are drumlins. They are elongaed in a direcion parallel o glacier flow and formed where he glacier sreamlined pre-exising surficial maerial or molded ill a is base. Drumlins in he park rend due souh o souh 15 o wes, a direcion much more souh erly han showed by nearby sriaions. This suggess he drumlins were made when he ice was much hicker, and is flow no as conrolled by opography as i was when he sriaions were made. park here STATE PARK BDY STOP 8 PARK Shimers Bk swamp 2.3 miles 23 RIDGE RD cres of Augusa Moraine 0.0 mile N TO MON PARK OFFICE 0 1/2 mile SAWMILL RD TO SAWMILL RD 38

42 The many swamps and poorly-drained areas are ypical of consrucional glaciaed landscapes. Thick ill deposied in drumlins, ground moraine, and recessional moraine has compleely buried he preglacial surface concealing former sream courses. Upon deglaciaion, surface waer, which had formerly flowed off he mounain in a well defined nework of sreams, became rapped in he many depressions, lakes, and ponds ha doed pars of he mounain. As ime passed, sreams expanded heir drainage areas slowly by headward erosion. Alhough more han 18,000 years have passed since he las ice shee lef, he land reains is glacial imprin. Souh of sop 8, Park Ridge Road follows he cres of he Augusa moraine for abou a mile. Morainal opography is well ex pressed along his srech of he road. The wo large swamps on eiher side of he moraine are former glacial lakes, now filled wih sedimen and decayed vegeaion. The lakes formed when he glacier margin rereaed norhward from he Augusa and Monague moraines, ponding melwaer in he low area beween he fron of he ice shee and he moraines. The low area beween he wo swamps is an erosional channel cu by melwaer ha spilled over a low area on he moraine. This sream was oo small o move he larger sones and a lag deposi formed. Oher occurrences - Recessional moraines are found hroughou he park. They include he Augusa, Monague, and Seeny Kill Lake moraines (plae 1) and hey represen places where he rereaing margin of he ice shee haled long enough o build a low ridge of ill. 0.0 mi/6.7 mi From Sop 8, coninue souh on Park Ridge Road. 2.0 mi/8.7 mi Sop 9. Park on lef before Parkers Brook bridge. 39

43 Sop 9 TO 23 TO mile STOP 8 Locaion - Por Jervis Souh quadrangle. Ridge Road, 3400 fee norhwes of he inersecion of Ridge and Sawmill Roads Geology Surficial - Melwaer channel, boulder-lag deposis, and modern sream deposis. Explanaion - Many small valleys and ravines in he park were cu by sreams discharging from he Shimers Bk meling ice shee. In many places, melwaer channels do no conain modern sreams, and in oher places he modern sreams are underfi (oo small o have eroded he valley in which hey lie). Typically hese channels are floored by bouldery lag deposis, and he modern alluvium only occupies a small par of he valley floor. In some places, bouldery erraces ha are higher han he presen floor of he channel show he former locaion of melwaer sreams and he margin of he ice shee. Norh of he Monague moraine, melwaer channels parallel he course of he moraine and hey delineae he former posiions of he glacier margin as i rereaed norhward. Melwaer sreams also carried sedimen from Kiainny Mounain down o Fla Brook and Clove Brook valleys where he maerial was deposied in ice-conac delas and ouwash fans. Oher occurrences - Melwaer channels are found hroughou he park in areas underlain by hick ill, especially in fron of he recessional moraines. 0.0 mi/8.7 mi From Sop 9, coninue on Ridge Road. 0.8 mi/9.5 mi Turn lef ono Sawmill Road. 3.3 mi/12.8 mi Turn righ ono NJ mi/13.2 mi End a High Poin Sae Park Office driveway. STATE PARK BDY PARK RIDGE RD STOP 9 Parker Bk 2.0 mi park here bouldery errace SAWMILL RD N 0 1/2 mile TO

44 Glossary alluvial fan - A low, relaively fla o genly sloping mass of loose rock maerial, shaped like an open fan or a segmen of a cone, deposied by a ribuary sream a a marked flaening in gradien such as where a sream leaves a mounainous area and eners a plain. anicline - A fold, generally convex upward, of which he core or cenral par conains older rocks. bedding - The arrangemen of a sedimenary rock in beds or layers of varying hickness and characer. bedrock - A general erm for he consolidaed (solid) rock ha underlies soil or oher unconsolidaed surficial maerial. boreal - Peraining o he norh, or locaed in norhern regions. braided sream - A sream ha divides ino or follows an inerlacing or angled nework of several small branching and reuniing shallow channels separaed from each oher by branch islands or channel bars, resembling in plan he srands of a complex braid. carbonae - A sedimen formed by he organic or inorganic precipiaion from aqueous soluion of carbonaes of calcium and magnesium or a rock consising chiefly of carbonae minerals, such as limesone, or dolomie. cher - A hard, very finegrained, exremely dense, dull o glassy, crysalline sedimenary rock, consising dominanly of inerlocking crysals of quarz. Cordilleran ice shee - Pleisocene ice shee in wesern Norh America ha covered he norhern pars of he Rocky Mounains, Cascade Mounains, and Coasal Ranges exending ino Alaska. conglomerae - A coarsegrained sedimenary rock, composed of rounded o subangular fragmens larger han 2 mm in diameer (granules, pebbles, cobbles, boulders) se in a fine-grained mixure of sand or sil, and commonly cemened by calcium carbonae, iron oxide, silica, or hardened clay; he consolidaed equivalen of gravel. cross-bed - A single sedimenary layer, inclined a an angle o he main planes of bedding in a body of rock or unconsolidaed deposi. deglaciaion - The uncovering of a land area from beneah a glacier or ice shee by he wihdrawal of ice due o shrinkage by meling and evaporaion. densiy curren - A graviy-induced flow of one or more currens of varying densiies over, hrough, or under anoher curren. dip - The angle ha a srucur- 41

45 al surface, ha is, a bedding or faul plane, makes wih a horizonal plane. dolomie - A carbonae sedimenary rock of which more han 50 percen consiss of calcium magnesium carbonae. end moraine - A ridge-like accumulaion of glacial drif formed a he margin of an acively flowing glacier. formaion - A body of rock idenified by color, mineralogic composiion, grain size and sraigraphic posiion ha is mappable or raceable. freeze and haw - The mechanical weahering of rock caused by repeaed cycles of freezing and hawing of waer in pores, cracks, and oher openings, usually a he surface. gneiss - A coarse-grained, foliaed meamorphic rock marked by bands of ligh-colored minerals such as quarz and feldspar ha alernae wih bands of dark-colored minerals. granie - A ligh-colored, coarse grained, inrusive igneous rock composed of quarz, feldspar, and mica. Holocene - An epoch of Quaernary period ; 10,000 years ago o presen ime. knob-and-kele opography - An irregular landscape in which an assemblage of knolls, mounds, or ridges of glacial drif is inerspersed wih irregular depressions, pis, or keles ha are commonly undrained and may conain swamps or ponds. Laurenide ice shee - Pleisocene ice shee ha covered mos of norhern Norh America eas of he Rocky Mounains. limesone - A sedimenary rock consising chiefly of calcium carbonae, primarily in he form of he mineral calcie. mass wasing - A general erm for he dislodgemen and downslope ranspor of soil and rock maerials. masodon - One of a group of exinc, elephan-like mammals widely disribued in he Norhern Hemisphere from abou 34 million o 10,000 years ago. mechanical weahering - The process by which a rock or mineral is broken down ino smaller fragmens wihou alering is chemical makeup; weahering ha affecs only physical characerisics. member - A geologic uni of subordinae rank, comprising some specially developed par of a geologic formaion. Mesozoic - An era of geologic ime, from he end of he Paleozoic o he beginning of he Cenozoic, or from abou 225 o abou 65 million years ago. orogeny - The processes of mounain formaion relaed o he convergence of crusal plaes. Permian - The las period of he Paleozoic era; hough o 42

46 have covered he span of ime beween 280 and 225 million years ago. Pleisocene - An epoch of he Quaernary period, afer he Pliocene of he Teriary and before he Holocene; corresponding o he cyclic growh and decay of coninenal glaciers in he norhern hemisphere. I began abou wo million years ago and lased unil he sar of he Holocene some 10, 000 years ago. Also known as he Ice Age. pollen - The mulicelled spermcarrying reproducive bodies of seed plans enclosed in a proecive case (microspore wall). Fossil pollen consiss enirely of he microspore wall. Proerozoic - The more recen of wo grea divisions of he Precambrian from abou 1200 o 550 million years ago quarzie - A very hard slighly meamorphosed or unmeamorphosed sandsone, consising chiefly of quarz grains ha have been so compleely recrysallized and solidly cemened wih secondary silica ha he rock breaks across or hrough he grains raher han around hem. rejuvenaion - The acion of simulaing a sream o renew erosive aciviy, as by uplif or by a drop of sea level. ridge-and-kele opography An irregular landscape formed on end moraines in which an assemblage of oval-shaped knolls and mounds, or ridges of glacial drif is inerspersed wih oval- o irregularly-shaped depressions, roughs, or keles. rif - A long, narrow coninenal rough or valley ha is bounded by normal fauls. I marks a zone along which he enire hickness of he lihosphere has rupured under exension. roche mouonnee - A small elongae proruding knob or hillock of bedrock, so sculpured by a large glacier as o have is long axis oriened in he direcion of ice movemen, an upsream (soss or scour) side ha is genly inclined, smoohly rounded, and sriaed, and a downsream (lee or pluck) side ha is seep, and rough. sandsone - A medium-grained sedimenary rock composed of abundan rounded or angular fragmens of sand se in a fine-grained marix (sil or clay) and more or less firmly unied by a cemening maerial (commonly silica, iron oxide, or calcium carbonae); he consolidaed equivalen of sand. shale - A fine-grained sedimenary rock, formed by clay, sil, or mud. I is characerized by finely laminaed srucure ha parallels bedding, along which he rock breaks readily ino hin layers; he consolidaed equivalen of mud. silsone A fine-grained sedimenary rock formed by sil and having he exure and composiion of shale bu lacking is fine laminaion. 43

47 surficial Unconsolidaed, residual, alluvial, or glacial deposis lying on bedrock or occurring on or near he Earh s surface. syncline - A fold, generally concave upward, of which he core or cenral par conains younger rocks. alus - Rock fragmens of variable size or shape (usually coarse and angular) derived from and lying a he base of a cliff or very seep, rocky slope. urbidie - A sedimen or rock deposied from, or inferred o have been deposied from, a urbidiy curren. weahering - The desrucive process or group of processes by which rocks and minerals a or near he Earh s surface are broken down by physical disinegraion and chemical decomposiion, wih lile or no ranspor of he loosened or alered maerial. econic - Said of or peraining o he forces involved in, or he resuling srucures of he ouer par of he Earh relaed o he movemen of is crusal plaes. erminal moraine - The end moraine ha marks he farhes advance or maximum exen of a glacier. opography - The general configuraion of he Earh s surface, such as is mounains, valleys, and he shapes of landforms, ha characerizes a given landscape. Trace fossil - Fossilized rack, rail, burrow, or ube resuling from he movemen of an animal. Triassic - The firs period of he Mesozoic, hough o have covered he span of ime beween 225 and 190 million years ago. undra - A reeless, level or genly undulaing plain characerisic of arcic and subarcic regions. 44

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51 Years Ago 1 Geologic Time Scale Eon Era Period Epoch Geology, Life, and Environmen 0 o 10,000 10,000 o 1.8 million 1.8 o 66 million 66 o 146 million 146 o 200 million 200 o 251 million 251 o 299 million 299 o 359 million 359 o 416 million 416 o 444 million 444 o 488 million 488 o 542 million 542 o 2500 million PHANEROZOIC PROTEROZOIC 3 CENOZOIC MESOZOIC PALEOZOIC QUATERNARY TERTIARY CRETACEOUS JURASSIC TRIASSIC PERMIAN PENNSYLVANIAN 2 MISSISSIPPIAN 2 DEVONIAN SILURIAN ORDOVICIAN CAMBRIAN Neoproerozoic Mesoproerozoic Paleoproerozoic 3 Also called Precambian, a non-specific ime erm. Lae Early Lae Middle Early Lae Middle Early Lae Early Lae Middle Early Lae Early Lae Middle Early Lae Middle Early Lae Middle Early Lae Middle Early Heyday of dinosaurs, perosaurs and marine repiles unil heir exincion a end of period. Firs flowering plans. Earlies birds appear. Gian dinosaurs (sauropods) flourish. Plans: ferns, cycads and ginkos. Age of dinosaurs begins. Firs mammals. Mollusks are dominan inverebrae. Age of Amphibians. Pangea forms. Greaes mass exincion ever. Trilobies go exinc. Widespread coal swamps. Firs winged insecs and repiles. Many ferns and amphibians. Age of Fishes. Firs shark. Many diverse land plans. Earlies amphibians, ferns and mosses. Firs insecs, jawed fish,vascular land plans. Firs corals, moss. Primaive fish, fungi and sea- Marinsburg Formaion High Poin Member Ramseyburg Member Bushkill Member weed. Age of Trilobies. Cambrian explosion of life occurs. Firs verebraes. Earlies fish. Firs shells appear. Cold climae wih hree episodes of glaciaion in lae Proerozoic. Firs sof-bodied inverebraes and colonial algae. Oxygen build-up in amosphere during Mesoproerozoic. Neoarchean Life appears. Firs baceria and 2500 o Mesoarchean blue-green algae begin freeing 4600 million oxygen o Earh s amosphere. Paleoarchean Earh molen. Eoarchean Sun and planes form. Shading indicaes ha geologic deposis from hese ime periods are presen a High Poin Sae Park. 1 Gradsein, F.M. and ohers, 2004, A Geologic Time Scale: Cambridge Universiy Press, 589 p. 2 Pennsylvanian and Mississippian comprise he Carboniferous Sysem. ARCHEAN 3 Holocene Climae change from boreal (cold) Modern Pleisocene Norhern New o emperae (mild). humans Jersey glaciaed a leas 3 imes. evolve. Pliocene Firs large mammals appear. Miocene Abundan mammals; firs Oligocene hominids. Grasses and modern Eocene birds appear. Paleocene Lower limi of Eoarchean is no currenly defined. Esimaed o be 4600 million years. Bloomsburg Red Beds Shawangunk Formaion million-year gap esimaed in geologic record a High Poin Sae Park Rocks of hese ages are no found a (or near) he surface a High Poin Sae Park. They may be a deph.