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Rocky Neck State Park is located on the shore of Long Island Sound in East Lyme Connecticut Rocky Neck.

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Presentation on theme: "Rocky Neck State Park is located on the shore of Long Island Sound in East Lyme Connecticut Rocky Neck."— Presentation transcript:

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2 Rocky Neck State Park is located on the shore of Long Island Sound in East Lyme Connecticut Rocky Neck

3 Known by Native Americans and Colonists for its abundance of wildlife and fish The park was first founded in 1931 710 acres were set aside for: beach goers on its rock free white beaches and it clear waters Hikers to walk on many of its diverse trails trough caves and scenic salt marshes Campers to use one of its 160 campsites Bird watchers to observe many of species such as Cranes, Herons, Swans, and Osprey that utilize Bride Brook salt marsh

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5 Rocky Neck has many geological formations that represent both glacial and tectonic activity.

6 450-250 million years ago (Paleozoic era) several crustal plates including Avalonia (island in Atlantic) Africa and Eurasia collide into the Proto North America plate closing the Lapetos Ocean Collision caused metamorphic changes in the rock causing folding and the creation of the Appalachian mountains 235 million years (Mesozoic era) plate tectonics had reversed and the super continent known as Pangaea started to break apart causing rift basins to form along the break up Avalonia stayed attached to North America (southeast Ct) Proto North America Avalonia Rift Valley

7 Metamorphic Rock- Is transformation of one rock type into another as a result of exposure of intense heat or pressure and forms compressed mineral layers Compressed layers of Granitic Gneiss

8 Tectonic activity compressed the land forming ridges running north and south through out the park forming crescent shaped beaches West Headland East Headland Crescent Beach

9 When the land is compressed near the coast line salt marshes often fill in the valley West ridge East ridge Salt Marsh

10 Compression of plates has resulted rocks to metamorphosis and fold under pressure and heat

11 Potter Hill Granitic gneiss Streaks of pink granite Other Minerals Pink-Orange Feldspar Quartz Granite Tourmaline Biotite Potter Hill

12 Granitic gneiss Metamorphic rock, formed from intense heat and pressure during formation Banded texture of elongated mierals Granitic gneiss

13 Pegmatite veins in granitic gneiss rock found on Potter Hill Formed under less pressure and heat Pegmatite vein

14 More ridges as a result of compression from east to west Woodland environment West ridgeEast ridge

15 24,000 years ago Connecticut was covered by glacier For 5,000 years the glacial boundary stayed over Connecticut containing large amounts of loose sediments, sand, rocks, and clay which form terminal moraines marking the furthest boundary of the glacier

16 Glacial till consists of loose sediments rocks, sand, and clay covered much of CTs coastal bedrock Glacial Till

17 Rocks, sand, and clay make up the terminal moraines marking the glaciers boundary and formed: Long Island, Block Island, Marthas Vineyard, Nantucket, and Cape Cod Glacial direction N S Long Island

18 Glacial Boulders Are moved from the north during glacial movement south Glacial Boulders

19 Glacial polishing on Potter Hill As the glacier glides over the rock the ice acts like sandpaper, scratching the bedrock Glacial polishing

20 Local rock was carved to make the pavilion

21 http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=32510 8&depNav_GID=1650 (2008) http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=32510 8&depNav_GID=1650

22 Write a paragraph describing how tectonic activity has shaped Rocky Neck State Park In your paragraph explain two sources of evidence of tectonic activity at the park Write a paragraph describing how glacial activity has shaped Rock Neck State Park In your paragraph explain two sources of evidence of tectonic activity at the park


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