Hudson River: a Detailed and Comprehensive Geological History
Contents
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..2 Hudson River Formation……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..5 Hudson Canyon…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………12 Glacial History…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..14 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………17 Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………18 Maps & Diagrams…..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….19 Hudson Canyon……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..19 Geological Processes……………………………………………………………………………………………………….22
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Introduction
In 1872, a naturalist and surveyor by the name of Verplanck Colvin found the source of the Hudson River. It is a small pond on the south western slope of Mt. Marcy, the highest peak in the Adirondacks, called Lake Tear of the Clouds. So little is Lake Tear of the Clouds that if no water was to feed it for seven days it would be reduced to just an empty basin. Nevertheless, the Hudson starts right in its waters. One could say the Hudson River is divided into two distinct sections differentiated by geology and appearance. The first section winds its way through the Adirondack Mountains spanning 166 miles from Lake Tear of the Clouds to the Federal Dam in Troy. This section is un-navigable by boat and in some places somewhat rapid. The second section, which is quite different from the first, starts at the Federal Dam and runs for 149 miles through the “rolling hills” all the way to the Narrows between Brooklyn and Staten Island. Back up north at Lake Tear of the Clouds is fed by natural springs and runoff from the sheer steepness of Mt. Marcy and other streams winding down from the high peaks of the Adirondacks. Throughout the whole Adirondack mountain range, the watershed drains and dumps runoff from 3,400 foot peaks into the lowlands less than 410 feet above sea level. From Lake Tear of the Clouds [in the space of a mile] the river drops 1,000 feet down a deep trench
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..2 Hudson River Formation……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..5 Hudson Canyon…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………12 Glacial History…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..14 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………17 Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………18 Maps & Diagrams…..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….19 Hudson Canyon……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..19 Geological Processes……………………………………………………………………………………………………….22
1|Page
Introduction
In 1872, a naturalist and surveyor by the name of Verplanck Colvin found the source of the Hudson River. It is a small pond on the south western slope of Mt. Marcy, the highest peak in the Adirondacks, called Lake Tear of the Clouds. So little is Lake Tear of the Clouds that if no water was to feed it for seven days it would be reduced to just an empty basin. Nevertheless, the Hudson starts right in its waters. One could say the Hudson River is divided into two distinct sections differentiated by geology and appearance. The first section winds its way through the Adirondack Mountains spanning 166 miles from Lake Tear of the Clouds to the Federal Dam in Troy. This section is un-navigable by boat and in some places somewhat rapid. The second section, which is quite different from the first, starts at the Federal Dam and runs for 149 miles through the “rolling hills” all the way to the Narrows between Brooklyn and Staten Island. Back up north at Lake Tear of the Clouds is fed by natural springs and runoff from the sheer steepness of Mt. Marcy and other streams winding down from the high peaks of the Adirondacks. Throughout the whole Adirondack mountain range, the watershed drains and dumps runoff from 3,400 foot peaks into the lowlands less than 410 feet above sea level. From Lake Tear of the Clouds [in the space of a mile] the river drops 1,000 feet down a deep trench