TheCatskills Standards-basedlessonsthatpromoteappreciation andstewardshipoftheuniquenaturalandcultural resourcesoftheCatskillMountainregion. ModuleII: GeographyandGeology oftheCatskills TheCatskills ModuleII:GeographyandGeology oftheCatskills TheCatskills ASenseofPlace Standards-basedlessonsthatpromoteappreciation andstewardshipoftheuniquenaturalandcultural resourcesoftheCatskillMountainregion. ModuleII: GeographyandGeology oftheCatskills Compiledandportionswrittenby AaronBennett,AmeriCorpsEducator NathanChronister,DirectorofEducation MarieEllenbogen,AmeriCorpsEducator TheCatskillCenterforConservationandDevelopment,Inc. Arkville,NewYork ThispublicationwasmadepossiblewithfundsfromTheCatskillWatershedCorporation inpartnershipwiththeNewYorkCityDepartmentofEnvironmentalProtectionandwas fundedinpartbyNYSCouncilontheArts,theBayFoundation,theDorrFoundation,the A.LindsayandOliveB.O'ConnorFoundation,andtheSchermanFoundation. ©2000TheCatskillCenterforConservationandDevelopment,Inc. Geography & Geology The human geography and the geology of the Catskill Mountains are among the things that make the region unique within New York State. Geography and geology allow us to compare our place in the world with all others, and teach people about the nature of their world and their place in it. Translated, geography means a description of the Earth (geo means Earth, and graphia means description). Geology, similarly, is the study of the Earth (again, geo means Earth, and ology is the study of). The relationship between geography and geology is an easy one to see. Geology is the physical component of the Earth=s geography, meaning conceptually, geology underlies everything, and determines Earth=s geography. This relationship will become more evident later on in this module. The Earth can be depicted in many different ways. One way is to describe the Earth as “an oblate spheroid with an equatorial circumference of approximately 24,902 miles; its surface is covered by water and land in a ratio of 2.3:1, and that surface ranges from 29,028 feet above sea level to 35,840 feet below sea level (the top of Mount Everest to the bottom of the Mariana Trench)”. (National Geographic Standards: 1994) Rather than only examining the Earth as a physical object, geography and geology allow us to examine all of the different people, places, cultures, and environments that comprise this oblate spheroid. Module II Geography and Geology Table of Contents LESSON 1: Introduction to Geology Summary Activity 1 - Adopt-a-Rock Activity 2 - The Rock Cycle Activity 3 - The Geologic Clock Activity 4 - Fossil Dig LESSON 2: Introduction to Geography Summary Activity 1 - Compass Rose Activity 2 – School Map Activity 3 - Understanding Maps Activity 4 - What=s Your Latitude, Dude? Activity 5 - Watershed Drawing with Topographic Maps Activity 6 - Elevation Profile LESSON 3: Physical Geography of the Catskill Mountains Summary Activity 1 - Ice Age Field Trip Activity 2 - Glacier Formation Activity 3 - Flowing Ice Activity 4 - Valley Glacier Activity 5 - Catskill Mountain Geologic Points of Interest LESSON 4: How Do the Catskills Stand Out? Summary Activity 1 - Names on the Land Activity 2 - Environmental Exchange Box Activity 3 - Connect the Dams Activity 4 - Catskill Geology Defines Human Geography Activity 5 - Population Pyramids Activity 6 - Comparing the Catskills to Connecticut Activity 7 - Into the Mountains GLOSSARY Module II Geography and Geology RESOURCES Books and Articles Teaching Materials Web Sites Resource People Places to Visit APPENDIX Overhead Maps for Lesson 4, Activity 4 -Catskill Park, NYC Watershed, Major Roads, Water Bodies, Township Boundaries, Counties, Topography, Township Names The Catskill Center’s Catskill Region Map USING THIS BOOK · Vocabulary words that are italicized throughout this module are later defined in the Glossary. · Following each activity are listed NYS Learning Standards that are met by the activity. There is a good possibility that the activity may meet more standards than those listed. The number of the standard, its title, and the topic heading are written out. Some topic headings are divided into key ideas, and their numbers are listed where applicable. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank the following people, all of whom donated their time by reading through, evaluating, giving feedback, providing activities, or suggesting content for the Geography and Geology module. Without all of you, this educational tool would not be as complete and useful as it is. Thank you for your help. Kathyanna Bagnardi, Robert Birdsall, Jennifer Bruck, Helen Chase, Dan Cohen, Jeanne Davis, Jane Fox, Sara Henry, Kevin LaMonda, Jo Margaret Mano and her geography students, Steve Mattice, Sharon McInerney, Estelle Nadler, Sue Nightengale, Jean Palmer-Moloney, Mike Porter, Beth Retchless, Patricia Rudge, Hertha Schulz, Geddy Sveikauskas, Kathleen Taylor, Robert Titus, and Karen Underwood. LESSON 1 Summary Page 1 Introduction to Geology Geology is defined as the science that studies the physical or fossil history of the Earth, the rocks of which it is made up, and the physical changes that it has undergone or is currently undergoing. The Catskill Mountain region is unique in terms of its geology, making it very different from surrounding areas. Rocks There are many types of rock, and each kind has a particular place in the history of the Earth. Rocks are made up of many smaller parts, called grains, which vary in shape, size, and color. These grains are mixtures of various substances, most of which are called minerals. Minerals are naturally occurring and have physical and chemical properties that characterize each type. Therefore, rocks consist of various minerals, glass, or solidified organic matter (e.g. coal) and cover a significant part of the Earth’s crust. Rocks are classified as three different types: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. Igneous rocks, or “melt rocks” are rocks that form from the hardening of once-molten or liquid rock (magma). Examples of this rock type are basalt and granite. Granite is a coarse-grained, light- colored rock formed by the crystallization of magma deep within the core of a mountain range. Any fine-grained, dark colored igneous rocks are basalt. Rocks that are the end result of heat, pressure, and/or chemical actions upon another form of rock are metamorphic rock. These can be thought of as “changed” rocks. Marble, slate (fine-grained), and gneiss (coarse-grained with alternating bands of minerals) are examples of metamorphic rock. Sedimentary rocks are formed from the accumulation and consolidation of loose sediments. These rocks provide us with an accurate record of the Earth’s geologic history because they layer one on top of another and collect fossils from the Earth’s surface long ago. Another term for the various layers is strata. Like the Grand Canyon, the Catskills Mountains are almost entirely composed of sedimentary rock. Catskill Rock There are four major types of sedimentary rock present in the Catskills. The sedimentary rocks found underneath the high peaks region and the surrounding lowlands in order of their deposition are Helderberg marine limestone, Hamiliton marine shales, Catskill Delta shales and sandstones (Floodplain shales and River sandstones), and Terrestrial Conglomerates. The Helderberg Mountains, which lie along the northeastern boundary of the Catskill region, are composed of limestone. These carbonate rocks often form cliffs and contain caves. Limestone is not very resistant to chemical weathering, as it dissolves readily in the presence of acid. The Helderbergs are geologically different from the rest of the Catskill region. Shale forms from the consolidation of clay and mud, and is the most common rock in New York. This, the principle bedrock of this area, is fine-grained, dark-colored, and flaky, so it erodes easily. When ordinary sand hardens into rock, the result is sandstone. Sandstone is often gray or may LESSON 1 Summary Page 2 have a reddish-brown color due to iron oxide staining. It has a sandy texture from its constituent grains. Most cliffs you see in the Catskill region are composed of sandstone. Sandstone is most abundant in the upper elevations, with the exception of “bluestone”, which is common at lower elevations. Conglomerate dominates the Shawangunk Mountains and is also found crowning the Catskill high peaks. Conglomerate, often called “puddingstone” is a type of rock that is a mixture of gravel-sand deposits with pebbles, cobbles, or even boulders that have been rounded because of stream transport and held together by a cement-like parent material (e.g. calcium carbonate or iron oxide). These are commonly found in the Shawangunks and some cliffs in the central Catskills. Loose quartz pebbles are often found at higher elevations in the Catskills, emerging from erosion of conglomerates. The Shawangunk Mountains are very different geologically than the majority of the Catskill region. It is important to keep in mind that rocks are constantly changing over time. Somewhere on the planet, rocks are constantly being weathered or eroded, and in other places, they are being formed. Much like the “water cycle”, geology has a cycle of its own, but this cycle takes millions of years to complete. This is called the rock cycle. As you look at the rock cycle, you will notice that many different natural processes affect the inter-relationship between the three rock types: erosion-deposition, burial-uplift, melting-crystallization, and pressure changes. These processes occur