Geology of NY and NJ

ObjectivesEarth Science Review

Structure of the EarthMinerals vs. Rocks

What are the three rock types?How does the rock cycle work? New York and New Jersey

Geologic ConnectionNortheast Geologic History

Impacts on Society

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Wrap-upExhibit Questions Answered

Incorporating Earth Science in the Classroom

Minerals1. Naturally Occuring2. Solid3. Specific Chemical Composition4. Characteristic Crystal Structure5. Inorganic

*Not made in a laboratory

Atoms are arranged in geometric patterns that persist throughout the

mineral.

RocksNaturally occurring aggregates of minerals

The Earth’s crust (lithosphere) is made of ROCK.

3 Major Rock TypesSedimentary

IgneousMetamorphic

Sedimentary Rocks form from deposition and consolidation of mineral and organic

material

Igneous Rocks form by the

solidification and cooling of molten

material.Metamorphic Rocks

form from pre-existing rocks. Heat and pressure are the catalysts in this transformation.

Grenville Orogeny and Rodinia

End of Proterozoic Eon approximately 1 billion years ago

Rodinia RiftedIapetus Ocean existed

600 – 400 million years ago

Pangea Forms250 million years ago

180 million years ago Pangea starts to separate

Glaciers Shaped Topography

New Jersey has FOUR:Valley and Ridge

HighlandsPiedmont

Coastal Plain

What is a Geologic Province?An area containing common geologic or geomorphic

characteristics.

New YorkApproximately

10 Distinct ProvincesNiagra

Finger LakesMohawk Valley-Catskill

SoutheasternHudson Valley – Taconic

Taconic RegionChamplain Valley

St. Lawrence ValleyAdirondacks

Hudson Highlands

Hadrosaurus foulkii • New Jersey’s State Dinosaur• Discovered in 1858 by William

Parker Foulke (Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA)

• Haddonfield, Camden County• 25 feet• 18 tons• Duck-billed herbivorous reptile