The formation of the Adirondack Mountains.

 While many appreciate the Adirondacks for its natural beauty and grandeur, few truly understand the geological processes that gave rise to such an impressive combination of mountains, hills, and forests. Compared to other mountains ranges, the Adirondacks are relatively young; they developed around 5 million years ago. Comparatively, the Rocky Mountains formed between 80-55 million years ago. However, the Adirondacks are made up of rocks that over a billion years old. The mountains themselves are also different from other mountains because of the affect glaciers had on them. During the last ice age, glaciers covered the park in thick layers of ice. As the ice intermittently advanced and retreated it picked up rocks and deposited them elsewhere. Furthermore, the glaciers helped to flatten and erode the peaks of mountains giving them a much gentler shape compared to the sharp peaks of many other mountains. While many hikers benefit from the fact that the peaks they are trying to climb are less steep, few probably know why this is the case. Facts like these that are not apparent to the untrained and unlearned eye, only serve to enrich the visitor’s experience and add to the mystery of the park.

The summit of Mt. Marcy, an example of one of the many rounded peaks of the Adirondack formed by glaciation. The formation of the Adirondack’s multitude of lakes and ponds also has a surprising geologic history. Many of these ponds were formed when chucks of ice broke off from the larger glaciers and melted. If these chunks of ice were large enough and melted, then their meltwater and their ground water combined to pond form ponds. These ponds are known as kettle ponds. Today, anyone visiting a kettle pond can appreciate the starling changes in the landscape that left behind such natural beauty. Another way the glaciers impacted the landscape is through the formation of eskers. Streams and melting ice water first carried sediment and as the glaciers melted, ridges were formed. Furthermore, glacial melt also led to the creation of kames. Kames are mounds that were formed when glaciers deposited rocks and sediments into depressions in the glaciers. Once the glaciers melted, the mounds of rock and sediment remained, leaving a permanent mark on the landscape. It is incredible to think about how significantly the glaciers contributed to the beauty of the Adirondacks.

Black pond, one of the many ponds created by glaciers in the Adirondacks. Sources: http://apa.ny.gov/about_park/geology.htm https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Adirondacks_Mount_Marcy_From_Mount_Haystack.JPG http://www.wildadirondacks.org/images/Black-Pond-Canoe-27-September-2012-92.jpg