Geology of the Adirondacks
The Adirondack Mountains of northern New York State
are underlain by Middle Proterozoic rocks of the Grenville Provence,
exposed in a breached Cenozoic dome.
Paleozoic/Proterozoic angular unconformity
The "snake"
A thin band of feldspar-rich rock which has undergone
severe plastic deformation.
Ductile calc-silicate material flowed into the more
brittle anorthosite folding it and breaking it into pieces.
Wight talc mine
Many different minerals besides talc are found here:
blue calcite, wollastonite, phlogopite, hexagonite, tremolite,
braunite, and triodite. Talc is mined for filler and ceramics.
Basaltic dike in marble
The "train wreck"
The darker blocks form boudens of mafic rock. These
mafic rocks were broken into pieces (brittle deformation) and
carried away by the calc-silicate matrix which flowed around it.
Basaltic dike in marble
Wollastonite mine
Wollastonite is an ingredient in billiard balls, electrical
panels, and automotive parts.
Barton garnet mine
The largest garnets you have ever seen. Garnet is mined
in the Adirondacks to use for sandpaper,
polishing glass and metal, and water filtration.
Barton garnet mine
Litterally, garnets the size of your head.
Adirondack Mountians and New York
Geology links
Last updated 8/26/01
All photos taken by Michael Vanden Berg.
All rights reserved.
