How were the Appalachian Mountains formed? Are the barrier islands moving? Is there gold in the Carolinas? The answers to these questions and many more appear in this reader-friendly guide to the geology of North Carolina and South Carolina. Exploring the Geology of the Carolinas pairs a brief geological history of the region with 31 field trips to easily accessible, often familiar sites in both states where readers can observe firsthand the evidence of geologic change found in rocks, river basins, mountains, waterfalls, and coastal land formations.
Geologist Kevin Stewart and science writer Mary-Russell Roberson begin by explaining techniques geologists use to "read" rocks, the science of plate tectonics, and the formation of the Carolinas. The field trips that follow are arranged geographically by region, from the Blue Ridge to the Piedmont to the Coastal Plain. Richly illustrated and accompanied by a helpful glossary of geologic terms, this field guide is a handy and informative carry-along for hikers, tourists, teachers, and families—anyone interested in the science behind the sights at their favorite Carolina spots.
Includes field trips to:
Grandfather Mountain, N.C.
Linville Falls, N.C.
Caesars Head State Park, S.C.
Reed Gold Mine, N.C.
Pilot Mountain State Park, N.C.
Raven Rock State Park, N.C.
Sugarloaf Mountain, S.C.
Santee State Park, S.C.
Jockey's Ridge State Park, N.C.
Carolina Beach State Park, N.C.
and 21 more sites in the Carolinas!
Southern Gateways Guide is a registered trademark of the University of North Carolina Press
ISBN-13: 9780807857861
Media Type: Paperback
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Publication Date: 02-26-2007
Pages: 320
Product Dimensions: 6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.00(d)
Series: Southern Gateways Guides
Kevin G. Stewart is associate professor of geological sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Mary-Russell Roberson is a freelance writer living in Durham, North Carolina.
What People are Saying About This
From the Publisher
A wonderful field guide to geologic features in North and South Carolina. . . . A delight to read.—American Reference Books Annual
Organized superbly. . . . Well-suited for geology enthusiasts.—Journal of the North Carolina Academy of Sciences
Well suited for geology enthusiasts. . . . Useful, entertaining, and informative.—Journal of the North Carolina Academy of Sciences
The first of its kind. . . . Offers simple language and explanations, allowing the general public to read and enjoy it.—The Independent Weekly, Durham, NC
Stewart is clearly enthusiastic . . . and Roberson . . . ensures that complex ideas are explained in a way that's intelligible to the general public.—Mountain XPress Outdoors
Get out of the house. And take this book with you.—Endeavors
A fascinating new book. . . . [Exploring the Geology of the Carolinas] will add much pleasure and instruction for tourists, both home-grown and from distant places.—Winston-Salem Journal
A comprehensive, up-to-date, reader-friendly book about the geology of the Carolinas.—GeoNews
With Exploring the Geology of the Carolinas, authors Kevin G. Stewart and Mary-Russell Roberson have put together an interesting amalgamation of textbook and travel guide.—State (Columbia, SC)
This layman's survey of the geologic past of the Carolinas provides amateur scientists a look at nature's course through river basins, mountains, waterfalls, and coastal land formations. . . . With an easy-to-read introduction and detailed glossary, even everyday rockhounds can learn to read nature's writing.—Charleston Magazine
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Table of Contents
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xi
How to Use this Book xiii
The Changing Face of the Carolinas over Geologic Time 1
How to Read Rocks 6
Adding to the Body of Geologic Knowledge 18
Geologic Time 27
The Geologic History of the Carolinas 31
Field Trips: Map of the field-trip locations 46
The Blue Ridge
Chimney Rock Park: Stretched, Folded, Cracked, and Faulted 49
DuPont State Forest: Waterfalls Galore 56
Whiteside Mountain: A Geologic Puzzle 62
Grandfather Mountain: From Valley to Peak in 750 Million Years 68
Linville Falls: Falls, Faults, and Geologic Windows 75
Mount Mitchell State Park: Which Peak Is the Tallest and Why 81
Stone Mountain State Park: A Beautiful Bare Mountain 90
Woodall Shoals: Beautiful Rocks That Have Been Through a Lot 97
Caesars Head and Table Rock State Parks: The View from the Blue Ridge Escarpment 102
The Piedmont
South Mountains State Park: Stuck between a Continent and a Hard Place 113
Crowders Mountain State Park: A Mountain of Quartz and Blue Daggers 121
Reed Gold Mine: The Glory Days of Gold 127
Pilot Mountain State Park: Beach Sands in a Mountain 135
Morrow Mountain State Park: A Beautiful Quarry 143
Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area: A Mine with a View 151
The Museum of Life and Science and Penny's Bend: Diabase Sills in the Durham Triassic Basin 156
Landsford Canal State Park: Transportation and Geology 164
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences: Gems and Meteorites 170
Raven Rock State Park: Everything's Happening at the Fall Zone 178
Medoc Mountain State Park: Granite and Grapes 185
Forty Acre Rock: The Battle between Rock and the Forces of Erosion 190
The Coastal Plain
The Roanoke River: From the Mountains to the Sea 199
Sugarloaf Mountain in Sand Hills State Forest: Sand and Longleaf 208
Cliffs of the Neuse State Park: Under the Sea 215
Santee State Park: Mule-Eating Sinkholes 220
Jones Lake State Park: The Mystery of the Carolina Bays 224
Flanner Beach: The Rise and Fall of Sea Level 232
Jockey's Ridge State Park: A Mountain of Sand 238
Oregon Inlet: The Fickle Nature of Barrier Islands and Inlets 247
Carolina Beach State Park: Sugarloaf, Shells, and Sinkholes 254
Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site: The Charleston Earthquake of 1886 260
Glossary 267
Additional Resources 281
Index 285
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