Glacial Repercussions on Rock Point

1. Glacial Repercussions on Rock Point Glacial Whiplash: Katrina, Ursula, Andrew, Baad, Antoine, Genna, Larissa, Emma, Max and Kellie

2. Objective of Project • We researched how the glaciers changed Vermont’s geologic features and land forms into what it is today. • Through the soil samples, water tests and tree measurements, we formulated proof of the glaciers that existed long ago.

3. Info on Glaciers Glaciers are formed by an accumulation of snow that doesn’t melt each year that builds into ice. 13,000 ago, a massive glacier was melting over Vermont and the surrounding area. This form moved slowly from North to South “bulldozing” anything in its path. Boulders under the glacier dragged across the landscape, changing its form. As the glacier melted, a massive meltwater lake formed, covering much of northern Vermont.

6. Rock Point

7. Thrust Fault • The thrust fault is a place where one tectonic plate experienced extreme pressure from a conflicting plate. One section was pushed under the other, making layers of two different rocks: shale and dolostone. • In this area, it was very rocky. Because of the calcium in the soil, the trees were mostly softwood (ie: cedar tree). Also, we learned that the dolostone was much older than the shale.

8. Sandy area • The sandy area refers to a place at Rock Point north of Eagle Bay. The soil was very sandy, unlike silty clay soil that we encountered at many locations. • We were surprised to find sand and coarser pebbles in the soil. The area was originally a river channel during the melting of the ice sheet. The river eventually dried out as the water line receded to where the beach is now.

9. North Beach • When using an soil bucket auger to dig at the beach, we found that the water table depth was 3’ 1”, which was about the same as the water in the lake. The upper 2 feet were sand with 7 inches of sand and conglomerations of clay. • Because Lake Champlain was substantially larger from run off water after the last ice age, we can tell that the beach line used to be much higher than it is now.

10. Beaver Pond • The area surrounding the Beaver Pond was primarily man-made (ie: parking lots, and planted trees). We found that the water table depth was 3’6”. As we dug farther down, the soil turned to mud. • We were not able to dig further than 4’ because we hit asphalt that was indicating a parking lot some time many years ago. The pavement fragments and fill found four feet down suggest that humans have impacted the site, causing the water to remain in the beaver pond.

11. The Gorge • We analyzed soils and vegetation at two sites- the first up the hill from the stream and the second within the streambed. After digging a foot or two, the soil was silty-clay. At the streambed site, clay was found very near the surface. • At the top of the gorge, there were a majority of softwoods. The soil was basic (7.2) and the presence of oxidized Rhizospheres indicating that the soil is occasionally wet while at the bottom of the gorge the soil became more basic (7.4). We also found that at the streambed site, the water table was only 2 inches from the surface.

12. Air Quality

13. Soil Analysis pH Analysis Tree Carbon Analysis Sediment Stratification Tree Abundance Conclusion Our research focused on the following components:

14. Thank You!!