NESTA Field Trip 2010

Date/Time: 
03/17/2010 - 8:00am - 4:30pm
Location
City: 
Philadelphia
State: 
Pennsylvania
Fee for participation: 
$50

NESTA Field Trip - Introduction to Philadelphia Geology

Come join us on an exploration of the geology of the Wissahickon Valley and Valley Forge National Park, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia’s geology records the story of the formation and rifting apart of Pangaea with extraordinary examples of the many stages in this process. Visible at the surface within just miles of Philadelphia are schist and gneiss outcrops formed during subduction 450 million years ago, sandstones that collected in basins formed during rifting 200 million years ago, and surface features formed by weathering and erosion, including karst topography. The trip will feature a wide range of geological features and formations, including the metamorphic geology of the Wissahickon Valley (schists, gneiss, migmatite, quartzite, chlorite veins and more), as well as Ordovician dolostones and Triassic red shales and sandstones in Valley Forge. Attention will also be given to geomorphology, sinkholes, urban parks, and history of local mining. Participants will receive a guidebook and have opportunities to collect specimens at selected stops.

Register for this field trip using the online registration form or download this form.