Delaware Water Gap Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Delaware Water Gap - Essay ExampleThe deepest point of the river is about 55 feet (Hickman, 2004). The river is about a mile wide separating New Jersey from Pennsylvania. in that location are various theories that explain the development of the Delaware Water Gap. Currently, it is said to have developed through a series of processes which included the continental shift, mountain building, eating away and capturing of streams and rivers. It is believed that over 450 million years ago, there was a continental shift that led to the collision of Africa and North America (Hickman, 2004). The impact caused by this collision caused the world crust to rise leading to the formation of mountains along the collision lines. The Appalachian ranges, as well as the Kittantinny Mountains, were formed during this collision. The rivers and streams that flowed along these mountains carried pebbles and sand to the West. The sand and pebbles were deposited in layers. These layers became compacted and e rosion resistant forming a conglomerate rock known as the Shawangunk Formation. The Shawanguk Formation is a gray quartzite that is highly resistant to water erosion. Over millions of years, unlike types of rocks were laid on top of the Shawanguk formation. About 300 million years ago, during the mountain building era, pressure built that forced the compacted layers of rock to fold and cockle (Hickman, 2004). The geological pressures during the mountain building era shattered the layers of rock. The shattered layers were eroded with time at different rates.