USA > New York > Nassau County > Long Island; a history of two great counties, Nassau and Suffolk, Volume I > Part 3
USA > New York > Suffolk County > Long Island; a history of two great counties, Nassau and Suffolk, Volume I > Part 3
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Just how long this so-called Ice Age lasted has been a matter of scientific conjecture. Some estimates run up to a million years. I will say here that I do not know, but I find comfort in my ignorance, however, as no one else knows.
TERMINAL MORAINES
The most Southerly extent of a Glacier is called the terminal moraine, Geologically defined as: an accumulation of rocks, gravel, sands, etc., that is carried and finally deposited somewhere. On Long Island the terminal moraine is known as the previously mentioned "backbone". If a hill is formed by this accumulation, the formation is called a Knob, and where there is a depression, the formation is known as a Kettle. Here, at these depressions, large masses of residual glacial ice melted more slowly than the other parts of the
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LONG ISLAND-NASSAU AND SUFFOLK
Glacier as the border melted away, and, lying in one spot, became isolated. The main Glacier, thus retreating, deposited stratified sands and gravel around these masses of residual ice. When these isolated masses of ice finally melted their places were marked by these depres- sions, or Kettles, the larger and deeper cavities often containing lakes. The most notable examples of these water filled depressions on Long Island are Lake Ronkonkoma, Lake Success, Artist Lake and Great Pond. Other depressions or Kettles filled with clay which was car- ried into them by the waters of the Glacier. A number of these larger, clay filled Kettles can be observed today in the vicinity of Farming- dale and Bethpage. The smaller Kettles which remained dry are known as Kettle holes. As these Glacial borders melted, or retreated, on Long Island, great streams of water flowed to the sea, or, as in this case, to the Atlantic Ocean. These streams carried with them Glacial fluvial material, debris, small rocks, gravel and sand. This outwash drift fanned out from the foot of the Glaciers in many direc- tions. These fan-like tracts, or morainal aprons, are called outwash plains and they start at the Southerly base of the terminal moraines or "backbone". Nearly all the territory which lies immediately South of the terminal moraine is composed of outwash gravel that contains water-worn pebbles and sand which slope away toward the Great South Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
DEPOSITION AND EROSION
Following the arrival of the first Glacier, the Mannetto, there was apparently a great uplifting, or rising, of land area. As a result of this event a great erosion process took place, which all but completely eliminated the gravels and sands of that interglacial period. The Geological contour of Long Island was changed after the second Glacier, the Jameco, came, left its mass of Glacial till and drift, and departed. This second Glacier upon its retreat, left in its wake enor- mous quantities of clay. It was called "Gardiner's Clay" by Fuller, a name derived from Gardiner's Island which is composed in great part of this substance. (Gardiner's Island is situated in Gardiner's Bay on the Eastern end of Long Island.) The third Glacier, the Man- hasset, followed next, performing additional building up and erosion- ing as did the others, and it is this Glacier that is responsible for the large number of peat bogs found in various places on Long Island. The fourth and last Glacier, the Wisconsin, to visit Long Island, left enormous quantities of outwash debris and drift and it is this material that covers practically all the gravels, sands and clays left by the visits of the three earlier Glaciers. The three former Glacial drifts differ from the Wisconsin drift in this respect: the brash or constit- uent materials of the rocks were more decomposed and disintegrated due to weathering and they were also of less thickness. The last drift, the Wisconsin, forms a continuous covering over considerable areas; whereas the earlier drifts were discontinuous and patchy.
Quoting Fuller :
"Long Island is the resultant of opposed agencies of deposition and erosion. Marine currents, Ice and Glacial
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THE GEOLOGY OF LONG ISLAND
streams have each played a part in both the upbuilding and tearing down of the island. That the deposits now above sea level are small compared to those once existing in the region, there is little doubt, indicating that since Cretaceous Time, erosion has on the whole predominated over deposition. Although erosion is NOT now going on very rapidly, the amount to be removed before the island is reduced to sea- level is far less than that removed in the past, and if the conditions remain unchanged, the time yet may come when the island shall cease to exist. Notwithstanding the pre- ponderance of erosion, however, the present form of the island is due to constructional rather than destructional agencies."
BEDROCK
No Geological summary is complete without some reference to the bedrock of that particular area. The only exposed bedrock found on Long Island is at the extreme Western end of the island, appearing as a narrow strip along the East River near Astoria. It is Meta- morphic in character and the contour, or dip, slopes Southwestward at an average rate of 100 feet to the mile. In boring deep wells, this rock has been encountered at the following depths: 125 feet at Wood- side, 200 feet at Whitestone, 300 feet at Flushing, 400 feet at Port Washington, 500 feet at Jamaica. Inasmuch as there is little or no rock outcrops visible on Long Island, it might be well to mention the area adjoining Long Island, namely Manhattan, Bronx and West- chester.
The principal rocks of this neighboring territory are Archean, meaning, of a period of the Pre-Cambrian era, during which the oldest system of rocks was made. These old rocks contain small amounts of highly metamorphic, or altered, sediments. Throughout the Bronx, outcroppings of Fordham Gneiss are exposed to view. The body of the rock is composed of Granite and Quartzite, intermingled with black and white banded Gneiss and Schist. Among these out- croppings at Inwood, one will also find Limestone, Dolomite and Pegmatic Mica Schist. All these rocks are of Igneous origin, but they have been altered by a dynamic, or disturbing, force which caused them to be folded, crushed, intruded and modified considerably, by recrystallization. Sedimentary rocks are rocks that might contain fossils in situ. They are not found in this area, excepting of course those that arrived embedded in boulders that were transported here from the North by Glaciers. A common example of these Sedimentary rocks are the sandstones, shales and conglomerates. Stratified rocks, a term applied to rocks consisting of originally horizontal beds, or strata, are also rare in this vicinity, but occasionally one comes upon them in the Western end of Long Island, i. e .: Brooklyn and Queens Counties. Cretaceous or chalk like sediments are hidden, in most places, by the Glacial deposits and the best evidence we have of this Cretaceous material is that which has been taken from deep well borings. A description of these materialistic "findings" will be given in a later paragraph.
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LONG ISLAND-NASSAU AND SUFFOLK
SHORELINES
West of Port Jefferson, the North shore line is very irregular with many recesses or bays, due to the fact that the Coast has been cut into by tracts of water around which the land forms a curve. East of Port Jefferson all the way to Orient Point the shoreline is comparatively regular, forming more or less a straight contour. On the Easterly end of the island, between the aforementioned "flukes", lie the Peconic and Gardiners Bays. Combined, these form a body of water approximately 14 miles in one place and spreading out to 27 miles farther East. In this vast body of water there are many islands, the largest ones being Shelter and Robins Islands.
On the Southerly shore line, from Montauk Point to Southampton, the coast follows nearly a straight line. From Southampton to Fire Island Inlet, the shoreline continues as a straight beach, but it is separated from the mainland by the waters of the Shinnecock, Moriches and Great South Bays. This long but rather narrow strip of beach, or shore terrace, has been thrown up by ocean waves or shore currents. Various names have been given to these beaches fronting the Atlantic Ocean. They are known as Napeague, Hampton and Fire Island Beaches. We find the beaches broken up by inlets which are, from east to west: Shinnecock, Moriches, Fire Island, Jones, and Rockaway.
Practically all of the territory on the Westerly end of the South Shore, from Fire Island to Rockaway Inlet, between the various beaches and the mainland, is made up of salt marshes. These in turn are notched in many places by winding shallow creeks and channels. The long stretches of beach that extend the full length of Long Island on the South Shore are made up of sand, of which Quartz is the most common mineral present. Here and there one is apt to find some Garnetiferous and Magnetic sands. These sands appear spasmodi- cally, usually after a severe storm, and they range in width from 1 to 10 feet and from 5 to 100 feet in length, averaging 2 to 4 inches in thickness. These crystallized sands come from the detritus of crystal- line boulders that were left by the Glaciers.
SAND DUNES
Sand dunes are a product of the action of the winds upon the beach sands and the 90 miles of beaches on the South Shore are covered with them. Dunes are ridges or low hills of aeolian, or wind-blown, sand, the texture of which consists entirely of fine quartz grains. Some of these drifted sand dunes take the form of broad bare hills, with wind swept surfaces, that barely reach a height of more than 20 to 30 feet; others are shaped into small mounds that are covered with the familiar beach grasses and vegetation.
While discussing sand dunes, it seems timely to mention the "sunken forest" that is located on Fire Island, on the bay side of the dunes, a short distance East of Point O'Woods. On this sandy strip of terrain, an adventurer comes upon a sight, second to none, not only because of its beauty, but also because it is situated where
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THE GEOLOGY OF LONG ISLAND
one would least expect to find a stand of primeval vegetation. Here one finds the fast becoming extinct, 35 to 40 feet high, native Long Island Holly trees (Ilex opaca) with 12-inch trunk diameters. Giant Tupelos (Nyssa aquatica), Sassafras (Sassafras variifolium) and Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida) measuring 15 inches or more in diameter, are found in abundance. Intermingled with these "giants" are enor- mous undergrowths of ferns, cattails, azaleas, bayberry, rosemallow, cranberries and beach plums. They have become entangled with catbriar, poison ivy and poison sumac. These "jungles" are densely packed with impenetrable clumps of plant life. Consequently, the sun is rarely seen on the floor of these thickets. As this "sunken forest" now holds the last stand of the giant American Holly on Long Island, it is hoped that our State Park Commission will deem it essential to set apart this undisturbed section on Fire Island as a permanent sanctuary, before civilization engulfs it with its recreational improve- ments.
CLAYS
In referring to the topography of the North Shore of Long Island, we find that the so-called Cretaceous clays are exposed in numerous places. On the West side of Hempstead harbor, close to Roslyn, there is an outcropping of white Cretaceous clay. At Glen Cove landing, there is another outcropping of yellow, pink, black and grey clay, of extremely fine texture, that is much contorted, bent and twisted and contains many Pyrite Concretions and Lignitic fragments. The Glen Cove beach is shingled with red Hematitic sandstone, and if one is interested and patient enough to split apart these stone slabs, one will be rewarded for his troubles by discovering leaf, stem and other plant fossils. These fossil "finds" truly establish their having existed in the Cretaceous Age, differing greatly from the plants of today. There are many other Cretaceous outcroppings on Long Island. They appear at Sea Cliff, Lloyds Neck, Wyandanch, Farm- ingdale and Bethpage. In a previous paragraph, which described the Glacial Kettles of Long Island, I mentioned the clay-filled Kettles located at Farmingdale and Bethpage. It is at these locations that the clays are exposed to a depth of 60 to 70 feet, and there is also embedded in this clay, specimens of Lignite (brown coal or semi- petrified wood).
WELL RECORDS
Many deep wells have been drilled on Long Island and the mate- rials brought up to the surface from the subterranean depths have given the Geologists a closer insight to the Geological aspects of the sub-surface. For example, the following Record of a well drilled on Long Beach on the South Shore, showed approximately the following:
(Taken from Fuller's Geology of Long Island)
Feet
Recent :
White beach sand 0-36
Dirty grey sand.
36-40
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LONG ISLAND-NASSAU AND SUFFOLK
Feet
Manhasset:
Fine to coarse grey sand. 40-50
Medium grey sand, no gravel. 51-55
Greyish-yellow sand and small gravel. 55-65
Yellowish-grey sand. . . 65-70
Orange-yellow sand and gravel. 70-73
Grey sand and gravel. 73-76
Quartz gravel-blue clay.
76-82
Jameco :
Dark coarse sand 82-90
Cretaceous :
Black sand-containing lignite 90-99
Grey sand and lignite. 99-107
White sand.
107-111
Dark grey sand
111-119
White sand with lignite.
119-121
Very dark clay. .
121-135
Coarse grey clayey sand.
135-143
Medium dark grey sand (salt water)
143-145
Very coarse dark grey sand.
145-156
Olive green sand.
156-158
White sand with lignitized wood.
174-192
White gravel and salt water
192-196
Clay
196-200
Fine sand.
200-220
Solid blue clay-fresh water
220-270
White sand and wood.
270-276
Clay
276-282
White sand and wood.
282-297
Blue clay.
297-305
White sand, wood and water
305-308
Blue Clay.
308-317
White sand-wood and artesian water
317-325
Blue clay.
325-340
White sand and mineral water
340-356
Blue clay.
356-360
White sand and pure water.
360-378
Blue clay.
378-380
White sand.
380-381
White clay .
381-383
Fine sand and artesian water
383-386
On the North Shore of Long Island a deep well was drilled on the property of the Greenport Water Works at Greenport and the following record is taken from Fuller's Geology of Long Island :
Wisconsin :
Feet
Yellow gravelly material 0-20
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THE GEOLOGY OF LONG ISLAND
Feet
Manhasset :
Alternate series of sands and gravels. 20-100
Brown clay (Gardiners clay) 100-150
Jameco :
Fine sands. 150-225
Coarse yellow sand and gravel. 225-
Coarse quartz sands and gravels. -555
Cretaceous :
White micaceous sands. 555-605
Fine white sand. 605-612
Bright red sand and clay. 612-619
Yellow sand and clay-red brick. 619-640
Yellow-white clay. 640-645
Salmon colored clay-dark sands 645-650
Coarse quartz sand-fresh water 650-670
Pre-Cretaceous :
Schist (rock)
670-690
While discussing deep wells, it might be well to mention that a few years ago the Brooklyn Water Works sank an 1100-foot well in the village of Seaford and encountered no bedrock at this depth.
GEOLOGICAL HIGHLIGHTS
I list below a few of the outstanding Geological features on Long Island together with their locations:
A-20-foot Glacial boulder near Whitestone Landing.
B- Large Kettle lake-Lake Success.
C-Glacial Boulder 54 feet by 40 feet, S. W. Manhasset.
D-Banded Cretaceous clays at Glen Cove Landing.
E-Botanical Fossils in red sandstone at Glen Cove Beach.
F-Sand Dunes, Salt marshes, etc .- Jones, Oak Island, Fire Island beaches.
G-"Sunken Forest" East of Point O'Woods on Fire Island.
H-Clay Kettles at Farmingdale and Bethpage.
I-Sand Spit and Sand Dunes at Eaton Point.
J-20-foot Glacial boulder, 1/2 mile south of Halsite.
K-Largest Kettle Lake-Lake Ronkonkoma.
L-Glacial boulder-25 feet by 10 feet-Hallock Landing.
M-2 large Glacial Boulders-One mile West of Wading River Station.
N-Steep bluffs along North Shore near Port Jefferson.
0-38 feet by 20 feet Glacial boulder at Jacob Point.
P-Barrier beaches and sand dunes at Hampton Beach.
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LONG ISLAND-NASSAU AND SUFFOLK
GEOLOGIC CHRONOLOGY
For the benefit of the layman, may I state that in Geology names are given to the various Geological Eras, and for your guidance I list here a Geological Time Table or chart.
Million Years Ago
Geological Epoch
1%
Glacial Age
Pleistocene
10 -
Pliocene
30
Age of Manımals
Miocene
50
Oligocene
80
Age of Mammals
Eocene
110
Flowering Plants Appear
Cretaceous
150
Age of Dinosaurs
Jurassic
180
Age of Reptiles
Triassic
230
Age of Reptiles
Permian
300
Coal Age
Carboniferous
350
Age of Fishes
Devonian
400
Marine Invertebrata
Silurian
450
Trilobites
Ordivician
600
Trilobites
Cambrian
600/3000
Original Rocks
Archean
By referring to the above Geological Chart, the following sum- mary of the Earth's Past will assist the reader in placing Long Island in its proper position in relation to the Geological Chronology of North America.
Archean: All of the rocks which make up the Earth's surface can be grouped into three divisions :
1-Igneous
2-Sedimentary
3-Metamorphic.
Igneous rocks are rocks which have cooled and hardened deep within the earth. Lava from Volcanoes is also igneous and is an (extrusion) whereas igneous rocks which have cooled slowly inside the earth are (intrusions). Examples of these igneous rocks are: Diabase, Granite and Pegmatite.
Sedimentary Rocks were formed from sand, mud and sediments that were carried from their source of origin by rivers, winds and glaciers. As these sediments piled up in layers, those which were once unconsolidated, later became solidified. Examples of sedimen- tary rocks are: sandstone, shale, limestone, coal.
Metamorphic Rocks are altered rocks of igneous or sedimentary origin and due to heat and/or pressure have been changed in com- position or texture, and are frequently crumpled, folded and con- torted. Examples of metamorphic rocks are: Mica schist, Marble, Gneiss, etc.
Man
Recent Time
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THE GEOLOGY OF LONG ISLAND
Cambrian: In the beginning of the Cambrian period, the terri- tory paralleling the Atlantic Coast of North America, now known as the Appalachian Region, was under salt water. The first animal life to leave its evidence in the rocks of the Cambrian was the fossil Trilobite, forerunner of the present day Horse-shoe Crab, which is now found in the waters adjoining Long Island. Primitive mollusks and sponges originated at this time.
THOMPSON HOUS
(Photo Courtesy of F. Kull)
The Thompson House, Setauket, Birthplace of the Long Island Historian
Ordivician: During the Ordivician Period, these salt waters covered a greater part of North America and the peaks of the Adirondack Mountains of New York State were but mere islands in this sea. Animal life at this time was represented principally by Marine Invertebrates and giant snail-like marine mollusks called Cephalopods. Widespread limestone formations date from this period.
Silurian: The Silurian period arrived and New York State was still covered by extensive seas. The cap-rock of Niagara Falls is of Silurian Limestone, and it rests on the older Ordivician shale. These salt waters eventually dried up, the climate now being hot and arid, and large beds of salt were deposited in Central New York State. Animal life consisted mostly of marine shell life and the large scor- pion, first of the air-breathing animals, appeared.
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LONG ISLAND-NASSAU AND SUFFOLK
Devonian: Following the Silurian we come on to the Devonian rocks. It was at this time that inland seas covered large areas of North America. Primitive fish, amphibians and plants appeared simultaneously. At the end of the Devonian period a great uplifting took place in the North Eastern part of the United States. Enormous sharks (Carcharodon megalodon) estimated to have been 50 feet or more in length, with teeth 5 inches long, ruled these seas.
Carboniferous: The Coal Age succeeded the Devonian, and great primitive forests of tree ferns started to grow. Later these tree ferns became covered with a tremendous amount of sediments and due to the pressure of the accumulated sedimentary material which covered them, this plant life became carbonized and a natural formation of Anthracite Coal came into existence. The Anthracite Coal region of Pennsylvania is the outcome of this Carboniferous period. Animal life at this time seems to have been limited to amphibians and large insects, some of the latter having wing spreads of 20 inches or more. The first reptiles now came into being.
Permian: During the Permian epoch, the present Appalachian Mountains were uplifted from the sea and the entire Eastern section .of North America has been above sea-level since that time.
The Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods followed in order. These three periods are known as the "Age of Reptiles".
Triassic: Only the Western part of the United States was under water during this period. Great Volcanic eruptions took place in the East (at least three successive lava flows). The Palisades of the Hudson were intruded during this time period. They are made up of igneous rock (Diabase). These vertical columns of rock developed while the igneous rock was cooling, thus giving these bold cliffs their name, "Palisades".
Jurassic: During the Jurassic time the land began to form above sea-level in the Western part of the United States. Igneous rocks paralleled the Pacific Coast. Animal life materialized in the form of large reptiles (Dinosaurs). One form in particular (Brontosaurus), attained a length of 75 feet or more. Flying reptiles, resembling gigantic bats, also originated in the Jurassic period. They were the ancestors of the true birds. Primitive mammals and marine inver- tebrates similar in form to the Crustaceans of today made their appearance at this time.
Cretaceous: The Cretaceous period followed, introducing addi- tional reptilian monsters. The Gulf of Mexico extended Northward, as an inland sea, to the junction of the Ohio and the Mississippi rivers. A large part of the Atlantic coast, South of New Jersey was again submerged in this period. Toward the end of the Cretaceous period, the Dinosaurs began to disappear; mammals and birds in- creased in number and species. The first true fish and the first seed
15
THE GEOLOGY OF LONG ISLAND
bearing plants came into existence at this time. The Rocky Moun- tains were formed and again there was much Volcanic activity.
The Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene and Pliocene epochs followed. Only the coastal margins of North America were covered with marine waters then. East of the Rocky Mountains great masses of sedimen- tary deposits were laid down, and in some places this sedimentation was thousands of feet in thickness. The "Bad Lands" of South Dakota are an outstanding example of the depositions of this period. Volcanic eruptions once more caused vast quantities of lava to cover great areas of Western United States, in some places to a depth of 4000 to 5000 feet. The Cascade Mountains were formed and all of the Rocky Mountain region was elevated by some internal disturbance. The Colorado River started cutting the Grand Canyon, one of the Geological wonders of the United States. Toward the close of this Tertiary period, animal life was about the same as it is today, with the exception of a few species which have since become extinct, i. e., the Sabre Toothed Tiger, the Woolly Rhinoceros, the Mammoth and the Mastodon.
Pleistocene: Following our Geological "Time Table" we now come to the Pleistocene, or Great Ice Age, which corresponds in time to the period of the Long Island Glaciers.
Recent: At the beginning of this Chart there appears the word recent; which in Geology is applied to a time period in which all mammals and shells are identical with the living species of today.
CONCLUSION
You will note that I mentioned earlier that there is little evidence of the older rocks on Long Island, namely the rocks of the Archean time, except of course at the far Western end of the island. Long Island appears to have been under water through most of the Cam- brian age, and likewise during the Ordivician age, as has been shown by the marine fossils that have been brought to the surface from material of the borings of deep wells. There is no record on Long Island of the Devonian or Carboniferous eras, and it is a Geological assumption that the land was above water during these periods. It was during the Devonian time that the mountains to the North of Long Island were being uplifted. Also at this time there was con- siderable igneous activity.
After the mountain uplifting, there was a period of erosion; the land was worn down to a low rolling surface as is evidenced in New Jersey, where during the Triassic and Jurassic periods this region was occupied by a body of brackish water, in which the red sandstone and shale of New Jersey were laid down. Great Volcanic eruptions followed and as mentioned previously the Palisades of the Hudson were intruded at this time.
During the end of the Jurassic period a tilting began in New Jersey, the South Easterly part sinking below sea-level and the North Westerly part rising. About this time many hundreds of feet of clay
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