Roadside Geology of New Jersey, Paperback

From the glacially scoured quartzite ridge that hosts the

Appalachian Trail to the spectacular columnar basalt of

Orange Mountain, New Jersey packs a boatload of geology

into a small area. Its nineteenth-century marl pits were the

birthplace of American vertebrate paleontology, bog iron

deposits in the Pinelands were used to produce cannonballs

for the Revolutionary War, world-famous fluorescent

minerals are found with zinc deposits in the Franklin

Marble, and the coastal plain sediments contain convincing

evidence of the meteorite impact that killed the dinosaurs.

This absorbing book opens with an overview of the state's

geologic history and proceeds with 13 road guides that

unearth the stories behind the state's rocks, sediments, and

barrier islands. More than just a guide, Roadside Geology

of New Jersey is chock-full of insightful discussions on such

timely topics as sea level rise, climate change, and uranium

mining. Get the scoop on why so much sand moves during

superstorms such as Hurricane Sandy, and learn about

more than a century of efforts to stabilize the beaches along

the Jersey Shore.