Formation of Delaware Water Gap - Essay Example

Delaware Water Gap The Delaware Water Gap, located at the border of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, cuts through the Appalachian Mountains. It is bordered by the Blue Mountains in Pennsylvania and the Kittatinny Ridge in New Jersey. There are many theories that seek to explain the origin of the Delaware River that runs through the water gap. This river is used in various activities, which include fishing, canoeing, swimming, rock climbing and hiking. It was formed over 400 million years ago, and today serves as a tourist attraction site as well as a recreation park (Hickman, 2004). This paper will seek to elaborate on the formation of the Delaware Water gap as well as the influence of the hydrological cycle on the Gap. It will also discuss the influence of weathering and mass wasting on the Gap. The water gap is known for its width, depth and scenic beauty. It lies between the New Jersey’s Tammany Mountains and Pennsylvania’s Minsi Mountains which are part of the Appalachian ranges. The river is about 300 meters wide from above and 1400 meters wide from the bottom. The deepest point of the river is about 55 feet (Hickman, 2004). The river is about a mile wide separating New Jersey from Pennsylvania. There 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, erosion 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 earth 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 erosion 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, different 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 crumple (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. The soft layers, for example, limestone and shales, were eroded before the sandstone and conglomerate rock. Million years ago, there was a river located in today’s Trenton which flowed south to the sea. North of the Kittatinny ridges there was a stream that flowed towards the southwest direction. The head waters eroded their way north towards the location of the Gap. At the Gap, they captured the flow of the streams and river on the northern side of the gap forcing the water to flow through the gap. The Cherry Creek, located along the Kittatinny Mountains resembles some of the abandoned river beds that were captured. With time, rain, ice and snow eroded the cleft further deepening the Gap (Harman, 2005). Other rivers around the Gap are said to have been captured creating a cleft along the ridges. However, as the river dried up, the formation of the other small water gaps ceased. The Wisconsin glacier, which occurred around the 21,000 B.C to 13,000 B.C, contributed a significant role in shaping of the Gap (Hickman, 2004). The continuous erosion by the winds and water in the Gap continues to erode the Gap. The conglomerate rock at the sides of the Gap prevents the erosion of the mountains at the sides. The Gap is cloaked by a northern deciduous forest. This forest is made up of hardwood trees, which include walnut, beech, oaks and maple trees. Coniferous species, for example, Pitch Pine are also found on the Gap. The forest is made up of black bears, gray squirrels, gray fox, white tailed deer and chipmunks. The water is inhabited by various species of fish which include bass, walleye, carp and trout. Other animals have inhabited the river and the surrounding forest. The water passing through Delaware Water Gap comes from precipitation. Hydrological cycle is referred to as the continuous water movement between the atmosphere and earth. Heat is the most predominant influence of this cycle. Under heat influence, water evaporates from land and water surfaces. The vapor formes then circulates in the atmosphere and precipitates as rain or even snow. Once the water strikes the earth surface, it follows two courses (Harman, 2005). It can follow the surface runoff pathway and flow directly via Delaware River and then flow into the ocean. The amount of water that runs through Delaware water gate depends on the infiltration capacity upstream of Delaware River. Infiltration capacity is the maximum rate of water absorption by the soil. Infiltration capacity depends on the duration and intensity of precipitation. After precipitation, water may follow sheet or channel flow. The case of Delaware is an example of channel flow. This happens when the surface runoff is confined or limited to a trough like depression. During rainfall, sheet flow contributes to the amount of water in river; hence, trough the gap (Harman, 2005). Infiltration is the second path. The water which overcomes the forces of adhesion and cohesion in the soil profile the percolates downwards and accumulates to form ground water reservoirs. The surface of these reservoirs is termed as the water table. The water table level varies in response to replenishment and drainage in outlets such as streams (Harman, 2005). The Delaware River also receives water from groundwater. The precipitation at Delaware water gap stands at an average of 49.98 inches. The rainfall is evenly distributed with the wettest months being May, which attains a rainfall of 50.1inches. Weathering is the breakdown of rocks or materials on earth via influence of the atmosphere, water and biota. Physical weathering has an influence on the sides of the Delaware water gap. However, it is worth noting that the Appalachians Mountain is a Silurian Shawanguk conglomerate. This belongs to the group of gray quartzite. This makes the sides of the Delaware water gap resistant to weathering. However, the area is also composed of sandstone, shale and sedimentary rocks along the river. This means that weathering can have an influence in shaping the morphology of the water gap. Weathering will steepen the walls of the gap. The nearby Kittatinny Ridge has been subject to this force. Broken slabs of sandstone and shale can be seen on some sides of the Delaware Water Gap. These are as a result of weathering. Weathering will lead to further disintegration of shale and sandstone forming the broken slabs. Cracks due to weathering are visible on the walls of the Water gap. The cracks may widen further and may lead to steepening of the walls. Frost weathering is an imperative process in the evolvement of the landscape of this geographical feature (Yatsu, 1975). Ice may accumulate within rock pores during the winter. As the ice crystals grow, the rock will weaken with time, and eventually, break up. After the disintegration of rocks, mass wasting has a significant impact to the walls of the gap (Yatsu, 1975). The disintegrated rocks and soil will move downwards under the influence of gravity. Downhill creep has been attributed to some of the rocks found in the Delaware River between the gaps. The intensity of Downhill creep may increase overtime. In conclusion, the Delaware water gap is a terrific geological phenomenal with a striking scenery. The waters of Delaware cut across the Appalachian, with the sides sloping to an elevation of 1540 feet. The width of the Gap is nearly 1000 feet. Continental collision created the Appalachians with water eroding and forming the gap. There are still “constant mutations” that continue to shape up this geographical feature. This is as evidenced by the weathering and mass wasting. Reference List Harman, R. (2005). The Water cycle: Evaporation, Condensation & Erosion. London: Routledge. Hickman, E. (2004). Water Quality of Streams in and near the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. NJ: Prentice Hall. How the Gap formed. Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. 26th April 2007. Retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/dewa/planyourvisit/upload/sb2Geogap.pdf Yatsu, E. (1975). Mass Wasting: A geographical publication. Geo Abstract Ltd. Read More