Panorama of the Connecticut River Valley

December 30, 2010

Click for full panorama
PhotographerPhilip L. Dombrowski
Summary Author: Philip L. Dombrowski

The panorama above shows the geologically very mature Connecticut River with its gentle meanders and its associated floodplain (click on the photo to see the entire pnaorama). The Connecticut River Valley is a graben or dropped area between horsts or normal faults on either side of the valley. Highlands flanking the Connecticut River are actually old pieces of proto North America. They formed during the tectonic collisions that helped create the ancient supercontinent of Pangaea. The graben formed when Pangaea broke apart; eventually providing the pathway for the Connecticut River.

Photo details: Images are stictched; made using between 9-11 individual frames with mini Nikon camera. Taken from Mt. Sugarloaf, Massachusetts in the fall of 2010.