Marooned Syncline

Photographer: Jordan Maendel
Summary Author: Jordan Maendel

The above photo showing a marooned syncline was taken in Greene County, New York. It was snapped at one of the many limestone quarries found in the northern Catskill Mountains. Fortunately, the blasting team at this quarry worked around this handsome geomorphologic specimen. Synclines and anticlines develop when rock layers are folded over one another during periods of mountain building (orogeny). In the Catskills, this occurred 395 to 325 million years ago during the Devonian and Mississippian periods. This area is particularly difficult to mine limestone, as there are many layers interbedded, some more useful than others. The percentage of calcite varies greatly from layer to layer, making some of the bedrock only useful for gravel roads.

• Greene County, New York Coordinates: 42.29, -74.13
• Related Links
  • EPOD: Limestone Syncline
  • Geology of New York State
• Earth Observatory
  • MISR Views New York and New England

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