Rocks, Ridges and Rivers - Harpers Ferry, WV
Posted by: bluesnote
N 39° 19.356 W 077° 43.824
18S E 264629 N 4356132
A small rock display featuring local quartzite and phyllite, two common metamorphic rocks of the region inside the Harpers Ferry Visitors Center in downtown Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
Waymark Code: WM14D53
Location: West Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 06/14/2021
Views: 3
The rocks are roughly 10 inches by 8 inches and show the unique geology of the Harpers Ferry region. The sign says, "Harpers Ferry is one of the best places in the eastern United States to see metamorphic rocks over 500 million years old. These rocks began as layers of mud, silt and sand. Over time, the layers compressed into sedimentary rocks called shale and sandstone. Increased pressure and heat modified these sedimentary rocks chemically and physically into metamorphic rocks. The most common rock in Harpers Ferry is phyllite, metamorphosed from shale. This abundant and easily shaped rock comprises many of the walls, steps, sidewalks and buildings in town. However, builders chose a more durable quartzite, metamorphosed from sandstone, to remodel Saint Peters Catholic Church in 1896."
Type of Display: Geological
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