The Northeastern states have some of the most varied landscapes in the United States. You may not associate the Northeast with volcanoes and glaciers, but in fact volcanic and glacial activity, along with the ocean, are the three main creative forces in the formation of the Northeastern natural landforms. The Northeastern states comprise Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Mountain Landforms
Mountains are created by tectonic forces, land pushing up land or rock rising to the Earth's surface through volcanic activity. The main mountain chain in the Northeast is the Appalachian Mountains. Geologists estimate the Appalachians to be nearly 270 million years old and once as tall as the Himalayas. Millions of years of glaciation and erosion have reduced these once great mountains to a mere fraction of their former glory. The Appalachian system extends over 2000 miles from Alabama to the Newfoundland and Labrador province in Canada.
Within the Northeastern region of the Appalachian system you will find the Alleghenies in Pennsylvania, the Catskills in New York, the Green Mountains in Vermont, the White Mountains in New Hampshire and the Berkshires in Massachusetts.
Other landforms in these mountain regions include various lakes, rivers, waterfalls, natural slides and natural springs, each with its own distinctive beauty. New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and New Hampshire have an abundance of rivers, lakes and waterfalls. In addition to waterfalls, Maine has numerous natural slides and pools.
Glacial Landforms
In addition to eroding the Appalachians, glaciers also formed the landforms of Long Island, Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. About 25,000 years ago, a process began of advance and retreat of massive glaciers more than 500 feet thick. Glaciers moved huge rocks and scraped bedrock, leaving the land scoured in some places and hilly in others. Eventually the ebb and flow that reshaped the land also left us with exceptional water formations such Cape Cod Bay, the Gulf of Maine and Nantucket and Long Island Sounds.
This advance and retreat also carved out northwestern New York. By the end of the last ice age, the result was Lakes Erie and Ontario. These lakes, of course, are the extreme effects, but evidence of this ice sheet action is found throughout the northeast in the numerous lakes, called kettle lakes. As glaciers retreated they left behind large blocks of ice, which over time melted, leaving a hollowed-out area that would later fill in with water. The Finger Lake region of New York is an excellent example of glacial action.
Coastal and Ocean Landforms
Coastal landforms are created by a combination of ocean and wind forces. The effects are intensified by winter storms, nor'easters and the occasional hurricane. The Atlantic Ocean is a fierce opponent to fragile landscapes. The wind and water move and shape the shoreline, creating white sandy beaches, sand dunes and marshlands. Just one winter storm can erode a dune cliff or move huge boulders from beach to ocean.
Beaches shift and change not only year to year but storm to storm, with erosion being of major concern. A category one hurricane can wash away a beach, decimate dunes and destroy ecosystem of marshlands in just a few hours.
Land Formation as a Force of Nature
The beauty of natural landforms draws the observer in. While some places are pristine and wild, others are calming and peaceful. The forces that create such works of art are destructive and often dangerous yet tend to operate in geologic time, permitting the illusion of permanence.
Tags: advance retreat, Appalachian system, Long Island, natural landforms, natural slides, Northeastern states, some places
