Great igneous rock - not red or black but pink and white!

eroded granite rock / Sabbaday Falls, NH / June 2016

eroded granite rock / Cadillac Mountain, ANP / June 2016

This summer as we traveled in North New England, especially into Maine, we saw pink granite nearly everywhere we looked! 

This evidence of volcanic activity takes on a very different form then the dark black and red formations here in Hawai’i.

In Acadia National Park in Maine, the granite appeared in great stacks of large flattened boulders. Some were inland and most were on the coast.

eroded granite rock / Ocean Trail, ANP / June 2016

eroded granite rock / Ocean Trail, ANP / June 2016

This sign explained how the granite rocks (and the mountains!) are harder layers which were exposed after softer rock above was eroded from many forces including glaciers. According to the sign, the currently exposed pink granite rock comes from a hardened magma chamber which crystallized deep below the Earth surface's. 

Cadillac Summit sign / Acadia National Park, ME / June 2016

In contrast, the geologically brand new rock formations of Hawai’i comes directly from the lava coming out of a chamber. This probably explains the difference in appearance of the igneous rocks.

block cliffs / Ocean Trail, ANP / June 2016

block cliffs / Ocean Trail, ANP / June 2016 

Along the coast in Acadia National Park, there were these interesting cliffs formed by layer upon layer of block shaped granite. How did those seemingly geometrically perfect rocks get formed?

block cliffs / Ocean Trail, ANP / June 2016

Further inland the rectangular prismatic rocks formed in such a way to look like walls. 

blocks above the trail / Ocean Trail, ANP/ June 2016

blocks above the trail / Ocean Trail, ANP / June 2016

Among all these pink granite slabs could be found another, probably basalt, dike as found at Sabbaday Falls. [July 07, 2016: Earth’s changing surface - across the United States!]

dike in rock / Ocean Trail, ANP / June 201

eroded granite rock / near Seawall, Southwest Harbor / June 2016

At another location (at left) were a line of easily seen crystals (below) within a rock among the layers of pink granite flattened boulders. 

crystals in rock / near Seawall, Southwest Harbor / June 2016

It was great to see the pink granite being used to make the trails and walls in New Hampshire as well as in Maine. Apparently granite quarries in Maine have an extensive history. Perhaps the nature of granite causes it to break easily along lines to make the large blocks for building. 

steps of granite / Sabbaday Falls, NH / June 2016

walls of granite / Sabbaday Falls, NH / June 2016 

sedimentary layers / Shore Path, Bar Harbor / June 2016

sedimentary layers and granite / Shore Path, Bar Harbor / June 2016

Then in Bar Harbor, Maine, between the two tidal lines, were these sedimentary rocks. I did not see any of this sedimentary layering along the roads and mountains of New England we passed. Perhaps the sedimentary rocks were formed during geologically different sea levels.

In this same area, there was also a balancing rock. The informational sign pointed out the rock was probably moved to its current site by a glacier as it was a different composition than the surrounding rock. Perhaps that is another basalt dike on the left side of this traveling rock!

balancing rock / Shore Path, Bar Harbor / June 2016

balancing rock up close / Shore Path, Bar Harbor / June 2016

If you ever get a chance to go to the Northeastern United States, “watch out for nature” beyond the many birds and beautiful ocean sights - observe the great geology too!