Appalachian Geology: Surprising Implications

Рет қаралды 421,061

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 1 200

@bobfoster687 Жыл бұрын

I’m a geologist who did a masters thesis mapping the Valley and Ridge geology in Hampshirite and Hardy counties, WVA. I appreciate your efforts to clearly explain the geologic history to lay people. From the comments, looks like your work is much appreciated. Good refresher for me, too.

@bobfoster687 Жыл бұрын

That was in 1977. I’m old! But not as John Denver sang, “older than the mountains…”

@richardhutchinson4974 Жыл бұрын

Excellent, next time I drive through the mountains I will appreciate the 'how did that happen? ' question.

@psilocybemusashi Жыл бұрын

wow i studied mechanical engineering but i was close to switching to geology. in the end i thought there were less jobs and lower pay but now i realize i could have made far more money working for an oil and gas company as a geologist... or a mechanical engineer for that matter meh no regrets.

@hobog 11 ай бұрын

@@psilocybemusashiI think starting pay is generally higher for engineers. Civil Engineering firms in Europe and US+Canada have been hiring geologists for maybe more than a generation now. Mining includes water and non-fossil-fuels too!

@AustinKoleCarlisle 11 ай бұрын

that area has some of the purest aquifers, right?

@MarkRenn Жыл бұрын

Between you and Nick Zentner, I am finding a sincere love for geology. I love this stuff. Nick has taught me so much about the Pacific Northwest. And now you're teaching me about our east coast. Now I wish I could find something to teach me about Missouri Geology.

@myroncook Жыл бұрын

I love to hear this!

@JusNoBS420 10 ай бұрын

Nick is also great 👍

@nancyscipione9876 8 ай бұрын

Watch Shawn Wolsey. He is also great!

@chloedoritoloco8537 8 ай бұрын

Missoula flood fans unite!

@michaelmcguigan7371 6 ай бұрын

These two Professors have opened a whole new world-view for me. Geologically and philosophically. It’s wonderful, frankly.

@GregDaniels-yo4od Жыл бұрын

As a sixth grader in 1962 I looked at a map on the wall and told the teacher that the continents all fit together nicely, and she assured me I was wrong. Plate tectonics couldn't come quick enough for this inquisitive young man.

@kekkic 8 ай бұрын

I remember being an elementary school also in the late 60s and thinking that all the continents fit together like a puzzle and I somehow knew that they once had been one continent without ever really learning about it till later

@旭球 8 ай бұрын

@@kekkicI love stories like this. I've anecdotally heard that people noticed these things ever since decent maps started being produced, but technology had to advance a long way before we as a species could explain it.

@MinnesotaGuy822 8 ай бұрын

@GregDaniels But everyone knows that "authorities" have perfect and complete knowledge about everything and are to be unquestioningly believed and obeyed. Don't think for yourself, the authorities have your best interest at heart and if you don't brainlessly believe and obey them, you'll hurt yourself! /s That was pretty much the upbringing I had as a kid in the 1970s; be deferential to "authorities" and live by and internalize "the orthodoxy". Yeah, right. It's amazing how many people who are scientists are fiercely tribal, holding to their tribe's orthodoxy, their set of sacred dogmas, their "sacred truths" that are not allowed to be questioned. On the other hand, just being contrary and oppositional just to feel powerful, i.e., being a troll, is a pretty horrible state to live in. Given what some of us humans have learned since about just how partial human knowledge is and how fragile human reason is, I've found it better to chart the middle course and live by the motto, "Examine everything carefully; cling firmly to that which you find to be good." And always ask, "How do I know what I think I know, what I believe to be true?" Keep on asking questions, young man! :D

@kevkevdj 7 ай бұрын

@@MinnesotaGuy822no that’s religion.

@Starry_Night_Sky7455 7 ай бұрын

I just want to know the identity of the teacher. Add a name and face here. She was so so wrong 😅. Find her relatives. Send a card that says you were right.

@juliamacdonald3767 Жыл бұрын

This was awesome. The Appalachians are my home mountains, I’m glad to understand them more. It’s so nice to spend time with someone who is also just thrilled by the story of the earth.

@gravitystorm61158 Жыл бұрын

I grew up in the Catskill range of the Appalachia Mountains. Rockland County NY to be exact. I was taken by rocks as a kid because everywhere I put a shovel to dig worms for fishing, I would hit a rock. They interested me in learning how they got there. All school taught us was the “Ice Age”….

@allanparker5789 Жыл бұрын

You have us mesmerized, we wish we were 50 years younger and were studying to be geologists. You are an inspiration. Allan and Carmon

@Rain9Quinn Жыл бұрын

Yup!😆

@harrietharlow9929 Жыл бұрын

I know I wish I was younger and studying geoogy!

@tangerine199 Жыл бұрын

It's never too late! Seriously find out if you can sit in on some geology classes at a university near you. Lots of profs in smaller universities/colleges would love to talk to you and share their ideas - a Geologist's son

@MarkFloyd7451 11 ай бұрын

@@tangerine199 A lot of professors don't mind. You can also take classes thru Open University no matter what your age is. When I was in my early twenties and taking a Physical Geology class I remember there was a much older looking gent, perhaps in his 60's or more, auditing the class.

@carolyngarman1422 8 ай бұрын

As a geologist (BS - VA Tech, MS - CO School of Mines), I assure you it has been the love of my life and you can appreciate it everywhere you go. I wouldn't want to be in any other profession. You learn to think in 3D. I worked in the environmental industry.

@josephmcphee9143 Жыл бұрын

The example of sheets of paper and the exercise ball really drove home the thinnest of the crust to me for the first time. Also your use of drone cameras in your videos is outstanding. Thank you

@myroncook Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

@karenkalordy8312 6 күн бұрын

Yes, I thought I realized that the crust was thin, but those eleven and two sheets of paper were a profound demonstration which will stay with me.

@zworm2 Жыл бұрын

Great video about an area that is sadly ignored. I am a rock hound and live in Maryland. There are so many deposits of all kinds jumbled around me. Fantastic metamorphic schist, a mica mine and even red sandstones with iron and dinosaur tracks. This area was the source of Colonial iron ore and granite too! We are still classed as a moderate earthquake zone due to remaining stresses.

@skipdoggy Жыл бұрын

I can not even begin to tell you how much I appreciate this video! I watched it three times this morning. I’ve lived in the PA Appalachian mountains all my life and was always fascinated by the different formations, but never was able to put a visual on the how truly big they actually were. As a little kid, my babysitters husband gave me fossils he would find and told me “my” mountains were once the biggest in the world! I grew up on the north face of a fold, not far from the Susquehanna. To get to Harrisburg, we would travel down 322 along the river where I could see these beautiful layers exposed. Thank you, Mr. Cook! You’ve got a friend in Pennsylvania!

@myroncook Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your story, Skippy! I'm so happy it added some knowledge/appreciation for your homeland.

@joemug4079 Жыл бұрын

I just found Byron’s show and love it! Because I love science, all of it. I’m now watching your videos about daily now. I have you added to my list of best KZbin scientists: * Myron Cook Geology Read the Rocks *StarTalk *Crime Pays but Botany Doesn’t Thank you for you’re show!!

@mulder2400 Жыл бұрын

Globe "Planets" with oceans glued to a curved surface ? LOL ... LMAO Here kids, Earth is a level plane comprised of fossilized flesh. The actual term is called Nucleophilic Substitution, with level Earth the Substrate. Mega titan dragon creatures 🐉🐲died here long ago, and their bodies are now limestone and granite ⛰🏔 mountains, and island chains etc. This type of creature was airborne, fire breathing and it's actual venom is where Crude Oil, Shale, and Coal come from. These Dragons bodies 🐉are loaded with the 38 Transition Metals (e.g. - Fe, Au, Ag, Cu etc.) like the Appalachians Mts. 🏔 (dragon) on the East coast. Fossil Fuel is a correct term like biogenic oil, but there is no true "Jurassic period", just the reality that ancient mega Titan reptilian creatures existed and limestone/granite mountains are the physical remains (Substrate). Go to google earth, remove borders and labels, and see the Atlas Mts. in Morocco for a starter dragon (1000 mi. baby), and notice the two colorful blue/red glands which secreted the black venom (now Crude Oil). There's also a 500 mile long fish 🐠as the Sahara Desert, leaving it's Si Silicon, and SiO2 sands laying next to that dragon as well. The east coast Appalachians/Blue Ridge Mts. are another multi head dragon, a Monster-0 type (lol) leaving shale and the Mexican Gulf it's vast oil (Venom) deposits etc. The north Canadian Rockies are made of at least two separate dragon 🐉🐲creatures, leaving massive coal and crude oil deposits in Alaska and Yukon Territories etc. These mega-Titan fire breathing dragon creatures are the stuff of legends, and they are forever part of Earth Plane Topography (🐉=🏔), and our ancient level Earth's actual History. Now you know where gasoline, and metals for tooling comes from, 🐲🐉! 😉 lol ... Dragons !

@ohyeayea6692 Жыл бұрын

😅im not a geologist & I'm way closer to Antarctica than to the US. Its interesting how one becomes aware of the terminology unknowingly, its to do with the calibre of the presentations. i do find deep time difficult... contemplating a billion years, really understanding it , isnt something i know how to do. I'll be watching this gentleman's other videos, very comfortable viewing.

@JohnLeePettimoreIII Жыл бұрын

@@joemug4079 here are some others that may interest you : Cody's Lab - misc science/nerd Nile Red - chemistry Nile Blue - chemistry Journey To The Microcosmos - microbiology Thoisoi - chemistry Sixty Symbols - physics Mathologer - maths 3 Blue 1 Brown - maths Ben Eater - electronics

@Mutley58 Жыл бұрын

I really enjoyed this, Myron! I live in PA, have traveled the east coast extensively and have seen lots of roadway cutouts which looked exactly like the one pictured at 0:10 in this video. Now I know what I’m looking at and have a whole new appreciation for the sheer beauty of this geology. Thanks!

@Seeker0fTruth Жыл бұрын

Same!! Hello fellow Pennsylvanian!

@RV-oo6dh 10 ай бұрын

Absolutely fascinating! Myron, you have the gift of making complex subjects like geology seem easy to the extent that even dummies like me ‘get it’. Thank you 🙏

@mikelong9638 Жыл бұрын

Myron, Thanks for the time and effort you put into making this. Your explanations are flawless.

@georgefspicka5483 Жыл бұрын

Thanks Myron. As a Merrylander who got his historical geology training in the region, I appreciate your covering this. Like you say, though the Rockies are far more spectacular, the Appalachians have their own charm (maybe that's why Baltimore is called "Charm City" ;) especially in terms of it's long history and series of orogenies. As is said, Maryland is "American in Miniature," not only in terms of geography, but also geology. From Precambrian to Pleistocene Terraces, the only thing we're missing at the surface is the Jurassic Period and the Oligocene Epoch. For about a year now I've been dating a lady who grew up in Huntsville AL, which is located in the N.E. part of the state. Naturally I checked out the geology there, and I was rather surprised to find geologic formations that were identical to ones here. For instance, the Pennsylvanian Pottsville Formation runs from Pennsylvania, through western Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, and Alabama. "It is a major ridge-former in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians." When you mention “deep underground,” understanding that was an early major insight for me. The faults and folds here are very complicated. I was fortunate in the fact that Dr. Beem, the person I took honors geology with for 4-years, liked to do field work, which was an incredible help in my being able to put the puzzle together in my mind. And it’s not just the Valley & Ridge that are interesting. Running here through Frederick Countie’s Triassic sediments, is the Newark Supergroup. It starts in Newfoundland and runs through to South Carolina, and also has areas of Jurassic sediments. It represents an early Rift Zone that failed, as Pangea began to pull apart. In N.E. Frederick county are found Grallators, that are thought to be made by the the early dinosaur, Coelophysis. Precise identification is difficult, because the animal(s) appeared to have been running. Another point of interest in Frederick County, the western side has two ridges that contain greenstone Metabasalts, remnants of volcanism occurring towards the east during the Paleozoic Era. One last thing, about 20 miles west of Baltimore is the town of Granite, named so for obvious reasons. The rocks there are thought to be the remains of the core of an ancient volcano :)

@myroncook Жыл бұрын

fascinating!

@pambrown6260 Жыл бұрын

We followed the Appalachians to/ through the gasped peninsula.

@nicholasbeck1558 5 ай бұрын

You are a very clear and patient teacher. Thank you for taking the time to construct such informative and exquisite videos.

@doctorwu1303 Жыл бұрын

Fantastic presentation. I can now look out my back yard at the foothills and valleys and understand how they were formed. Driving around here in East Tennessee and western North Carolina I can also understand these huge rock folds that dominate the mountains. Been waiting for this and you delivered it brilliantly. 😊

@biancasalinas5659 Жыл бұрын

What a coincidence you posted this video! I just got back from mapping the Valley and Ridge province for a project as well as writing a paper on the orogenies that had occurred in creation of the Appalachian mountains all semester! I was able to see physically all the incredible folds and deformation of rock.

@myroncook Жыл бұрын

Very cool!

@bobfoster687 Жыл бұрын

Valley and Ridge

@heronimousbrapson863 8 ай бұрын

This is what I would have imagined a Bob Ross demonstration would have been like had he been a geologist.

@StereoSpace Жыл бұрын

A good way to visualize a foreland basin is to pile books, one at a time, onto a sofa cushion. As the pile of books get taller, the 'basins' adjacent to the books gets deeper. Small mountains ranges - a small pile of books - will create shallow basins on either side of it, and an immense pile of books will create very deep basins. The depth and extent of the basin can be used as a proxy for the length and height of the mountain range that created it.

@mbvoelker8448 Жыл бұрын

That's a terrific visual!

@myroncook Жыл бұрын

good idea!

@joeelliott2157 Жыл бұрын

"The depth and extent of the basin can be used as a proxy for the length and height of the mountain range that created it." That is an excellent point. Since the basin will resist erosion for a much longer period than the much more exposed mountains themselves. Most of the mountain range will have been eroded away, while the still largely below ground basin will still persist.

@mulder2400 Жыл бұрын

@Jungcheese1080 Жыл бұрын

Isostatic pressure

@afraid2crashrc Жыл бұрын

You know it's gonna be a good day when Myron drops a fresh video! 😊

@williamthomas5342 Жыл бұрын

Love the nolage. Please keep teaching me.

@busigator96 Жыл бұрын

Thank You for publishing this. I really enjoy watching you and Nick Zentner on KZbin

@sairuhtonin Жыл бұрын

I'm from Eastern PA and I love looking at the rocks when I'm out driving. I live right on the Blue Mountain and the next ridge over is pure sand; it's so interesting to think that that ridge is made up of a smooshed ocean floor and mine was from somewhere to the east, more or less. Thanks for the great video.

@Jimmysidecarr Жыл бұрын

Brillant explanations and super helpful illustrations! Love this channel!

@Harpo86 11 ай бұрын

I really appreciate the way you explain things, especially your use of those maps, and how you outline Pennsylvania. It provides a great reference.

@LyleFrancisDelp Жыл бұрын

My 8th grade earth science teacher introduced us to “The Theory of Continental Shift” back in 1973. The term “plate tectonics” wasn’t known to me until some years later. At the time, it wasn’t considered mainstream science, but within about 5-10 years, it was accepted as scientific fact. Once we put cameras down at the bottom of the Atlantic Rift and actually saw new crust being created, thus pushing the continents apart, it was pretty much proven.

@myroncook Жыл бұрын

interesting!

@LyleFrancisDelp Жыл бұрын

@@myroncook I’m wondering if I’m correct on this. Please enlighten me. That was a long time ago, but I remember it distinctly.

@myroncook Жыл бұрын

@@LyleFrancisDelp You are correct!

@LyleFrancisDelp Жыл бұрын

@@myroncook Thanks for reassuring my memory. That teacher was one of my all time favorites. He ignited an interest in science that pervades to this day.

@bobfoster687 Жыл бұрын

Sea floor magnetic anomaly “stripes” also were indicative. Magma rising was magnetized differently depending on the shift of the Earth’s magnetic pole, creating symmetrical, parallel magnetic bands parallel to the Mid-Atlantic Rift.

@user-wk1mw9nj3i76 10 ай бұрын

This was fascinating! I had no idea that the erosion of the Appalachian mountains filled in the interior ocean. I’m impressed by your high quality preparation, the teaching aids (yay, white board,), cool maps, and your good-humored and very well-spoken narration, plus your filming of it all (the drone shots are astounding): topics and teaching are always great. Thank you so much!

@BbjmL1 Жыл бұрын

Your demonstration of plate tectonics using the exercise ball is incredible. For the first time, the power of these plates to build these mountains makes logical sense. I knew some of this from college geography 101, but it took your demonstration to bring it home to me. I asked my spouse to come in to watch it, and it rocked her world (punny?) too. Keep teaching. You have an incredible talent. Thank you!

@myroncook Жыл бұрын

Thank you for that feedback!

@Meggligee Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the great video Myron! We were just down hiking in Red River Gorgw and the foothills of the Appalachians today. The geologic processes at work in the gorge are simply amazing and we are often left with limestone and sandstone arches, tall cliffs, rock outcroppings, caves etc. Great to see geology at work!

@pchabanowich Жыл бұрын

Myron, it's simple. I love you - your joy-infused teaching is incomparable. Where were you in my grade-school??? I'd likely be sitting here in a glorious pile of rocks rather than the horticultural spread I enjoy. You are a 'national treasure', even if I'm Canadian. Bless your work.💐

@johnmcnulty4425 Жыл бұрын

So glad to see you covering our neck of the woods, Myron! As a native of Pennsylvania, I grew up as one of those who underappreciated our local mountain range in lieu of the spectacular Rockies, but over time I've come to love the subtle beauty and lush forests that these old and fairly stable mountains have to offer.

@myroncook Жыл бұрын

I'm glad to hear that

@amandajones8841 9 ай бұрын

You're like if my dad liked rocks instead of planes.

@CryptoInvestment-x4c Жыл бұрын

I've been waiting on this . As I'm a east Tennessee Appalachian man . I appreciate this knowledge. Thank you

@jillianonthehudson1739 Жыл бұрын

Wow! I live in the Hudson Valley, and I have the Catskills to my west and the Taconics and Berkshires to my east. We have some amazing folds of layers of limestone in rock cuts, with well pressed fossils. These were the creatures who were buried in the Foreland* basin, that were covered by the Catskill Delta. Would love to know more! Thanks for this!

@bobfoster687 Жыл бұрын

Foreland

@myroncook Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your feedback, Jillian! Keep visualizing and enjoying the geology...brings wonderment.

@dbrichardson Жыл бұрын

Great content and a presentation style that would make Mr. Rogers smile.

@davidmundt7081 Жыл бұрын

I always look forward to a new video from you Myron, and anticipate what new things I can learn about geology. Great stuff as usual!

@franks4973 10 ай бұрын

Love the ball and paper example. Better than any of my old textbooks. Great information regarding the accretion of eastern So the. Pennsylvania coal is from peat in the basin!

@DJ-Dreaming Жыл бұрын

I love your videos and teaching style. What a stunning backstory on the appellation orogeny. Some of the map orientation was difficult to follow, so a North marker on the maps would help a great deal for non-northern Hemisphere folk.

@maureenmcmonagle3321 9 ай бұрын

I love the way you explain it all and use geological terms but explain them immediately in simple terms. Thanks for this video. Also I like your shirt and sombrero, very fitting for a geologist of the America's in my opinion. 😊

@pixels2u Жыл бұрын

Thx so much for this! For us in the east, the Appalachians are as keenly interesting as the rockies are to you guys! Have been looking for this kind of clear, easy to understand history for so long. (Only found dry lectures with bad sound and hard to see charts). You’re a great and enthusiastic teacher. Going to watch again in a few minutes.

@Danika_Nadzan Жыл бұрын

I agree completely! I'm from eastern PA and also spent ten years in Tennesee's Smoky Mountains, where you can see those beautiful waves of hills at the beginning of your video. I spent many days walking my dogs at Wilbur dam in Carter County, TN, looking in awe at the huge cuts in the mountainsides. Their many-layered folds, tilted at steep angles, are the live version of your clay model. Myron, the model and your explanation of the whole process make it easy to grasp and understand! And I knew the Appalachians were once as tall as the Himalayas, but had no idea their erosion spread as far as Arizona! Puts it into an even larger perspective...the Appalachians show the future the Rockies and the Himalayas!

@evelyne7071 5 ай бұрын

Great graphics and explanation of valley and coal/oil/natural gas formation. Thanks

@eduardos.366 Жыл бұрын

Thanks Myron. You are a superb teacher.

@scottluallin4052 Ай бұрын

Your channel is an amazing break from the hustle and bustle of every day life. It is like a 60 minute meditation. I sincerely appreciate the effort you CLEARLY put into these videos. THANK YOU!

@jackthetford7558 8 ай бұрын

I am 63 and I still feel incredible excitement when I hear you speak with a great love of geology. Thank you, Myron for keeping geology a satisfying distraction from the necessary pains of daily life.

@myroncook 8 ай бұрын

My pleasure!

@jackthetford7558 5 ай бұрын

@@myroncook I would love to hear your analysis on the Richat structure in Africa.

@paulplatt5074 Жыл бұрын

I have watched this post again and will watch it over and over until I fully understand it. I am just a laser sheet metal worker that works in manufacturing. I have NO Collage, or geology skills. I am just a common person that Loves Geology. I live in Alabama and were at one time a pretty good caver. I LOVE ALABAMA and its Geology. I am so pleased to have found this channel and want to learn more. Who has time for games when you can feed your mind with information. Thank you for replying. I have a basic concept about the basic geology in my area. As ignorant as I am, have learned a lot from watching you. Thank you for your Great work. You have your ducks in a row.

@myroncook Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your story, Paul. I love to hear about people like you...it is inspiring to me. For me the "common man" is the absolute backbone of our country.

@vinnynorthwest Жыл бұрын

Very interesting, I love the clay model and the explanation of erosion was very helpful as I’ve had trouble grasping the scale of that. Thank you Myron!

@jeffmcclure2603 Жыл бұрын

Thank you! You do such a good job of explaining complex topics simply so that the rest of us can understand and appreciate the wonders around us.

@powercatjeffy Жыл бұрын

Great stuff, as always, Myron. Gives a little insight into the initial Pennsylvanian deposits in SE Kansas, and the coal mining in that area.

@michaelmcguigan7371 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for teaching me about my beautiful Pennsylvania home. Just fascinating Professor. Please keep it up!

@OsadabwaMoto Жыл бұрын

Always interesting. Always enjoyable. Thanks again. I had the good fortune to visiting the Black Thunder coal mine outside of Wright a few years ago and was amazed by what they showed us with regard to the amount of coal that is deposited in Wyoming. It would sure make an interesting video...

@myroncook Жыл бұрын

Hope to do that

@nightowl6260 6 ай бұрын

What an excellent presentation! Thank you.

@richardalytle574 Жыл бұрын

If I were still teaching high school geoscience your videos would be my assistant. Your ability to convey the whole geologic picture is great. Thanks

@mulder2400 Жыл бұрын

@richardwarren449 8 ай бұрын

Thoroughly enjoyed this presentation. I did my mapping in the Coast Mountains of B.C., but also did a long field trip in the East, which I often think about to this day, over 50 years later.

@myroncook 8 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

@Strider_Bvlbaha Жыл бұрын

Thank you for covering this! The Appalachians are such an interesting group of mountains, and super important culturally and historically to so many, but often overlooked just because they're 'short.' I'd love to see something on the Mississippi Embayment and even more so on the formation of the Ouachitas. Most of the Ouachitas are very similar to the basin and range geology of the Appalachian system, but they have some unique features. Top of mind are the McKinley Rocks and the Potato Hills in the Kiaminchi valley area, as well as the novaculite seams that are--from what I've been told--the only major metamorphic rocks known in the whole Ouachita system. Supposedly, there is an odd lack of associated vulcanism as well.

@mulder2400 Жыл бұрын

@baxtermullins1842 6 ай бұрын

Growing up in WVa, I have walked, climb and wondered through out these mountains. Very good description as one can see the difference in the rocks.

@prime-mate 10 ай бұрын

These videos should be shown in schools...

@katanaki3059 8 ай бұрын

But Evolution vs the Bible

@prime-mate 8 ай бұрын

@katanaki3059 Geology isn't evolution, and the Bible is a little vague when it comes to geological processes.. what exactly are you trying to say?

@nancyw5779 7 ай бұрын

Geology contributed to evolution.

@prime-mate 7 ай бұрын

@nancyw5779 yes.. it did.

@srameypr Жыл бұрын

When I took geology at VA Tech, all of our classroom lectures and field trips were spent in the valley and ridge region. Driving west of campus on Rt. 460, one passes through huge road cuts showing a side view of massive anticlines and synclines. We did make one visit into West Virginia, where our prof announced we were on the North American craton, and of course, the WVa mountains had a totally different erosional pattern. It was a great location to study geology. I do wish our professors had a clay model like yours, though, as I had difficulty with some of the necessary 3-D thinking. That clay model is so helpful!

@myroncook Жыл бұрын

glad to hear that!

@dlyrag755 Жыл бұрын

Growing up in Pa. I've seen this firsthand. I remember seeing coal seams coming right out of the ground in places when hunting. Strip mining around eastern Pa. looks for the coal which is close to the surface. Today most mining in Pa. has stopped, but I now understand better the way coal seams were laid down. In Wyoming you don't have all the green vegetation covering up the land and you can see all the ground features easily. Both places have their own beauty.

@johnfox9169 Жыл бұрын

What a treat to hear my FAVORITE geologist give a talk on another fascinating aspect of a great science!!

@BlueRidgeCritter Жыл бұрын

This was really fantastic, you have a really nice way of presenting 101 information very concisely. Although, you and I need to have a serious discussion of the pronunciation of those mountains, lol. Geologist in the Western highlands of Virginia here, by the way. One thing, on a serious note, would be if you wanted to continue the discussion a little further… Is the graben that has occurred as the Atlantic rift opens up, and to the west, talking about the Appalachian plateau, where it goes to about a 3° western dip but otherwise it's flat lying. After the uplift brought all the coal up to shooting distance, a lot of people think that West Virginia became mountainous, which it really didn't; it's all erosional with the settlement going to the Gulf. Just lots of interesting stuff you can get into in our Appa-LATCH-IN mountains 😂

@blakescott2817 Жыл бұрын

What a great video! I always enjoy learning from you Myron! Thank you!

@isabellame7326 Жыл бұрын

I grew up in PA and had no idea how the Appalachian Mountains were formed! Thank you for doing such a great informative video! 😊

@myroncook Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

@gardubois7194 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your continued sharing of your knowledge and for once again expanding my understanding and nurturing my curiosity of the processes that form our landscapes…all of which I delight in. The scaled down earth images, models, and white board images helped greatly.

@mbvoelker8448 Жыл бұрын

I grew up near Pittsburgh and learned my college geology at Juniata College in the heart of the ridge and valley province in the early 80's. Drs. Trexler and Washington would take us up horrible fire roads to overlooks where we could see the land spread out all the way to the next ridge and see the synclines and anticlines almost as clearly as if we were looking at a map.

@RobbieMcT97 7 ай бұрын

Fellow JC alumnus- trexler/mutti era

@mbvoelker8448 7 ай бұрын

@@RobbieMcT97 Cool!

@haltersweb 7 ай бұрын

My grandma’s land bordered the Taconic State Parkway. So cool to know the name refers to a tectonic plate that made the beautiful Catskills she lived in.

@myroncook 7 ай бұрын

awesome!

@zack_120 8 ай бұрын

The 11-papers analogy is a very effective way of showing how thin the crust is and easily penetrated from below👍

@clarencegreen3071 7 ай бұрын

How deep, or thick, is the atmosphere that surrounds the earth? Let an onion about 4 inches in diameter (100 mm) represent the earth. (That's a fairly large onion.) The thickness of the atmosphere is about the same as the papery thin outer peel of the onion. That is, it's very thin. I'm aware that the atmosphere gets less dense as you go higher until it gradually thins to the vacuum of space. But one-half of all the air lies below an altitude of 18,000 feet, which is about one-half the cruising altitude of an airliner. Now, to get a bit depressing, think about all the cars, power plants, and cement production facilities squirting CO2 and who knows what else into that thin layer of air above our heads. I suspect it may have some significant effect, but I don't know exactly what nor what can be done about it.

@zack_120 7 ай бұрын

@@clarencegreen3071 that's thoughtful interpretations 👍

@oldgeezerproductions Жыл бұрын

This so reminds me of my geology 101 course taught by a professor who was not the nice person you obviously are, but was an excellent teacher. He inspired me with a love of studying geology and subsequent courses were more of a detailed review of the concepts he introduced, with fill-in detail added. I appreciate your recognition of the importance of petroleum and coal diagenesis despite the really bad press "fossil" energy is currently receiving. Yes, CO2 from coal and hydrocarbons is an increasingly serious problem, but the fact is that the rise of our modern civilization and so much of the scientific innovation that is so vital to our lives can all be traced to James Watt's Cornish mine engines run on coal and Colonial Drake's well in Titusville, Pennsylvania. My ancestor's career was in drilling for oil in North-Western Pennsylvania (near Titusville) and that's where I'd spend my summers as a child in the folded Allegheny Mountains. Interesting to ponder that this region was on the Western edge of the Appalachian Foreland Basin. By the way, what we now call "Foreland Basin" development buried so deep as to have granitic intrusions was part of the Geosyncline Theory (taught by my Prof.) that proceeded the (then) brand new (and not totally accepted) Plate Techtonics Theory.

@Rune_Scholar Жыл бұрын

You have such a gentle and understandable way of presenting this geology. This would be a good learning video for people of any age. Thanks for a video on my home mountains.

@AdamCourville Жыл бұрын

Hey Myron, just started this video and I’m sure I’ll love it, but I’d like to comment early with a question for a possible future video.. I am from Louisiana and spent 11 years in the Gulf of Mexico running Wireline and the last 5 in the Permian. Every once in a while I will drive by different erroded hillsides in New Mexico and even into colorado with a reddish almost purple formation that erodes easily and usually has a greenish gray band or 2 maybe a foot thick that also seems to erode at the same rate. Sometimes it’s under a cap rock of limestone or in a tuft or sandstone so I know it’s not just a soil profile although it seems to erode almost as easily like. I can’t seem to find anything explaining what it is. One example you may be aware of is off of New Mexico 84 between Abiquiu and echo amphitheater. I’m not sure if I described it well enough but if you do know what I’m talking about any response would be appreciated! Thanks for the great content!

@myroncook Жыл бұрын

I'm not familiar with that particular area

@AdamCourville Жыл бұрын

@@myroncook Oh ok. I see outcrops of what appear to be the same formation almost always beneath a harder cap rock all over New Mexico all the way down to the Texas border north to southern Colorado and nothing comes up with any google searches describing it. Being so widespread and different than most other easily identifiable types of formations I find it strange that it’s so hard to find out what it is. Is there a way to send some pictures of it maybe you your website? I understand you may be busy and no time for this so don’t want to bother you but figure it’s worth a shot asking.

@AdamCourville Жыл бұрын

@@myroncook actually no need to send you pictures, watching your video of the 50 million year old mammal tracks and from around 9:20 until the end you are walking around in the same type of landscape I’m talking about, only deeper reddish purple with greenish gray colors. What created the scenery in the end of that video?

@seasmith2268 11 ай бұрын

Bump, for notice by Myron Cook @@AdamCourville

@StopMarxism 9 ай бұрын

You remind of a time when learning science (geology) was fun and actually meant something

@Renzsu Жыл бұрын

I hope you don’t mind me saying, but you’re like the new Bob Ross. I hope your channel breaks through in a major way!

@profsteve7653 6 ай бұрын

Thanks Myron, lived on east coast and explored geology from maine to florida-living in the SW USA it's another world I also study the landscape - love Blakey and Ranney book Ancient Landscapes of Colorado Plateau

@grandparocky 26 күн бұрын

Best graphic description of the plates. Now we can see how those rocks were able to fold and break and uplift so much. Thank you!

@Robert-rr7kw 2 ай бұрын

It is so true of what you're teaching / depicting that you're rendering looks similar to Boulder, Colorado.

@brettgingery298 Күн бұрын

I have tried to read every geology book I come in contact with, the way you portray things in a 30 minute video is better than a 500 page book. Just makes me want to travel to all these places and explore the geology myself, take the kids and teach them too. Now I need a whiteboard!

@NautilusGuitars 5 ай бұрын

Man, I've always been interested in geology and always watch in awe of the changing landscape any time I drive in or out of the Appalachians from my home right near the "triple point" between the glacial, plains, and mountain landscapes of Ohio. But your ability to teach this subject just sparked such a deep interest in me, and I want to thank you for that. It's always been a subject of interest, but this video made me appreciate it so much more and I'll be going on a deep dive because of it. You have a wonderful personality for this and I'm grateful that I chose to watch this. It was an excellent primer on the subject and your excitement and awe is infectious. You'll probably be my number one source of "edutainment" while I work on my little guitar shop for the next few weeks at least. Thanks again! Very happy I found your channel!

@myroncook 5 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@HapaxGirl 6 ай бұрын

Hi Myron! I have always been fascinated by rocks and the incredible geological history of our planet. I have referenced the information I’ve gained from this video in conversation at least 10x since watching it. Because of this video, I was able to confidently explain how the Appalachian mountains came to be, which was especially satisfying when talking to my friend in Kentucky about them. No matter how many books I’ve read or diagrams I’d seen, it never really clicked until I heard you explain it so well. So I just wanted you to know that I love your content and I’m really happy I found your account :)

@myroncook 6 ай бұрын

I Love to hear this!

@myroncook 8 ай бұрын

I have had many people correct me for the pronunciation of Appalachian. There are two pronunciations that people of the region use. I have no dog in the fight. I use the one I have heard over the years. I mean no offense to anybody. The important thing to me is how amazing they are and the impact they have on the geologic history of North America. What beautiful mountains!

@richardpfost766 9 ай бұрын

As a retired Engineering Geologist that worked and lived on the Pacific Plate of North America And who is planning a road trip through the Appalachian area, the video is a great refresher of the Historical Geology of a region that I never truly appreciated. Mr. Cook does an excellent job of putting together some large puzzle pieces in an understandable manner. Thank you for complimenting my old Historical Geology text regarding the Appalachian region and the geologic provinces that I had never appreciated. Excellent presentation!

@myroncook 9 ай бұрын

thanks!

@geraldoarnoldo6440 9 ай бұрын

As an old coal miner from WV your presentation was much appreciated. My uncle pioneered the practice of reclamation and schooled us on the importance of caring for the terrain.

@myroncook 9 ай бұрын

fascinating

@geraldoarnoldo6440 8 ай бұрын

@@myroncook When I look at Appalachia today on Google Earth it is heartbreaking to see the devastating effects of strip mining. Areas near where we grew up are unrecognizable from above as the visual landmarks are gone. Only GPS works.

@nellyjohnson7316 7 ай бұрын

I’ve driven along the Hudson River in northern manhattan . There are giant exposures of Precambrian rocks sloping down towards the river. Always amazing to see.

@priceoffame 8 ай бұрын

I'm so pleased I discovered your videos! You have a passion for geology that shines through, and an excellent, clear presentation style.

@dianespears6057 Жыл бұрын

What a great video. Myron does it again. It is very hard to find good videos for regular people about Appalachian geology. And, the cliffhanger- Appalachian zircons in Arizona. Can’t wait to hear an explanation for that!

@antoniodelrio1292 Жыл бұрын

Fantastic lesson Myron! I really appreciate you taking the time to put this together.

@itsallspent Жыл бұрын

I lived in the Harrisburg area and took a geology course. The geology club took us on a field trip . Muds with tube worm.. holes.

@tomacana Жыл бұрын

I am enjoying watching this video. I live in Gatlinburg and retired from the Great Smoky Mtns Nat’l Park. I was there when BBC came through to make videos for their production of ‘Making of a Continent’. For those that did not see the videos, they were great.

@ulfricstormcloak5080 Жыл бұрын

I’m studying geology right now and since my school is in the Appalachian plateau we’ve been learning about the geology of the area and it’s made me have so much more appreciation for the region

@brendaleetaylor9566 Жыл бұрын

Wow!!! Thank you for sharing your vast knowledge. I thoroughly enjoyed this whole video and will continue watching all of them! I'm in Colorado and hope you do one on this state.

@zzzubmno2755 Жыл бұрын

Geomorphology is always interesting. It is hard to wrap your head around it all, but Mr. Myron Cook makes it easy.

@Porsche4life Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this. As a native Georgia resident who moved to Texas 10 years ago I miss learning about these mountains and the local geology and natural history

@markjennings7258 Жыл бұрын

Excellent presentation Myron more please.

@Colynn9 8 ай бұрын

You helped to explain to me the tremendous powers of erosion and how the sediment can be carried vast distances over time. Looking at the Grande Canyon, you can see in the negative space the amount of missing material. The Colorado carried sediment downstream, filling in the plains and creating alluvial fans that we live and drive our vehicles on. Thanks for helping to imagine the timescale of these processes.

@agmartin2127 Жыл бұрын

Subscribed, and enjoying the education! Hope you can inform us all (maybe you have.. a lot of videos to go through) about the mountains and processes of Arkansas and Oklahoma. Guessing they are related to this episode. Thank you Dr. Cook.

@mgsxx 5 ай бұрын

It’s maybe the best educational geological channel of the entire KZbin.

@garywesthoven1745 9 ай бұрын

I have always loved geology and your easy, diagramed presentations are amazing and so informative, Myron.

@fredlawlor6791 Жыл бұрын

What a wonderful explanation! Myron you are an incredible natural down to earth teacher with a love and passion of Geology. Thank you for a great presentation of the Appalachians.

@graysonchip 11 ай бұрын

I live in Portland OR and have learned PNW geology from Nick Zentner. Your whiteboard drawing starting at 4:15 gave me a eureka moment. While we had westward subduction of oceanic crust attached to North America (eastward subduction in your Appalachia sketch), that subducting oceanic crust created some of volcanic arcs that later collided with North America. In a sense, on both coasts, North America’s oceanic crust ends up in volcanoes and accreting/smashing into North America. Wild! Thank you Myron for the beginner-friendly lesson!

@DetourswithFrank 6 ай бұрын

I get more excited with every video I watch. Thank you Myron.

@harrietharlow9929 Жыл бұрын

New subscriber here. I remember traveling to NYC years ago, looking out at the road cuts in the Appalachians and marveling at the power needed to to raise such a mountain chain. It's literally mind-blowing. When I was young, I remember my father explaining how we know that the Appaachians are are a very old mountain chain whereas the Rockies are much younger. I've been studying geology on an amateur level for nearly60 years now and love how you explain things like plate tectonics, island arcs, etc. Your channel is yet another reason that I fondly refer to KZbin as "my free university". Thank you so much for upoading!

@myroncook Жыл бұрын

Keep on learning!

@virginiaseedsskogen2038 Жыл бұрын

Thank you, Myron! Your videos are always interesting; this one is especially interesting as I grew up in the Cumberland Valley in PA between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Tuscarora Mountains to the west. You are the best Geology teacher; we're never too old to enjoy learning! We live in Minnesota now, a great place also, but PA is in my heart.

@myroncook Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@virginiaseedsskogen2038 Жыл бұрын

@@myroncook, if I was still homeschooling my children, we would be watching your videos to supplement our science curriculum. Our youngest of five is in public highschool now, the rest of have graduated.

@kaywischkaemper4259 7 ай бұрын

I was a farm kid within the Valley and ridge around Blacksburg VA and ended up with a Va Tech geology degree. Your presentation really is a wonderful context for the Appalachians. The white board is so appreciated- the clay model is super too. 😊

@annmeacham5643 Жыл бұрын

You use your voice well, with enough variations in pitch, speed, and emphasis to keep our attention. Your pace is excellent, not too slow, yet allowing your listeners time to process the information you present. I’m glad I found your channel and am eagerly anticipating more videos. Thank you for sharing your talents with us.😊😊😊

@myroncook Жыл бұрын

Thank you! 😃