Researchers Explain the 'Curious Bend' in Appalachian Mountain Chain
Now for something a bit different...
Nature World News
Researchers Explain the 'Curious Bend' in Appalachian Mountain Chain
Jul 19, 2014
(excerpts)
A new study explains why the Appalachian mountain chain bends in Pennsylvania and New York State.
The Appalachian Mountains, also called the great highland system of North America, run nearly 1500 miles along the eastern part of the U.S. The range is a straight line from Alabama to Newfoundland, but bends Pennsylvania and New York State. Now, researchers from the University of Rochester, have an explanation for this turn...
...Researchers also used data from the American Gravity Database, which is a collection of data from the U.S. and its neighbours Canada and Mexico. This data has information about gravitational pull over North American terrain. According to researchers, contrary to popular belief, gravitational pull varies depending on the location from where it was measured. The difference is due to the variation between density and thickness of the Earth's rocky layers.
According to the researchers, the North American and African continental plate collided some 300 million years ago. The collision led to folds in the North American plates as it was pushed westwards into the underground rock structure. The underground rock structure is what is now known as the northeastern U.S. The dense rock acted as a barricade and forced the Appalachian mountain range to form with the bend.... MORE at http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/8140/20140719/researchers-explain-curious-bend-appalachian-mountain-chain.htm
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