PCPG's A Poorly Sorted but Well Rounded Series

Western Pennsylvania is known for many interesting geologic features, including those of glacial origins. Let’s explore the unusual features of two of Pennsylvania’s beautiful parks. Though very close to each other, Moraine State Park and McConnell’s Mill offer related oddly contrasting geologic wonders.

Anyone who has done geologic work in the Keystone State might wonder how things got so complicated. Pennsylvania’s geologic history is long and complex. Join us to explore how that complexity came about.

We don’t normally think about the relationship between the core of the Earth and the ability of the planet to support life. But it turns out that complex life on Earth would be impossible without a spinning iron-rich core producing the magnetosphere that shields us from the deadly solar wind. Let’s take a look upward and downward and examine the center of the Earth as well as its far-flung outer boundary.

Glaciers have been one of the most significant forces that have sculpted Pennsylvania in the last 50,000 years. Without the Pleistocene glaciations, the world would look very different and be a very different place to live. Let’s explore what glaciers are, how they form and why they are so important.

The White Clay Creek Park and Preserve is found in a unique setting both historically and geologically. While most of Pennsylvania is underlain by sedimentary rocks, the White Clay is within the Piedmont just above the coastal plain, and area composed almost entirely of high-grade metamorphic rocks. Come and explore the unique geology of this area.