Geology

Preface    Introduction    Geology    Soil Descriptions    Mapping    Interpretive Maps    References

Agronomy Farm Block Diagram    Soil Catena Diagram    Soil Landscape Relations Diagram

    The geology of the Agronomy Farm is rather simple.  When the African plate collided with the North American Plate millions of year ago, the land was uplifted in Centre County.  The less weather resistant limestone was quickly weathered (geologically speaking) and the more resistant sandstone and shale were left behind.  As a result, one may observe the sandstone and shale ridges throughout Centre County.  This is due to the different bedding plains laid down millions of years ago.  As they were uplifted and contorted, the different bedding planes were exposed at the surface.  Each type of rock has its own weathering rate.  The valleys are primarily composed of limestone.  Moving up the slopes, the bedrock converts from limestone to shale to sandstone.    The limestone forms very fertile soils and is the prevalent by the amount of agriculture found in Nittany Valley. 

    Commonly referred to as the Ridge and valley Province, the Agronomy Farm is situated in the second valley from the western boundary.  Looking at the Physiographic Provinces Diagram, one can see the blue Appalachian Mountain Section running directly through Centre County.  To the west of this lies the green Allegheny Mountain (Plateau) Section.  In the Appalachian mountain section, the bedding planes can be seen from highway road cuts.  If observed, one may notice that they lie parallel to the earth’s surface.  In the ridge and Valley Province, these plains have been contorted to a near vertical position.