Haw River Rocks!

What created the rock outcroppings in the Haw? What kind of rocks are they?  How old are they? These and many more questions are answered in the new Haw River Geology Field Guide (Lower Haw) by Phil Bradley, Piedmont Geologist with the North Carolina Geological Survey has just released a  geologic guide to the Lower Haw River State Natural Area.  This is fascinating reading for anyone interested in the ancient history of  the Haw River,  and includes maps and photos.

This field guide looks at two separate stretches of the Haw River within the Lower Haw River State Natural Area in the vicinity of the Hwy 64 bridge crossing in Chatham County. with interpretations of various outcrops and landforms along the river. This portion of the Haw River is located within the Hyco Formation of the Carolina terrane. Generally, the Hyco Formation includes metamorphosed volcanic, volcaniclastic-sedimentary and intrusive rocks associated with a volcanic island arc active around 630-612 million years ago.