The Glacial Geology of the Hudson River Gorge based on Bridge Crossings between Albany
Coveville and Newburgh, NYBy
ROBERT DINEENLamb Cottage
Geigertown, PAERIC HANSON
Hanson-Van VleetClifton Park, NY
St. La
wrence
Lowlands
Cham
plai
n L
owla
nds
Ontario Lowlands
Erie Lowlands
Allegheny Plateau
Adirondack Mountains
New
Eng
land
Upl
ands
Conn
ectic
ut L
owla
nds
Mohawk Lowlands
PHYSIOGRAPHIC PROVINCESH
udso
n Lo
wla
nds
COVEVILLE
NEWBURGH
ALBANY
Study Area
NEWBURGH
COVEVILLE
YOUNGERDRYASSTADE11,000
13,000
12,000
15,000
14,000
AGE
IN C
-14
YEAR
S
TWO CREEKS INTERSTADE
PORT HURON STADE
MACKINAW INTERSTADE
PORT BRUCE STADE
ERIE INTERSTADE
NISSOURI STADE HELL HOLLOW TILL
LITTLE FALLS GRAVEL
MOHAWK TILL:MIDDLEBURGH-ROSENDALE
READVANCE
LAKE ALBANY II
LAKE QUAKER SPRINGSLAKE COVEVILLE
“LAKE” FORT ANN
HUDSON RIVER
LATE PLEISTOCENE STRATIGRAPHY
?LITTLE FALLS GRAVEL?
16,000
?HELL HOLLOW TILL?LAKE HUDSON
LAKE STAGESEASTERN NYS STRATIGRAPHY
Catastrophic floods throughMohawk Valley (3X)
Catastrophic floods throughChamplain Lowlands (2X+)
Tide waters in lower Hudson Valley
11.8k
10.9k
13.2?k
10.5kCHAMPLAIN SEA
Outflow from Lake Vermont
GLACIAL STRATIGRAPHY
LAKE ALBANY I
PREGLACIAL DRAINAGE
THREE MAJOR PREGLACIAL CHANNELS
MohawkColonieBatten Kill-Hudson
THREE TRIBUTARIES
AlplausBatten KillHoosic
COLO
NIE
MOHAW
K
BATT
EN K
ILL-
HUDS
ON
BATTEN KILL
HOOSIC
ALBANY
0 10
KM
SARATOGASPRINGS
RAVENA
COVEVILLE
GLENS FALLS
FORT ANN
SCHENECTADY
ALBANY
TROY
SARATOGASPRINGS
MOHAWK RIVER
MOHAWK RIVER
HUDS
ON
RIV
ER
SARATOGALAKE
COVEVILLE
NORTHERN REACH
COLO
NIE
CH
ANN
EL
MOHAWK CHANNEL
ALPL
AUS
CHAN
NEL
GLENS FALLS
FORT ANN
SCHENECTADY
ALBANY
TROY
SARATOGASPRINGS
COVEVILLE
HUDS
ON
RIV
ER
SCHENECTADYDELTA
BATTEN KILLDELTA
HOOSICDELTAIR
O-M
OHAW
K
NORTHERN REACH
FORT ANN
KK’
COVEVILLE
S S’C C’
W W’Preglacial
Batten Kill-Hudson
Cross-Section
NORTHERN REACHALBANY
FORT ANN
200 ft200 ft
200 ft200 ft
200 ft
200 ft
200 ft
200 ft
SL
SL
SL
SL
SL
SL
SL
SL
KROMA KILL
STILLWATER
CAMPBELL ISLAND
WATERFORD
0 2,000
FEET
HOLOCENE ALLUVIUMFORT ANN
LAKE ALBANY SANDLAKE ALBANY DELTAICS
LAKE ALBANY CLAY and SILTICE-CONTACT STRATIFIED DRIFT
TILL
LEGEND
10X Vertical Exaggeration
View from the South (Upstream)
K K’
S S’
C C’
W W’
NORTHERN REACHLITHOLOGY
200 ft200 ft
200 ft200 ft
200 ft
200 ft
200 ft
200 ft
SL
SL
SL
SL
SL
SL
SL
SL
KROMA KILL
STILLWATER
CAMPBELL ISLAND
WATERFORD
0 2,000FEET
PreglacialBatten Kill-
Hudson
PreglacialBatten Kill-
Hudson
PreglacialBatten Kill-
Hudson
HoosicDelta
Covevillegravel
NORTHERN REACH STRATIGRAPHY
PreglacialTributary
LA II
LA II
LA IILA II
200 ft200 ft
200 ft200 ft
200 ft
200 ft
200 ft
200 ft
SL
SL
SL
SL
SL
SL
SL
SL
KROMA KILL
STILLWATER
CAMPBELL ISLAND
WATERFORD
0 2,000FEET
230 ft
180 ft
210 ft
250 ft
DEPTH of SCOURNORTHERN REACH
Mohawk Channel
Colo
nie
Chan
nel
Colonie Channel
Alpl
aus
Chan
nel
Colonie Channel
Corn
ing
Conn
ectio
n
Huds
on-B
atten
Kill
Cha
nnel
Hud
son-
Batt
en K
ill C
hann
el
ALBANY REACH
ALBANY
SCHENECTADY COHOES
Preglacial Batten Kill-
Hudson
Cross-Section
T T’
II’
A’
GG’
CohoesC-14 Site
A RENSSELAER
TROY-MENANDS
INTERSTATE I-90
ALBANY-RENSSELEAR
GLENMONT
200 ft
200 ft
200 ft
200 ft
200 ft
200 ft
200 ft200 ft
SL SL
SL SL
SL
SL SL
SL
2,0000
FEET
View from the South (Upstream)
10X Vertical Exaggeration
ICE-CONTACT STRATIFIED DRIFT
LEGENDHOLOCENE ALLUVIUMFORT ANN
LAKE ALBANY SANDLAKE ALBANY CLAY and SILT
TILL
T T’
I I’
A A’
G G’
SEISMIC?
ALBANY REACHLITHOLOGY
TROY-MENANDS
INTERSTATE I-90
ALBANY-RENSSELEAR
GLENMONT
200 ft
200 ft
200 ft
200 ft
200 ft200 ft
200 ft200 ft
SL SL
SL SL
SL
SL SL
SL
2,0000
FEET
SEISMIC
PreglacialBatten Kill-
Hudson
PreglacialBatten Kill-
Hudson
PreglacialBatten Kill-
Hudson?
Flood-ScouredBedrock
LoudonvilleEsker
Complex
ALBANY REACH STRATIGRAPHY
LA I & II
LA I & II
TROY-MENANDS
INTERSTATE I-90
ALBANY-RENSSELEAR
GLENMONT
200 ft
200 ft
200 ft
200 ft
200 ft200 ft
200 ft200 ft
SL SL
SL SL
SL
SL SL
SL
2,0000
FEET
SEISMIC
DEPTH of SCOUR
270 ft
270 ft
240 ft
270 ft
ALBANY REACH
B’
RAVENA
HUDSON
CATSKILL
CONFLUENCE REACH
Colo
nie
Chan
nel
Batt
en K
ill-H
udso
n Ch
anne
l
Mohawk Channel
SCHENECTADY
B
C C’N N’
S S’
COEYMANS
STOCKPORT
NEW BALTIMORE
BERKSHIRE SPUR
200 ft 200 ft
-200 ft
-200 ft
-200 ft -200 ft
-200 ft
-200 ft
SLSL
SLSL
SL
SL SL
0 2,000
SEISMIC
SEISMIC
SEISMIC
HOLOCENE ALLUVIUM
FORT ANN
LAKE ALBANY SAND
LAKE ALBANY DELTAICS
LAKE ALBANY CLAY and SILT
ICE-CONTACT STRATIFIED DRIFT
TILL
LEGEND
View from the South (Upstream)
10X Vertical Exaggeration
CONFLUENCE REACHB B’
C C’
N N’
S S’
SL
LITHOLOGY
COEYMANS
STOCKPORT
NEW BALTIMORE
BERKSHIRE SPUR200 ft 200 ft
-200 ft
-200 ft
-200 ft -200 ft
-200 ft
-200 ft
SLSL
SLSL
SLSL
SL SL
0 2,000
SEISMIC
SEISMIC
SEISMIC
PreglacialBatten Kill-
Hudson
Above the Batten Kill-Hudson/Colonie
Confluence
At the Batten Kill-Hudson/Colonie
Confluence
Flood-ScouredBedrock
Flood-ScouredBedrock
Flood-ScouredBedrock
Flood-ScouredBedrock
CONFLUENCE REACH STRATIGRAPHY
LA I & II
COEYMANS
STOCKPORT
NEW BALTIMORE
BERKSHIRE SPUR200 ft 200 ft
-200 ft
-200 ft
-200 ft -200 ft
-200 ft
-200 ft
SLSL
SLSL
SLSL
SL SL
0 2,000
SEISMIC
SEISMIC
SEISMIC
DEPTH of SCOUR
>260 ft
260 ft
260 ft
>260 ft
CONFLUENCE REACH
HUDSON
KINGSTON
POUGHKEEPSIE
NeEWBURGH
RVW
KR KR’
RVW’
MHPMHP’
NB NB’
SOUTHERN REACH
Ravena
Hudson
Catskill
SOUTHERN REACH
Colo
nie
Chan
nel
Batt
en K
ill-H
udso
n Ch
anne
l
Mohawk Channel
Schenectady
RVW RVW’
MHP’
Kingston
Poughkeepsie
Newburgh
MHP
KR KR’
NB NB’
SOUTHERN REACH
KINGSTON-RHINECLIFF
MID-HUDSON - POUGHKEEPSIE
NEWBURGH-BEACON
RIP VAN WINKLE200 ft 200 ft
200 ft 200 ft
-200 ft-200 ft
200 ft 200 ft
-200 ft -200 ft
SL SL
SL SL
SL SL
SLSL
0 2,000
HOLOCENE ALLUVIUM
HOLOCENE TIDAL MUDS
QUAKER SPRINGS-COVEVILLE-FORT ANN
LAKE ALBANY CLAY and SILT
MIDDLEBURGH-ROSENDALEOUTWASH
TILL
LITTLE FALLS GRAVEL(?)
View from the South (Upstream)
10X Vertical Exaggeration
LEGEND
SOUTHERN REACH
KR’KR
RPW RPW’
MHP’MHP
NB’NB
LITHOLOGY
KINGSTON-RHINECLIFF
MID-HUDSON - POUGHKEEPSIE
NEWBURGH-BEACON
RIP VAN WINKLE200 ft 200 ft
200 ft 200 ft
-200 ft-200 ft
200 ft 200 ft
-200 ft -200 ft
SL SL
SL SL
SL SL
SLSL
0 2,000
Flood-ScouredBedrock
Compact below-200 feet
Transition toOrganic Silt
Boulder Gravel:Head-of-Outwash
Boulder Gravel
SOUTHERN REACH STRATIGRAPHY
HoloceneTidal Delta
Till over ICSD
QS-CV-FAMarine Sediment
LittleFalls
Gravel
KINGSTON-RHINECLIFF
MID-HUDSON - POUGHKEEPSIE
NEWBURGH-BEACON
RIP VAN WINKLE200 ft 200 ft
200 ft 200 ft
-200 ft-200 ft
200 ft 200 ft
-200 ft -200 ft
SL SL
SL SL
SL SL
SLSL
0 2,000
DEPTH of SCOUR
250 ft
310 ft
315 ft
290 ft
SOUTHERN REACH
HOW
DEMBy
Janet ManchesterNYSGS
K-R
HOW
RED
HOOK
MOR
AINE
C&S
1986
Well w/ Till over ICSD
Dineen exposure
C&S exposure
Striae
HOW Head-Of-Outwash
R
ML
ROSENDALE READVANCE REVISITED
SUMMARY and CONCLUSIONS IThe Modern Hudson River’s floodplain deposits grade from alluvial sandand gravel at the Kroma Kill section to sand with gravel at the Albany-Troy section, to tidal delta sand at the Rip Van Winkle section. They grade intoOrganic-matter rich tidal silts from the Kingston Rhinecliff to the Newburgh-Beacon cross sections.
The trough eroded through the Lake Albany deposits is 230 ft deep at the Kroma Kill cross section, deepening to 315 ft deep at the Newburgh-BeaconCross section.
Depth of Scour
X-SECT KROMA KILL STILL CAMP WATER TROY I-90 ALBANY GLEN
DEPTH in FEET
230 180 210 250 280 240 220 220
X-SECT BERK COEY NEW BALT
STOCK RVW K-R MHP N-B
DEPTH in FEET
260 ? ? ? 260 310 290 315
The Fort Ann catastrophic flood deposits can be traced from the Kroma Kill to the Kingston-Rhinecliff cross sections.
The Coveville and Quaker Springs catastrophic flood deposits can be traced from the Coeymans to the Kingston-Rhinecliff cross sections.
The Head-of-Outwash for the Middleburgh-Rosendale Readvance is a short distance north of the Mid-Hudson-Poughkeepsie section.
The coarse sands and gravels at the base of the Rip Van Winkle and the Kingston-Rhinecliff cross sections are outwash from the retreating Middleburgh-Rosendale readvance.
The compact, bouldery sand and gravel at the base of the Newburgh-Beacon cross section is the Little Falls Gravel.
SUMMARY and CONCLUSIONS II