In New England the Ground Grows Rocks

[glennmac]

That's a paraphrase of a line I read in a history book about 25 years ago, in which the author was discussing the reasons why farmers migrated from New England to the midwest.

He did not just mean that the ground is rocky--but that rocks actually grow out of the ground and get bigger and bigger as the years go by. Being a city boy I never gave this phenomenon much thought, but I did always remember the author's colorful description.

Being a landowner in Connecticut for 9 years now, I am experiencing the phenomenon. Rocks are peeking out where none existed before, and rocks that never hit a mower have grown so that they now do.

There is an eerie Rod Serling quality to this. What causes it? Is it erosion? I doubt it. Water pressure? The effects of temperature extremes? I don't know. I was wondering if this happens in other parts of the country and climates.

We may need a geologist or Stephen King to help answer this one.

Glenn

 

[Muhammad]

Hmm, let me analyze this... dirt clumps + water + heat + cold + time = rocks. More of the same makes them bigger. Years and years of research /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif ... Maybe (hopefully) someone will really know.

BTW, is this enough rock for ya? (attached) /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[gordon]

Muhammad, that was a pretty landscape! Where did you take that picture?

Now you New Englanders should know how the rocks grow from driving on the backroads up north---frost heaves---you guys ever see a sign like this made from an old road sign of sorts? So much for the research./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Gordon

 

[glennmac]

Gordon, there are frost heave signs on roads in New England. For those in the sunbelt, that's when the road buckles upward creating a bump or even breaking the pavement. You are saying the same process pushes up rocks. I don't know how the process works. Can you explain.

Glenn

 

[gordon]

YUP thats what I'm saying the frost is what does it. Can I explain in detail about the freeze and thaw process and how some ground reacts differently than other ground. Or when something with moisture in it freezes it expands, but also thaws at a different rate than the surrounding surface. To answer your question if I can explain nope just know it does it I guess./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Gordon

 

[Rowski]

A few years back I got a call to pull out someone from the ditch on the mountain road (road to the ski area). The guy was not of bad he may have gotten out if he had 4WD. I pulled the guy out and was making conversation and asked him what happened. He said he wasn't from around here and didn't know what a frost heave was or ment. But he told me that he knows now /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif. Also this same frost heave has claimed may exhaust systems (complete ones too!) and leaky oil pans.

You are right Gordon about the frost getting into the soil and moving the rocks around. On a plowed road the frost line in the soil can be as deap as 5'.

Derek

 

[Muhammad]

<font color=blue>Where did you take that picture?</font color=blue>

Well believe it or not, I hopped out of the car right after the toll getting on the George Washington Bridge and got that photo. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif Juuuust kidding.

That there is on Mt. Lemmon (one of the Santa Catalina Mountains) almost 8,000' above sea level... just to the north-east of Tucson, AZ. I took it earlier today when I drove up there. It is quite the drive... starting at 2,800' and going up to over 9,000' near the top of the mountain. No photo can really capture the landscape and the views, though. If anyone is interested, I have some other photos I could share from my trip out west here.

And of course, I should have some colorful fall photos from NY soon, too.

By the way... there aren't many tractors out here... I think they still use real hosspower.

 

[jyoutz]

Frost heave is exactly why many of us find new rocks in the spring where none existed the past fall. Its the freeze-thaw cycle that works rocks to the surface from deeper in the soil. It's most severe on soils with heavy clay content and hardly noticeable at all on sandy soils.

 

[Harv]

Muhammad -

I, for one, would love to see more of your travel pictures out west, especially since I live about as far west as you can go without getting wet.

Of course I'll be looking to see if you got a picture of my house (or my 'Bota). /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Thomas]

Derek,
I believe it or not frost heave does reduce those who speed down afer a while. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

But we seem to have over look the frost heave sister..the POT HOLES. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif
Pot holes seem to last twice as long as frost heave and do more damage in the long run to our auto's. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

How many pot hole signs have you seen compare to frost heave signs. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

Are you ready for a taste of winter tonight and tomorrow... /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif