Adirondack Mountains

The Adirondacks are part of the Canadian Shield. Contrary to popular belief, these mountains are not old, "worn down" peaks, but relatively young mountains born as a result of orogeny, or uplift, followed by etching and carving by mile-high glaciers. It is theorized that there is a geologic "hotspot" beneath the Adirondacks that is causing continuing uplift. The mountains continue to grow at the rate of 1.5 millimeters annually.

 

 

While the mountains themselves are young, the rock of which most are formed, anorthosite, is among the oldest of the various types found on earth.

 

 

The Adirondack Mountain range contains about 100 peaks of more than 1,200 feet, including Mount Marcy (5,344), the highest peak in New York state. The Adirondacks are bordered on the east by Lake Champlain and Lake George, on the south by the Mohawk Valley and to the west by the Tug Hill Plateau.