How Geology Shapes the Landscape
Geology is a branch of science that focuses on the physical structure and substance of the earth as well as the processes that can act on the same. The earth being one of the planetary bodies consist of numerous physical and natural occurrences that influence the structure, landscape, and climate of different regions depending on the type of phenomenon. Rivers, mountains, natural forests have a lot to determine the climate, and landscape of a geographic area. Professionals in the field of geology focus their work on study and research in this regard. Layers of the soil, rocks, as well as land formation processes, are part of geological studies that define the history of the earth and the life it entails.
In the United States of America, there are numerous land formation processes in the history of occurrence of million years ago, Moscow Mountain in Idaho, Washington being one of the most popular areas of geological studies. Moscow is one of the cities in Northern Idaho which borders with Washington along the state boundaries. The element that makes the area a favorite geologic interest region is because of its location in the Pacific Time Zone and its elevation that is approximately 786 meters above the sea level. Apart from Moscow Mountain, the city is also home to Pullman basin.
The landscape of Moscow Mountain and features around it in Northern Idaho is mainly because of the rocks and sediments that were underlying the earth's surface in the region since the beginning of time; these attribute to the change in climate and massive formation of deposits due to crustal movement. In as much as there is a wide gap of missing historical data about the existence of these rocks and sediments that have much influence in this geographical area hosting Moscow mountain, at least research can attribute to how the subsequent geological events shape the landscape.
The existence of Belt rocks between Moscow and Lewiston where Moscow mountain exists consist of the quartzites which are resistant to erosion thus explaining the formation of the mountain landscape in the area. Moscow Mountain exists between paradise ridge and Steptoe Butte, the existence of belt rocks that are as a result of the low energy of deposition in the area explain the formation of the landscape around the mountain. The rocks consist of clay, silt, and sand which accumulate in an inland like formation; the deposit covered a big area which established the basement of the following geologic features. The salt, silt, clay combination offers resistance to erosion hence a source of Paradise Ridge and Steptoe Butte among other landscape features.
The Belt rocks exist close to two miles beneath the earth's surface where over the years as the other elements were forming on the top, magma was intruding the Belt rocks forming granite deep in the ground. The granite development with time is coming up within the rocks to the earth's surface hence the formation of the Idaho Batholith, which is known to be granitic. The exposure of the Idaho Batholith through time explains the existence of Moscow Mountain as an additional landscape feature in the Northern region of the state.
The Moscow Mountain in Idaho, Washington is an exciting area of Geologic studies because lava only came through the fissures of the earth's crust and not from traditional volcano blowing as much as it was a volcano activity. The area, therefore, offers unique and insight into the study of Geology.
