How does the ocean floor to the east of Bermuda relate to the age of New Hampshire's granite? What is rock outcrop succession? What does Henry David Thoreau have to do with it? What does the composition of the headstones tell you about New England cemeteries? These questions, and many more, are answered in terms easily understood by non-geologists (that would definitely include me!) by New Hampshire author Tom Wessels. The focus of the book is granite domed mountains, like Mount Chocorua.
"To truly understand and appreciate these unique mountain domes, there are certain things we need to know: why granite is distinct among rocks; how it is created; why all mountains have a granite core; why granite weathers to form smooth, rounded domes, how plants colonize these harsh, dry, acidic environments; and how disturbance perpetually keeps these domes open and exposed. By examining the origins of granite, glaciation, outcrop succession, and the role of disturbance, the four chapters of part One lay the geological and ecological foundations for the features that are common to all exposed granite domes. Part Two then explores the particular natural history of granite domes found in the various mountain ranges in our northern states."(p. 17)
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