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90-527: Dolly Sods is a rocky, high-altitude plateau with sweeping vistas and lifeforms normally found much farther north in Canada. To the north, the distinctive landscape of "the Sods" is characterized by stunted ("flagged") trees , wind-carved boulders , heath barrens, grassy meadows created in the last century by logging and fires, and sphagnum bogs that are much older. To the south, a dense cove forest occupies

180-480: A thin section using a method like the Gazzi-Dickinson Method . This yields the relative percentages of quartz, feldspar, and lithic grains and the amount of clay matrix. The composition of a sandstone can provide important information on the genesis of the sediments when used with a triangular Q uartz, F eldspar, L ithic fragment ( QFL diagrams ). However, geologist have not been able to agree on

270-498: A family (9 children in all). He was a farmer and a miller and went by the nicknames of "Cornyackle" and "Barleycorn". Eventually the family land holdings in Pendleton and the surrounding area grew to several hundred acres which may have included what later became known as scenic "Dolly Sods". It is said that Dolly and his descendants grazed their cattle and sheep in these high grassland patches. Certainly they harvested blueberries at

360-466: A mixture of sandstone and conglomerate . The Northland Loop Trail is a 0.3-mile (0.5 km) interpretive trail just south of Red Creek Campground on FS Rt 75 which accesses Alder Run Bog a typical, and much studied, northern bog or southern muskeg . The Dolly Sods area was first encountered by Europeans when Peter Jefferson , Thomas Lewis and others surveyed in 1746 to find the limits of Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron 's land grant from

450-568: A number of processes, including upwelling of volcanic magma , extrusion of lava , and erosion by water and glaciers . Plateaus are classified according to their surrounding environment as intermontane, piedmont, or continental. A few plateaus may have a small flat top while others have wider ones. Plateaus can be formed by a number of processes, including upwelling of volcanic magma, extrusion of lava, plate tectonics movements, and erosion by water and glaciers. Volcanic plateaus are produced by volcanic activity . The Columbia Plateau in

540-454: A photo of two shells found in July 2006.) Dolly Sods became popular with recreationalists and conservationists in the mid-1960s at which time political agitation began to set it aside as a preserve. Local farmers also ceased allowing their livestock to graze here at this time. Nevertheless, the area was threatened by at least four potential developments: An ad hoc committee of stakeholders

630-408: A population that peaked at over 300 people. Shay locomotives climbed the temporary railroads into the mountains and backcountry logging camps sprang up throughout the Sods. Teams of draft horses dragged the timber to the nearest tracks. When the timber was exhausted in the sector around one camp, the rails were taken up and reused elsewhere. It was into the mill at Laneville that most of the timber of

720-553: A river was already there, though not necessarily on exactly the same course. Then, subterranean geological forces caused the land in that part of North America to gradually rise by about a centimeter per year for millions of years. An unusual balance occurred: the river that would become the Colorado River was able to erode into the crust of the Earth at a nearly equal rate to the uplift of the plateau. Now, millions of years later,

810-478: A sandstone goes through as the degree of kinetic processing of the sediments increases. Dott's (1964) sandstone classification scheme is one of many such schemes used by geologists for classifying sandstones. Dott's scheme is a modification of Gilbert's classification of silicate sandstones, and it incorporates R.L. Folk's dual textural and compositional maturity concepts into one classification system. The philosophy behind combining Gilbert's and R. L. Folk's schemes

900-462: A set of boundaries separating regions of the QFL triangle. Visual aids are diagrams that allow geologists to interpret different characteristics of a sandstone. For example, a QFL chart can be marked with a provenance model that shows the likely tectonic origin of sandstones with various compositions of framework grains. Likewise, the stage of textural maturity chart illustrates the different stages that

990-445: A twofold classification: Cement is what binds the siliciclastic framework grains together. Cement is a secondary mineral that forms after deposition and during burial of the sandstone. These cementing materials may be either silicate minerals or non-silicate minerals, such as calcite. Sandstone that becomes depleted of its cement binder through weathering gradually becomes friable and unstable. This process can be somewhat reversed by

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1080-837: Is a distinction that can be recognized in the field . In turn, the distinction between an orthoquartzite and a metaquartzite is the onset of recrystallization of existing grains. The dividing line may be placed at the point where strained quartz grains begin to be replaced by new, unstrained, small quartz grains, producing a mortar texture that can be identified in thin sections under a polarizing microscope. With increasing grade of metamorphism, further recrystallization produces foam texture , characterized by polygonal grains meeting at triple junctions, and then porphyroblastic texture , characterized by coarse, irregular grains, including some larger grains ( porphyroblasts .) Sandstone has been used since prehistoric times for construction, decorative art works and tools. It has been widely employed around

1170-488: Is bordered by Forest Service Routes 75 and 19 on the east and south sides, respectively. (Since the early 1970s it has been common practice to include the Red Creek Plains, Flatrock Plains, and Roaring Plains areas to the south as part of the greater Dolly Sods area. Formerly, the area encompassed by these three mountaintop flats – all south of FS Rt 19 – was known locally and collectively as Huckleberry Plain.) To

1260-622: Is divided into three main flat regions: the Bogotá savanna , the valleys of Ubaté and Chiquinquirá , and the valleys of Duitama and Sogamoso . The parallel Sierra of Andes delimit one of the world highest plateaux: the Altiplano , (Spanish for "high plain"), Andean Plateau or Bolivian Plateau. It lies in west-central South America, where the Andes are at their widest, is the most extensive area of high plateau on Earth outside of Tibet. The bulk of

1350-530: Is estimated to have fallen above 4,000 feet (1,200 m). This section of the Allegheny Front is one of the windiest spots east of the Mississippi. The effect of these winds can be seen in the flag-form red spruce trees; their branches grow mostly on one side (east), away from the prevailing west winds. Because of the drying influence of the winds, stunted branches are produced on the west side of

1440-452: Is frequently seen totally coating the forest in pure white. Despite the overall vigorous winter, the relative southern location (39th North parallel) allows for occasional intrusions of warmer, well above freezing air from the Gulf of Mexico. Thus, rain can occur during even the coldest winter months. During one of the snowiest winters in history (2009–10), about 275 inches (700 cm) of snow

1530-523: Is likely formed during eogenesis. Deeper burial is accompanied by mesogenesis , during which most of the compaction and lithification takes place. Compaction takes place as the sand comes under increasing pressure from overlying sediments. Sediment grains move into more compact arrangements, ductile grains (such as mica grains) are deformed, and pore space is reduced. In addition to this physical compaction, chemical compaction may take place via pressure solution . Points of contact between grains are under

1620-408: Is particularly popular during mid-summer with people who go there to pick blueberries and huckleberries. From May through late June, extensive and spectacular displays of mountain laurel in flower may be viewed. Due to severe winter weather, FS Rt 75, flanking the eastern side of Dolly Sods, is typically closed to vehicles from January 1 to April 15. There is an extensive network of hiking trails in

1710-431: Is redeposited in the unstrained pore spaces. Mechanical compaction takes place primarily at depths less than 1,000 meters (3,300 ft). Chemical compaction continues to depths of 2,000 meters (6,600 ft), and most cementation takes place at depths of 2,000–5,000 meters (6,600–16,400 ft). Unroofing of buried sandstone is accompanied by telogenesis , the third and final stage of diagenesis. As erosion reduces

1800-710: Is sometimes called the Roof of Africa due to its height and large area. Another example is the Highveld which is the portion of the South African inland plateau which has an altitude above approximately 1,500 metres, but below 2,100 metres, thus excluding the Lesotho mountain regions. It is home to some of the largest South African urban agglomerations . In Egypt are the Giza Plateau and Galala Mountain , which

1890-443: Is that it is better able to "portray the continuous nature of textural variation from mudstone to arenite and from stable to unstable grain composition". Dott's classification scheme is based on the mineralogy of framework grains, and on the type of matrix present in between the framework grains. In this specific classification scheme, Dott has set the boundary between arenite and wackes at 15% matrix. In addition, Dott also breaks up

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1980-545: Is the Scottish Highlands . Plateaus are classified according to their surrounding environment. The highest African plateau is the Ethiopian Highlands which cover the central part of Ethiopia. It forms the largest continuous area of its altitude in the continent, with little of its surface falling below 1,500 metres (4,921 ft), while the summits reach heights of up to 4,550 metres (14,928 ft). It

2070-572: Is the home of more than 70 million people. The Western Plateau , part of the Australian Shield , is an ancient craton covering much of the continent's southwest, an area of some 700,000 square kilometres. It has an average elevation between 305 and 460 metres. The North Island Volcanic Plateau is an area of high land occupying much of the centre of the North Island of New Zealand, with volcanoes, lava plateaus, and crater lakes,

2160-652: The British Crown . The famous Fairfax Line grazes the northern margin of the wilderness near Bear Rocks. This area was generally avoided as too difficult to traverse until the late 19th century. David Hunter Strother wrote an early and somewhat breathless travelogue of the area, published in Harper's Monthly magazine in 1852: In Randolph County, Virginia, is a tract of country containing from seven to nine hundred square miles, entirely uninhabited, and so savage and inaccessible that it has rarely been penetrated even by

2250-578: The Canaan Valley to the west, the DSW is adjoined by the 16,000-acre (65 km) Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge . Almost all of DSW is in the southeast corner of Tucker County with only very small sections extending into Randolph and Grant Counties. There are some 47 miles (76 km) of hiking trails within the DSW (see below ), many situated along the courses of abandoned railroad grades and old logging roads. The premier viewpoint within

2340-895: The Deccan Plateau (≈1,900,000 km (730,000 sq mi), elevation 300–600 metres (980–1,970 ft)). A large plateau in North America is the Colorado Plateau , which covers about 337,000 km (130,000 sq mi) in Colorado , Arizona , New Mexico , and Utah . In northern Arizona and southern Utah the Colorado Plateau is bisected by the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon . This came to be over 10 million years ago,

2430-636: The Roaring Plains West Wilderness ) is Mount Porte Crayon (4,770 ft or 1,450 m). The summit area around Mount Porte Crayon is the largest flat-topped plateau in Eastern North America containing 5.5 square miles (14 km) above 4,500 ft (1,400 m) elevation. Dolly Sods is on a ridge crest that forms part of the Eastern Continental Divide . Most of its area is drained by

2520-569: The South Branch Potomac River , which is part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The original Dolly Sods was a mountaintop meadow of about 650 acres (3 km) at the southern end of Rohrbaugh Plains, near the present Dolly Sods Picnic Area. The present-day DSW encompasses some 17,371 acres (70 km) of U.S. Forest Service land and is part of a larger 32,000-acre (129 km) area now known as "Dolly Sods". The DSW

2610-417: The polytrichum moss hummocks also sustain cotton grass , round leaf sundew and the lichen known as reindeer moss . In addition to the spruce, the bog margins are frequented by ferns , sedges and the occasional balsam fir . The three-toothed cinquefoil ( Sibbaldiopsis tridentata ) is often abundant and orchids —for example the pink lady's slipper —are sometimes seen. The more southerly section of

2700-419: The snowshoe hare , are near their southernmost range. Beaver , which were restored to the state after a period of extirpation, continually create and refurbish their beaver ponds in these high elevation watersheds. Other animals that may be encountered include red and gray foxes , bobcats , black bears , groundhog , timber rattlers , wild turkey , and grouse . White-tailed deer were reintroduced in

2790-799: The tundra -like windswept open meadows in the northern section of Dolly Sods are reminiscent of Alaskan landscapes. "Heath barrens" is a botanical term, but the traditional local name for these unusual expanses was "huckleberry plains". These upper reaches have been extensively colonized by various Ericaceae (heaths): blueberry and cranberry ( Vaccinium ), huckleberry ( Gaylussacia ), rose azalea ( Rhododendron prinophyllum ) and rosebay rhododendron ( Rhododendron maximum ), mountain laurel ( Kalmia latifolia ), teaberry (or wintergreen, Gaultheria ), and Allegheny menziesia ( Rhododendron pilosum ). Members of Rosaceae (the rose family) also abound: chokeberry , mountain ashes , serviceberry , and pin cherry ( Prunus pensylvanica ). Boulder fields left by

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2880-567: The " Roof of the World ", which is still being formed by the collisions of the Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates . The Tibetan Plateau covers approximately 2,500,000 km (970,000 sq mi), at about 5,000 m (16,000 ft) above sea level. The plateau is sufficiently high to reverse the Hadley cell convection cycles and to drive the monsoons of India towards

2970-647: The 1930s and are now abundant. Currently, the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources is considering an elk restoration program in Dolly Sods and other areas. The threatened Cheat Mountain salamander is also present. Camping is allowed in Dolly Sods, but visitors are cautioned to "leave no trace". All off-road motorized vehicles and any cutting of live vegetation or camping near roads (aside from Red Creek Campground) are forbidden. Hunting and fishing within state law are permitted. Dolly Sods

3060-688: The Altiplano lies within Bolivian and Peruvian territory while its southern parts lie in Chile. The Altiplano plateau hosts several cities like Puno, Oruro, El Alto and La Paz the administrative seat of Bolivia. Northeastern Altiplano is more humid than the Southwestern, the latter of which hosts several salares , or salt flats, due to its aridity. At the Bolivia-Peru border lies Lake Titicaca ,

3150-472: The Dolly Sods Wilderness includes maturing spruce copses, rhododendron thickets, northern hardwoods on the ridges and cove hardwoods in the deep tributaries of Red Creek. There are patches of recovering native red spruce forest plus twisted yellow birch , sugar and red maple , eastern hemlock , and black cherry. American beech , pine and hickory can also be found. The wild onion known as

3240-719: The North Fork of Red Creek, which is a tributary of the Dry Fork River . Via the Dry Fork, Black Fork , Cheat , Monongahela and Ohio rivers, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed . South of Forest Service Route 19 is the adjoining Red Creek–Flatrock–Roaring Plains area, which is drained by the South Fork of Red Creek. Drainage on the east side of the ridge crest flows into the headwaters of

3330-721: The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is at an elevation of about 2,450 m (8,040 ft) above sea level , and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is about 2,150 m (7,050 ft) above sea level. At its deepest, the Colorado River is about 1,830 m (6,000 ft) below the level of the North Rim. Another high-altitude plateau in North America is the Mexican Plateau . With an area of 601,882 km (232,388 sq mi) and average height of 1,825 metres, it

3420-420: The Sods and Roaring Plains for $ 15 million. Dolly Sods finally became a federally designated wilderness area in 1975 which resulted in greatly increased numbers of visitors. The area had only an estimated 500 visitors in 1965; by 1997 there were 7,499 registered (and many more unregistered) users annually. In the 1970s and 1980s, it was not possible to propose Dolly Sods North for wilderness classification as it

3510-858: The West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railroad, a predecessor of the Western Maryland Railway , first arrived at nearby Davis from a junction with the B&;O Railroad at Piedmont . In 1899, the Parsons Pulp and Lumber Company established a sawmill at Dobbin on the North Branch Potomac River in Grant County . In 1902, a band saw mill was constructed on the main stem of Red Creek. The lumber boom town of Laneville sprang up around it with

3600-491: The application of tetraethyl orthosilicate (Si(OC 2 H 5 ) 4 ) which will deposit amorphous silicon dioxide between the sand grains. The reaction is as follows. Pore space includes the open spaces within a rock or a soil. The pore space in a rock has a direct relationship to the porosity and permeability of the rock. The porosity and permeability are directly influenced by the way the sand grains are packed together. Sandstones are typically classified by point-counting

3690-627: The average afternoon maximum is around 70 °F (21 °C), and the average morning minimum is between 50 and 60 °F (10 and 16 °C). Thunderstorms are frequent during the warmer months. Frosts and freezes can occur any month of the year. Winters are typically cold, windy, and snowy. Minimum temperatures can drop to −30 °F (−34 °C). The average seasonal snowfall is around 150 inches (380 cm). In exceptionally snowy winters, large drifts of up to 20 feet (6 m) can form, lasting in sheltered locations into May. Due to high elevation, frequently located at cloud level, spectacular rime ice

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3780-521: The branched canyon incised by the North Fork of Red Creek. The name derives from an 18th-century German homesteading family, the Dahles , and a local term for an open mountaintop meadow, a " sods ". Dolly Sods is the highest plateau east of the Mississippi River with altitudes ranging from 2,644 ft (806 m) at the outlet of Red Creek to 4,123 ft (1,257 m) at the top of

3870-473: The common minerals most resistant to weathering processes at the Earth's surface, as seen in the Goldich dissolution series . Framework grains can be classified into several different categories based on their mineral composition: Matrix is very fine material, which is present within interstitial pore space between the framework grains. The nature of the matrix within the interstitial pore space results in

3960-618: The country as far as the Falls of the Blackwater , and returned with marvelous accounts of its savage grandeur, and the quantities of game and fish to be found there. The name Dolly Sods derives from the family name of Johann Dahle (1749–1847), a German immigrant who settled nearby. Such early settlers used the natural open fields on mountainsides known as " sods ". Logged out and burned over areas produced additional good grass cover for grazing sheep and cattle. (Repeated burning, however, killed

4050-761: The crust. Tectonic plateaus are formed by tectonic plate movements which cause uplift, and are normally of a considerable size, and a fairly uniform altitude. Examples are the Deccan Plateau in India and the Meseta Central on the Iberian Peninsula . Plateaus can also be formed by the erosional processes of glaciers on mountain ranges, leaving them sitting between the mountain ranges. Water can also erode mountains and other landforms down into plateaus. Dissected plateaus are highly eroded plateaus cut by rivers and broken by deep narrow valleys. An example

4140-678: The damage to Dolly Sods by re-planting stands of red spruce there. In 1943-44, as part of the West Virginia Maneuver Area , the U.S. Army used the area as a practice artillery and mortar range and maneuver area before troops were sent to Europe to fight in World War II , with Cabin Mountain and Blackbird Knob serving as designated targets. In 1997, a work crew extensively surveyed trail locations and known campsites for shells. Workers made 32,594 excavations along

4230-549: The denuding topsoil fires of 80 years ago are extensive. Spruce-edged sphagnum bogs are found in the upper sections of Red Creek and its tributaries, often in association with thickets of speckled alder . There are similar areas throughout the High Alleghenies, most famously the Cranberry Glades . The largest one at Dolly Sods is about a mile long and half a mile wide. The thick carpet of sphagnum moss and

4320-456: The depositional environment, older sand is buried by younger sediments, and it undergoes diagenesis . This mostly consists of compaction and lithification of the sand. Early stages of diagenesis, described as eogenesis , take place at shallow depths (a few tens of meters) and are characterized by bioturbation and mineralogical changes in the sands, with only slight compaction. The red hematite that gives red bed sandstones their color

4410-407: The depth of burial, renewed exposure to meteoric water produces additional changes to the sandstone, such as dissolution of some of the cement to produce secondary porosity . Framework grains are sand-sized (0.0625-to-2-millimeter (0.00246 to 0.07874 in) diameter) detrital fragments that make up the bulk of a sandstone. Most framework grains are composed of quartz or feldspar , which are

4500-446: The different types of framework grains that can be present in a sandstone into three major categories: quartz, feldspar, and lithic grains. When sandstone is subjected to the great heat and pressure associated with regional metamorphism , the individual quartz grains recrystallize, along with the former cementing material, to form the metamorphic rock called quartzite . Most or all of the original texture and sedimentary structures of

4590-495: The east and the south. Plateau In geology and physical geography , a plateau ( / p l ə ˈ t oʊ , p l æ ˈ t oʊ , ˈ p l æ t oʊ / ; French: [plato] ; pl. : plateaus or plateaux ), also called a high plain or a tableland , is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides have deep hills or escarpments . Plateaus can be formed by

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4680-487: The eastern edge mountain ridge on the Allegheny Front . Much of the high plateau section lies at nearly 4,000 ft (1,200 m) elevation. Prominent summits within the wilderness are Coal Knob (3,766 ft or 1,148 m), Breathed Mountain (3,848 ft or 1,173 m), and Blackbird Knob (3,960 ft or 1,210 m). The highest point in the immediate area (just outside the Dolly Sods Wilderness area in

4770-468: The ecosystems within the Sods are remarkably varied. In recent decades, the many stages of ecologic succession throughout the Sods have made the region one of enduring interest to botanists. The local term " sods " is a traditional name referring to several high-elevation meadows in the High Alleghenies. The term is virtually synonymous with the " grass bald " of the southern Appalachians. These grassy areas on mountain slopes or summits apparently existed by

4860-674: The gods" in the native tongue of the Pemon , the Indigenous people who inhabit the Gran Sabana . Tepuis can be considered minute plateaus and tend to be found as isolated entities rather than in connected ranges, which makes them the host of a unique array of endemic plant and animal species. Some of the most outstanding tepuis are Neblina , Autana , Auyan and Mount Roraima . They are typically composed of sheer blocks of Precambrian quartz arenite sandstone that rise abruptly from

4950-622: The grass and left only bracken fern , which was useless as fodder.) Locals changed the spelling of Dahle to "Dolly," and thus one such area became known as Dolly Sods. The Dahle family eventually moved on, leaving behind only the Americanized version of their name. Local historian Hu Maxwell described the Dolly Sods area in the Wheeling Intelligencer in 1886: "The top of the mountain is flat, except here and there rugged ridges and huge promontories of rocks rising above

5040-433: The greatest strain, and the strained mineral is more soluble than the rest of the grain. As a result, the contact points are dissolved away, allowing the grains to come into closer contact. Lithification follows closely on compaction, as increased temperatures at depth hasten deposition of cement that binds the grains together. Pressure solution contributes to cementing, as the mineral dissolved from strained contact points

5130-442: The hardness of individual grains, uniformity of grain size and friability of their structure, some types of sandstone are excellent materials from which to make grindstones , for sharpening blades and other implements. Non-friable sandstone can be used to make grindstones for grinding grain, e.g., gritstone . A type of pure quartz sandstone, orthoquartzite, with more of 90–95 percent of quartz, has been proposed for nomination to

5220-492: The jungle, giving rise to spectacular natural scenery. Auyán-tepui is the source of Angel Falls , the world's tallest waterfall . The Colombian capital city of Bogota sits on an Andean plateau known as the Altiplano Cundiboyacense roughly the size of Switzerland. Averaging a height of 2,600 m (8,500 ft) above sea level, this northern Andean plateau is situated in the country's eastern range and

5310-487: The largest lake in South America. [REDACTED] Media related to Plateaus at Wikimedia Commons Sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains, cemented together by another mineral. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks . Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar , because they are

5400-511: The level of the plains, and giving the scene an appearance of distance and mystery that must be witnessed before it can be understood". Johann Dahle (John Dolly) was born on 6 September 1749 in Hesse, Germany , and came to America as a Hessian soldier in the service of the British army , then fighting against General George Washington 's Continental Army . Serving under General Cornwallis , he

5490-535: The most adventurous. The settlers on its borders speak of it with a sort of dread, and regard it as an ill-omened region, filled with bears, panthers, impassable laurel-brakes, and dangerous precipices. Stories are told of hunters having ventured too far, becoming entangled, and perishing in its intricate labyrinths. The desire of daring the unknown dangers of this mysterious region, stimulated a party of gentlemen . . . to undertake it in June, 1851. They did actually penetrate

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5580-601: The most notable of which is the country's largest lake, Lake Taupō . The plateau stretches approximately 100 km east to west and 130 km north to south. The majority of the plateau is more than 600 metres above sea level. A tepui ( / ˈ t ɛ p w i / ), or tepuy ( Spanish: [teˈpuj] ), is a table-top mountain or mesa found in the Guiana Highlands of South America, especially in Venezuela and western Guyana . The word tepui means "house of

5670-442: The most resistant minerals to the weathering processes at the Earth's surface. Like uncemented sand , sandstone may be imparted any color by impurities within the minerals, but the most common colors are tan, brown, yellow, red, grey, pink, white, and black. Because sandstone beds can form highly visible cliffs and other topographic features, certain colors of sandstone have become strongly identified with certain regions, such as

5760-493: The much lower temperatures and pressures associated with diagenesis of sedimentary rock, but diagenesis has cemented the rock so thoroughly that microscopic examination is necessary to distinguish it from metamorphic quartzite. The term orthoquartzite is used to distinguish such sedimentary rock from metaquartzite produced by metamorphism. By extension, the term orthoquartzite has occasionally been more generally applied to any quartz-cemented quartz arenite . Orthoquartzite (in

5850-464: The narrow sense) is often 99% SiO 2 with only very minor amounts of iron oxide and trace resistant minerals such as zircon , rutile and magnetite . Although few fossils are normally present, the original texture and sedimentary structures are preserved. The typical distinction between a true orthoquartzite and an ordinary quartz sandstone is that an orthoquartzite is so highly cemented that it will fracture across grains, not around them. This

5940-442: The north-western United States is an example. They may be formed by upwelling of volcanic magma or extrusion of lava. The underlining mechanism in forming plateaus from upwelling starts when magma rises from the mantle , causing the ground to swell upward. In this way, large, flat areas of rock are uplifted to form a plateau. For plateaus formed by extrusion, the rock is built up from lava spreading outward from cracks and weak areas in

6030-517: The northeast, DSW is bordered by the Bear Rocks Preserve , owned by The Nature Conservancy . The surrounding area was recently added to the wilderness and is known as Dolly Sods North (the high sods). North of Dolly Sods North (and just outside the present DSW) is an area known as Dobbins Slashings—a sub-arctic bog forming the headwaters of Red Creek on Cabin Mountain. Dobbins Slashings has also been proposed for wilderness preservation. In

6120-689: The northernmost Red Creek and southernmost Stony River watersheds (along the Grant/Tucker County line). This conflagration—known as the Dobbin Slashings Fire—consumed 24,800 acres (100 km) and killed many trees left alone as non-commercial by the loggers. An eerie landscape persisted here for years, with the stumps of these trees perched high upon jumbles of boulders. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps made some modest attempts to remediate

6210-638: The product of physical and chemical weathering of bedrock. Weathering and erosion are most rapid in areas of high relief, such as volcanic arcs , areas of continental rifting , and orogenic belts . Eroded sand is transported by rivers or by the wind from its source areas to depositional environments where tectonics has created accommodation space for sediments to accumulate. Forearc basins tend to accumulate sand rich in lithic grains and plagioclase . Intracontinental basins and grabens along continental margins are also common environments for deposition of sand. As sediments continue to accumulate in

6300-565: The ramp ( Allium tricoccum ) is also present in the deeper forests. The larger megafauna which once inhabited the High Alleghenies— elk , bison , mountain lion —were all extirpated during the 19th century. They survived longer in this area, however, than in other parts of the eastern United States. Because of the high altitude the climate is cool, and some animals are more similar to ones found about 1,600 miles (2,600 km) farther north in Canada. Many species found here, such as

6390-712: The red rock deserts of Arches National Park and other areas of the American Southwest . Rock formations composed of sandstone usually allow the percolation of water and other fluids and are porous enough to store large quantities, making them valuable aquifers and petroleum reservoirs . Quartz-bearing sandstone can be changed into quartzite through metamorphism , usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts . Sandstones are clastic in origin (as opposed to either organic , like chalk and coal , or chemical , like gypsum and jasper ). The silicate sand grains from which they form are

6480-417: The sandstone are erased by the metamorphism. The grains are so tightly interlocked that when the rock is broken, it fractures through the grains to form an irregular or conchoidal fracture. Geologists had recognized by 1941 that some rocks show the macroscopic characteristics of quartzite, even though they have not undergone metamorphism at high pressure and temperature. These rocks have been subject only to

6570-431: The scores in the mid-Appalachian region when first discovered. According to botanist Earl L. Core , "The silvery sheen of the grass, against the dark green background of the spruce, attracted the attention of the early settlers.... The dominant grass is Allegheny flyback ( Danthonia compressa ), a grass so light in weight that it would "fly back" against the scythe of the mower". The origin of these grassy tracts has been

6660-866: The south. The Deosai Plains in Pakistan are situated at an average elevation of 4,114 meters (13,497 ft) above sea level. They are considered to be the second highest plateaus in the world. Other major plateaus in Asia are: Najd on the Arabian Peninsula , elevation 762 to 1,525 m (2,500 to 5,003 ft), Armenian Highlands (≈400,000 km (150,000 sq mi), elevation 900–2,100 metres (3,000–6,900 ft)), Iranian Plateau (≈3,700,000 km (1,400,000 sq mi), elevation 300–1,500 metres (980–4,920 ft)), Anatolian Plateau , Mongolian Plateau (≈2,600,000 km (1,000,000 sq mi), elevation 1,000–1,500 metres (3,300–4,900 ft)), and

6750-541: The southern end of the flats known as Rohrbaugh Plains. John Dolly continued to live in his adopted home until his death, at nearly 100 years of age, in August 1847. He left many descendants, none of whom remain, however, near the old homestead. The area surrounding Dolly Sods was formerly described as the best spruce-hemlock- black cherry forest in the world, with some enormous trees up to 12 feet (4 m) in diameter. The huge spruce and hemlock became accessible in 1884 when

6840-432: The southern two thirds of the Sods disappeared. The humus covering the ground dried up when the protective tree cover was removed. Sparks from the locomotives, saw mills and logger's warming fires easily ignited this humus layer and the extensive slash —wood too small to be marketable, such as branches and tree crowns—left behind by loggers. Fires repeatedly ravaged the area in the 1910s, scorching everything right down to

6930-422: The subject of wide-ranging speculation. Core favored a multi-factorial explanation involving a "bald-susceptible zone" present at mountain summits where various causes (extreme weather, fires, etc.) initially wiped out trees followed by succession by grasses that was so competitive with the new tree seedlings that the cleared areas persist for a much longer period than at lower elevations. The extensive views across

7020-480: The surrounding coastline through enormous glaciers . The polar ice cap is so massive that the echolocation measurements of ice thickness have shown that large areas are below sea level . But, as the ice melts, the land beneath will rebound through isostasy and ultimately rise above sea level. The largest and highest plateau in the world is the Tibetan Plateau , sometimes metaphorically described as

7110-514: The trails and discovered and detonated 14 live mortar shells, most along the Fisher Spring Run Trail. All were exploded on site. Two others were inert. They also found numerous railroad spikes, iron tools and horseshoes left over from logging days. Off-trail searches proved to be impossible, so some of the artillery and mortar shells (60 mm and 81 mm rounds) shot into the area likely still remain there. (See this link for

7200-514: The tree above the protective shrub layer. Stunted branches on the east side give the trees a twisted appearance. Where spruce are protected by a shrub layer, luxuriant webs of branches extend for a radius of a dozen feet, giving a mat-like look to vegetation. Dolly Sods is well known for its open expanses of sphagnum bog, heath shrubs and scattered and stunted red spruce—all creating impressions of areas much farther north. Many plant communities are indeed similar to those of sea-level eastern Canada. But

7290-420: The underlying rocks. All insects, worms, salamanders, mice and other burrowing forms of life perished. The destruction was extraordinary. The complete clearcut of this ecologically fragile area, followed by extensive wildfires and overgrazing , exacerbated by the ecological stresses of the elevation, have prevented quick regeneration of the forest which has taken decades to recover. The Monongahela National Forest

7380-414: The wilderness totalling 47 miles (76 km). Some follow old logging railroad grades, and occasionally remnants of railroad ties and metal equipment are found. Because USGS and USFS maps of the trails have been inaccurate, a 2004 mapping site provides good maps based on GPS data. Trails include: The Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area is adjacent to Dolly Sods–Flatrock–Roaring Plains on

7470-410: The wilderness, affording a vista of the entire Red Creek drainage, is at a set of rocky crags known as Lion's Head Rock. It is reached by an almost three-mile climb from the nearest road. The last quarter mile is an eight-foot-wide bench (an old railroad grade) in the side of an otherwise steep slope. Like the cliffs constituting the eastern edge of the DSW at Rohrbaugh Plains, Lion's Head Rock consists of

7560-626: The world in constructing temples, churches, homes and other buildings, and in civil engineering . Although its resistance to weathering varies, sandstone is easy to work. That makes it a common building and paving material, including in asphalt concrete . However, some types that have been used in the past, such as the Collyhurst sandstone used in North West England , have had poor long-term weather resistance, necessitating repair and replacement in older buildings. Because of

7650-790: Was all privately owned by the Western Maryland Railway Company and the Virginia Electric and Power Company and was largely outside the proclamation boundary of the MNF. Public acquisition could not go forward as the companies refused to sell. In 1993, however, the Nature Conservancy paid another $ 6 million to acquire 6,168 acres (25 km) in Dolly Sods North (of the total of 7,215 acres or 29 km) from Quintana Corporation . This land

7740-457: Was captured at Yorktown (1781), the battle which effectively ended the war, and was imprisoned for a time at Winchester, Virginia . In the 1780s he settled on the west side of North Fork Mountain in what later became Pendleton County . (A family tradition maintains that he was advised by Washington himself to remain in Virginia.) There he purchased land, married (for a second time) and began

7830-502: Was convened by the MNF in 1969. It advised that a scenic or botanical area should be set aside in the North Fork Red Creek area. In October 1970, the forest superintendent announced the creation of 10,200-acre (41 km) "Dolly Sods Scenic Area". The Nature Conservancy played a major role in preserving the area. By 1972, it had purchased the coal rights under the future federal wilderness (15,558 acres or 63 km) of

7920-469: Was created in 1915, largely motivated by a desire to mitigate the sort of wholesale destruction that had swept over the Sods. In 1916 most of Dolly Sods was purchased by the federal government. Mineral rights remained in private ownership. The Laneville mill closed in 1920 after almost all the timber had been cut, and the local population dwindled. The last timber was felled in the Dolly Sods area in 1924. A particularly ferocious fire raged in late July 1930 in

8010-605: Was once called Gallayat Plateaus, rising 3,300 ft above sea level. Another very large plateau is the icy Antarctic Plateau , which is sometimes referred to as the Polar Plateau or King Haakon VII Plateau, home to the geographic South Pole and the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station , which covers most of East Antarctica where there are no known mountains but rather 3,000 m (9,800 ft) high of superficial ice and which spreads very slowly toward

8100-891: Was then donated to the Forest Service. Most recently, the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 added 7,156 acres (29 km) of Dolly Sods North to the original 10,215 acres (41 km) of the wilderness to make the present total of 17,371 acres (70 km). The climate of Dolly Sods is classified as humid continental , similar to portions of Canada. Daily weather can vary greatly with large extremes in temperature occurring dangerously fast. Fog can form/roll in extremely quickly, dropping visibility to dangerous, disorienting near-zero conditions. Access roads can quickly become blocked by dense fog, downed trees from high wind, and snow/snow drifts. Summers are cool and wet. At 4,000 ft (1,200 m)

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