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108-471: Sherwood Island State Park is a public recreation area on the shore of Long Island Sound in the Greens Farms section of Westport , Connecticut . The state park offers swimming, fishing, and other activities on 238 acres (96 ha) of beach , wetlands , and woodlands . Sherwood Island is numbered as Connecticut's first state park because state purchase of land at the site began in 1914. The park

216-439: A Curie temperature of 550  K . Yttrium iron garnet can be made into YIG spheres , which serve as magnetically tunable filters and resonators for microwave frequencies. Lutetium aluminium garnet (LuAG), Al 5 Lu 3 O 12 , is an inorganic compound with a unique crystal structure primarily known for its use in high-efficiency laser devices. LuAG is also useful in the synthesis of transparent ceramics . LuAG

324-409: A Faraday rotator material with excellent transparency properties and is very resistant to laser damage. TGG can be used in optical isolators for laser systems, in optical circulators for fiber optic systems, in optical modulators , and in current and magnetic field sensors. Another example is gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG) , Gd 3 Ga 2 (GaO 4 ) 3 which is synthesized for use as

432-486: A Gore Mountain garnet to obtain a Lu-Hf isochron age of 1046.6 ± 6 Ma. It is therefore concluded with confidence that the garnets formed at 1049 ± 5 Ma, the average of the three determinations. This is also the local age of peak metamorphism in the 1090–1040 Ma Ottawan phase of the Grenvillian orogeny and serves as a critical data point in ascertaining the evolution of the megacrystic garnet deposits. Red garnets were

540-670: A U-Pb geochronometer , to date the age of crystallization as well as a thermochronometer in the (U-Th)/He system to date timing of cooling below a closure temperature . Garnets can be chemically altered and most often alter to serpentine, talc , and chlorite . The open-pit Barton Garnet Mine, located at Gore Mountain in the Adirondack Mountains , yields the world's largest single crystals of garnet; diameters range from 5 to 35 cm and commonly average 10–18 cm. Gore Mountain garnets are unique in many respects, and considerable effort has been made to determine

648-894: A mainstay of striped bass and other pelagic fish . The ban of netting of bunker - which were over-fished in the late 1990s - has significantly improved the quality and volume of the striped bass population in Long Island Sound. Underwater cables transmit electricity under Long Island Sound, most notably a new and controversial Cross Sound Cable that runs from New Haven in western Connecticut, to Shoreham in central Long Island, and an older one from Rye in Westchester County to Oyster Bay on Long Island. Scientists debate whether submarine power cables are safe for marine ecosystems, but installations like large-scale armoing around cables helps to protect overall ecological impact and provides ecosystem regeneration. Over

756-447: A pick-up response to a strong neodymium magnet separates garnet from all other natural transparent gemstones commonly used in the jewelry trade. Magnetic susceptibility measurements in conjunction with refractive index can be used to distinguish garnet species and varieties, and determine the composition of garnets in terms of percentages of end-member species within an individual gem. Almandine, sometimes incorrectly called almandite,

864-541: A proposal from the State Parks Commission to spend $ 500,000 on further park development. Large beachfront properties were acquired by developers. For the next nine years, supporters and opponents in Westport and Fairfield County debated the matter. By 1932, the state leased more land in what became the park (with an option to buy within five years) and opened the park that summer. On April 29, 1937, with

972-631: A reference to mela granatum or even pomum granatum (' pomegranate ', Punica granatum ), a plant whose fruits contain abundant and vivid red seed covers ( arils ), which are similar in shape, size, and color to some garnet crystals. Hessonite garnet is also named 'gomed' in Indian literature and is one of the 9 jewels in Vedic astrology that compose the Navaratna . Garnet species are found in every colour, with reddish shades most common. Blue garnets are

1080-426: A result of the relatively high amounts of vanadium (about 1 wt.% V 2 O 3 ). Other varieties of color-changing garnets exist. In daylight, their color ranges from shades of green, beige, brown, gray, and blue, but in incandescent light, they appear a reddish or purplish/pink color. This is the rarest type of garnet. Because of its color-changing quality, this kind of garnet resembles alexandrite . Andradite

1188-497: A substrate for liquid-phase epitaxy of magnetic garnet films for bubble memory and magneto-optical applications. The mineral garnet is commonly found in metamorphic and to a lesser extent, igneous rocks. Most natural garnets are compositionally zoned and contain inclusions. Its crystal lattice structure is stable at high pressures and temperatures and is thus found in green-schist facies metamorphic rocks including gneiss , hornblende schist , and mica schist. The composition that

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1296-621: A thin amount of drift, often not continuous. Other shoals and islands off the Connecticut coast are a mixture of these two extremes. The glacier also created several sandy outwash deltas off the coast, including one off Bridgeport, Connecticut , and another off New Haven, Connecticut . Fishers Island, New York , appears to be related to the Harbor Hill Moraine. To the east of the Thimble Islands, inland moraines along

1404-404: A type of goose. During the 1930s, the Long Island Sound was struck by an outbreak of a mold infection known as " eelgrass wasting disease ". As a result, most of the eelgrass that grew in the sound was killed off, and as an extension, populations of wildlife in the area that depended upon the eelgrass either as food or as a habitat went into a sharp decline. During the succeeding decades, areas along

1512-493: Is a calcium chromium garnet with the formula Ca 3 Cr 2 (SiO 4 ) 3 . This is a rather rare garnet, bright green in color, usually found as small crystals associated with chromite in peridotite , serpentinite , and kimberlites. It is found in crystalline marbles and schists in the Ural Mountains of Russia and Outokumpu, Finland . Uvarovite is named for Count Uvaro , a Russian imperial statesman. Knorringite

1620-470: Is a calcium-iron garnet, Ca 3 Fe 2 (SiO 4 ) 3 , is of variable composition and may be red, yellow, brown, green or black. The recognized varieties are demantoid (green), melanite (black), and topazolite (yellow or green). The red-brown translucent variety of colophonite is recognized as a partially obsolete name. Andradite is found in skarns and in deep-seated igneous rocks like syenite as well as serpentines and greenschists . Demantoid

1728-421: Is a magnesium-chromium garnet species with the formula Mg 3 Cr 2 (SiO 4 ) 3 . Pure endmember knorringite never occurs in nature. Pyrope rich in the knorringite component is only formed under high pressure and is often found in kimberlites . It is used as an indicator mineral in the search for diamonds . Also known as rare-earth garnets. The crystallographic structure of garnets has been expanded from

1836-506: Is a shift in the types of plankton that make up their community in Long Island Sound. Over the last several decades, excess nitrogen may have adversely affected diatoms —microscopic, single-celled algae at the base of the food chain, which make shells ('frustules') of opaline silica. When diatoms are less productive, they are replaced by other phytoplankton such as dinoflagellates or blue-green algae , which grow well in waters with high nitrogen levels, but do not need silica . Such changes in

1944-487: Is a violet-red shade and has been called rhodolite , Greek for "rose". In chemical composition it may be considered as essentially an isomorphous mixture of pyrope and almandine, in the proportion of two parts pyrope to one part almandine. Pyrope has tradenames some of which are misnomers ; Cape ruby , Arizona ruby , California ruby , Rocky Mountain ruby , and Bohemian ruby from the Czech Republic . Pyrope

2052-500: Is an indicator mineral for high-pressure rocks. Mantle -derived rocks ( peridotites and eclogites ) commonly contain a pyrope variety. Spessartine or spessartite is manganese aluminium garnet, Mn 3 Al 2 (SiO 4 ) 3 . Its name is derived from Spessart in Bavaria . It occurs most often in skarns , granite pegmatite and allied rock types, and in certain low grade metamorphic phyllites . Spessartine of an orange -yellow

2160-474: Is dependent upon sunlight, and the water of the Long island Sound can be very murky. Eelgrass roots help stabilize muddy sediments and can trap moving sand, helping prevent erosion. The leaves, that can range in size from less than 1 m to 2 m long, slow currents, providing calm environments for many species of mollusks and other invertebrates. Eelgrass is also an important food source for waterfowl, especially brant ,

2268-640: Is found in Madagascar. Violet-red spessartines are found in rhyolites in Colorado and Maine . Blue pyrope–spessartine garnets were discovered in the late 1990s in Bekily, Madagascar . This type has also been found in parts of the United States , Russia , Kenya , Tanzania , and Turkey . It changes color from blue-green to purple depending on the color temperature of viewing light, as

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2376-589: Is inhabited by both marine fish and anadromous fish (oceanic or estuarine species that spawn in freshwater streams and rivers, see fish migration ). The most common marine fish in the Sound include porgy , butterfish, winter flounder , summer flounder , windowpane flounder , fourspot flounder , northern and striped sea robin , little skate , menhaden, Atlantic silversides, black seabass , blackfish (tautog), cunner , bluefish , and smooth dogfish . Frequently Atlantic bonito and false albacore , both members of

2484-534: Is managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection . In the 1640s, several colonists from the Town of Fairfield , who came to be known as the " Bankside Farmers ," settled in the area that included Fox Island, which was later renamed Sherwood Island, administering the island in common. Daniel Sherwood settled on Fox Island in 1787. During the 1800s, his large family farmed

2592-614: Is now Long Island (the terminal moraine ). When the ice sheet stopped advancing 18,000 years ago (as addition of snow at the origin was in equilibrium with the melting at the southern edge), a large amount of drift was deposited, known as the Ronkonkoma Moraine, which stretches along much of southern Long Island. Later, another period of equilibrium resulted in the Harbor Hill Moraine along most of northern Long Island . The next moraines ( recessional moraines ) to

2700-400: Is one of the few vascular plants found in the marine environment. Despite its name, it is actually not a species of underwater grass; instead, it is a plant that bears a physical resemblance to grass. It can tolerate a wide range of water salinity. It grows on muddy to sandy sediments (even among rocks), mostly below low tide, often forming large meadows. it grows best in shallow water because it

2808-590: Is one of the most prized of garnet varieties. Grossular is a calcium-aluminium garnet with the formula Ca 3 Al 2 (SiO 4 ) 3 , though the calcium may in part be replaced by ferrous iron and the aluminium by ferric iron. The name grossular is derived from the botanical name for the gooseberry , grossularia , in reference to the green garnet of this composition that is found in Siberia . Other shades include cinnamon brown (cinnamon stone variety), red, and yellow. Because of its inferior hardness to zircon , which

2916-518: Is particularly abundant in Australia. The river sand garnet occurs as a placer deposit . Rock garnet is perhaps the garnet type used for the longest period of time. This type of garnet is produced in America, China and western India. These crystals are crushed in mills and then purified by wind blowing, magnetic separation, sieving and, if required, washing. Being freshly crushed, this garnet has

3024-399: Is particularly favored over other crystals for its high density and thermal conductivity; it has a relatively small lattice constant in comparison to the other rare-earth garnets, which results in a higher density producing a crystal field with narrower linewidths and greater energy level splitting in absorption and emission. Terbium gallium garnet (TGG) , Tb 3 Ga 5 O 12 , is

3132-531: Is particularly popular due to its consistent supplies, huge quantities and clean material. The common problems with this material are the presence of ilmenite and chloride compounds. Since the material has been naturally crushed and ground on the beaches for past centuries, the material is normally available in fine sizes only. Most of the garnet at the Tuticorin beach in south India is 80 mesh, and ranges from 56 mesh to 100 mesh size. River garnet

3240-675: Is red in color and chemically an aluminium silicate with the formula Mg 3 Al 2 (SiO 4 ) 3 , though the magnesium can be replaced in part by calcium and ferrous iron. The color of pyrope varies from deep red to black. Pyrope and spessartine gemstones have been recovered from the Sloan diamondiferous kimberlites in Colorado , from the Bishop Conglomerate and in a Tertiary age lamprophyre at Cedar Mountain in Wyoming . A variety of pyrope from Macon County , North Carolina

3348-469: Is stable at the pressure and temperature conditions of Earth's mantle is pyrope, which is often found in peridotites and kimberlites , as well as the serpentines that form from them. Garnets are unique in that they can record the pressures and temperatures of peak metamorphism and are used as geobarometers and geothermometers in the study of geothermobarometry which determines "P-T Paths", Pressure-Temperature Paths. Garnets are used as an index mineral in

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3456-766: Is suitable since it is more angular in form, therefore more efficient in cutting. Garnet paper is favored by cabinetmakers for finishing bare wood. Garnet sand is also used for water filtration media. As an abrasive, garnet can be broadly divided into two categories; blasting grade and water jet grade. The garnet, as it is mined and collected, is crushed to finer grains; all pieces which are larger than 60 mesh (250 micrometers) are normally used for sand blasting. The pieces between 60 mesh (250 micrometers) and 200 mesh (74 micrometers) are normally used for water jet cutting. The remaining garnet pieces that are finer than 200 mesh (74 micrometers) are used for glass polishing and lapping. Regardless of

3564-528: Is the modern gem known as carbuncle (though originally almost any red gemstone was known by this name). The term "carbuncle" is derived from the Latin meaning "live coal" or burning charcoal. The name Almandine is a corruption of Alabanda , a region in Asia Minor where these stones were cut in ancient times. Chemically, almandine is an iron-aluminium garnet with the formula Fe 3 Al 2 (SiO 4 ) 3 ;

3672-442: Is the state gemstone of New York , and grossular garnet is the state gemstone of Vermont . Garnet sand is a good abrasive , and a common replacement for silica sand in sand blasting. Alluvial garnet grains which are rounder are more suitable for such blasting treatments. Mixed with very high pressure water, garnet is used to cut steel and other materials in water jets . For water jet cutting, garnet extracted from hard rock

3780-558: Is usually occupied by divalent cations ( Ca , Mg , Fe , Mn ) and the Y site by trivalent cations ( Al , Fe , Cr ) in an octahedral / tetrahedral framework with [SiO 4 ] occupying the tetrahedra. Garnets are most often found in the dodecahedral crystal habit , but are also commonly found in the trapezohedron habit as well as the hexoctahedral habit. They crystallize in the cubic system, having three axes that are all of equal length and perpendicular to each other, but are never actually cubic because, despite being isometric,

3888-793: The American toad , and the hognose snake (which feeds on Fowler's toads). There are six broad categories of bird habitats near Long Island Sound: (1) open water areas, including bays, coves, rivers and the Sound itself; (2) tidal marshes; (3) mudflats; (4) sandy beaches; (5) offshore islands; and (6) mainland uplands, including woodlands and fields. Some birds are summer residents or winter residents, while others are spring and fall transients. Year round residents include herring gull , great black-backed gull , common tern and double-crested cormorant . Coastal migrants (also called "transients") include shorebirds such as plovers , turnstones , sandpipers , willet and yellowlegs . Summer residents include

3996-542: The Atlantic oyster drill , the northern moon snail , Atlantic moon snail , the channeled and knobbed whelks . Crustaceans include crabs , shrimp and lobsters . In the Sound there are the green crab (a non-native species first reported in Boston around 1900, but a common crab found on the shore, where it feeds on eastern oysters and soft-shell clams ), blue crab , red crab , Jonah crab in deepwater areas, and

4104-545: The Atlantic rock crab , which settles in large numbers along rocky shores, especially around Millstone Point, Niantic Bay and Fishers Island Sound. Other crabs found include the lady crab , spider crabs , and fiddler crabs ; hermit crabs and mole crabs are also found. By the late 1980s, the Japanese shore crab , an invasive species, was the most commonly found crab in the sound. The sand shrimp Crangon septemspinosa and two species of grass shrimp are plentiful along

4212-480: The Cross Sound Ferry (between Orient Point and New London ). The ferries that cross Long Island Sound carry automobiles, trucks and buses, as well as foot passengers. Long Island Sound has historically had rich recreational and commercial fishing , including oysters , lobsters , scallops , blue crabs , tuna flounder , striped bass , and bluefish . However, in recent years the western part of

4320-625: The Köppen climate classification . Summers are hot and humid often with convective showers and strong sunshine, while the cooler months feature cold temperatures and a mix of rain and occasional snow. About 18,000 years ago, Connecticut, Long Island Sound, and much of Long Island were covered by a thick sheet of ice, part of the Late Wisconsin Glacier . About 3,300 feet (1,000 m) thick in its interior and about 1,300 to 1,600 feet (400 to 500 m) thick along its southern edge, it

4428-1028: The Throgs Neck Bridge in the early 1960s. The Long Island Sound ecosystem has historically been polluted by a number of different sources, including industry , agriculture and communities (untreated sewage and urban runoff ). Pollutants entering the Sound include toxic substances such as heavy metals ; a specific example includes mercury discharged by the hatting industry in Danbury, Connecticut . Other pollutants include pathogens , debris, and nutrients (which contain nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizer runoff). Eutrophication occurs when bodies of water, like Long Island Sound, are exposed to higher levels of nutrients like nitrogen, causing harmful overgrowth of cyanobacteria that feed on them. Eutrophication can also lead to algal blooms and eventually hypoxia , when runoff into water causes rapid development of algae and phytoplankton that blocks

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4536-399: The northern yellow periwinkle , the blue mussel (a popular, edible species), the eastern oyster , the Atlantic slipper shell or "common slippershell" ( Crepidula fornicata ), the hard clam (also known as the quahog, little neck clam or cherrystone clam), the Atlantic bay scallop , the mud snail (also known as the eastern mud nassa ), the salt marsh snail (or " coffee bean snail "),

4644-687: The old world , including to Rome, Greece, the Middle East, Serica and Anglo Saxons; recent findings such as the Staffordshire Hoard and the pendant of the Winfarthing Woman skeleton of Norfolk confirm an established gem trade route with South India and Tamraparni (ancient Sri Lanka ), known from antiquity for its production of gemstones. Pure crystals of garnet are still used as gemstones. The gemstone varieties occur in shades of green, red, yellow, and orange. In

4752-420: The osprey , seaside sparrow , saltmarsh sparrow , clapper rail , mallard and black duck , herons and egrets , including the black-crowned night heron and snowy egret as well as the least tern and piping plover . Upland species include the yellow warbler , red-eyed vireo , red-winged blackbird and Carolina wren . Winter residents include large flocks of ducks , geese , and swans winter in

4860-399: The pannes are sea lavender , salt marsh aster , seaside gerardia , and some species of glasswort . Plants found near the border of the marsh with the upland include bayberry and groundsel-tree shrubs, switchgrass (growing where occasional storm tides reach), reeds and marsh elder . In areas where the Sound's salt water is more diluted with freshwater from rivers, including along

4968-515: The 1970s until the methods of producing the more advanced simulant cubic zirconia in commercial quantities were developed. When doped with neodymium (Nd ), erbium or gadolinium YAG may be used as the lasing medium in Nd:YAG lasers , Er:YAG lasers and Gd:YAG lasers respectively. These doped YAG lasers are used in medical procedures including laser skin resurfacing , dentistry, and ophthalmology. Interesting magnetic properties arise when

5076-481: The Atlantic Coast, tagged individuals sometime being identified in multiple rivers during their lifetimes. Long Island Sound was formed when the terminal moraine that dammed the waters of glacial Lake Connecticut failed, and sea water mixed with the lake's fresh waters. Prior to colonization, it's estimated that around 10,000 to 15,000 natives inhabited along Long Island Sound. The first European to record

5184-480: The Connecticut coast include the broken Madison Moraine and the Old Saybrook Moraine. The Long Island Sound basin existed before the glaciers came. It probably had been formed by stream flows. A relatively thick cover of sand and gravel (termed outwash ) was left in the basin from glacial meltwater streams. On the west, a ridge rising to about 65 feet (20 m) below the present sea level is called

5292-488: The Connecticut coast saw a slow gradual recovery of eelgrass populations. Unfortunately, the north shore of Long Island did not see much success, and efforts have been made to re-introduce eelgrass by planting it, especially in the eastern part of the Long Island Sound in the waters of Suffolk County. It is unlikely that the Long Island Sound will experience a complete recovery of its eelgrass population because there are still occasional outbreaks of eelgrass wasting disease within

5400-424: The Connecticut shore is the northern limit. Mature upland vegetation along the Connecticut coast is mostly hardwood forest, with dominant tree species including oaks and hickories, especially white oak , black oak , pignut hickory and mockernut hickory . Other trees include sassafras , black gum , and black cherry . Mature trees tend to be sparse in coastal forests, likely because of their greater exposure to

5508-583: The Long Island Sound Study (LISS) in 1985 with plans for restoration and clean-up projects in the region. More habitat conservation, health monitoring, and pollution standards have been established between NY and CT in the years since to protect the estuary for future generations. Ferries provide service between Long Island and Connecticut, notably the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry (between Port Jefferson and Bridgeport ), and

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5616-483: The Mattatuck Sill. Its lowest point is about 80 feet (24 m) below sea level. Glacial meltwater formed " Lake Connecticut ", a freshwater lake in the basin, until about 8,000 years ago, when the sea level rose to about 80 feet (24 m) below today's level. Seawater then overflowed into the basin, transforming it from a nontidal, freshwater lake to a tidal, saline arm of the sea. Numerous rivers empty into

5724-569: The Sherwood Island Connector, also known as Connecticut Special Service Road 476 , before reaching the park's paved and gravel parking areas. Park activities include saltwater swimming and fishing, picnicking, scuba diving, field sports, bird watching, flying kites and model airplanes, and visiting the nature center. Facilities include a pavilion, bathhouses, concessions, a first aid station, toilets, and drinking fountains. Long Island Sound Major Connecticut cities on

5832-424: The Sound in the twentieth century were the 1938 hurricane, the 1955 hurricane, Hurricane Belle in 1976, Hurricane Gloria in 1985, Hurricane Irene in 2011, and Hurricane Sandy in 2012. After Hurricane Belle, leaves near the coast were badly salt-burned, then turned brown and shriveled. Many trees were downed by the storm, leaving openings in the forest cover, promoting the growth of vines and shrubs. The Sound

5940-583: The Sound include Stamford , Norwalk , Bridgeport , New Haven , and New London . Cities on the New York side of the Sound include Rye , Glen Cove , New Rochelle , North Hempstead , Oyster Bay , Smithtown , Port Jefferson , Brookhaven and Riverhead , Larchmont , Mamaroneck and portions of Queens and the Bronx in New York City . The climate of Long Island Sound is warm temperate or Cfa in

6048-722: The Sound include the eastern spadefoot , a rare, toadlike amphibian that hasn't been recorded in the area since 1935. Its overall coloring is beige or off-white with a pattern of green markings. Small orange dots punctuate this pattern. As many as 1,500 shortnose sturgeon , listed as 'endangered' by the Endangered Species Act, inhabit the Connecticut River. Approximately 900 of those live downstream of Holyoke Dam. While shortnose sturgeon primarily remain in their natal rivers, they will feed in estuarine waters like Long Island Sound and make extended trips along

6156-454: The Sound, e.g. blue shark, mako shark, hammerhead shark and thresher shark, there are only four species of sharks which are regularly found in the area. These are the sand tiger shark , the sandbar shark , the spiny dogfish and the smooth dogfish . Mollusks ( gastropods and bivalves ) that can be found include the rough periwinkle near the high-tide line, the European periwinkle ,

6264-457: The Sound, including: Connecticut New York Rhode Island The whole watershed population is about 8.93 million as of the 2010 census. Due to extent of the Connecticut River, many riverside cities and towns are included in the Long Island Sound watershed. The largest towns and cities from south to north, west to east are: Seaweeds in the Sound occur in greatest abundance in rocky areas between high tide and low tide as well as on rocks on

6372-641: The Sound. Few undisturbed beach and dune systems exist on the Connecticut shore, the ones that do are located along the eastern portion of the coastline (east of the Connecticut River). Sea rocket and dune grass occur here, but not in abundance. Dune grass and plants that thrive on dunes are largely responsible for the creation and growth of the dunes. On the seaward side of dunes can be found Lathyrus japonicus (beach pea), Dusty Miller , and seaside goldenrod . Other beach plants are orache , beach clotbur , seaside spurge , and jimson weed . On

6480-713: The Sound. In West Haven, Connecticut 8,000 scaup (also called broadbills or bluebills) were regularly counted in the 1970s. Greater scaup , black ducks , mallards , and Canada geese are among the most abundant wintering birds. There are also significant populations of red-breasted mergansers , common goldeneyes , buffleheads , white-winged scoter , American wigeon (also sometimes called baldpate), long-tailed ducks and mute swans . Others (less abundant) include gadwalls , northern pintails , green-winged teal , northern shovelers (also sometimes called broadbill), ruddy ducks , redheads , ring-necked ducks , snow geese , and brant . Rare, endangered and extinct species of

6588-472: The United States it is known as the birthstone for January. It is also the birthstone of Aquarius and Capricorn in tropical astrology . The garnet family is one of the most complex in the gem world. It is not a single species, but is composed of multiple species and varieties. Almandine garnet is the state mineral of Connecticut , star garnet is the state gemstone of Idaho , garnet

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6696-408: The application, the larger grain sizes are used for faster work and the smaller ones are used for finer finishes. There are different kinds of abrasive garnets which can be divided based on their origin. The largest source of abrasive garnet today is garnet-rich beach sand which is quite abundant on Indian and Australian coasts and the main producers today are Australia and India. This material

6804-403: The appropriate elements are used. In yttrium iron garnet (YIG), Y 3 Fe 2 (FeO 4 ) 3 , the five iron(III) ions occupy two octahedral and three tetrahedral sites, with the yttrium(III) ions coordinated by eight oxygen ions in an irregular cube. The iron ions in the two coordination sites exhibit different spins , resulting in magnetic behavior. YIG is a ferrimagnetic material having

6912-764: The area. Specifically 25–35% of the tidal wetlands in the Sound have been dredged, filled, and developed over and hypoxia and eutrophication resulting from pollution have led to low dissolved oxygen levels (less than 4.8 mg of oxygen per liter) in the water. The low dissolved oxygen levels limit the fishes' ability to swim, feed, grow and reproduce and loss of habitat prevents success in fish larval growth. The impacts listed here are directly associated with these specific species in Long Island Sound: killifishes, silversides, bay anchovy, eels, menhaden, cunner, tautog, sticklebacks, winter flounder, weakfish, bluefish, tomcod and striped bass. An example of impacts from nitrogen

7020-754: The base of the food chain leads to consequences such as an increase in abundance of jellyfish and decline in shellfish and other fish. Garnet Garnets ( / ˈ ɡ ɑːr n ɪ t / ) are a group of silicate minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives . All species of garnets possess similar physical properties and crystal forms, but differ in chemical composition . The different species are pyrope , almandine , spessartine , grossular (varieties of which are hessonite or cinnamon-stone and tsavorite ), uvarovite and andradite . The garnets make up two solid solution series: pyrope-almandine-spessartine (pyralspite), with

7128-478: The beach separate three different colors of sand into separate lines — red ( garnet ), black ( magnetite ) and white ( quartz ) are sorted by the waves because each type has a different density and shape. Sherwood Island State Park was chosen for Connecticut's September 11 Living Memorial because on a clear day, the New York City skyline is visible from the point. On 9/11 , people at the park witnessed

7236-548: The building was deemed structurally unsound and a campaign to construct a new nature center was launched. The total cost of $ 340,000 for the new building came from $ 196,000 from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and $ 144,000 from the Friends of Sherwood Island. The new facility was constructed and opened in 2009. The park is accessed from Exit 18 on Interstate 95 and proceeding south onto

7344-447: The coastal area (and elsewhere), including the diamondback terrapin in salt marshes and brackish waters (and deposits and hatches its eggs on nearby sandy beaches). Terrapin meat became such a popular delicacy in the early 1900s that the price for a dozen adult females reached as high as US$ 120. Overhunting made the species uncommon and even rare through most of the Sound and eliminated at some places. After its popularity as food declined,

7452-403: The composition range [Mg,Fe,Mn] 3 Al 2 (SiO 4 ) 3 ; and uvarovite-grossular-andradite (ugrandite), with the composition range Ca 3 [Cr,Al,Fe] 2 (SiO 4 ) 3 . The word garnet comes from the 14th-century Middle English word gernet , meaning 'dark red'. It is borrowed from Old French grenate from Latin granatus, from granum ('grain, seed'). This is possibly

7560-467: The deep red transparent stones are often called precious garnet and are used as gemstones (being the most common of the gem garnets). Almandine occurs in metamorphic rocks like mica schists , associated with minerals such as staurolite , kyanite , andalusite , and others. Almandine has nicknames of Oriental garnet, almandine ruby, and carbuncle. Pyrope (from the Greek pyrōpós meaning "firelike")

7668-668: The delineation of isograds in metamorphic rocks. Compositional zoning and inclusions can mark the change from growth of the crystals at low temperatures to higher temperatures. Garnets that are not compositionally zoned more than likely experienced ultra high temperatures (above 700 °C) that led to diffusion of major elements within the crystal lattice, effectively homogenizing the crystal or they were never zoned. Garnets can also form metamorphic textures that can help interpret structural histories. In addition to being used to devolve conditions of metamorphism, garnets can be used to date certain geologic events. Garnet has been developed as

7776-582: The east of each, where the drift cover is thinnest, exposed bedrock , creating rocky headlands, often with marshlands behind them. The Captain Islands off Greenwich, Connecticut , along with the Norwalk Islands and Falkner Island off Guilford, Connecticut , are parts of a recessional moraine . Other islands, including the Thimble Islands , are for the most part exposed bedrock with

7884-813: The economic and population growth the Industrial Revolution created led to increased pollution. Around the 1950s and 60s, the US Government began to recognize more of the environmental impacts pollution was having on water quality, as well as human health around regions like Long Island Sound. After the Clean Water Act was passed federally in 1972 to protect water quality around the US, the Environmental Protection Agency partnered with Connecticut and New York to pass

7992-474: The endurance of granite, the sheltering beauty of trees, and the tranquility of the sea. The 9-foot (2.7 m) polished granite stone monument reads, "The citizens of Connecticut dedicate this living memorial to the thousands of innocent lives lost on September 11, 2001 and to the families who loved them." The memorial is handicapped-accessible. The Sherwood Island Nature Center is a summer facility that offers close-up experiences with live animals, displays about

8100-430: The environment and local history, and educational programs. The first nature center was set up by Park Supervisor Glenn Dochtermann in an unused first-aid and lifeguard building in the 1990s. Dochterman used the site as a meeting place for guided field trips and furnished the building with local specimens. In 1995, the Friends of Sherwood Island supported the nature center and established a summer internship program. In 2002,

8208-735: The existence of Long Island Sound was the Dutch navigator Adriaen Block , who entered the sound from the East River in 1614. The sound was known as The Devil's Belt in colonial times and the reefs that run across the sound were known as Devil's Stepping Stones, from which Stepping Stones Lighthouse got its name. As the Industrial Revolution grew, Long Island Sound began to be utilized more for manufacturing and production uses that are still observed to this day, like textiles, metal finishing, fishing, and oyster harvesting. Yet,

8316-647: The lease and option to buy nearing expiration, Governor Wilbur L. Cross signed two bills with a total appropriation of $ 485,000 for the state to buy more land and develop the park. This was a victory for the Connecticut Forestry Association, the Fairfield County Planning Association, and supporters, including William H. Burr, who came to be known as the father of the park. In the 1950s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed jetties and extended

8424-753: The marshy areas of the intertidal zone can be found Cladophora ( mermaid's hair ), Ulva ( sea lettuce ) and Codium . In the subtidal zone (below low tide) are Palmaria palmata a red alga, along with two algae, Laminaria ( kelp ) and Chorda . Kelp can often be found washed up on the beach, and individual specimens are not uncommonly a yard or two long. Deeper in the subtidal zone are red algae such as Spermothamnion , Antithamnion and Callithamnion , which also often float freely. In tidal pools can be found red or pink colored Phymatolithon , which can often encrust rocks and mollusk shells. Also present are green algae, including Ulothrix , Cladophora , and Ulva . Tidal marshes are some of

8532-409: The more protected landward side of dunes are beach plum , bayberry and beach rose . Rare species found on the landward side are beach knotweed and sand false heather . In areas next to the shoreline but hardly ever salty, the sound's environment can nevertheless be a crucial factor in the presence of certain species. Areas near the Connecticut shore are the northern limit for some species needing

8640-723: The most commonly used gemstones in the Late Antique Roman world, and the Migration Period art of the " barbarian " peoples who took over the territory of the Western Roman Empire . They were especially used inlaid in gold cells in the cloisonné technique, a style often just called garnet cloisonné, found from Anglo-Saxon England, as at Sutton Hoo , to the Black Sea . Thousands of Tamraparniyan gold, silver and red garnet shipments were made in

8748-429: The most productive biological systems in the world. Along the sound, they produce three to seven tons per acre per year of vegetation, largely in the form of salt marsh grasses. Much of this, enriched by decomposition, is flushed yearly into the estuary water where it directly contributes to the great finfish and shellfish production of the sound. Salt water cordgrass ( Spartina alterniflora ) grows along ditches and on

8856-555: The north were created just on and off the Connecticut coast. These moraines, created by much smaller deposits (probably from equilibrium states that were much shorter in time) are discontinuous and much smaller than those to the south. The Connecticut coast moraines are in two groups: the Norwalk area and the Madison - Old Saybrook area. Sandy plains and beaches resulted from the erosion of moraines and redeposition in these areas, and to

8964-468: The other 30 acres (120,000 m). Some access to the park at this time was available through the Town of Westport's Burying Hill Beach. At this point, further development of the park stalled when local landowners, led by local property owner Edward Gair, persuaded a town meeting to oppose further land acquisitions and spending on the park. The state legislature, reluctant to act without local approval, defeated

9072-403: The park to be widely used. Various parcels bought by 1915 amounted to 24 acres (97,000 m) by deed, although a state survey showed they in fact amounted to 30 acres (120,000 m). The park at this point had 23,350 feet (7,120 m) of shorefront. In 1923, another 18 acres (73,000 m) north of the island were acquired for possible use as a parking lot, although they were unconnected to

9180-419: The prototype to include chemicals with the general formula A 3 B 2 ( C O 4 ) 3 . Besides silicon, a large number of elements have been put on the C site, including germanium , gallium , aluminum , vanadium and iron . Yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG), Y 3 Al 2 (AlO 4 ) 3 , is used for synthetic gemstones. Due to its fairly high refractive index, YAG was used as a diamond simulant in

9288-430: The rarest and were first reported in the 1990s. Garnet species' light transmission properties can range from the gemstone-quality transparent specimens to the opaque varieties used for industrial purposes as abrasives. The mineral's lustre is categorized as vitreous (glass-like) or resinous (amber-like). Garnets are nesosilicates having the general formula X 3 Y 2 ( Si O 4 ) 3 . The X site

9396-414: The salt marshes of western Connecticut. Rodents include the white-footed mouse , the meadow vole (probably the most abundant coastal mammal) and the meadow jumping mouse . Muskrats are heavily trapped but remain abundant. Raccoons and red foxes who live in areas near the marshes will hunt in them. The long-tailed weasel and short-tailed weasel are both found near the Sound, occasionally living in

9504-483: The salt marshes. Dolphins are occasionally spotted in Long Island Sound, along with Harbor seals and gray seals that can be found among the rocks off Stonington and Groton at the eastern end. Long-finned pilot whales and harbor porpoises can also be infrequently sighted in open water, a few miles off the coast. In 1975, a finback whale beached itself in Groton. Animals that need moist woodlands are found in

9612-649: The sea floor. Green seaweed populations fluctuate with the seasons. Monostroma , reproduces in the early spring and dies out by late summer. Grinnellia appears in August and disappears four to six weeks later. In the rocky areas of the intertidal zone there are the seaweeds characterized by their brown tone, Fucus and Ascophyllum , some species of which have air bladders that allow them to float and receive direct sunlight even at high tide. Also present are Ectocarpus and red algas Polysiphonia , Neosiphonia , Porphyra and Chondrus ( Irish moss ). In

9720-456: The seaside edges of marshes where high tides daily inundate it. Salt meadow cordgrass ( Spartina patens ) and spikegrass ( Distichlis spicata ) grow in areas less frequently inundated by saltwater, typically closer to dry land. A short form of salt water cordgrass can sometimes be found in the depressions ( pannes ) in the higher areas where salt water collects and evaporates, leaving water even higher in salinity than seawater. Other plants in

9828-463: The shore, especially in late summer and fall. The American lobster is fished commercially. Most animal species on the Connecticut side of the Sound also occur inland, but some are much more abundant along the shore. Animals along the Sound are most concentrated in the salt marshes. Two species of shrews , the masked shrew and the American short-tailed shrew , are common in salt marshes. The least shrew has been thought to exist in small numbers in

9936-637: The shores of the larger river estuaries such as the Connecticut River , cattail marshes replace salt marshes. Various types of grasses, including wild rice , and sedges , including bulrushes , are found here. Eelgrass - sometimes known as "Saltwater Eelgrass" in order to distinguish it from Freshwater Eelgrass, which is a different species ( Vallisneria americana ) - is typically found in protected bays, coves, and other areas of brackish water, but it also persists along areas of exposed shoreline along Long Island's north shore near Orient. Eelgrass

10044-513: The smoke rise over the World Trade Center . The park was authorized, though not activated, to be a staging area for relief efforts. At the dedication on September 5, 2002, the names of 149 deceased victims of the attacks were read aloud; each person was a resident of Connecticut or had close family in the state. Governor John G. Rowland presided over the interfaith ceremony of music, speech, and prayer. The memorial's design incorporates

10152-418: The sound has become increasingly deficient of marine life . The fishing and lobster industries have encouraged efforts to identify the cause of the dead water and rectify the problem. Lobsters have suffered diseases of unknown cause, but recreational fishing improved dramatically in the last 10 years due, in large part, to restoring a key component in the food chain, menhaden (a.k.a. "bunker") fish which are

10260-645: The surface of water from sunlight and deprives oxygen to marine organisms. Eutrophication and its effects are direct environmental impacts on the Sound that are exacerbated by higher temperatures, stratified water columns (when the water is not well mixed vertically) and excess nutrients. The primary target for water remediation tactics in Long Island Sound have been nutrients discharged by sewage treatment plants and in surface runoff . Long Island Sound sustains significant populations of fish and nurseries. This biological function has been threatened by both terrestrial and chemical alterations resulting from urbanization of

10368-666: The terrapin population started recovering. Sea turtles occasionally travel north on the Gulf Stream and wander into the Sound. The loggerhead turtle , green turtle and leatherback turtle are rarely seen along the Connecticut shore. Other reptiles and amphibians found along the edges of the salt marshes and nearby bodies of water include the green frog , bullfrog , pickerel frog , spotted turtle , painted turtle , northern water snake , and common snapping turtle . On beaches and sandy areas there are Fowler's toads (which are also found inland but find sandy areas preferable),

10476-400: The timing of garnet growth. The first dating was that of Basu et al. (1989), who used plagioclase-hornblende-garnet to produce a Sm/Nd isochron that yielded an age of 1059 ± 19 Ma. Mezger et al. (1992) conducted their own Sm/Nd investigation using hornblende and the drilled core of a 50 cm garnet to produce an isochron age of 1051 ± 4 Ma. Connelly (2006) utilized seven different fractions of

10584-484: The tuna family, enter the sound and can be caught by anglers from small boats and shore. Many species have declined rapidly since 1975 due to over fishing. Winter flounder may not be currently present except for rare, small local populations. Tautog and summer flounder are also less numerous. Anadromous fishes include striped bass , white perch , alewives, blueback herring, and American and hickory shad . Although several shark species likely infrequently wander in and out of

10692-529: The two beaches. In 1959, the state built an art deco styled pavilion/bathhouse. In 2002, a memorial was dedicated to the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks . The park is bounded on the west by the Sherwood Mill Pond and on the south by Long Island Sound. It is separated from the mainland by creeks and ditches. The park's beaches are 6,000 feet (1,800 m) long, more than a mile. Waves on

10800-546: The uplands on the west side of the island and operated a gristmill on the Mill Pond. Many farmers shared the Machamux salt marsh. (See also Henry Burr Sherwood .) By the 1860s, the place was known as "Sherwood's Island." Gallup Gap Creek at one time ran north and south on the east side of the park but not far from the center. Some have said that what was known previously as Sherwood's Island was only west of that creek, which

10908-403: The warmer environment provided by proximity to the Sound (which has a longer growing season than inland Connecticut and winters that are less harsh). These include sweetgum (only found in Connecticut in the extreme southwestern area of the state), the American holly , post oak and persimmon , which only exist in Connecticut along the shore. For many species which grow typically in sandy soils,

11016-410: The wind. This results in more sunlight reaching the forest floor, encouraging a jungle-like tangle of vines and shrubs, including the vines catbriar , poison ivy , bramble and bittersweet , and the shrubs blueberry , huckleberry , viburnum and hazelnut . Along with the moderate climate, tropical cyclones can have an important impact on observable vegetation patterns. The greatest storms to hit

11124-505: The years, bridges over the sound have been proposed, including a bridge between Rye in Westchester County and Oyster Bay on Long Island; between New Haven, Connecticut , and Shoreham on Long Island; between Bridgeport, Connecticut , and Port Jefferson on Long Island; or between Orient Point, New York , and Rhode Island . A tunnel under the sound, as between Rye and Oyster Bay has also been proposed, to carry both freeway lanes and railroads. However, no crossing has been built since

11232-532: The yellow crystals resemble, they have also been called hessonite from the Greek meaning inferior. Grossular is found in skarns, contact metamorphosed limestones with vesuvianite , diopside , wollastonite and wernerite . Grossular garnet from Kenya and Tanzania has been called tsavorite. Tsavorite was first described in the 1960s in the Tsavo area of Kenya, from which the gem takes its name. Uvarovite

11340-559: The {100} and {111} families of planes are depleted. Garnets do not have any cleavage planes, so when they fracture under stress, sharp, irregular ( conchoidal ) pieces are formed. Because the chemical composition of garnet varies, the atomic bonds in some species are stronger than in others. As a result, this mineral group shows a range of hardness on the Mohs scale of about 6.0 to 7.5. The harder species like almandine are often used for abrasive purposes. For gem identification purposes,

11448-626: Was later dammed up to help water flow at the grist mill. When the Connecticut State Park Commission was formed in 1911, one of its main tasks was to find and develop shore parks along Connecticut's coastline. Field secretary Albert Turner walked the shoreline seeking suitable sites: several hundred acres of undeveloped land with natural scenic beauty, fronting on a good beach, and far enough from cities to ensure freedom from sewage pollution and lack of interference with industrial development. He concluded that Sherwood Island

11556-466: Was the most recent of a series of glaciations that covered the area during the past 10 million years. Sea level at that time was about 330 feet (100 m) lower than today. The continental ice sheet scraped off an average of 65 feet (20 m) of surface material from the New England landscape, then deposited the material (known as drift ) from the Connecticut coast into the Sound, creating what

11664-477: Was the only suitable site in Fairfield County. At that time, the land had many owners. Acting for the state, Westport farmer and public citizen William H. Burr Jr., who led the fight to create the park, bought two small parcels in 1914, including a 5-acre (20,000 m) strip of beachfront, giving Sherwood Island its designation as Connecticut’s first state park, although it took another two decades for

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