The Northshore Earthscape |
of Tettegouche by Bob Dvorak
Click on highlighted words Many people have a very clear image when someone mentions shoreline processes.
They begin to think of the grand ocean with its powerful waves and crashing
forces that sculpt and shape the land into its many wonderful features.
Few would every mention a lake. To them, a lake is calm, peaceful, Superior is the exact perfect name for this lake. It is the biggest of the Great Lakes and exhibits some of the most awesome shoreline processes. When water moves, it comes in contact with the shore and rock. Wind forces and tidal forces push the water into the shore with such force that erosion easily takes place and sculpts the rock. The rocks of the shoreline in Tettegouche State Park are of such a material that they erode differentially. As water an sediment scrape and scourge the surface of these stones, many formation can form. In the tradition of the great monoliths of Stonehenge or the Colosseum, arches and stacks can occur to create a surreal shoreline environment. These arches appear like parts of old castles and monuments which have been consumed by Neptune himself. The headlands of the shore protrude into the The shoreline of Lake Superior appears relatively new. Formed after the
glacial ice of the Pleistocene retreated, the lake then began its processes.
The appear of a straight shore and beached lowlands is not visible as time
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and quiet. These people haven't visited Tettegouche State Park on the
northwest shores of Lake Superior.
lake. Each one distinctly of its own shape and composition. Some are
small with solid rock as their base. Others are merely boulders that have
been continuously shaved and rounded by the forceful water hitting the points.
Still others are vegetation filled and add the spice of organic life and
color to the soil which would appear lifeless and harsh. Trees dig themselves
into crack and bushes onto cliffs as the flourish in the moist climate.
hasn't allowed the lake to chisel away at the beautiful
headlands located in Tettegouche State Park. They display a land still young
with vigor and character. Not rounded are these shores but jagged and sharp.
Somehow they paint a picture that is beautiful to the camera and naked eye.
They form a geological feature often rare to see at such a young age yet
still as grand as any older feature could be.
Back to the Northshore Earthscape
Bays are formed as part
of a young shoreline. With the headlands protruding out into the lake, the
water fills in and forms beautifully circular bays. Being some thing almost
romantic, these little circles in the shorelines provide some of the beauty
and wonder of the Northshore. As waves strike the cliffs and erode away
the headlands, sediment washes into the bay. This deposition starts to fill
in the bay and eventually straightens the shoreline. Until then, the sediment
provides a perfect beach in a mist filled lagoon.