Identifier: geologicalhistor00mill (find matches)
Title: The geological history of the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts : a popular account of its rocks and origin
Year: 1921 (1920s)
Authors: Miller, William J. (William John), 1880-1965
Subjects: Geology Geology
Publisher: (Northampton, Mass. : The Hampshire Bookshop)
Contributing Library: Wellesley College Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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in layers. This clay is well exposed in the brickyard clay pits inthe city. The very extensive perfectly stratified brick clays betweenHolyoke and Chicopee were also laid down in the deep quiet waterin the midst of the lake. With shoaling of the water, sands werethen extensively deposited on top of the clays as well shown in thebrick yard clay pits. These clays and sands were washed in mainlyby the Chicopee River. That portion of the great lake which lay east of the lava rockridge (see map) was not filled up as much in proportion as the partto the west of the ridge. One reason for this is that the WestfieldRiver which fed the western part was much larger and swifter andhence carried a much greater load of generally, coarser sedimentthan the smaller and slower Chicopee River which fed the easternpart. Another reason is that the eastern part of the lake was muchlarger and hence there was not time enough for it to fill up as muchas the western part. Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts 71
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FIG. 27. PART OF THE WIDE SAND AND GRAVEL PLAIN JUST NORTHWEST OF FLORENCE. IT WASFORMED AS A DELTA DEPOSIT, MAINLY BY MILL RIVER, IN THE GREAT POSTGLACIAL LAKE WHICH OCCU-PIED THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY JUST AFTER THE ICE AGE. THE BASE OF THE BOULDER STREWN HILLIX THE DISTANCE MARKS THE SHORE LINE OF THE LAKE. PHOTOGRAPHED BY THE AUTHOR. An interesting feature of the lake deposits, especially the higherlevel delta sand flats and plains, is the presence in many places oflarge holes or pits without outlets. These are known as kettle-holes. They vary from a few rods to a half mile or more across,and in depth from a few feet to 50 or 75 feet. Most of them are dry,but some are more or less filled with water. They show a markedtendency to occur in groups. Two good ones lie within sight of themain road in the western part of Florence. Examples among manyothers are the following: on the sand flats between Florence andLoudville; in the vicinity of Indian Orchard; southwest of MillersFalls; betwee

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