Geology

The New York kimberlite-like dikes are part of a larger north-south belt of kimberlitic intrusions on the western flank of the Appalachian mountain belt that extends from Tennessee to Quebec. These dikes are of particular interest to North American geologists because they provide the only direct information on the nature of the mantle and lower crust in the Appalachian interior, and they are the only expressions of Mesozoic magmatism in the region. Their age, origin, and relationship to plate tectonic processes are still poorly known or understood. At the completion of this study, using field observation and geochemical analyses, we hope to know more about the age and origin of these unusual rocks.