Which Quiet New Jersey Town Is Built On Top Of A Volcano?
Believe it or not there is actually a volcano in New Jersey with a community of homes built right on top of it...is it in your town?
Listen to Shannon Holly mornings on 94.3 The Point and download our free 94.3 The Point app.
Here's the background, over 440 million years ago, a volcano was formed in New Jersey (of all places). Magma boiled below the earth that was so hot, it carved cracks into the earth, which in turn allowed the magma to slowly rise. When it encountered cooler liquids like water, pressure built up creating a massive explosion and in turn making the volcano itself.
You can actually still see it today but it looks a bit different than what you may think. The location is 1,000 feet above sea level and has a large flattened rock on top of it. Why the flat-top? That's because the volcano's peak was flattened during the Ice Age by a giant slab of ice about a mile thick. Thanks to the ice, the top of the volcano is now nice and flat...in fact, it is flat enough to have a residential community built in that area. Due to its scenic views of Sussex County, the hill has been developed into prime real estate and farms making it private property. However, you can see it from High Point State Park’s Appalachian Trail.
Most people know this volcano site as Rutan Hill. It is in Colesville, New Jersey and its actually New Jersey’s only volcanic site. The rock there is classified as “igneous,” meaning it was formed by volcanic activity...yes, scorching, earth-changing explosive eruptions took place here. Pretty cool right? There hasn't been an eruption in 440 million years so I'm assuming it will be safe at least for a while longer. Still, it is a site to be seen!
There are only in three locations in the United States that have a volcanic site like this, New Jersey, Arkansas, and Texas.
LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades
Goosebumps and other bodily reactions, explained