The Old Man on the Mountain stood humbly upon Franconia Notch not only as a local spectacle of beauty, but also a symbol of New Hampshire and the country it proudly served. However, on Saturday, May 5, 2003, residents of the Granite State awoke to rapidly spreading word that the Old Man had crumbled to its death. The Old Man on the Mountain continuously battled against wind, rain, and ice, which is what ultimately began and ended its legendary existence. The forty-foot high rock formation, which formed an estimated 200 million years ago, had received a centuries worth of effort from many residents to help protect itself against its own worst enemy, erosion.
Geologists who recently visited the site of the Old Man believe the cliff underneath itself had disintegrated due to it being exposed to water and ice. Rain ate away at its surface while ice produced wedges in the cracks. Prior to crumbling, the Old Man on the Mountain's location in Franconia Notch had received one inch of rain before the temperature dropped below 32 degrees or the freezing mark. The ice then quickly formed inside cracks of the rock, which is believed to have contributed towards the final straw of its existence.
The rise and fall of the Old Man on the Mountain is a prime example of the natural force in erosion. As evident through recent events, erosion continuously shapes and reshapes the planet. Have you ever been to or scene pictures of the Grand Canyon? This awe-striking region of the American Southwest was formed because of the impact of erosion by the Colorado River. Much closer to North Conway, the Appalachian Mountains are known for their smooth and round peaks. They formed in such a way because of millions of years of rain hitting the landscape with wind driven sand and scraping glaciers. If it was not for erosion, mountain chains would not wear down, canyons would not form, and craters would not fill in.
Erosion is caused by the atmospheric effect of wind, rain, and ice, as well as the force that holds us onto this planet, gravity. The most important and prominent agent towards the contribution of erosion is water. Raindrops can wear away at the surface of a rock and move many particles of soil. Water is especially powerful in streams by displacing sediments. This can eventually destroy the stream's bank. Believe it or not, the erosive power of moving ice, otherwise being a glacier, is much more greater then that of water. However, it is less of a culprit to the earth because water is much more common.
The power of waves in the ocean and other large bodies of water is certainly breathtaking for those who have a first account view. Large waves during ocean storms can produce 2,000 pounds of pressure per square foot. This energy, along with natural chemicals in the water, help to produce ongoing erosion in the rock and sand. Needless to say, it is evident that erosion is an important aspect to the evolution of the earth's surface. Unfortunately, this natural force took away a symbol of beauty and pride in the hearts of everyone.