Compass Harbor
Legend
Modified after Gilman and Chapman, 1988
North
Compass Harbor Trail
Compass Harbor
Introduction
Compass Harbor is just South of Bar Harbor. It has amazing views, a parking lot, and is convenient for recreationalists. Compass Harbor is also the site of Old Farm - George Dorr’s old estate. Many consider George Dorr the father of Acadia National Park (Broom, 2016). Other attractions include the Bar Harbor Formation and granitic dikes - rocks that are many millions of years old!
0.6 Meters
Bar Harbor Formation
Bar Harbor Formation formed 465 million years ago when sediment started to settle at the bottom of an ancient ocean. Eventually, these sediments lithified and the Bar Harbor formation was born - but it was still at the bottom of an ocean. The rock got to where is today by being uplifted by tectonic activity. Since then the rock has been eroded, and an unconformity, a period of missing time, has formed.
Fractures
There are many fractures on Compass Harbor and they are directed towards South-East
Quartz Veins
There are many quartz veins throughout the Bar Harbor Formation of Compass Harbor. These are created by water running down fractures and precipitating minerals out.
Roche Moutonnee
There is an example of Roche Moutonnee near compass harbor. Here is a view of one from the shore. These are created when a glacier travels over an island eroding the north side and plucking away the south side so that it's left with a steep incline.
Dikes
There is a granite dike in the Bar Harbor Formation on the Northern side of the shore on Compass Harbor, this dike is surrounded by soil and small trees and shrubs growing in the fracture created by the contact between the dike and the surrounding rock.
Geology and Biology at Compass Harbor
Fractures aid the growth of plants and animals on the bedrock. This happens because fractures provide an easy path for the flow of water and nutrients. Fractures also provide an uneven surface that plants and animals can attach themselves to more easily. Also, they form dips in the bedrock that create tidepools, which is the perfect environment for intertidal marine organisms.
Geology and the Visitor Experience
The visitor experience at Compass Harbor is valuable and definitely affected by the geology. Visitors can experience tide pools created by fractures in the rock, appreciate the colourful lichen that live on the outcrops, and take strolls along the beautifully layered Bar Harbor Formation cliffs.
References
Broom, D., 2016, George Dorr Estate rehab eyed: https://www.mdislander.com/maine-news/george-dorr-estate-rehab-eyed (accessed 11.13.17)