﻿250 
  J. 
  Bar 
  veil 
  — 
  The 
  Piedmont 
  Terraces 
  

  

  The 
  Complexity 
  of 
  the 
  Connecticut 
  Eecord. 
  

  

  An 
  inspection 
  of 
  projected 
  profiles 
  of 
  western 
  Con- 
  

   necticut, 
  [see 
  pi. 
  V 
  and 
  figs, 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  section], 
  

   brings 
  out 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  from 
  the 
  shore 
  northward 
  the 
  

   hilltops 
  do 
  not 
  slope 
  npward 
  as 
  remnants 
  of 
  a 
  single 
  

   warped 
  peneplane 
  tangent 
  to 
  the 
  upland 
  surface. 
  On 
  the 
  

   contrary, 
  they 
  fall 
  into 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  benches 
  each 
  member 
  

   of 
  which 
  is 
  higher 
  than 
  the 
  preceding 
  one. 
  Likewise 
  the 
  

   hills 
  below 
  the 
  sky-line 
  and 
  the 
  rock 
  benches 
  and 
  spurs 
  

   on 
  valley 
  sides 
  show 
  a 
  similar 
  habit. 
  

  

  Each 
  set 
  of 
  locally 
  accordant 
  hilltops 
  does 
  not 
  neces- 
  

   sarily 
  represent 
  a 
  regional 
  baselevel, 
  for 
  the 
  distance 
  

   above 
  baselevel 
  is 
  a 
  product 
  of 
  many 
  factors 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  

   possible 
  that 
  certain 
  older 
  or 
  temporary 
  baselevels 
  may 
  

   have 
  had 
  the 
  evidence 
  of 
  their 
  existence 
  completely 
  

   masked 
  by 
  the 
  effects 
  of 
  later 
  erosion 
  with 
  respect 
  to 
  

   other 
  baselevels. 
  Nevertheless 
  it 
  is 
  clear 
  that 
  the 
  topog- 
  

   raphy 
  of 
  the 
  western 
  upland 
  is 
  not 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  the 
  ero- 
  

   sion 
  of 
  a 
  simple 
  warped 
  surface, 
  nor 
  is 
  it 
  the 
  product 
  of 
  

   even 
  two 
  partial 
  erosion 
  cycles. 
  Its 
  history 
  is 
  much 
  

   more 
  complex. 
  

  

  Irregular 
  warping 
  or 
  faulting 
  cannot 
  account 
  for 
  the 
  

   step-like 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  sky-line, 
  for 
  the 
  margins 
  of 
  the 
  

   steps 
  are 
  sinuous 
  lines, 
  best 
  seen 
  on 
  the 
  maps, 
  but 
  well 
  

   seen 
  on 
  the 
  profiles 
  where 
  a 
  lower 
  baselevel 
  passes 
  in 
  

   between 
  the 
  outposts 
  of 
  a 
  higher 
  level. 
  Furthermore, 
  

   inspection 
  of 
  separated 
  regions, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  eastern 
  and 
  

   western 
  uplands, 
  shows 
  similar 
  series 
  of 
  benches 
  at 
  al- 
  

   most 
  the 
  same 
  elevations, 
  indicating 
  that 
  the 
  movements 
  

   of 
  uplift 
  have 
  been 
  broad 
  and 
  regular. 
  Some 
  warping 
  

   should 
  be 
  expected, 
  some 
  faulting 
  to 
  a 
  minor 
  degree 
  is 
  

   possible, 
  but 
  the 
  study 
  shows 
  that 
  such 
  factors 
  cannot 
  be 
  

   invoked 
  to 
  explain 
  the 
  general 
  features 
  of 
  either 
  the 
  

   western 
  or 
  the 
  eastern 
  upland. 
  There 
  must 
  be 
  postu- 
  

   lated 
  many 
  long 
  halts 
  in 
  regional 
  uplift, 
  permitting 
  par- 
  

   tial 
  peneplanation 
  with 
  respect 
  to 
  many 
  baselevels. 
  The 
  

   western 
  upland 
  is 
  a 
  region, 
  as 
  already 
  noted, 
  that 
  has 
  

   been 
  peculiarly 
  sensitive 
  to 
  changes 
  of 
  baselevel, 
  and 
  the 
  

   resistant 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  rocks 
  has 
  preserved 
  the 
  evidence 
  

   of 
  these 
  changes 
  for 
  a 
  long 
  period 
  of 
  time. 
  

  

  Let 
  the 
  conditions 
  for 
  recording 
  baselevels 
  on 
  the 
  Con- 
  

   necticut 
  upland 
  be 
  contrasted 
  with 
  those 
  of 
  interior 
  

   regions 
  far 
  removed 
  from 
  the 
  sea. 
  In 
  the 
  latter, 
  the 
  

   rivers 
  would 
  keep 
  on 
  at 
  their 
  old 
  grade 
  even 
  after 
  re- 
  

   newed 
  uplift 
  until 
  headward 
  erosion 
  proceeding 
  from 
  the 
  

  

  