12. 



MARITIME APPALACHIANS 



DEFINITION 



The Maritime Appalachians will here include the Paleozoic mountain 



systems of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and the 



, continuation of the structural elements of New York, Vermont, and New 



Hampshire in Quebec. The folded and thrust-faulted chains south of the 



St. Lawrence River extend northeastward into the Gaspe Peninsula, and 



j all are intrinsically part of the Maritime geologic province. See index map 



1 of Fig. 11.1. The Maritime Appalachians, as here defined, are also known 



as the Appalachian-Acadian region ( Alcock, 1947 ) and together with 



New England and Newfoundland, as Greater Acadia ( Schuchert and 



Dunbar, 1934). 



GEOMORPHIC PROVINCES 



General Characteristics 



The Martime Appalachians are made up of dissected uplands and 

 broad lowlands. The shoreline is notably long and irregular, with many 

 deep embayments. It is a fine example of a ria coast in which the linear 

 structural elements run out under the sea. Figure 12.1 shows the physical 

 divisions of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia which correspond to the 

 following descriptions by Alcock (1947). 



Nova Scotia 



Nova Scotia is made up of five upland and as many lowland areas. The 

 former comprise: (1) the large Southern Upland, which embraces the southern 

 and central part of the peninsula and slopes from elevations of about 600 feet 

 southeastward towards the Atlantic Ocean and also southwestward towards the 

 Gulf of Maine; (2) North Mountain, a narrow, flat-topped belt, averaging about 

 550 feet high, that extends along the southeast side of the Bay of Fundy from 

 Cape Blomidon in Minas Basin southwest for 120 miles to Brier Island; (3) 

 the Cobequid Mountains, lying north of Minas Basin and stretching for 75 

 miles across Cumberland County from the head of the Bay of Fundy almost 

 to Northumberland Strait; this region shows broad, rounded summits blending 

 to form a somewhat rolling surface with an average elevation of a little more 

 than 900 feet; (4) the highlands of eastern Pictou and Antigonish counties 

 between New Glasgow and Antigonish and stretching northeastward to Cape 

 George; in the southern part the average elevation is about 800 feet, but near 

 Arisaig it is more nearly 900 feet; (5) the upland belts and northern tableland 

 is the largest of these areas and presents an even flat-topped surface about 

 1,200 feet high. 



The lowlands are underlain by less resistant rocks, such as sandstone, shales, 

 limestone, and gypsum and show a considerable diversity of elevation and form. 

 They comprise: (6) the Annapolis Cornwallis Valley, a long trough-like depres- 

 sion lying between the steep, straight wall of North Mountain and Colchester 

 counties surrounding Minas Basin on the north, east, and south, and merging 

 into Cornwallis Valley on the west; (7) the lowlands of Hants and Colchester 

 counties surrounding Minas Basin on the north, east, and south, and merging 

 into Cornwallis Valley on the west; (8) the Cumberland-Pictou area occupying 

 all that part of the isthmus of Chignecto lying north and east of Cobequid 

 Mountains; (9) the lowland of Antigonish and Guysborough counties, which 

 lies south and east of the highlands extending towards Cape George: and 

 (10) the lowlands of Cape Breton Island, areas lying between the upland belts 

 and occupied by undulating country of landlocked lakes. 



189 



