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#96790 02/23/03 05:59 PM
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wwh Offline OP
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One of the most outstanding scenic places in New England.
The word "monadnock" originally comes from the Abnacki Indian language meaning
"mountain that stands alone." Because Monadnock "stands alone", views from the treeless
summit stretch far into the distance into surrounding states like Vermont and Massachusetts.
Boston and the White Mountains are visible on a clear day.

Ancient earthquakes on the Eastern Border Fault tilted all the sedimentary layers as well as the basalt
so they dip down toward the east at about a 25 degree angle. Keep this in mind as were look at events
of the Cenozoic, our last (and continuing) Era of geologic time. Finally, by the end of the Mesozoic Era,
65 million years ago, the region had eroded to a flat plain called a peneplain. The only feature of great topographic interest at this time was Mt. Monadnock, which is notorious for withstanding
the forces of erosion and remaining high (a "monadnock") while the surrounding region eroded to boring flatness.

The name "monadnock" has become geneeric for similar structure elsewhere. Another term is"

inselberg
n.,
pl. 3bergs or 3berge a monadnock of an arid or semiarid region




#96791 02/24/03 01:56 AM
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Aha! Now I see the reason the village designed by Howard Roark in Ayn Rand's Fountainhead was called "Monadnock".

Thanks, Bill :-)


#96792 02/24/03 02:29 AM
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wwh Offline OP
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Dear wofahulicodoc: I have to confess I haven't read any of Ayn Rand's books, and so
cannot guess why she used "Monadnock".



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