Resources
The following are additional resources related to the Observatory.
Amherst College Beneski Museum of Natural History
One of New England’s largest natural history museums includes geological specimens and exhibits that tell the history of the Pioneer Valley landscape through geological time, including when dinosaurs inhabited the area. The museum website contains useful links to further information on Pioneer Valley geomorphology such as the field guide to the geological history of the Connecticut River Valley found here.
Impressions from a Lost World: The Discovery of Dinosaur Footprints in the Connecticut River Valley of New England
Award-winning website produced by the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association in Deerfield, MA. It contains stories, maps, people (such as Professor Edward Hitchcock), artifacts and documents focused on the Pioneer (Pocumtuck) Valley. See the video about rifting of the Connecticut River Valley https://www.dinotracksdiscovery.org/special/feature/.
The Formation of the Mountains and Valleys of Massachusetts
Recent video prepared by Amherst College students under the direction of Associate Professor of Geology Victor Guveura with support from the National Science Foundation.
The Last Ice: Glacial Lake Hitchcock
A short documentary on the last ice age and the effect on the Connecticut River Valley by New Hampshire teacher Greg Stott and Vermont filmmaker Nick Natale.
Dinosaurs, Dunes and Drifting Continents: The Geology of the Connecticut River Valley
Classic book by Professor Richard D. Little, renowned local expert on the geology and geomorphology of the Pioneer Valley. The website contains a section on “geological stories” which summarizes key points in the book. Prof. Little leads tours in and around the Pioneer Valley to observe many topics covered in the book.
Laurentia: Turning Points in the Evolution of a Continent
Published in 2023 by the Geological Society of America https://www.geosociety.org. University of Massachusetts, Amherst Geology Professor Michael L. Williams, a principal advisor to the Pioneer Valley Landform Observatory, is a co-editor and co-author of two papers included in the book including, Petrochronologic constraints on Paleozoic tectonics in southern New England, featuring the Pioneer Valley.
Written in Stone: A Geological History of the Northeastern United States
A useful primer by Chet Raymo and Maureen E. Raymo, geology professors in Massachusetts, first published in 1989 by Black Dome Press Corp. Some of the illustrations are particularly interesting https://www.blackdomepress.com.