The very next time you’re traveling on Interstate 26 to the west of Columbia, think about volcanoes as you pass by the Broad River Road exit. In the general vicinity of the north side of the highway here is where researchers have found hard evidence of South Carolina’s volcanic past.
Google Maps In online documentation composed by the South Carolina Geological Survey we found many interesting geologic wonders in the Palmetto State — including rocks that clearly indicate volcano activity — in the Midlands!
Google Maps Specifically, the research materials point to a location along W Shady Grove Road, an offshoot of Broad River Road. But before we continue, there appears to be no marker for the location, or a safe place to pull off the highway. Additionally, it’s not known if this location is on private property, so we don’t recommend exploring in person.
South Carolina Geological Survey But it’s here that researchers have discovered the base of Carolina volcanic activity in rocks known as the Persimmons Fork Formation. According to descriptions provided on the same online resource, the rock in this formation indicates it’s from a volcano that erupted above the surface, as opposed to under the ground or under water.
graphicdriver.net The same report indicates it’s difficult to tell for certain how thick the volcanic rock was in the beginning because some deformation has occurred, but (and here’s an interesting tidbit) it was likely at least a mile and a half thick. That’s a LOT of lava! And aside from that, THIS Is South Carolina… not Hawaii.
South Carolina Geological Survey And Broad River Road… well, that’s in the Midlands, not the mountains. Think about that the next time you’re near Broad River Road in Columbia. For certain, history left a definite mark in this one unexpected spot (the Midlands) in South Carolina.
Unfortunately, you can’t easily visit this oddball evidence of the Palmetto State’s volcanic history. But there is one place in South Carolina where you can walk all around an old volcano.
Google Maps
In online documentation composed by the South Carolina Geological Survey we found many interesting geologic wonders in the Palmetto State — including rocks that clearly indicate volcano activity — in the Midlands!
Google Maps
Specifically, the research materials point to a location along W Shady Grove Road, an offshoot of Broad River Road. But before we continue, there appears to be no marker for the location, or a safe place to pull off the highway. Additionally, it’s not known if this location is on private property, so we don’t recommend exploring in person.
South Carolina Geological Survey
But it’s here that researchers have discovered the base of Carolina volcanic activity in rocks known as the Persimmons Fork Formation. According to descriptions provided on the same online resource, the rock in this formation indicates it’s from a volcano that erupted above the surface, as opposed to under the ground or under water.
graphicdriver.net
The same report indicates it’s difficult to tell for certain how thick the volcanic rock was in the beginning because some deformation has occurred, but (and here’s an interesting tidbit) it was likely at least a mile and a half thick. That’s a LOT of lava! And aside from that, THIS Is South Carolina… not Hawaii.
And Broad River Road… well, that’s in the Midlands, not the mountains. Think about that the next time you’re near Broad River Road in Columbia. For certain, history left a definite mark in this one unexpected spot (the Midlands) in South Carolina.
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