Join us from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. for First Sunday! Ye Olde Sulphur Spa Historical Society will be hosting Geoarchaeologist Jeri Jones for a program that will explain all of this ancient phenomenon. Visitors will have a chance to examine fossils, volcanic rocks and even a dinosaur foot track from nearby Trostle Quarry!
Did you know that some of the rocks in your backyard might be 570 million years old? And just a mere 200 million years ago, the east coast of America was a lush sub-tropical swamp similar to today’s Everglades inhabited by dinosaurs that left their footprints in Latimore township?
York Springs is located within an area that saw its rocks formed during the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea some 200 million years ago. Within this environment dinosaurs, reptiles and amphibians roamed the landscape and enjoyed lying next to a meandering stream or a small lake. We also find other fossils such as petrified wood, fern fossils and clam shrimp. Just to the west of York Springs is South Mountain which represents an older chapter of the geologic history where another supercontinent rifted apart some 600 million years ago creating volcanoes and the start of an ancient sea.
After the PowerPoint, attendees will have the opportunity to examine the above-mentioned fossils from the Mesozoic Era including a dinosaur foot track from nearby Trostle Quarry. Jeri will also have a suite of volcanic rocks, fossils, rocks and minerals collected from South Mountain.
Mr. Jones owns Jones Geological Services in Spring Grove, PA, where he studies the geology of southeastern Pennsylvania. He received his B.S. degree in Geoarchaeology from Catawba College, Salisbury, NC. In his 47 years of research Jeri leads groups on field trips. He has traveled throughout the country conducting field trips and programs for all ages. He previously taught at HACC-Gettysburg, York College of Pennsylvania and Messiah University. He received the Digman Award for Geologic Excellence from the Eastern Chapter of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers. Jeri was employed by York County Parks for 38 years where he provided geology, archaeology and astronomy programs. He has authored five books, narrated a geologic education video series and written numerous articles.