About The Niagara Escarpment

Bedrock Geology

The Formation Process section provided an overview of how the current-day bedrock was formed and shaped to create the linear cliff feature we know of as the Niagara Escarpment. Many more unique and interesting aspects of this bedrock exist that help to understand why the escarpment:

• It is highly fractured
• It dissolves easily
• It is underlain by a nearly impervious layer of shale which prevents vertical groundwater movement
• It is a highly valuable building material