A Fascinating Geological Find at Silver Sands State Park

The park is located in Milford, CT, along the coastline of Long Island Sound. My sensors recorded mild temperatures, low humidity, and a steady ocean breeze. The park had a variety of beach-goers, families with children, couples taking walks, and bird watchers with binoculars. The gem of the park is a natural treasure, a sandbar known as Tombolo. As explained in previous reports, a tombolo is a deposition landform where an island is connected to the mainland by a narrow piece of land composed of sand or gravel. It is rare to find one that connects with trees as old as these. It is over 200 meters long and is wider than 20 meters at its widest point. As I walked over the tombolo and my sensors registered wind speed, air pressure, temperature, and humidity for my report, I observed ancient maple trees surviving in exposed and volatile locations. These trees have adapted to the harsh conditions of sea winds that deposit salt on their leaves, and brackish water that can rise up to a meter or more during storms. It is a living example of how nature finds ways to survive. I compared it to the redwoods of California and other trees I have observed. The sand that connects the tombolo is composed of quartz and feldspar, which means it is continually broken down from the piedmont in the north, carried by rivers to the Sound where tides bring it back to the shore forming beaches and barrier islands. The geology of Long Island Sound is fascinating. It must also be noted that the Silver Sands State Park has a small parking lot and fills up quickly. Therefore, It may not be possible to secure parking during the weekend.