Changing paradigms of surficial geology in Maine: From the biblical flood to glaciation

The first modern comprehensive publication devoted to the glaciation of Maine was The Glacial Gravels of Maine and Their Associated Deposits, by G.H. Stone, published in 1899. Stone's research of the glacial geology of Maine represents a major shift in paradigms from those of previous nineteenth-century works by C.T. Jackson and C.H. Hitchcock, who attributed the surficial geology of Maine to the biblical deluge. Stone's work stands as the most comprehensive and insightful document on the glacial history of Maine, and his observations still provide basic tools for researchers. Stone marshalled his observations into testable hypotheses and proceeded to test them. Unlike the earlier pivotal studies by Jackson and Hitchcock, Stone published the observations from which he drew his conclusions, in contrast to simply stating conclusions without presenting the observations. Among the firsts in Stone's publication are the statewide maps depicting the geography of the glacial-marine deposits and of ice-margin retreat. In addition, Stone was the first to present the idea of a late glacial ice cap over northern Maine, based on his observations in Maine and supported by those of R. Chalmers in the adjacent Eastern Townships of Quebec.