State Line Serpentine Barrens is a tract of

serpentine barrens Serpentine soil is an uncommon soil type produced by weathered ultramafic rock such as peridotite and its metamorphic derivatives such as serpentinite. More precisely, serpentine soil contains minerals of the serpentine subgroup, especially anti ...

in Pennsylvania and Maryland in the eastern United States. The protected area is actually an assemblage of six tracts owned by a combination of the Nature Conservancy, the State of Pennsylvania, two counties, a township, and private owners. The largest tract is Nottingham County Park in

Chester County Chester County may refer to: * Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States * Chester County, South Carolina, United States * Chester County, Tennessee, United States * Cheshire or the County Palatine of Chester, a ceremonial county in the North Wes ...

, which has also been deemed a National Natural Landmark. The second-largest is Goat Hill Serpentine Barrens, jointly owned by the Nature Conservancy and the Pennsylvania Forestry Department (as a unit of William Penn State Forest), and the third-largest, Chrome Serpentine Barrens, is jointly owned by Elk Township and the Nature Conservancy. Rock Springs Preserve in Lancaster County is managed by the Lancaster Conservancy. The site has been named an Outstanding Geologic Feature of Pennsylvania. In the 19th century, the Pennsylvania–Maryland serpentine barrens were mined for

chromite Chromite is a crystalline mineral composed primarily of iron(II) oxide and chromium(III) oxide compounds. It can be represented by the chemical formula of FeCr2O4. It is an oxide mineral belonging to the spinel group. The element magnesium can s ...

and

magnesite Magnesite is a mineral with the chemical formula (magnesium carbonate). Iron, manganese, cobalt, and nickel may occur as admixtures, but only in small amounts. Occurrence Magnesite occurs as veins in and an alteration product of ultramafic ro ...

. Other serpentine barrens in the mid-Atlantic region of North America include

Soldiers Delight Barrens Soldiers Delight Natural Environmental Area is a nature reserve near Owings Mills in western Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S. The site is designated both as a Maryland Wildland (1,526 acres) and as a Natural Environment Area (1,900 acres) and is ...

in Maryland and some scattered sites on

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...

, including

Serpentine Ridge Nature Preserve The Serpentine Ridge Nature Preserve is a 40 acres woodland in the North Shore of Staten Island between Howard Avenue at the top of the ridge and Van Duzer Street at the bottom of the hill. The Serpentine Ridge plays an important part in Staten Isl ...

References

External links

Friends of the State Line Serpentine Barrens
Protected areas of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Protected areas of Chester County, Pennsylvania Protected areas of Delaware County, Pennsylvania Protected areas of Maryland Serpentine group National Natural Landmarks in Pennsylvania {{geology-stub

References

Further reading

External links