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It is the most prominent of several escarpments formed in the bedrock of southern Ontario. It is traceable starting in eastern New York and along a westerly direction across the [Niagara River into Ontario where it stretches along the Niagara Peninsula and northerly to Georgian Bay near Collingwood. It then turns westerly toward Owen Sound at which point it turns northerly to form the spine of the Bruce Peninsula, the Manitoulin and other islands located in northern Lake HuronLake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of eastern North America, and separates Michigan from Ontario. Georgian Bay, the easternmost part of Lake Huron, is entirely within Canada. Lake Huron is separated from Lake Michigan, which lies at the same level, where it turns westerly into the Upper Peninsula of northern MichiganMichigan is a state in the United States. The name is derived from Lake Michigan, which in turn is believed to come from the Chippewa Indian word meicigama meaning "great water. Bounded by four of the Great Lakes, Michigan has the longest state shoreline. It then extends southward from the area of Sault Ste. MarieSault Ste. Marie is a city located in Chippewa County in the U. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 16,542. It is the county seat of Chippewa County 6. It is on the Canadian border, separated by the St. Marys River into WisconsinOne of the periods of glaciation was also termed the Wisconsin glaciation. Wisconsin is the 23rd largest state of the United States, (54,314 square miles) and 18th greatest population (5,453,896 as of 2002). The state's name is an English version of a Fre following the Door Penninsula westerly coastline of Lake MichiganLake Michigan is one of the five North American Great Lakes. It is bounded, in clockwise order from the south, by the US states of Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan, which is named for it. Lake Michigan is the only one of the Great Lakes wholly w ending near ChicagoThis article is about the city, for other uses of the term see Chicago (disambiguation : Hog butcher for the world,Tool maker, stacker of wheat,Player with railroads and the nation's freight handler;Stormy, husky, brawling,City of the big shoulders. Carl.

1 Formation

Study of rock exposures and drillholes demonstrates that there is no displacement of the rock layers at the Escarpment. This is not a fault line but the result of erosion. The Niagara Escarpment has a caprock of dolostoneDolostone is a sedimentary rock that contains a high percentage of the mineral dolomite. It is usually referred to as dolomite rock. publications it was referred to as magnesian limestone. Typically, dolostone and impure limestone occur together, along wi which is more resistant and overlies weaker, more easily eroded shale. The escarpment formed over millions of years through a process of differential erosion of rocks of different hardnesses. Through time the soft rocks weather away or erode by the action of streams. The gradual removal of the soft rocks undercuts the resistant caprock, leaving a cliff or escarpment. The erosional process is most readily seen at Niagara Falls, where the river has speeded the process. It also can be seen on the three waterfalls of the Genesee River at Rochester, New York. Additional resistant rock layers make more than one escarpment in some places. Also, in some places thick glacial deposits conceal the Niagara Escarpment, such as north of Georgetown, Ontario, where it actually continues underground and reappears farther north.