Thursday, May 15, 7-9pm, Killingworth Library will host a presentation on the geology of Connecticut by Jelle de Boer, author of Stories in Stone. Geoscientist Jelle Zeilinga de Boer will share his expansive knowledge about the unexpected ways the land shapes the way we live. An utterly unique way to engage with local history, he reveals the secrets embedded in the world around us—in its rocks, deep below its surface, and in its unpredictable and outsized weather.
Zeilinga de Boer will explore little-known historic facts, such as how Connecticut has long experienced mysterious noises and tremors periodically emanating from the small village of Moodus. He explains the science and the many myths behind “the Moodus noises.” He describes the wealth of mineral resources native to Connecticut, ranging from the vein of lead cast into vital Revolutionary War bullets to the dangerous and beautiful Samarskite, a radioactive mineral of black crystal that was once fashioned into pieces of jewelry. And how Connecticut has a long history of welcoming unexpected guests from outer space—that is, meteorites that have crashed into homes, onto farmland and onto city streets. Concerning an especially large meteorite that had fallen in the town of Weston, Thomas Jefferson allegedly once opined that the whole affair was most probably a hoax.
Drawing on his book, Stories in Stone, he describes the marvel of Connecticut’s geologic diversity and also recounts the impact of past climates, earthquakes, and meteorites on the lives of the people who made Connecticut their home.
Jelle Zeilinga de Boer is the Harold T. Stearns professor of Earth Science emeritus at Wesleyan University and author, with D.T. Sanders, of Volcanoes in Human History (2002) and Earthquakes in Human History (2005).
Please register in advance by calling the Killingworth Library at 860-663-2000 or stopping by in person.
