Natural Features & Ecosystems - Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Nature & Science» Geology Resources Division. Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota Mount Rushmore National Memorial is located along the northeast edge of what is known as the Harney Peak Granite Batholith in the Black Hills of South Dakota. A batholith is a geologic feature that formed by the cooling of a large igneous body of magma below the earth's surface; if a similar igneous body reaches the earth's surface, it would form a volcanic feature such as a lava flow.
The Black Hills magma was emplaced into the older "host" mica schist rocks during Precambrian time, approximately 1.7 billion years ago! The mica schist originated from the metamorphism (alteration by heat and pressure) of muds and sands from an ancient sea floor sometime prior to the emplacement of the Harney Peak Granite.
Metamorphism of this original material produced the "slabby" appearance in the mica schist that now contains minerals such as muscovite, biotite and quartz. Shrine of DemocracySixty million years ago this land was in turmoil. U.S. Tour of Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Mount Rushmore — History.com Articles, Video, Pictures and Facts. During a second visit to the Black Hills in August 1925, Borglum identified Mount Rushmore as the desired site of the sculpture. Even as local Native Americans and environmentalists voiced their opposition to the project, deeming it a desecration of the natural landscape, Robinson worked tirelessly to raise funding for the project, aided by Rapid City Mayor John Boland and Senator Peter Norbeck, among others.
After President Calvin Coolidge traveled to the Black Hills for his summer vacation, the sculptor convinced the president to deliver an official dedication speech at Mount Rushmore on August 10, 1927; carving began that October. In 1929, during the last days of his presidency, Coolidge signed legislation appropriating $250,000 in federal funds for the Rushmore project and creating the Mount Rushmore National Memorial Commission to oversee its completion.
Virtual Field Trip to Mount Rushmore – Go Online to Take a Patriotic Field Trip to Mount Rushmore. Let’s take a patriotic virtual field trip to one of the most famous attractions in the United States – Mount Rushmore! Located in the Black hills of South Dakota, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a sculpture of presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln carved into the side of the 5,725 foot mountain. It is a perfect online trip for educators because it combines geology and American history. Also, it’s a fun tour. Charge up the computer and get ready to meet some of our greatest Heads of State! Mount Rushmore Facts: “The President’s Mountain’ is an iconic National Monument of the USA. Took 14 years to complete. was completed in 1941. cost nearly 990,000 dollars to construct. was the brainchild of sculptor Gutzon Borglum. covers over 1,278 acres. attracts about 2 million visitors each year.
Online Photos of Mount Rushmore: There are some truly amazing photographs of Mount Rushmore on the Internet. Virtual Tour of Mount Rushmore: Presidents of Mount Rushmore: The Making of Mount Rushmore. Sculptor%20Gutzon%20Borglum%20A.