years ago in the northern hemisphere. Since that time, Connecticut has been covered by ice at least twice, and possibly many more times.

The most recent glaciation began about 85,000 years ago, as the ice slowly advanced from the north like an enormous spill of molasses in a never-ending January. Glaciation reached its peak around 20-25,000 years ago, by which time Connecticut was completely covered over even the highest peaks of the Northwest Highlands. Corresponding to the advance of ice, sea level was forced to pull back and drop down more than 250 feet because of water lost to the growing ice sheet. Finally, 18,000 years ago, the whole business was put on rewind. The ice sheet began melting away and sea level rose once more. The retreating ice spawned an age of lakes: Glacial Lake Hitchcock, another large glacial lake where Long Island Sound lies today, and numerous other smaller ones. Seed by seed, vegetation returned, followed close behind by the animal kingdom. By 9000 years ago, paleo-Indian tribes were hunting in the area. In a sense, the land is still recovering from glaciation. Small glacial ponds are filling into swamps and swamps are filling into wet forests. Erratic boulders left perched precariously atop ridges tumble down one by one. Rivers and streams carry loose glacial sediment to the sea. And sea level is still rising.

The rise of sea level ranks as the most worrisome geologic process acting on Connecticut today. A recent report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency predicts sea level will rise 2 to 11 feet by the end of the next century, and calls "most likely" a rise of 5 to 7 feet.¹ If sea level rises five feet (let alone eleven), tens of thousands of people living along Connecticut's Coast and tidal rivers will lose their homes. Parts of Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford and other low-lying towns may even have to be abandoned. Although the causes are not yet completely agreed upon, most geologists feel that the accelerated rise is due to a warming of the climate. From about 1350 to 1875, the world experienced markedly colder weather during a period dubbed the "Little Ice Age" The many famous winters of colonial Connecticut attest to the severity

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