Lava Pillows Behind Target

Lave Pillows Behind Target

This isn't a full day trip but it can be part of a day at the mall or a routine trip to target. In addition, Mount Higby, Giuffrida Park with Chauncey Peak and Crescent Lake, Wadsworth Falls, Castle Craig and a host of other hiking / outdoors trips are all within very close proximity to the Meriden Target located across the street from the West Field mall (Meriden Mall)

Directions: Just go to the Target across the street from the Meriden Mall. Use my google map link to get exact directions on the previous page. The conservation area is behind the building. You can drive back there. If you are doing anything more than briefly looking or taking a few photos you might want to contact the store manager first.

LAVA PILLOWS:

From Wiki: "Pillow lava is the lava structure typically formed when lava emerges from an underwater volcanic vent or subglacial volcano or a lava flow enters the ocean. However, pillow lava can also form when lava is erupted beneath thick glacial ice. The viscous lava gains a solid crust on contact with the water, and this crust cracks and oozes additional large blobs or "pillows" as more lava emerges from the advancing flow. Since water covers the majority of Earth's surface and most volcanoes are situated near or under bodies of water, pillow lava is very common."

Wiki has a great lava article. What this means is that this location was once underwater or under thick glacial ice when it erupted. I am thinking its the former due to the rifting that occured in Connecticut (the Connecticut River valley is actually a Rift Valley).

Looking behind Target reveals a Talus Slope. Fortunately that is hard basaltic rock up top immune to weathering, otherwise a mass wasting event//tragedy might be waiting to happen...