rmations were formed in the Paleozoic Era in the younger Pennsylvanian and older Mississippian Periods. Rocks from these eras are known to be approximately 320 million years old. This means that the youngest rocks in the Gorge were deposited at or near sea level about 320 million years ago. Because the river cuts through these rocks, the river must be younger than 320 million years. 320 million years would be the maximum age of the New River.But what if the river was formed as the Appalachians formed around it? The Appalachian Mountains were formed by uplifting of the land about 225 million years ago. If the New River started to erode its channel as the mountains were formed, then its "age" could be 225 million years. Some scientists believe that the Mountain range was formed by many different periods of “uplifting”. If the Appalachians were uplifted several times after the initial mountain building 225 million years ago, then the New River actually started to erode the mountains after the last major uplift. This would make it about 65 million years old. Many geologists believe that the age can be determined by calculating the rate of erosion. They have studied several rivers in the US and have produced a figure of approximately one foot of rock erodes every 6,000 years. Thus, to erode through the 1,600 feet of the Gorge would take about 10 million years, which could also be considered an "age" of the New River. The last calculation uses the Grand Canyon as an example. The Grand Canyon is well studied, with an "age" between 5 and 10 million years. The New River Gorge is about one-third as deep, and assuming erosion rates are similar, this translates to an "age" of between 2 to 3 million years. We may never know the “exact” age of this beautiful river. Perhaps with the ever-changing sciences, we eventually will know the age. Regradless of the age of this river, the Appalachians age, helps realize the overall age ...
