Post by 150FromFundy on Oct 1, 2011 20:00:55 GMT -5
I spent two weeks on a geologic journey throughout Newfoundland back in July. Newfoundland’s nickname is ‘The Rock’, so it seemed like an appropriate place for a rock hound to explore. It turned out to be a mind-boggling beautiful part of the planet and true to its name. Full of rock!
This is the first of a series of posts that will explore the rugged and serene beauty of Newfoundland with a slight bias on geology and rock. I hope I don’t lose too many of you rock hounds with the wildflower pictures. Hope you enjoy.
Gros Morne National Park, est. 1973
One of the gems of western Newfoundland is Gros Morne National Park. Gros Morne received UNESO recognition as a World Heritage Site in 1987. The most important feature which led to its UNESCO recognition is known as The Tablelands.
The Tablelands is a slice of rock that once lay beneath the Iapetus Ocean. It is a piece of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle and Moho discontinuity between the crust and mantle. This exposed rock should be buried 10’s of kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface.
The yellow-orange rock is peridotite from the upper mantle. This dense rock has a high mineral composition including magnesium, chrome, nickel and iron. The high mineral content of peridotite is not conducive to plant life and it provides for a stark contrast between life and death.
Photo 1 – Peridotite determines whether there will be life or death
Photo 2 – Feels a little like Mars
It’s getting dusk, but there should be time to make it to the end of this trail and back before dark. As you climb in elevation and into the peridotite, the plant life becomes more and more sparse. The Pitcher Plant is Newfoundland’s provincial flower as it grows almost everywhere. It grows in locations that have no nutrient and relies on being carnivorous to supplement its diet. The leaves for pitchers that trap water, drown insects and feed the plant. Sounds nasty but looks beautiful.
Photo 3 – Carnivorous pitcher plant
Photo 4 – Pitcher plant in flower
The alpine like conditions and low nutrients dwarf plant life. This Campanula, just a few inches off the ground, may be a familiar knee-high perennial to any of you gardeners.
Photo 5 – Dwarf alpine Campanula
Exposed surfaces of peridotite weather to a powdery yellow-orange colour, while freshly broken rock is greenish brown. Water flowing through cracks has altered some of the original minerals to serpentinite. This effect gives some of the peridotite a snakeskin appearance.
Photo 6 – Weathered peridotite to serpentinite
Even in July there is still snow at higher elevations which feed small brooks and small waterfalls. It will be a cool night in the tent this evening.
Photo 7 – There’s snow up in those hills
This is the end of the trail. Beyond this, it’s back country hiking which you don’t start out at an hour before sunset.
Photo 8 – Trails end
Apparently we weren’t the first explorers here.
Photo 9 – Peridotite Inukshuk
This is the first of a series of posts that will explore the rugged and serene beauty of Newfoundland with a slight bias on geology and rock. I hope I don’t lose too many of you rock hounds with the wildflower pictures. Hope you enjoy.
Gros Morne National Park, est. 1973
One of the gems of western Newfoundland is Gros Morne National Park. Gros Morne received UNESO recognition as a World Heritage Site in 1987. The most important feature which led to its UNESCO recognition is known as The Tablelands.
The Tablelands is a slice of rock that once lay beneath the Iapetus Ocean. It is a piece of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle and Moho discontinuity between the crust and mantle. This exposed rock should be buried 10’s of kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface.
The yellow-orange rock is peridotite from the upper mantle. This dense rock has a high mineral composition including magnesium, chrome, nickel and iron. The high mineral content of peridotite is not conducive to plant life and it provides for a stark contrast between life and death.
Photo 1 – Peridotite determines whether there will be life or death
Photo 2 – Feels a little like Mars
It’s getting dusk, but there should be time to make it to the end of this trail and back before dark. As you climb in elevation and into the peridotite, the plant life becomes more and more sparse. The Pitcher Plant is Newfoundland’s provincial flower as it grows almost everywhere. It grows in locations that have no nutrient and relies on being carnivorous to supplement its diet. The leaves for pitchers that trap water, drown insects and feed the plant. Sounds nasty but looks beautiful.
Photo 3 – Carnivorous pitcher plant
Photo 4 – Pitcher plant in flower
The alpine like conditions and low nutrients dwarf plant life. This Campanula, just a few inches off the ground, may be a familiar knee-high perennial to any of you gardeners.
Photo 5 – Dwarf alpine Campanula
Exposed surfaces of peridotite weather to a powdery yellow-orange colour, while freshly broken rock is greenish brown. Water flowing through cracks has altered some of the original minerals to serpentinite. This effect gives some of the peridotite a snakeskin appearance.
Photo 6 – Weathered peridotite to serpentinite
Even in July there is still snow at higher elevations which feed small brooks and small waterfalls. It will be a cool night in the tent this evening.
Photo 7 – There’s snow up in those hills
This is the end of the trail. Beyond this, it’s back country hiking which you don’t start out at an hour before sunset.
Photo 8 – Trails end
Apparently we weren’t the first explorers here.
Photo 9 – Peridotite Inukshuk