Post by 150FromFundy on Jun 11, 2015 18:56:03 GMT -5
Five of us chartered a Zodiac to cross the Minas Channel from Parrsboro to Amethyst Cove. To get to Amethyst Cove by land would be a four hour drive followed by a three hour hike each way. Considering all that, the Zodiac all of a sudden becomes economical.
The Zodiac
Amethyst Cove is like many other beaches along the Bay of Fundy with basalt cliffs ranging from 200 feet to 300 feet in height. The beaches were pretty hard on the hiking boots. Much of the basalt is the classic columnar (hexagonal lengths) but there are a few boulders of pillow lava as well. Things were pretty messed up at the time of the mass extinction between the Triassic and Jurassic.
Basalt Rubble
Basalt Rubble
The amethyst, jasper and zeolites are found in the rock falls at the base of the cliff. By this time of year, most of the surface material has been collected, however if you dig, you can still find material.
We had about four hours on the beach. That was enough time for all of us to collect an unmanageable amount of material. I probably had about 30 pounds of specimens in my back pack, and about forty pounds of cutting rock in my bucket.
Because it was an amazingly calm day for this area, the Captain took us around Cape Split. This is where the Bay of Fundy empties into the Minas Basin through the Minas Channel. The first photo is looking at the Bay of Fundy from the Minas Channel through Cape Split. If you look closely, you can see that the water level in the Bay is a few feet higher than the Channel. This creates some extreme forces that continually erode the basalt cliffs.
From the other side, you can see why Cape Split is called Cape Split. The cliffs keep splitting.
A little farther down the beach, you can see where the next blocks of basalt will break off and become the next Cape Split as erosion takes its toll.
Lots of specimen photos to follow.
Darryl.
The Zodiac
Amethyst Cove is like many other beaches along the Bay of Fundy with basalt cliffs ranging from 200 feet to 300 feet in height. The beaches were pretty hard on the hiking boots. Much of the basalt is the classic columnar (hexagonal lengths) but there are a few boulders of pillow lava as well. Things were pretty messed up at the time of the mass extinction between the Triassic and Jurassic.
Basalt Rubble
Basalt Rubble
The amethyst, jasper and zeolites are found in the rock falls at the base of the cliff. By this time of year, most of the surface material has been collected, however if you dig, you can still find material.
We had about four hours on the beach. That was enough time for all of us to collect an unmanageable amount of material. I probably had about 30 pounds of specimens in my back pack, and about forty pounds of cutting rock in my bucket.
Because it was an amazingly calm day for this area, the Captain took us around Cape Split. This is where the Bay of Fundy empties into the Minas Basin through the Minas Channel. The first photo is looking at the Bay of Fundy from the Minas Channel through Cape Split. If you look closely, you can see that the water level in the Bay is a few feet higher than the Channel. This creates some extreme forces that continually erode the basalt cliffs.
From the other side, you can see why Cape Split is called Cape Split. The cliffs keep splitting.
A little farther down the beach, you can see where the next blocks of basalt will break off and become the next Cape Split as erosion takes its toll.
Lots of specimen photos to follow.
Darryl.
