Change Islands Page

The following images are from various localities on the Change Islands, Nfld.  Some of the fossil localities are very unique in that they are concentrated in volcanic rocks and demonstrate fabulous preservation of biogenic structures.  Trace fossils are rare on the Change Islands, but are very well preserved.  The lower Silurian date of the volcanic units and overlying sandstones has been well established by the fossils and trace fossils extant on the Change Islands.

Thumbnail of volcanic agglomerate         Thumbnail of Favosites sp and               Thumbnail of eurypterid
with unique fossil preservation                stromataporid caught up in                      track on bottom of sand
of reef organisms.                                      volcanic agglomerate.                            unit with ripples.
 

Thumbnail of worm              Thumbnail of                             Thumbnail of                       Thumbnail of 
tubes on bottom of bed      Clathrodictyon vesiculosum      Clathrodictyon sp.                 Heliolites sp. 

Thumbnail of Favositid          Thumbnail of raindrop          Thumbnail of North End         Thumbnail of text                           coral and stromatoporoid        impressions                           Formation fossils

Thumbnail of text                        Thumbnail of text

The following geological formations are also of great interest from a "tourist" point of view, and although not unique, they represent some excellent outcrops, are very photogenic, and tell an interesting story about the genesis of the Change Islands.
 

Fabulous sole marks (flute and groove molds) south of Red Rock Cove.
 

Columnar structure nearby                Conformable contact of sandstone
fossiliferous agglomerate.                  overlying volcanic conglomerate.

 
Taken as a whole, the above outcrops, fossiliferous and otherwise, make for a great geologic field trip, and could well serve a small cottage industry on the Change Islands of guiding interested "tourists" to the key locations.  The geology of all of these areas would, of course, be more than adequately explained in a rustic interpretation center located in an old fishing village house on the North Island of the Change Islands.

Most importantly, however, I feel that these locations should be protected somehow as a valuable Provincial asset.  Clearly we must assure that the fossil localities suffer no more degredation.  The tracks could be easily destroyed by even a well-meaning but ignorant collector, and even the sole marks could be forever lost to vandals or collectors, none of whom would actually take anything away, because the features are uncollectable...they will disintegrate during attempted collection.
 

The following images show the evolution of a geologist on the Change Islands from 1965 to 1999:
 

    1965          1999
 
 
Click on any of the above images to get more detail!!!