Cool Rock Formations of Western Canada are a great attraction to photographers because they offer cool shapes and textures. Anyone who is particularly interested in abstract photography may find himself in heaven when coming upon such geological feature.
The breakup of Pangaea (200 million years ago), the supercontinent that incorporated almost all the landmasses on Earth, triggered the modern continental configurations to take shape. The North American continent began to move in a north-westerly direction and the Atlantic Ocean began to open in the east. The photo above shows an awesome rock cave located at the east side of Mabel Lake in British Columbia. The rock structure is about 20 feet tall and wide and the crack in the center goes from one side and out the other.
Canada moved to northern latitudes from the equator and then westward across the ancient Pacific Ocean. This caused several large landmasses to collide and become amalgamated with the western edge of the continent. In the photo above, bizarre rock formations along the northern shore of Slocan Lake in BC, feature many cracks and layers with deep cuts.
Most of British Columbia was formed in the succession of collisions, volcanic episodes, and periods of metamorphism and folding are what largely account for the rugged nature of the Cordilleran belt that extends from Alaska down through the western United States. Red Marble Canyon is situated in Waterton Lakes Park in southern Alberta. Waterton Lakes has some of the oldest exposed sedimentary rock in the Canadian Rockies (1200 to 1500 million years old).
This rock can be seen at Cameron Falls. Because its rocks were formed at a time predating the development of most life on earth, few fossils occur here. Only fossils formed by primitive cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are found. Some developed into impressive cabbage-like fossils of algal colonies called stromatolites. Red rocks are usually argillite – with less than 3% oxidized iron; green are also argillite – with unoxidized iron; beige/grey/brown are limestone or dolomite; black is an intrusive magma sandwiched between bands of white marble (super-heated limestone) called the Purcell Sill.
Spectacular rock hoodoos tower at Parksville’s Madrona Point Beach at Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island BC. The site is mostly known for rock formations not on the beach – but under water at the ocean floor. Madrona Point, in Nanoose Bay is regarded as one of the best dive sites on Vancouver Island. It’s well known for having large Giant Pacific Octopus and Wolf Eels. There are a number of different dives available there for divers of all levels.
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