Geology

Burgess Shale hikers at the discovery site

The Geology of the Burgess Shale (Part 3): The Cathedral Escarpment

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A spectacular submarine cliff over 100 metres high – the Cathedral Escarpment- marked the front of the algal limestones of the Cathedral Formation. The Cathedral Escarpment was initially thought to be a product of prolific algal growth and sediment accumulation during a period of sea level rise. A re-interpretation suggested that the escarpment is the […]

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Hike to the Burgess Shale, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yoho National Park.

The Geology of the Burgess Shale (Part 2): What Rocks Tell Us About Life

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The picture above features fossil ridge, situated behind and to the right of the hikers; as well as, Mt Wapta, situated behind and slightly to the left of the hikers. The former is where the Walcott Quarry is located.  Below we describe why fossil ridge and Mount Wapta have mudstone (shale) rocks lower down on the

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Hugh Southee at Lake Louise with Mount Fairview in the background. The rock wall is Gog Group quartzite.

The Geology of the Burgess Shale (Part 1): The Gog Group

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The Gog Group underlies the Cambrian rocks where the Burgess Shale fossils are found.  Those of you not wearing a bathing suit and a life preserver would be ill prepared if you somehow found yourself in Yoho National Park in the Cambrian. Beginning in the Early Cambrian (~541 million years ago), sea levels rose and

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