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The Last Billion Years Atlantic Geoscience Society Nimbus Publishing Ltd. Cost: $29.95 Soft cover 216 pages ISBN 1-55109-351-0 A Exhilarating Journey Through Time reviewed by Ronnie Scullion
The
landforms that we recognize today as Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and
Prince Edward Island are seen within the ancient landscape, the super
continent Pangea. There begins the story of continents colliding and
splitting apart, oceans forming, and the climate changing - warming and
cooling dramatically - temperate, almost tropical weather giving way to
the "Ice Ages". In the first three chapters of the book the reader is provided with a broad introduction to geology, starting with a overview of plate tectonics - giving us a snapshot of how the land and water bodies looked one billion years ago. The transition of how the Maritime Provinces were formed on the North American plate as they are today is traced. Naturally forming ridges and folds, created through processes of sudden volcanic eruption or many years of erosion are richly depicted in the accompanying photographs. Rich deposits of crystalline minerals - amethyst, quartz and agate are also featured. We
then are transported in time to The Fourth Dimension, on a fact finding
mission - discovering the age of different rocks, correlating rocks of
the same age from one place to another. The determination of age by the
radioactive decay in minerals is examined. A sense of the distinct
geological time periods unfolds, evidenced by the strata lines and type
of rock present. Fossil
evidence is introduced complimenting the geological overview. Fossils
reveal the "look" of long ago, depicted in their many artistic
representations. We learn also, how fossils give clues to past climatic
conditions, help describe continental shift and can even reveal
astronomical information. The length of a year, for example, is shown to
be 400 days long in the Devonian period evidenced by the daily growth
rings found on coral from that period. The
remaining chapters describe the geological history particular to the
area. Chapter by chapter each wonder of the past is uncovered and vivid
pictures evolve - tropical forests that formed our coal deposits; an
ancient ocean that once covered New Brunswick; and sail-backed
Dimetrodens, mammal-like reptiles, running through the red soils of
Prince Edward Island. Attractively laid out and bound in a large 9 x 10 inch format, the pages are filled with colourful, detailed maps and diagrams; artistic renditions of prehistoric plant and animal life - portraits of how this part of the world once looked; and captivating photographs of today’s landscape. Technical jargon is used sparingly this is a book that will appeal to everyone with a love for the outdoors, and who has speculated on its origins.
Designed
& maintained by Outdoor Nova Scotia, Liverpool, N.S. BOT 1KO |
Produced
by the Atlantic Geoscience Society, The Last Billion Years, is an
exhilarating journey back through time, tracing the geological history
of Canada’s Maritime Provinces.
