Western Brook Pond EarthCache

Western Brook Pond is a popular destination within Gros Morne National Park, and for good reason. We hope that this EarthCache will encourage you take a closer look at this captivating area and its fascinating geological history.

The Creation of a Fjord

The 600m-tall cliffs of the Long Range Mountains contain some of the oldest rock found in this province. These mountains were originally formed as the result of a fault created when the continents collided. The Long Range Mountains were further formed into their present appearance thanks to the glacial activity of the most recent ice age.

The presence and movement of glaciers created the steep-walled fjord-like shape of Western Brook Pond. The eventual melting of the glaciers left a canyon filled with water and also caused a rise in sea level, connecting this body of water to the sea.

From Fjord to Fjord-Lake

Western Brook Pond is no longer connected to the nearby Gulf of St. Lawrence due to glacio-isostatic rebound of the nearby lands. This is a process whereby the earth rebounds, or rises, following the removal of the weight of the glacier. This explains the presence of the lowlands which now separate the mountains and the sea.

The surface of the lake now lies approximately 30m above sea level. It is interesting to note, however, that 60% of the lake's volume actually lies below sea level.

From Fjord-Lake to Pond

Despite a significant portion of the lake’s volume being below sea level, Western Brook Pond contains entirely fresh water. It is fed by 20 or so streams, many of which descend from the barren mountains above.

Thanks in part to the aforementioned principle, Western Brook Pond is one of the world's purest lakes and often described as being ultra-oligotrophic. In other words, it is nearly free of organic materials and has an almost neutral pH. The lake supports a relatively small amount life, though the lake is home to Atlantic Salmon and Arctic Char. This body of water is as deep as 165m in places which deep enough to submerge a 50 storey building.

The word 'pond' is usually used to describe a small, shallow body of water. The lake's title is believed to be attributed to a colloquially generalized use of the term. It is interesting to note that out of all the bodies of water in Gros Morne (some of them quite large and deep), not one is referred to as a lake by name.

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The information and photographs were compiled from the following sources: