Welcome to the Hawk, Cape Sable Island, Shelburne Co. NS!
NOTE: You can only complete this cache near low tide time so please check the tide tables ( https://www.tide-forecast.com/locations/Barrington-Passage-Nova-Scotia/tides/latest ). The tidal area can be muddy, so suitable footwear is recommended. To log this Earthcache, read the information below and visit the posted coordinates.
The Area
Cape Sable Island is the most southern part of Nova Scotia and is the home of the famous Cape Island Boat (a.k.a. Cape Islander) which was built in 1907 by Ephraim Atkinson, Clark's Harbour. The design of this boat served as a template for small boats today due to its high stability and efficiency in the ocean. The beach is part of the Cape Sable Important Bird Area, making it one of the best birding areas in Nova Scotia. From the beach you can view the Cape Sable Lighthouse, the tallest lighthouse in Nova Scotia, standing at 101 feet (31m) tall.
This island has some amazing views and beautiful beaches but for this Earthcache, you will be looking for something on this particular beach.
The Hawk, is a white sandy beach that contains a 1,500 year old drowned forest - a broad area of preserved tree stumps still rooted in the original soil that are exposed at low tide. You might think that they are fossils considering where they are found but have a closer look!
The Geology
Some of the research for this Earthcache phenomena has been graciously supplied by a fellow geocacher, juniorwoodchuckhuey, who created the Earthcache GC62BJP -a 4000-year old forest… Many thanks for his permission to use it.
This fascinating forest of tree stumps and freshwater peat still rooted in the original soil is exposed on the sea floor at low tide. It dates from about 1500 years ago when sea level was about 3 m lower than it is today. Rising sea level continues to push back the beach, exposing more trees and eroding the seaward part. The earth's crust is subsiding throughout Nova Scotia and, in practical terms, is manifest as a rapid rise of sea level.
Fossils
Fossils are the remains or traces of plants and animals that lived at least 10,000 years ago which would be the end of the Cenozoic Era and the Pleistocene Period on the geologic time scale. Most fossils are found in earth that once lay underwater. They usually formed from the hard parts, such as shells or bones, of living things. A fossil normally preserves only a portion of an organism. Trace fossils are the marks left by a living organism, such as feces, footprints or impressions of feathers or leaves. Organisms usually need to be covered by mud, sand, tar or some other sediment as soon as possible or frozen or dried out for fossilization to occur.
SubFossils
A subfossil is a bone or other part of an organism that is preserved but not fossilized. Either the conditions were not right for fossilization or not enough time has passed for it to be fossilized (less than 10,000 years). These stumps might be considered subfossils. The main difference between a subfossil versus a fossil is that the subfossil contains organic material. This material can be used to determine the age, and other identifying aspects such as DNA, proteins or other molecular processes. It is from this material, scientists can derive additional knowledge about the ecological conditions at the time as well as environment and paleoclimatology (study of changes in climate taken on the scale of the entire history of Earth).
Subfossils are often found in environments where there are sediment deposits or build up, such as lake and ocean sediments, and soils. Once deposited, physical and chemical weathering can alter the state of preservation.
Requirements
To successfully accomplish the requirements for this Earthcache, please answer the following questions. If you enjoy this Earthcache, I would appreciate a favourite point.
Pictures are always welcome but they are optional. There is no need to contact me for confirmation before logging this cache but the information should be sent in, either via email or the message system on geocaching.com, in a timely manner. Should there be any difficulty, I will contact you.
Please only leave footprints and if you can Cito while you are there, the environment thanks you.
- Find the Drowned Forest and estimate the area size of the forest.
- Choose a tree stump and examine it carefully. What is the average diameter? What life form do you find attached?
- Are these tree stumps a fossil or a sub fossil? Can you explain how you can tell?
- Describe the roots of the tree. Are they smooth, rough? What colours? Are they long and straight, or wiggly and short or a variety?
- What is the altitude here?
- Post of a picture of yourself or GPS device. (As of June 10th, Groundspeak guidelines allow photos as part of the requirements.)
References
Website: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-a-fossil-and-a-subfossil
Website: library.sandiegozoo.org/fossil_dating.html
Website: https://www.barringtonmunicipality.com/visiting-us/places-of-interest/cape-sable-island-causeway-cape-sable-island
Martha Hickman Hild, "Geology off Nova Scotia, Touring through time at 48 scenic sites". Royal Boulder Publications, section 28, p. 152-153. ISBN 8-1 978-1-927099-43-8
Arthur B. Busbey III, Robert R. Coenraads, David Roots, Paul Willis, “The Nature Company Guides Rocks & Fossils” Time-Life Books, p. 53, Pages 68-69. ISBN 3 1111 05192 4668
Frederick H. Pough “A Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals” Houghton Miffln Company Boston 4th edition, plate 45, Pages 289-290. ISBN 3 1111 05016 5123
For addition information about the site:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itLYK8uk65k&fbclid=IwAR3GYqwC5MeuI2rllWxF04FiulDOSryrKJYxTYCInlL11d6EV7ckpqIHqsk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjFzFamfI4c&fbclid=IwAR0DEIxQPDGNu5xtCw1kfGYAWf-zPuYl8vmbLBVEXI5y11jY-IEqLM6Qnac