Pubnico Peninsula: A Rock Finger EarthCache

Pubnico Peninsula: A Rock Finger

Pubnico is a quaint and picturesque fishing community that is home to one of the largest commercial small craft harbour fishing ports in Atlantic Canada that operates year round. Dennis Point wharf is home to more than 110 fishing boats and over 400 fishermen make their living working in this lucrative industry. As for the name “Pubnico,” historians tell us that it comes from the Mi’kmaq word “Pogomkook,” meaning "a place where in winter one can go and fish eels in the harbour by cutting holes in the ice.” 

On the peninsula is the Historic Acadian Village of Nova Scotia, located on a beautiful 17 acre site that overlooks the Pubnico Harbour. Founded in 1653 by Sieur Philippe Mius-d’Entremont, this community is the oldest Acadian region still inhabited by descendants of its founder. The village showcases the spirit of the Acadian people, celebrating a language and culture that has thrived for more than 350 years.

Peninsula Characteristics

The Pubnico peninsula extends off of the south west corner of mainland Nova Scotia and is surrounded by Pubnico harbour to the East and the Gulf of Main to the West and South.

Peninsulas are landforms that have 3 main characteristics. They are connected to the mainland, are landforms that extend beyond the mainland and they have water on 3 sides. A small peninsula may be a few miles long, or more. A very large peninsula may be hundreds of miles in length and width. A peninsula can be found on a seacoast. A lake or any large body of water may have a peninsula on the coastline.

Peninsula Formation

The gradual movement of lithospheric tectonic plates is the most common reason for the formation of peninsulas. These plates being susceptible to changes in the movement at the core of the earth may shift. This movement over a long period stresses the underlying rock to create cracks causing the land masses above them to be pushed or pulled in different directions. One of the results of this kind of geographic activity can be peninsulas.

Another way is the changing levels in the water that forms peninsulas. The rising level of water against land and slowly receding over several years causes erosion resulting in the formation of a Peninsula. Land masses often get surrounded by the water on just a few sides by melting glaciers and increasing tropical storms, causing a rise in sea levels.

Peninsulas can also be formed when waves start hitting a section of rock on the coastline that is not as easily eroded as the rock around it. Over time this part sticks out and the waves erode the softer rock behind it. Soil erosion is also known to form these landforms. The soil erosion by weathering agents makes the landmass vulnerable to get submerged by water, which results in the formation of peninsulas.

Pubnico Peninsula Geology

The Pubnico peninsula is made up of three formations. The top half is split between Government point and Moshers island formation (light brown and orange). In the middle there is a section of Cunard formation (dark grown) with the tip reverting back to Moshers island formation. All of these formations occurred in the Early Cambrian to early Ordovician periods, approximately 488 million years ago.

The surface geology has been influenced by years of glacial activity. Most of the peninsula is covered in stony soil tills (light green) with some glaciofluvial deposits (pink) on the south side. There are a few organic deposits and stony drumlin facies.

To log this Earthcache visit the viewing location.  Please answer the following questions and send in a timely manner to my geocaching profile or email. Answers not received will result in deleted logs.

Questions:

1. What is the length of the peninsula between the Ground Zero and Ref C (Pubnico Exit)?

2. What is the width of the peninsula  between Ref A (Dennis wharf) and Ref B (West coast)?

3. How was the peninsula formed (tectonic plate, erosion, glacial, weathering, and/or rising sea level), Why (detail)?

4. Why can it be used for mounting windmills?

5. Post a picture in your log with a personal item or hand in picture to prove you were there.

[REQUIRED] In accordance with the updated guidelines from Geocaching Headquarters published in June 2019, photos are now an acceptable logging requirement and WILL BE REQUIRED TO LOG THIS CACHE. Please provide a photo of yourself or a personal item in the picture to prove you visited the site.