THIS IS NOT A NIGHT CACHE! PLEASE DO NOT CACHE AT NIGHT!
DO NOT POST A PHOTO OF THE MONUMENT. THAT IS NOT THE REQUIRED PHOTO. READ Q1 CAREFULLY.
My nephew and I were visiting Alberta and he was absolutely fascinated by the fossils found in the Tyndall Stone at GZ and at WP1.
This EC will be an opportunity for you to explore the stone and find your own fossils of interest. Your task is to identify and describe 2 different fossils found at GZ and/or WP1, and based on what you see and the lesson, interpret the geological history at the time the Tyndall Stone was formed. You will need a ruler. Enjoy!
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Tyndall Stone
Tyndall Stone contains *MANY* fossils, and that's part of its attraction. It is a dolomitic limestone (limestone is an example of sedimentary rock) that is quarried from the Selkirk Member of the Ordovician Red River Formation in the vicinity of Garson and Tyndall, Manitoba, Canada. The Late Ordovician period stems from 450 - about 443 million years ago (mya). The image below shows what the Earth looked like in the Middle Ordovician.
Tyndall Stone is a cream-coloured limestone with a pervasive mottling of darker dolomite. The mottling gives the rock a tapestry-like effect. The identity of the burrowing organisms is not known, but fossil burrows of this type have been given the name Thalassinoides. The mottling results from burrowing by marine creatures that occurred during and shortly after limestone deposition.
It contains numerous fossil gastropods, brachiopods, cephalopods, trilobites, corals, and stromatoporoids. Examples of representative fossils are provided below.
In 2023, Tyndall Stone was designated as a Global Heritage Stone Resource, the only one of Canadian origin.
GZ and WP1 are two prime examples of Tyndall Stone in downtown Red Deer.
Logging Tasks - please send your responses and include the names of anyone in your geocaching party. EACH PERSON, however, must include their own photo of themself / their geocaching name at GZ clearly showing the Veterans' Park sign. I've provided an example of what we're looking for.
1) To demonstrate you were on site, post a photo of you / your geocaching name at GZ clearly showing the VETERAN'S PARK SIGN and include it with your log. I've provided an example photo for your reference. EACH PERSON must provide their own identifying photo. DO NOT POST A PHOTO OF THE MONUMENT.
2) Select 2 different fossils. Measure and identify them based on the lesson and send the photos and your identification to the CO via the in-game messaging options (the instant message feature is best to send photos). Do not post the photos with your log.
3) Based on your chosen fossils, the other fossils you notice in the Tyndall Stone and the lesson, explain what these fossils have in common and what can they tell us about the geological history (i.e. geology/geography at the time) of when the Tyndall Stone was formed?
I will read and respond to all answers. Please note that insufficient/incorrect or incomplete (or no) answers may (will) result in a deleted log.