Welcome to this location within the lands of The Niagara Parks Commission!
How this EarthCache came about:
As we were walking along the Niagara Parkway, we stopped to look at the Niagara River below. My 11-year old daughter was looking at the barriers we were leaning against and said, "Look. Fossils!" Without really looking, I started saying, "No honey, those are just marks in the concrete." I couldn't have been more wrong. When I actually looked, I was so impressed with what she had noticed. The barriers weren't concrete at all. They were just as she said ... real stones full of millions of fossils. We walked about a mile along the parkway and the fossils were in just about every piece of stone we looked at. Amazing! My daughter completely made my day!
Overview:
The specific logging requirements for this EarthCache are beneath the geological information. You will need to find a fossil(s) in the limestone, name the type of fossil, measure the size, and describe it's color.
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Geology:
The rocks that make up the barriers between the walkway and Niagara Gorge were brought from the Queenston Quarry which is roughly 8 km north of the Niagara Whirlpool. The limestone from the quarry is often considered “crinoidal limestone” due to the high density of crinoid fossils within the stone. Limestone from this quarry was used extensively in the Niagara Falls area and throughout the Province, including the construction of Queen’s Park and the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.
The rock from the Queenston Quarry are Silurian sedimentary rock. The Paleozoic Silurian Period was roughly 443.8 to 419.2 million years ago. This was a time when there was a considerable rise in the Earth's sea levels due to the melting of glaciers. The climate of the Earth was relatively stable during this period.
The Silurian period is known for the marine development of coral reefs, stromatoporoids (prehistoric sponges), jawed and bony fish, and eurypterids (sea scorpions) that were as large as 2 meters in length. Crinoids (water lilies) were abundant and brachiopods expanded their range. Fossils of trilobites (arthropods), graptolites (looks like a hacksaw blade), conodonts (eels), and mollusks indicate they were present during this period as well.
Crinoids are abundant in the limestone parapets along the gorge. You should have no trouble locating a crinoid fossil in the limestone. The Queenston Quarry is now closed due to construction and reclamation, however, in the past, rock enthusiasts and fossil hunters were at times granted permission to visit the quarry. Past visitors have posted photos online of crinoids, trilobites, graptolites, and brachiopods that they discovered in the Queenston quarry limestone so you may also discover these fossils in the limestone walls along the gorge.
Specific Logging Requirements:
1. Send me a message or email with the GC Code or title in the first line.
2. Tell me the type of fossil(s) that you found and describe it (size, color, shape, or whatnot).
3. Optional - Post of photo of what YOU think is the best fossil you found.
To make this listing easier to load onto certain devices, examples photos of crinoid fossils have been put into the photo gallery. I have included pictures of an unbroken crinoid, crumbled crinoid, and actual photos of the limestone with crinoid from the Earthcache location.
Park Rules:
Please be aware that the following must be adhered to in accordance with the Niagara Parks Act Regulations:
* no removal, damage or harm to any wildlife, plant or animal;
* no damage or defacing of any Parks properties, structures, signage, etc.;
* no dog or other animal is permitted to be at large on Parks property (must be under control eg. leashed);
* no littering or dumping any material within the Parks;
* no fires, camping or overnight parking are allowed without Parks permission or supervision;
For the complete Niagara Parks Act Regulations (Regulation 829/90) please refer to www.niagaraparksnature.com.
The Niagara Parks Commission has approved this cache. If you have any questions about this cache or about geocaching within this jurisdiction please contact parksnaturalist@niagaraparks.com.