The iconic view of volcanic terrain at Bartholomé Island Introduction The Galápagos Islands, located around 1000 km off the Ecuadorian coast, are justifiably known as one of the world’s premier wildlife viewing destinations. The isolated terrain hosts some extraordinary animals and plants, many endemic to the islands. It was here that Charles Darwin was inspired to develop his theory of evolution. ...[Read More]
Outcrop analogues to Carbon Sequestration Targets: the Gog Quartzite of Alberta – including a short virtual field trip!
Moraine Lake with Gog outcrops
Introduction In 2022 I was asked to put together a virtual field trip looking at carbon sequestration (CCS). We are particularly lucky in Alberta in having three excellent Cambrian targets for CCS including the Basal Cambrian Sandstone, currently being used for CCS in Shell’s QUEST project, quartzites of the Deadwood Formation (being utilized for a CCS project in Saskatchewan) and the Gog Quartzit ...[Read More]
Tapping into commercial datasets – a woefully underutilized resource
Tapping into commercial datasets Over the last two years, I have had the opportunity to work on a variety of construction related projects across Alberta, both as a palaeontologist and as geologist. They have included pipeline lays and inspections, bridge and highway remediation, building projects, quarrying and dam construction. Each of the projects has offered the chance to examine brand new exp ...[Read More]
The Sedimentology of Palaeontology
Juvenile ceratopsian head shield found in an interpreted flood deposit, surrounded by intrformational mud clasts
A chance to reflect Over the last year, I have been lucky enough to spend more than two months in the field examining a variety of outcrops representing terrestrial, glacial and marine depositional settings. To protect Alberta’s fossil heritage, the law demands that all sites where excavation will be undertaken must be assessed for their paleontological potential. Should it prove likely that signi ...[Read More]