News

Laing Ferguson, Mount Allison University, Sackville, N.B.

Introduction

In late May of 1992, the Geological Survey of Canada erected a bronze plaque in the little village of Joggins in north west Nova Scotia on the shores of Chignecto Bay in the Bay of Fundy (see Wat On Earth, Fall 1992 Issue). The plaque commemorated the work of Sir William Logan in the area and the 150^th Anniversary of the GSC. Logan was the first Director General of the GSC.

University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1

Paul F. Karrow

Glacial erratics

Why are many of the fields around Waterloo so stony? Why are there piles of boulders along some fence lines, gathered there by farmers clearing their fields? Why do contractors encounter so many boulders when excavating for foundations?

The glaciers did it!

W.A.E. McBryde, Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo

The Economist, 26 October 1991©

When cows die on the arid Wyoming ranges, their necks gradually bow backwards as the tendons dry and shrink in the sun. Much the same applies to dinosaurs. An Allosaurus unearthed near Graybull, Wyoming this September had its neck curled so sharply that the back of its fearsome skull almost touched the spine. Anyone innocent of the effects of dessication on a neck might think it has died in paroxysms of agony; or was throwing its head back in laughter at the shenanigans of its discoverers.

In 1988, Union Gas entered into negotiations for the development of a pinnacle reef to be used for storage of natural gas. The pinnacle reef, known as Dow Sarnia Block "A" Pool, is five kilometres south of Sarnia in the Silurian Guelph Formation (Fig. 1). The reef was discovered using seismic surveys in 1980 and was completed as a gas producer. From 1981 to 1986, the reef produced 87.45 million cubic metres (3.087 billion cubic feet) of gas. Production from the reef ceased in July 1986.

Visit the Oil Museum of Canada, Oil Springs, Ontario, the site of the first oil well in North America. Oil Springs is 35 km south of Sarnia. The Oil Museum of Canada is open May 1st to October 31st, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. Open year round for tours. (519) 834-2840.