Rock On, Canada – O Canaderp!

Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt, photo By NASA – NASA Astrobiology Institute Library of Resources: Sulfur biogeochemistry of the Early Earth at the Wayback Machine, Public Domain, Link

Rocks found in Quebec are possibly the oldest on earth, formed around 4.16 billion years ago during the first days of Earth’s geologic formation (you know, back when the planet was all volcano-y and melty and stuff).

Found in the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt in northern Quebec, these basaltic rocks were metamorphosed during the mysterious Hadean eon. Mostly basaltic in composition, magmatic intrusions into the Earth’s crust were possibly cooled by precipitation from the primordial sea. Scientists hope this unique composition will shed more light on the early days of Earth’s geologic and oceanic history.

Garnet paragneiss (“faux-amphibolite”) (3.0 cm across at its widest), dating to 4.28 Ga, the oldest known Earth rock of which direct samples are available, found in Northwestern Quebec. Photo by James St. John and available via Creative Commons 2.0 license.

One of Canada’s other souvenirs of Earth’s first days, The Dover Fault in Newfoundland, is where early land masses that later formed parts of Africa and Europe crashed into each other, then drifted apart. This continental fender-bender left behind a big mess of rocks that eventually became the Appalachian Mountains and helped scientists piece together the workings of plate tectonics.

Seeing as tomorrow is Canada Day (though in Quebec it’s called Moving Day because Quebec doesn’t acknowledge what it deems to be anglophone Canadian holidays) I’ll also mention that The Dover Fault is the setting for a love song in Come From Away, a musical love-letter to the Canadian spirit of neighborliness and compassion.

Based on the real stories of air passengers who were diverted to Newfoundland’s Gander Airport during the 9/11 attacks on the U.S., it documents how the residents of Gander (and other small towns near Gander Airport) pulled together to house, clothe, feed, and comfort thousands of international passengers who were stranded and isolated from their loved ones during the airspace closure following 9/11.

I love “Come From Away”; it’s a tuneful, engaging, and inspiring show that might restore a smidgen of your faith in human resilience and kindness. Yeah, it’s sentimental, but I recommend it if you need a bit of a lift these days. Info on streaming locations here.

So whether you’re celebrating Canada, moving, or are as old as the literal hills, wishing you a happy summer and all the resilience you need. Enjoy.