MONTREAL – The oldest rock on Earth is from Quebec and takes pride of place in the permanent geology exhibit at Safari Park's Discovery Pavilion.
Taken from the Nuvvaagittuq Greenstone Belt on the edge of Hudson Bay, the stone is 4.285 billion years old. The Earth is estimated to have formed 4.54 billion years ago and its first solid layer 4.4 billion years ago.
The Greenstone Belt is a primary geological formation that can be seen on the surface. It has suffered “very little deformation and is intact” despite being there for thousands of years, says Simone Sidiot, the park’s curator.
His touch made it possible to collect many specimens. Mr. Sedillot assures us that the piece he displays in the pavilion is “the reference that is displayed in most scientific journals.”
Plain in appearance and quite dark, these rocks are composed mainly of a mixture of carbon and quartz, “the basic elements of the Earth's crust.”
We can date it using radiometric dating, a process that relies on the decay of radioactive elements, especially zircon, over time.
“What's interesting is to see that not only [la roche] “It preserves its own history, but it also preserves the history of the evolution of life,” Mr. Sidiot marvels.
While our planet in its early days contained about 50 different minerals, today it hosts about 5,000.
One reason: biological life. The geologist says that oxidation, for example, did not occur until after photosynthesis. So rust and other oxidized minerals are the result of the evolution of terrestrial life.
On the other hand, “everything that has evolved on Earth is after rocks. Without minerals, there would be no animals, they are an essential component of all life,” he recalls.
Geology of Quebec “Scientific Treasure”
At Mont Saint-Hilaire alone, there are more than 440 different minerals, or about 7 percent of all recorded species in the world, according to a Canadian Museum of Nature press release published in April. Of those, 71 have been identified there for the first time, the mountain’s website states.
It is the third largest site in the world, Mr. Sidiot asserts; “The subsoil of Quebec is a real scientific treasure.”
The geology enthusiast also remembers that the Anticosti and Miguacha National Park sites are listed as UNESCO heritage sites due to the large amount of fossils.
Every year, the Safari Park Geology Exhibition is visited by approximately 50,000 people. In addition to the oldest rock on Earth, they can discover more than 600 minerals, 200 fossils and a collection of sands from the four corners of the world.
