MEMORIES OF A GREAT FIELD EXPERIENCE: THE TRANS-ISLAND (NEWFOUNDLAND) FIELD TRIP

Field excursions have long been desirable training experiences for geology students and professional alike. Indeed, many would argue that the reason why they became geologists in the first place was a single field trip that “opened their eyes” to Earth processes. One of the most memorable field trips that I attended was the “trans-island “ excursion across Newfoundland back in the early 1980’s when I was a Masters candidate at Memorial University. The late Harold Williams led the trip in conjunction with his graduate class in Appalachian geology. The chance to travel across the province and the entire Northern Appalachian orogenic belt was a combination that few graduate students could resist. William’s knowledge of critical outcrops as well as his personal familiarity with the pioneers of plate tectonic theory meant that every stop was both geological and historical in context. An additional bonus to CFAs (Come From Aways) like myself was that participants were introduced to Newfoundland rural culture and a lifestyle that remains unique in North America. The trip crossed east to west from the Avalon Terrane, through the central mobile belt (Dunnage and Gander Terranes) into the Humber Terrane. Samples that I collected at each stop still comprise the bulk of my orogen teaching collection. The geological highlight of the trip, even for a student of sedimentology, was the Bay of Islands ophiolite complex in the Gros Morne area of western Newfoundland. To stand upon the ancient remains of a slice of oceanic mantle is awe-inspiring for any geologist of any age.