Geoscience Garden

At the University of Alberta just above the North Saskatchewan River, what appears to be a random and unremarkable assortment of boulders actually serves a fascinating purpose. The Geoscience Garden showcases different types of rocks found across western Canada. They are placed in rough order of location, with the Pacific on the western end and Hudson Bay on the eastern end.

Western Canada can be geologically divided into three regions represented in the garden: the Canadian or North American Cordillera, the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, and the Canadian Shield. The former is mountainous terrain largely metamorphosed by tectonic activity and heating. The Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, covering the great plains, has a large amount of sedimentary rock, formed from the deposits of rocks and organisms over millions of years. At the eastern end, the rocky Canadian Shield is the 4-billion-year-old core of North America, composed largely of igneous bedrock from ancient volcanic activity.

Besides having plaques that explain the rocks to the public, the garden also serves as an outdoor classroom and laboratory for students to practice studying the region's geology. As such, don't be surprised if you are joined by plenty of students during school season!