Journals 2006/2007

Miriam Sutton
Newport Middle School, Newport, NC

"Study of the seafloor and shallow subseafloor off the Labrador Shelf and Slope" Canadian Coast Guard Ship Hudson (CCGS Hudson) August 5 - September 1, 2006

Journal Index: August 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12          13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19          20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26          27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 September 1 Additional Resources

August 29, 2006
What do North Carolina and Newfoundland Have in Common?

AM Location: Strait of Belle Isle (51° 21' 49.48" N, 56° 58' 48.65" W)
PM Location: Cornerbrook, Newfoundland (49° 37' 80.13" N, 58° 39' 06.10" W)
Sea Temperature: 6.0° C
Air Temperature: 11.3° C
Hydrospheric Conditions: A light surface wind competed with the tidal currents along the strait, keeping the seas choppy through the morning but settled into placid seas for the night.
Atmospheric Conditions: Sunny skies with nimbus clouds on the increase throughout the day and into the evening
Wind Speed/Direction: 15 knots/SE dwindled to a light breeze by sunset

The CCGS Hudson is traversing the Strait of Belle Isle today and I am surrounded by a beautiful landscape that reminds me of the mountains of North Carolina. I am gazing upon the highest mountains in Newfoundland which run along the western side of the island. Gros Morne, Indian Lookout, and Western Brook Peak are just a few of the peaks bursting toward the sky and providing the northernmost evidence of the geologic episode that formed the Allegheny and Appalachian Mountains. The tectonic processes responsible for these mountain ranges occurred over 250 million years ago when the super continent "Pangaea" was being formed. The summery green mountain sides flank the deep gorges that look so similar to the Linville Gorge and Hawk's Bill areas of North Carolina. The similarity ends with the smooth mountaintops found in Newfoundland; smoothed by thousands of years of glaciation during the last Ice Age. (See Newfoundland Mountain photo below.)

Gros Morne Mountains in Newfoundland (Photo: Miriam Sutton)

Today's Activity: Use an encyclopedia or the Internet to locate information about the super continent, "Pangaea." Pangaea is a Greek term which means "all earth." Based on your research, why do you think Pangaea is a good name for the super continent that formed over 250 million years ago?

Word of the Day: Tectonic

REMINDER: Record today's Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and the Air Temperature on the data table you created from the August 05 journal entry.