The "Cape Rawson Formation" is a

geologic formation A geological formation, or simply formation, is a body of rock having a consistent set of physical characteristics ( lithology) that distinguishes it from adjacent bodies of rock, and which occupies a particular position in the layers of rock exp ...

Nunavut Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' ...

. It preserves

fossils A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved in ...

that date back to both the

Ordovician The Ordovician ( ) is a geologic period and System (geology), system, the second of six periods of the Paleozoic Era (geology), Era. The Ordovician spans 41.6 million years from the end of the Cambrian Period million years ago (Mya) to the start ...

and

Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the Silurian, million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Carboniferous, Mya. It is named after Devon, England, whe ...

period Period may refer to: Common uses * Era, a length or span of time * Full stop (or period), a punctuation mark Arts, entertainment, and media * Period (music), a concept in musical composition * Periodic sentence (or rhetorical period), a concept ...

s. Because the

Blue Fiord Formation The Blue Fiord Formation is a geologic formation in Nunavut. It preserves fossils dating back to the Devonian period. See also * List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Nunavut This is a list of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Nunavu ...

lies on top of the formation, it has been determined that it predates the middle Devonian Period. It is located on the southern portion of the

Ellesmere Island Ellesmere Island ( iu, script=Latn, Umingmak Nuna, lit=land of muskoxen; french: île d'Ellesmere) is Canada's northernmost and List of Canadian islands by area, third largest island, and the List of islands by area, tenth largest in the world. ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Composition

100 feet of

shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especial ...

separates it from nearby fiord formations, including the

Cornwallis Formation The Cornwallis Limestone is a geologic formation in Alaska. It preserves fossils dating back to the Triassic period Period may refer to: Common uses * Era, a length or span of time * Full stop (or period), a punctuation mark Arts, entertainm ...

. Permanent fauna does not exist, however

suggest that the fiord may have been a thriving temperate climate over 200 million years ago. Many fossils have been detected inside the mass of

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

which overcuts the formation.

Location

The majority of the fiord is located on the southern portion of Ellesmere Island. However, some of the fiord encroaches on some territory in the eastern and northeastern portions of the island.

Relation to Other Fjords

The Cape Rawson Formation overcuts the

Cape Phillips Formation This is a list of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Nunavut, Canada. References * {{Lists of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Canada Nunavut Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost territory of C ...

. It also borders the

Canyon Fiord Formation The Canyon Fiord Formation is a geologic formation in Nunavut. It preserves fossils dating back to the Carboniferous period. See also * List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Nunavut This is a list of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in ...

. Underwater rock beds of the fiord merge into the

Greely Fiord Greely Fiord is a natural inlet in the west of Ellesmere Island, Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut in the Arctic Archipelago. To the south lies the Cañon Fiord Cañon Fiord is a natural inlet in the west of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut in the Ar ...

References

* Berry, William B. N, and Jean M. Berdan. Correlation of the North American Silurian Rocks. Boulder CO: Geological Society of America, 1969. Print. * Annual Report , Volume 2. Research report no. 2, Geological Survey of Canada, 1887. Ordovician Nunavut Devonian Nunavut