Emerald Lake #club100

Hey Buds!

Yesterday I told you about the Natural Bridge in Yoho National Park in British Columbia, Canada. If you missed that, you can read about it here.

Now I want to show you this watery gem just a little further down the road. It is called Emerald Lake.

When it comes to Canada's National Parks, Banff and Jasper get a lot of press, but it is their quiet neighbour Yoho that is the real beauty.

The brilliant emerald colour water of Emerald Lake is caused by the presence of glacial flour that is caused by glaciers when they grind against bedrock. The brighter the sunlight, the more vibrant the lake water appears, as the water refracts the light hitting the high sediment content of the water.

Emerald Lake is also the perfect place to view one of the most significant fossil finds on our entire planet! Yoho National Park is home to the Burgess Shale, which provides the oldest evidence of complex life on Earth. The fossils of the Burgess Shale contain a complete marine ecosystem from 500 million years ago.

Imagine that. A marine ecosystem on top of the Rocky Mountains.

Here is a piece of the Burgess Shale overlooking Emerald Lake. It is known as the Walcott Quarry. Access to the Shale is limited to protect the valuable and well preserved fossils.

Want to see some of the fossils found in the Burgess Shale? You can see many pictures here.

This is a 100% POWER UP! post for #club100