Tablelands, Gros Morne National Park, Woody Point, Newfoundland
We had a fascinating visit to Tablelands, where the mantle of the earth juts up above the crust, one of the very few places on the planet where this has occurred. In 1987, the park was awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO because "The park provides a rare example of the process of continental drift, where deep ocean crust and the rocks of the earth's mantle lie exposed."
From Wikipedia: The Tablelands, found between the towns of Trout River and Woody Point in south west of Gros Morne National Park, look more like a barren desert than traditional Newfoundland. This is due to the ultramafic rock – peridotite – which makes up the Tablelands. It is thought to originate in the Earth's mantle and was forced up from the depths during a plate collision several hundred million years ago. Peridotite lacks some of the usual nutrients required to sustain most plant life and has a toxic quality, hence its barren appearance.[5] Peridotite is also high in iron, which accounts for its brownish colour (rusted colour).
Take a look at the satellite view of the map - it's quite dramatic!
In Explore October 9, 2025
Tablelands, Gros Morne National Park, Woody Point, Newfoundland
We had a fascinating visit to Tablelands, where the mantle of the earth juts up above the crust, one of the very few places on the planet where this has occurred. In 1987, the park was awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO because "The park provides a rare example of the process of continental drift, where deep ocean crust and the rocks of the earth's mantle lie exposed."
From Wikipedia: The Tablelands, found between the towns of Trout River and Woody Point in south west of Gros Morne National Park, look more like a barren desert than traditional Newfoundland. This is due to the ultramafic rock – peridotite – which makes up the Tablelands. It is thought to originate in the Earth's mantle and was forced up from the depths during a plate collision several hundred million years ago. Peridotite lacks some of the usual nutrients required to sustain most plant life and has a toxic quality, hence its barren appearance.[5] Peridotite is also high in iron, which accounts for its brownish colour (rusted colour).
Take a look at the satellite view of the map - it's quite dramatic!
In Explore October 9, 2025