Speaker Series - Construction Opening Geological Windows by Jon Noad

Thursday, January 15 | In-person at the Fish Creek Environmental Learning Centre and Online on Zoom

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Speaker Series - Construction Opening Geological Windows: The Historical Resources Act in Action

Presented by Jon Noad

New geological exposures created by ongoing pipeline, dam and other construction activities have opened windows into Alberta's geological past. Fossils ranging from dinosaurs and mammals to exotic plants shed light on ancient life, while the sedimentary rocks and structural geology reveal ancient environments and record the uplift of the Rocky Mountains.

The Historical Resources Act ensures that any cultural items, including archaeological and palaeontological finds made in Alberta, are protected by law. The resulting monitoring of ongoing construction in our city has exposed unique geology and fossils that tell us about the ancient history of our province. Selected case studies will be used to demonstrate some of these extraordinary finds, ranging from dinosaurs to ancient mammals and many plants and invertebrates. In addition, sedimentary structures can be used to reconstruct ancient environments, while faulting and folding reveal how our province has evolved through geological time.

About the presenter

Jon Noad graduated in 1985 and started working as a mining geologist in South Africa. He returned to the UK to work in marine cable laying and completed a Masters in Sedimentology in Dinosaur Provincial Park. This led to a full time PhD, working in eastern Borneo, after which he joined Shell International working Middle East exploration and in several production roles. He moved to Shell Canada in Calgary in 2006, followed by senior geoscience roles at several major oil companies.

Since 2017 he has run many field trips, core logging courses and has taught at two universities. He joined Stantec as a qualified Palaeontologist in 2022 and now undertakes site monitoring for new pipelines and construction projects.