Just wondering if anyone can provide me with some information about a sedimentary layer I found at the beach the other day.
The shore at this spot is primarily sandstone that is packed with shell fossils (huge abalone, snail spirals, clams, strange leaves) so I assume that at one time this was the sea bed... this fossil layer is about 20 feet thick and forms a cliff above sea level. The layer that I am interested in is below the sandstone and appears as a black line in the strata... in a few small exposed areas in the intertidal zone this layer appears to be pure carbon (not shale)... jet black with a 'alligator texture to the surface.. I chipped a piece out and it is extremely light. I think it is charcoal... it will make a mark on a piece of paper... it also appears to have a very tight 'grain' when I look at it under a magnifying glass.
I am on the west coast of Vancouver Island and I am very curious about the origin of this 'charcoal' layer and what it actually 'is'. Any insight is appreciated.
Thanks... Annie
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