Bear Rock

Bear Rock
Stratigraphic range: 422.9 - 385.3 ma
Bear Rock; Stratigraphic range: 422.9 - 385.3 ma
	The Bear Rock outcropping is about ten kilometers north of the mouth of the Great Bear River, NW of Tulita, NWT.
Type	Formation
Location
Coordinates	64°58′0″N 125°43′22″W / 64.96667°N 125.72278°WCoordinates: 64°58′0″N 125°43′22″W / 64.96667°N 125.72278°W
Region	Northwest Territories
Country	Canada
	Bear Rock (Northwest Territories); Location of Bear Rock in the Northwest Territories

Bear Rock (Dene: Kweteniɂaá)^[2] is a geologic formation in the Sahtu Region of the Northwest Territories located across the mouth of the Great Bear River from Tulita.

Geology[]

Bear Rock is a lithostratigraphic sedimentary outcropping composed primarily of gypsum, dolomite, limestone, and breccia laid down in the Late Silurian to Middle Devonian (422.9 - 385.3 ma) periods.^[3] It is a site of karst features including caves and sinkholes, including that was featured on Fodor's "15 of Canada's Most Stunning Natural Wonders" list.^[4] Marine fossils including acanthodians,^[5] brachiopods and corals^[3] have been found here.

Folklore[]

Bear Rock is said to be the rock over which a mythical hero, known to various Dene groups as either , , or , stretched the skins of giant beavers after he had slain them to stop them from terrorizing the people. It has been a traditional place of prayer and reflection for these indigenous people for generations.^[6]

2019 landslide[]

In May 2019, following damage from a forest fire a few months earlier, a major landslide occurred on the north slope which scarred the landscape and covered the entrances to several caves.^[6]

References[]

^ map showing the location of the formation.
^ Sahtu Heritage Places and Sites Joint Working Group. "Tulı́t'a". Sahtú Renewable Resources Board. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Bear Rock Formation". weblex.nrcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
^ March, James (2021-03-02). "15 of Canada's Most Stunning Natural Wonders". Fodors Travel Guide. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
^ Cumbaa, Stephen L; Schultze, Hans-Peter (2002-10-01). "An Early Devonian (Emsian) acanthodian from the Bear Rock Formation, Anderson River, Northwest Territories, Canada". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 39 (10): 1457–1465. doi:10.1139/e02-047. ISSN 0008-4077.
^ ^a ^b Brockman, Alex (18 June 2019). "Landslide damages Bear Rock — Tulita's Notre Dame". CBC News. Retrieved 17 September 2021.

External links[]

Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". Retrieved 17 December 2021. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
Derek Ford, PGeo., PhD, FRSC. "Report upon a Survey of Karst Landforms around Norman Wells, Northwest Territories" (PDF). Retrieved 16 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[1] showing the location of the formation.

[2] Sahtu Heritage Places and Sites Joint Working Group. "Tulı́t'a". Sahtú Renewable Resources Board. Retrieved 17 September 2021.

[:1-3] "Bear Rock Formation". weblex.nrcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2021-09-17.

[4] March, James (2021-03-02). "15 of Canada's Most Stunning Natural Wonders". Fodors Travel Guide. Retrieved 2021-09-17.

[5] Cumbaa, Stephen L; Schultze, Hans-Peter (2002-10-01). "An Early Devonian (Emsian) acanthodian from the Bear Rock Formation, Anderson River, Northwest Territories, Canada". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 39 (10): 1457–1465. doi:10.1139/e02-047. ISSN 0008-4077.

[:0-6] Brockman, Alex (18 June 2019). "Landslide damages Bear Rock — Tulita's Notre Dame". CBC News. Retrieved 17 September 2021.

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