PRE-CAMBRIAN ROCKS OF SOUTHEAST 

 NEWFOUNDLAND^ 



A. F. BUDDINGTON 

 Brown University 



The following paper gives the more important results of an 

 investigation based upon field work carried on during the summers 

 of 1913 and 1914. 



Southeastern Newfoundland is important geologically in that it 

 affords, as far as is known, the most complete section of the later 

 pre-Cambrian rocks along the eastern coast of North America, 

 and an understanding of this section should aid in the correlation 

 of the later pre-Cambrian at other localities. The term later 

 pre-Cambrian, as here used, is possibly the equivalent of the terms 

 Proterozoic or Algonkian. 



LOCATION AND GEOGRAPHY 



The Avalon Peninsula (Fig. i) forms the southeastern portion 

 of Newfoundland and is attached to the main island by a narrow, 

 rugged isthmus, in places but three miles wide, which separates 

 Trinity Bay on the north from Placentia Bay on the south. The 

 peninsula itself is in turn almost split in twain again by St. Mary's 

 and Conception bays. The major portion of the rocks here 

 described lie along the eastern side of Conception Bay, at the head 

 of this bay, and in the vicinity of St. John's; but they are believed 

 to be typical of the entire peninsula and of the later pre-Cambrian 

 rocks of eastern Newfoundland in general. 



Except for the mining industry conducted on a large scale at 

 Great Bell Island in Conception Bay, fishing is almost the sole 

 occupation of the inhabitants. As a consequence of this and of the 

 unfavorable character of the interior of the peninsulas, habitations 



^ Thesis presented to the faculty of Princeton University for the degree of Doctor 

 of Philosophy. 



449 



