Geological Travel of Cat (4)—Golden Spike at Changshan

2009-01-01

(Fossil Website/By csfuwangyu) Golden Spike is synonymous to permanent mark. According to Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, Paris, October 17, 1972, it is implemented by Committee of World Heritage for the purpose of collective aid to cultural and natural heritage given by the international community.

Situated in the south of Changshan, the Golden Spike can be reached after half an hour’s drive towards the west. This is the first Golden Spike in China, known as Ordovician Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points. Being stratotype section, the Ordovician system is in correspondence with Darriwilian period, which was approximately 460 million years ago. Changshan and its northwest used to be Zhewan Basin in deep waters, where black shale with grapholite was formed. To the south, the Zhegan Mesa is a mesa in shallow waters. It often happened that the calcareous particles were transported to the low area of the basin to form the grey interlayer that looks like teeth in the shale.

Grapholite animals, fast in evolution, rapid in migration and marked in rise and fall, provided standard fossils for the testing of the early and middle period of the Paleozoic Era, especially the important marks for Ordovician, Silurian and Lower Devonian Period. The Grapholite and conodont in the profile of Changshan are well-preserved and high in value. In confirming the stratotype around the world, comparisons with Huannigang are made.

The introductions to the Golden Spike were done by Nan Gusuo with his own fund. The monument looks spectacular from distance.