Characteristics | Geology & Landscape | Soils | Scenic Quality Topics & Habitats

The District is divided into two Units:
841 Capes and Bays
842 Guysborough Harbours

Geology and Landscape Development
This District is dominated by greywacke/quartzite and granite. Till deposits are relatively thin and there are few drumlins. Large areas of exposed bedrock occur.

Cape Sable, Shelburne County Click to enlarge

The coastline is submerged and indented with headlands and long inlets but has few islands. The thin till deposits provide little sediment through coastal erosion, so coastal fringe deposits tend to be limited in volume and composed of coarse material. Sand beaches are found only where the rising sea level has eroded sand from now submerged glacial deposits and carried it shorewards. Very limited amounts of sand collect locally to form occasional white sand beaches.

Soils
Shallow soils, low relief, extensive burning, and the widespread occurrence of impenetrable ortstein layers have all combined to produce a predominantly bog and barren landscape in this District.

Scenic Quality
Where the ocean is in view, this District has moderately high scenic value. Unit 841 has greater coastal variety, in the form of salt marshes and tidal flats, but suffers from excessive coastal fog. Away from the shore, the low relief and poor forest of both Units is uninviting, but it is relieved in Unit 842 by deeper fault-aligned river valleys (Indian Harbour, Country Harbour, Isaacs Harbour, and New Harbour) which are drowned in their lower reaches. Bogs and barrens are more prevalent in Unit 841.

Associated Topics T2.2 The Avalon and Meguma Zones T9.3 Biological Environment

Associated Habitat H4.1 Bog Associated Offshore Region 911 Atlantic