Explore
Miscou, Kouchibouguac and Musquash
The peatlands and barrier islands of the Northumberland Coast and the marshes of the Fundy coast are outstanding examples of Neogene landscapes. As glaciers retreated from New Brunswick and the climate warmed out of a glacial period, vegetation began to take hold. In the south evidence of tundra vegetation appears more than 12,000 years ago. In the north the land still waited for the glaciers to melt. Peatlands that developed on the landscape provide a record of vegetation and animal life. A record of moss, pollen, spores, seeds and insects can be teased from the compacted vegetation to reveal a record of life over since glaciers retreated.
As the coastal regions were freed of ice, sediments were washed from the glaciers. Rivers once again began wearing away the land moving tons of material to the sea. Beaches and sand bars developed along the coast. Ocean currents have been washing and transporting sediment for the past 10,000 years.
