Slate deposits of Nova Scotia

The southern main part of Nova Scotia lies within the 'Meguma Zone' which is bordered to north by the 'Cobequid-Chedabucto Fault System' and consist of Cambrian to Jurassic rock units. The Early Paleozoic part was deformed during the Acadian mountain building. The slates of Nova Scotia belong to the Ordovician 'Halifax Formation' within the Cambrian-Ordovician 'Meguma Group'.

The approximate thickness of the 'Halifax Formation' is about 11,975 ft. and it contains the 'Bear River unit' within the upper parts, comprising fine laminated greenish to greyish, more seldom blue-black slates which can turn into a rusty brownish colour because of the containing pyrite (Roland, 1982). The black slates of the 'Meguma Supergroup' show a change of the deposition conditions from a lower continental slope to a outer shelf area.

The Acadian mountain building led to a NE-SW striking folding with moderately plunging axial surfaces which are related to the formation of a regionally varying developed fracture cleavage.
The following deformation during the Middle Carboniferous were characterized by south dipping shear zones and NW-facing folds which partly overprinted the Acadian folds (White, 2002).

Several abandoned slate quarries in which grey to black roofing slates were mined in former times are situated very close to East Gore and south of the Kennetcook River. At the moment one active slate quarry exist about 1.24 mi. east of East Gore in which slate for flooring and gardening is produced.

The slate area lies within the Rawdon Hills whose structural frame is characterized by NW-SE striking anticlines and synclines. The slate itself is situated within an anticline (see picture), in which the bedding dips 80-85° to south-east with a vertical dipping fracture cleavage. Hence, one can assume that there is a changing from a cleavage which is parallel to bedding to a fanning fracture cleavage towards the fold closure.