undifferentiated rock units

Paleontology and geology

In the Carboniferous, shallow to deep waters of the continental shelf and slope covered British Columbia. The ocean separating the shelf from a series of volcanic islands continued to grow. The islands also built up as more magma reached the surface and volcanoes spewed more lava and ash. The warm, tropical seas were home to corals, brachiopods, foraminifera, and crinoids. Fossils of these animals can be found in some of the limestones, sandstones, and shales that accumulated around the islands and across the province. During this period, other parts of what would become British Columbia were forming even farther out in the ocean.