Johnson Geo Centre facts for kids
 |
|
| Established | 2002 |
|---|---|
| Location | 175 Signal Hill Road St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1A 1B2 |
| Type | geological interpretation centre |
The Johnson Geo Centre is a special place in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It's located on Signal Hill and teaches visitors all about the Earth's geology. Geology is the study of rocks, land, and how our planet has changed over billions of years. The centre opened in 2002 and is named after a kind person named Paul Johnson.
Contents
A Building Built into the Earth
What makes the Johnson Geo Centre really cool is that most of it is built underground! It's tucked into a natural hole in the ground that was carved out by glaciers long ago. This design lets you see the actual rocks of Signal Hill right inside the building.
The building was carefully planned to show off the amazing rock formations of Signal Hill. It was built in an area that used to be filled with peat, which is a type of soil made from old plants. Workers removed this soil to create a space for the centre. A special glass building, about 2.5 stories tall, was then built on top of this excavated area.
The Johnson Family Foundation helped build this unique centre, which cost about $11 million. The building even uses a smart heating and cooling system. It has six geothermal wells that go 500 feet deep into the Earth. These wells use the stable temperature of the ground to keep the building warm in winter and cool in summer.
Exploring Earth's History
Inside the Johnson Geo Centre, you can go on an amazing journey through 3.7 billion years of Earth's history! You'll learn about many exciting topics, like:
- Continental Drift: How Earth's huge landmasses have moved around over millions of years.
- Glaciation: How giant sheets of ice shaped the land during ice ages.
- Earthquakes and Volcanoes: What causes these powerful natural events and how they change our planet.
The centre also has a fun outdoor area called the Johnson GEO-VISTA Park. Here, you can see how people in Newfoundland and Labrador have used stone throughout history. There's even a copy of an old root cellar, a graveyard, and a house chimney, all showing how stone was used in daily life.
Working with Other Centres
The Johnson Geo Centre works with many other science and museum groups. This helps them share knowledge and offer great experiences to visitors. Some of these groups include the Canadian Association of Science Centres (CASC) and the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC).
Gallery
-
Inside the Geo Centre, you can see ancient rocks from the Upper Precambrian Gibbett Hill Formation. These rocks are greenish-gray sandstone, siltstone, and tuff.
-
An exhibit at the Johnson Geo Centre showing a space scene.
-
A model of the solar system on display at the Geo Centre.
-
The outdoor rock garden at the Johnson Geo Centre.
See also
In Spanish: Centro Johnson Geo para niños
