A cheeky wink in time
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A cheeky wink in time

by Grace Shephard, Centre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics (CEED), University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

The rock knows a secret. This outcrop is from an island in the Oslo fjord in Norway (60°N latitude), which from a general geology view is a Permian rift graben surrounded by Precambrian basement and interspersed with Late Paleozoic sediments. This particular boulder has a face full of orange lichen and a curious wink and smile - maybe it is just reminiscing the longer past summers from when it was formed at lower latitudes (around 20°N, current latitude of Cuba).