Quantitative sedimentological analysis of late quaternary glaciated basins

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Many urban areas in Canada and northern North America are underlain by thick (up to 200 m) successions of Quaternary sediment deposited under glacial and interglacial conditions. These sediments form a rich repository of information regarding late Quaternary paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic change but relatively little is known of their origin or subsurface distribution. The objective of the proposed research program is to investigate and interpret the Quaternary glacial landforms and subsurface stratigraphies of the southern Ontario region using both 'traditional' sedimentological techniques and recently developed approaches that involve quantitative spatial analysis of digital databases containing geological and geomorphological information. This research will involve detailed field investigation of glacial landforms and exposures in the Georgetown, Simcoe County and Norfolk County regions in conjunction with analysis of available cores and other subsurface data available from previous boreholes, engineering and construction reports and the Ministry of Environment water well records. These data will be entered into a digital database to be analyzed and modeled and three dimensional maps of the subsurface sediment stratigraphies will be created. These models will significantly enhance understanding of the geometry and characteristics of the complex successions of glacial deposits that underlie southern Ontario and the former environmental conditions they record. This will be a substantive contribution to the field of glacial sedimentology and Quaternary paleoenvironmental analysis and will improve our understanding of the nature of former processes that operated beneath large ice sheets. The proposed research also has significance for environmental issues at local, regional and national scales as it will develop a methodology for the creation of stratigraphic models that can be more broadly applied to the prediction of aquifers and groundwater potential elsewhere in Canada. Similar successions of glacial deposits are widespread over large areas of northern North America and are host to major aquifer systems that supply more than 9 million Canadians with drinking water.