Sedimentology of glaciated basins

破译冰河时代留下的沉积记录对加拿大来说具有重要的经济意义。工业需要受过冰川沉积学培训的跨学科地球科学专业人员，因为该国的大片地区被最近冰河时代留下的冰川碎屑覆盖。这些复杂的矿床拥有大量的地下水含水层；它们使用计算机模型进行的科学研究可以预测气候变化和城市发展对水资源的影响，并帮助为子孙后代制定规划。应用新的化学技术，包括对冰川沉积物中的有机物进行化学“指纹识别”，对于水文地质学家来说是简化厚厚冰川沉积物覆盖层的地层复杂性的一个关键机会；在加拿大地盾工作的矿产勘探地质学家也需要这些信息。古老的晚古生代冰川岩(3.5亿至2.5亿年前)含有石油和天然气，分布在东南亚大片地区的板块构造分散的盆地中。他们的研究提供了有关东南亚构造和气候演化以及发现碳氢化合物的岩石类型的基本古环境数据。更古老的新元古代冰川盆地(约7.5亿到5.8亿年前)表明，地球发生了灾难性的降温，厚厚的冰盖住了热带地区，生物活动和正常的沉积过程停止，海洋被冰封(“雪球地球”)。这个大胆的模型向我们提出了挑战，要求我们重新检查这些岩石，并确定浮冰对气候和海平面变化的影响程度，以记录冰盖的生长和衰退。

Deciphering the sedimentary record left by ice ages is economically important to Canada. Industry needs interdisciplinary geoscience professionals trained in glacial sedimentology because large areas of the country are covered by glacial debris left by recent ice ages. These complex deposits host significant groundwater aquifers; their scientific study using computer models can predict the impact of climate change and urban development on water resources and assists planning for future generations. The application of new chemical techniques, involving geochemical 'finger printing' of organic matter in glacial deposits is a key opportunity to simplify the stratigraphic complexities of thick glacial sediment covers for hydrogeologists; information also needed by mineral exploration geologists working across the Canadian Shield. Ancient Late Paleozoic glacial rocks (350 to 250 million years old) contain oil and gas in basins scattered by plate tectonics across a wide area of SE Asia. Their study yields fundamental paleoenvironmental data regarding the tectonic and climatic evolution of SE Asia and the type of rocks that hydrocarbons are found in. Older Neoproterozoic glaciated basins (c.750 to 580 million years old) suggest catastrophic cooling of the planet where thick ice covered the tropics, biologic activity and normal sedimentary processes ceased, and oceans were iced-over ('Snowball Earth'). This bold model challenges us to re examine these rocks and identify the extent of floating ice on climate and changes in sea level that record the growth and decay of ice sheets.