Origin of vertical shafts in bedrock along the Eramosa River valley near Guelph, southern Ontario

2002 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Micheal Kunert ◽  
Mario Coniglio
Keyword(s):  
Fine Sediment ◽  
River Valley ◽  
Precambrian Basement ◽  
Southern Ontario ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Late Wisconsinan

Numerous vertical to subvertical, cylindrical shafts occur in the rugged exposures of the Middle Silurian Amabel Formation bedrock along the Eramosa River, approximately 10 km northeast of Guelph. These shafts vary from < 1 m to 10 m in diameter, with depths as great as 12 m. They can occur as isolated depressions but more commonly are clustered closely together, and many coalesce to form sinuous bedrock walls. These depressions may contain soil, fine sediment, rubble from the surrounding dolomite bedrock, and rounded clasts of Precambrian basement lithologies. Till is conspicuously absent. These shafts occur in close proximity to cavernous pores that were formed during pre-Wisconsinan to Early Wisconsinan time, suggesting a possible karstic origin. The cylindrical shafts, however, with their greater midpoint diameters, sculpted interiors, and inclined axes, and their lack of vertical flutes and till, are more likely to have originated from glaciofluvial discharge at the end of the Late Wisconsinan. The development of these shafts may have been assisted by cavitation, which enhanced the erosional capacity of sediment-laden meltwaters.

Ice-wedge casts in Late Wisconsinan glaciofluvial deposits, southern Ontario, Canada

2005 ◽  
Vol 42 (12) ◽  
pp. 2117-2126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cunhai Gao
Keyword(s):  
Window Of Opportunity ◽  
Southern Ontario ◽  
Braided Rivers ◽  
Drifting Snow ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Glaciofluvial Deposits ◽  
Ice Wedge ◽  
Late Wisconsinan ◽  
Sand And Gravel ◽  
Contraction And Expansion

Ice-wedge casts in Late Wisconsinan glaciofluvial sand and gravel deposits in southern Ontario taper downwards to form a V- or funnel-shaped morphology, ranging from 1 to over 3 m deep and from 1.0 to 2.5 m wide at the top. Pressure-derived primary structures, caused by repeated thermal contraction and expansion, include upturned strata, realigned stones, and small folds in the enclosing sediments. Although paleotemperature is difficult to estimate, the presence of ice-wedge casts testifies to the former presence of permafrost under prevailing periglacial conditions over this area. The regional till stratigraphy constrains the timing of ice-wedge growth to ca. 15 000 to ca. 13 000 BP. At this time, newly exposed terrains would have occurred in an interlobate area where severe climate created favourable conditions for permafrost to develop due to the close proximity to the receding ice. Inactive areas in braided rivers such as raised topographic surfaces and sand-filled channels with limited vegetation cover and minimal capability to trap drifting snow would have greatly enhanced ice-wedge growth. Rapid climatic amelioration and vegetation colonization across this area beginning ca. 13 000 BP probably slowed or stopped the growth of ice wedges. This limited window of opportunity, both geographically and in time, probably accounts for the limited occurrence of ice-wedge casts in southern Ontario.

Trend surface analysis of major late Wisconsinan till sheets, Brantford–Woodstock area, southern Ontario

1978 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1025-1036 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. R. Cowan
Keyword(s):  
Strong Relationship ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Trend Surface Analysis ◽  
Southern Ontario ◽  
Niagara Escarpment ◽  
Regional Trends ◽  
Grade Material ◽  
Late Wisconsinan ◽  
Relationship Of

Linear and quadratic trend surfaces were computed for textural, carbonate, clast, and heavy mineral properties of the Catfish Creek (Nissouri Stadial), Port Stanley (Port Bruce Stadial), Tavistock (Port Bruce Stadial), and Wentworth (Port Huron Stadial) tills.Catfish Creek Till pebble grade material provided trend surfaces reflecting the underlying bedrock. However, an overall lack of regional trends in Catfish Creek Till is consistent with field observations that indicate remarkable uniformity for this till over several hundred square kilometres, a phenomenon that is believed to reflect the high energy of this ice sheet. Carbonates in Port Stanley Till were found to increase from east to west as the Silurian–Devonian contact was crossed. Tavistock Till was found to have increasing sand content and decreasing silt content from northwest to southeast owing to incorporation of underlying glaciofluvial sediments; pebble trends reflect the underlying bedrock for the most part. Wentworth Till trend surfaces for carbonates and pebbles show high dolomite near the Niagara Escarpment to the east and northeast with a dilution of dolomite and influx of limestone to the southwest.The strong relationship of the trend surfaces to substrate materials indicates the basal nature of the tills and the local origin of most glacial deposits. Pebble lithologies provide much information about local bedrock and drift prospectors should give close consideration to coarse fragments.

scholarly journals Estimation of Holocene bedload sedimentation rate in a paleo-drowned river-valley (Middle Harbour, Sydney estuary, Australia)

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen P Lound ◽  
Gavin F Birch ◽  
Deirdre Dragovich
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Fine Sediment ◽  
River Valley ◽  
Sedimentation Rates ◽  
Suspended Material ◽  
Last Glacial Period ◽  
Sediment Deposits ◽  
Sydney Estuary ◽  
Over The Top ◽  
The Last Glacial

Abstract Middle Harbour is a drowned-river valley located adjacent to the larger Sydney estuary, Australia. Extensive, high-resolution seismic data were correlated with borehole, land use, topographical, and geological data to calculate the mass of genetically different sediment deposits in Middle Harbour. The Harbour follows a well-defined drowned river-valley structure featuring small fluvial bedload delta deposits in the upper reaches of the embayments, a deep, central extensive mud basin overlying transgressive basal accumulations and a large flood-tide delta at the entrance. Deposits of an estimated 5,094 t of bedload, 21,143 t of suspended sediment and 5,947 t of transgressive basal material located in the estuary provided sedimentation rates of 0.68 t y-1, 1.29 t y-1, and 2.86 t y -1 respectively. These rates, determined from measured accumulations, were surprisingly low and substantially smaller than modelled rates. However, low sedimentation rates for suspended material may be due to fine sediment escaping over the top of the marine tidal delta, which effectively traps all bedload material from exiting the Harbour. Results of this study indicate that Holocene bedload sedimentation in Middle Harbour was slow and regular until a rapid increase after urbanisation commenced in the catchment. Most pre-Holocene material was eroded from Middle Harbour during the Last Glacial period with sediment currently present in the estuary having been deposited since sea-level recovery.

Source and Origin of Roxana Silt and Middle Wisconsinan Midcontinent Glacial Activity

1989 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Hilton Johnson ◽  
Leon R. Follmer
Keyword(s):  
Mississippi River ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
River Valley ◽  
Upper Mississippi River ◽  
Upper Great Lakes ◽  
Mississippi River Valley ◽  
Depositional System ◽  
Stratigraphic Position ◽  
Late Wisconsinan

AbstractThick Roxana Silt (middle Wisconsinan) in central and southwestern Illinois traditionally has been interpreted as loess derived from valley-train deposits in the ancient Mississippi River valley. Winters et al. (H. A. Winters, J. J. Alford, and R. L. Rieck, Quaternary Research 29, 25–35, 1988) recently suggested that the Roxana was not directly related to glacial activity, but was derived from sediment produced by increased shoreline and spillway erosion associated with a fluctuating ancestral Lake Michigan. Because (1) paleoenvironmental and paleohydrologic conditions inferred in the hypothesis are unlikely for a loess depositional system and (2) loess did not accumulate during late Wisconsinan deglaciation under conditions similar to those hypothesized, we suggest the hypothesis should be rejected. Roxana distribution suggests the major source was drainage from the upper Mississippi River valley, and variations in loess thickness in Illinois can be explained by consideration of valley width, depth, orientation, and postdepositional erosion. Tills in the headwaters region of the ancient Mississippi drainage system in Minnesota and Wisconsin occur in the appropriate stratigraphic position and have colors and mineralogic compositions that suggest they could be the parent till of the Roxana. We believe a valley-train source for thick Roxana is most probable and urge continued consideration of middle Wisconsinan glaciation in the upper Great Lakes area.

scholarly journals Significance of Sedimentological Studies on the Wisconsinan Stratigraphy of Southern Ontario

2007 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Sharpe ◽  
Peter J. Barnett
Keyword(s):  
Lake Basin ◽  
Glacial Ice ◽  
Southern Ontario ◽  
Depositional Processes ◽  
Stratigraphic Framework ◽  
Large Channel ◽  
Late Wisconsinan ◽  
Subglacial Meltwater ◽  
Main Effects

ABSTRACTDetailed facies mapping along Lake Erie and Lake Ontario Bluffs, plus other studies illustrate that sedimentological studies, especially those with geomorphic or landform control, have had three main effects on the Wisconsinan stratigraphy of Ontario: (1) improved understanding of depositional processes and environments of several major rock stratigraphic units, without altering the stratigraphic framework, (2) aided correlation of drift sequences, and (3) questioned previous interpretations and stratigraphic correlations of drift sequences. Thus sedimentological analysis can not be separated from stratigraphy because the interpretation of depositional environnments of many mapped strata relies on their geometry and the inclusion of regional data. The geomorphic control provided by sedimentological study of surface landforms is also important because assessment of older buried sediments such as those at the Scarborough Bluffs has been hampered by the failure to determine landform control. The Late Wisconsinan stratigraphy of Southern Ontario generally remains unchanged, except for questions on the role of climate versus ice margin dynamics. The pre-Late Wisconsinan stratigraphy is scarce and not well defined, yet sedimentary studies support the presence of glacial ice in the Ontario Lake basin for all of the Middle Wisconsinan and possibly earlier, including the formation of the Scarborough delta. Large channel cut and fill sequences in the Toronto area (Pottery Road Formation), initially interpreted as resulting from subaerial erosion, were probably formed by subaqueous or subglacial meltwater erosion. If so, the pre-Late Wisconsinan stratigraphy in southern Ontario changes because the Pottery Road Formation may not be an Early Wisconsinan correlative of the St. Pierre beds. The channel example illustrates that stratigraphie correlation without sedimentological investigations may be misleading.

Quaternary stratigraphy and glacial history of the Peace River valley, northeast British ColumbiaThis article is one of a selection of papers published in this Special Issue on the theme Geology of northeastern British Columbia and northwestern Alberta: diamonds, shallow gas, gravel, and glaciers.

2008 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 549-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory M.D. Hartman ◽  
John J. Clague
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
River Valley ◽  
Quaternary Sediments ◽  
Shallow Gas ◽  
Peace River ◽  
Last Glaciation ◽  
Quaternary Stratigraphy ◽  
History Of ◽  
Late Wisconsinan ◽  
Selection Of

Two Cordilleran and three Laurentide glacial advances are recorded in Quaternary sediments and landforms in the Peace River valley, northeast British Columbia. The advances are inferred from fluvial gravels, glaciolacustrine sediments, and tills within nested paleovalleys excavated during three interglaciations and from the distribution of granitoid clasts derived from the Canadian Shield. Till of the last (Late Wisconsinan) Laurentide glaciation occurs at the surface, except where it is overlain by postglacial sediments. The advance that deposited this till was the most extensive in the study area, and the only advance definitively recognized in western Alberta south of the study area. Late Wisconsinan Cordilleran till has not been found in the study area, but Cordilleran and Laurentide ice may have coalesced briefly during the last glaciation. Support for this supposition is provided by the inferred deflection of Laurentide flutings to the southeast by Cordilleran ice. The earliest Laurentide advance may have been the least extensive of the three Laurentide events recognized in the study area. Erratics attributed to this advance occur only east of the Halfway River – Beatton River drainage divide.

Paleoentomology and Paleoecology of a Possible Sangamonian Site Near Innerkip, Ontario

1987 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry J. Pilny ◽  
Alan V. Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Plant Macrofossils ◽  
Bulk Sample ◽  
Plant Litter ◽  
Fossil Insects ◽  
Water Beetles ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Southern Ontario ◽  
Rove Beetles ◽  
Plant Seeds ◽  
Late Wisconsinan

AbstractA stream section near Innerkip, Ontario, exposes several meters of organic silts and peaty detritus beneath two late Wisconsinan tills. Radiocarbon dates provide a minimal middle Wisconsinan age of >50,000 yr B.P. A 250-kg bulk sample from the peat stratum was processed for vertebrates, plant macrofossils, and insects. Vertebrate remains include teeth from deer, muskrat, and vole as well as plates from a turtle shell. At least 6000 insect fragments from a minimum of 19 Coleoptera families were identified. The most common groups are hydrophilids and dytiscids (water beetles), curculionids (weevils), staphylinids (rove beetles), and carabids (ground beetles). The majority of identified beetles are associated with fresh water as aquatic predators, scavengers, or grazers, while others prefer hygric substrates and moist plant litter. The large number of plant-dependent beetles, the numerous floating and emergent aquatic plant seeds, and the presence of the associated vertebrates point toward a locally rich and varied flora and fauna, probably deposited in a well-vegetated pond. The modern distributions and ecologies of the identified fossil insects suggest temperatures similar to those found in southern Ontario today. On these grounds the Innerkip peat represents either a very warm interstadial or a possible interglacial deposit. If the latter is true this is the second presumed Sangamon-aged site known in southern Ontario.

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