A Basin Analysis of the Wabigoon Area of Lake Agassiz, a Quaternary Clay Basin in Northwerstern Ontario
Information from a wide range of sources is integrated in a basin analysis of the Wabigoon Basin, a Quaternary clay basin located on the Canadian Shield in northwestern Ontario. The basin sediments were deposited between 10.9 ka and 9.5 ka, along the margin of the Rainy Lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sh...
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1992
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fterudit:oai:erudit.org:032916ar 2023-05-15T16:41:29+02:00 A Basin Analysis of the Wabigoon Area of Lake Agassiz, a Quaternary Clay Basin in Northwerstern Ontario Sharpe, David R. Pullan, Susan E. Warman, Timothy A. 1992 http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/032916ar https://doi.org/10.7202/032916ar en eng Les Presses de l'Université de Montréal Érudit Géographie physique et Quaternaire vol. 46 no. 3 (1992) http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/032916ar doi:10.7202/032916ar Tous droits réservés © Les Presses de l'Université de Montréal, 1992 text 1992 fterudit https://doi.org/10.7202/032916ar 2022-09-24T23:13:45Z Information from a wide range of sources is integrated in a basin analysis of the Wabigoon Basin, a Quaternary clay basin located on the Canadian Shield in northwestern Ontario. The basin sediments were deposited between 10.9 ka and 9.5 ka, along the margin of the Rainy Lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, which formed the northern boundary of proglacial Lake Agassiz. The basin architecture is dominated by four major elements: end moraines, eskers, kames and a clay plain, all of which overlie irregular bedrock topography. End moraines, eskers and kames are composed mainly of a fining upward sequence of gravels and sands. The geometry of these sedimentary units, and their sedimentary structures indicates they were deposited mainly by high and low-density turbidity currents, on ice-marginal subaqueous outwash fans. Eskers contain a core of coarse gravel and sand deposited within subglacial meltwater conduits, overlain by subaqueous fan sediments deposited at the conduit mouth. Esker ridges were formed during conduit filling events and flanking deposits were formed when a conduit remained in use during ice-marginal retreat. Where conduits were shortlived, isolated subaqueous fans (kames) were formed. A depositional model is proposed which relates moraine formation to catastrophic releases of subglacial meltwater and sediment simultaneously along the entire margin of the Rainy Lobe. The clay plain forms a broad blanket of fine-grained, rhythmically-bedded sediment which obscures bedrock topography, and often buries esker and kame deposits. Seismic profiles and overburden drilling reveal deep (50-70 m) bedrock lows beneath the clay plain. These lows, oriented sub-parallel to the ice margin, acted as sediment traps, and were infilled by the deposits of underflows generated at the ice margin. Les renseignements tirés d'un grand nombre de sources sont intégrés en vue de l'analyse du bassin de Wabigoon, situé sur le Bouclier canadien. Les sédiments qui le composent ont été déposés entre 10,9 et 9,5 ka, le long de la marge ... Text Ice Sheet Érudit.org (Université Montréal) Géographie physique et Quaternaire 46 3 295 309 |
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Érudit.org (Université Montréal) |
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fterudit |
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English |
description |
Information from a wide range of sources is integrated in a basin analysis of the Wabigoon Basin, a Quaternary clay basin located on the Canadian Shield in northwestern Ontario. The basin sediments were deposited between 10.9 ka and 9.5 ka, along the margin of the Rainy Lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, which formed the northern boundary of proglacial Lake Agassiz. The basin architecture is dominated by four major elements: end moraines, eskers, kames and a clay plain, all of which overlie irregular bedrock topography. End moraines, eskers and kames are composed mainly of a fining upward sequence of gravels and sands. The geometry of these sedimentary units, and their sedimentary structures indicates they were deposited mainly by high and low-density turbidity currents, on ice-marginal subaqueous outwash fans. Eskers contain a core of coarse gravel and sand deposited within subglacial meltwater conduits, overlain by subaqueous fan sediments deposited at the conduit mouth. Esker ridges were formed during conduit filling events and flanking deposits were formed when a conduit remained in use during ice-marginal retreat. Where conduits were shortlived, isolated subaqueous fans (kames) were formed. A depositional model is proposed which relates moraine formation to catastrophic releases of subglacial meltwater and sediment simultaneously along the entire margin of the Rainy Lobe. The clay plain forms a broad blanket of fine-grained, rhythmically-bedded sediment which obscures bedrock topography, and often buries esker and kame deposits. Seismic profiles and overburden drilling reveal deep (50-70 m) bedrock lows beneath the clay plain. These lows, oriented sub-parallel to the ice margin, acted as sediment traps, and were infilled by the deposits of underflows generated at the ice margin. Les renseignements tirés d'un grand nombre de sources sont intégrés en vue de l'analyse du bassin de Wabigoon, situé sur le Bouclier canadien. Les sédiments qui le composent ont été déposés entre 10,9 et 9,5 ka, le long de la marge ... |
format |
Text |
author |
Sharpe, David R. Pullan, Susan E. Warman, Timothy A. |
spellingShingle |
Sharpe, David R. Pullan, Susan E. Warman, Timothy A. A Basin Analysis of the Wabigoon Area of Lake Agassiz, a Quaternary Clay Basin in Northwerstern Ontario |
author_facet |
Sharpe, David R. Pullan, Susan E. Warman, Timothy A. |
author_sort |
Sharpe, David R. |
title |
A Basin Analysis of the Wabigoon Area of Lake Agassiz, a Quaternary Clay Basin in Northwerstern Ontario |
title_short |
A Basin Analysis of the Wabigoon Area of Lake Agassiz, a Quaternary Clay Basin in Northwerstern Ontario |
title_full |
A Basin Analysis of the Wabigoon Area of Lake Agassiz, a Quaternary Clay Basin in Northwerstern Ontario |
title_fullStr |
A Basin Analysis of the Wabigoon Area of Lake Agassiz, a Quaternary Clay Basin in Northwerstern Ontario |
title_full_unstemmed |
A Basin Analysis of the Wabigoon Area of Lake Agassiz, a Quaternary Clay Basin in Northwerstern Ontario |
title_sort |
basin analysis of the wabigoon area of lake agassiz, a quaternary clay basin in northwerstern ontario |
publisher |
Les Presses de l'Université de Montréal |
publishDate |
1992 |
url |
http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/032916ar https://doi.org/10.7202/032916ar |
genre |
Ice Sheet |
genre_facet |
Ice Sheet |
op_relation |
Géographie physique et Quaternaire vol. 46 no. 3 (1992) http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/032916ar doi:10.7202/032916ar |
op_rights |
Tous droits réservés © Les Presses de l'Université de Montréal, 1992 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.7202/032916ar |
container_title |
Géographie physique et Quaternaire |
container_volume |
46 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
295 |
op_container_end_page |
309 |
_version_ |
1766031921314267136 |