Geological Vignettes of Nunavut: Setting the Stage for Change

• Main Author: Burden, Elliott
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Geological Association of Canada 1996
• Subjects: Nunavut; Tundra
• Online Access: https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/GC/article/view/3913

In the coming years significant political, economic and environmental changes are likely to sweep across Nunavut. Many of these changes will either have their origins in the geology, geochemistry and resource potential of this region, or will be affected and moderated by the physical structure of the area. A model of the geological architecture of Nunavut sketching the building of Nunavut — from its Archean basement through the Proterozoic, the Lower and Middle Paleozoic, and the Upper Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic — outlines regions where specific kinds of natural and anthropogenetic change can be expected. The regional bedrock geology and chemistry have an impact on the economy, vegetation and water in distinctive ways (i.e., Archean gold and soapstone; Mesozoic hydrocarbons; calcophile plants on Proterozoic and Paleozoic carbonates; and local U, Pb, Zn and Cu anomalies in water and soils). In addition, the relief of Proterozoic and younger tectonic structures broadly moderates climate and weather fronts to influence the position of the tree line and the varieties of tundra seen in the north. Global change as well as local change due to natural and anthropogenic processes will variably have an impacton the different regions of Nunavut. Whatever the future has in store for Nunavut, a broad understanding of the geologic architecture sets the stage for determining the geographic limits, and the rate and extent of natural and anthropogenic change. Résumé Dans les années qui viennent, le Nunavut connaîtra probablement de grands changements de nature politique, économique et environnementale. Parmi ces changements, un bon nombre seront directement reliés aux caractéristiques géologiques, géochimiques ainsi qu'au potentiel en ressources naturelles de cette région et, leur réalisation sera fonction des conditions physiques particulières de ce milieu. Un modèle abrégé esquissant l'architecture géologique du Nunavut — du socle archéen jusqu'au Cénozoïque, en passant par le Paléozoïque inférieur à moyen, le ...