Karst hydrogeology within a subarctic peatland: Attawapiskat River, Hudson Bay lowland, Canada

• Published in: Journal of Hydrology
• Main Author: Cowell., Daryl W.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Digital Commons @ University of South Florida 2003
• Subjects: Karst Hydrogeolog; Subarctic Peatland; Attawapiskat River; Hudson Bay Lowland; Canada; Hudson Bay; Hudson; Tyrrell; Attawapiskat; Subarctic; James Bay
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/3047; https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1694(83)90243-3

The Attawapiskat River has cut through 30 m of mid-Silurian limestone ∼90 km west of James Bay in the Hudson Bay Lowland. Limestone cliffs of 12–15 m provide local relief along the river but inland the terrain is flat, covered by 1.5 m or more of peat. The area emerged from the Tyrrell Sea ∼4400 yr. B.P. Since that time two karst hydrogeological zones have become established. These are: (1) a vadose fluvio-karst zone in the exposed limestone along the river represented by disappearing lakes and streams; and (2) an organo-karst zone represented by sinkholes on or next to limestone bioherms within the peat mantle. They occupy 16% and 13% of the study area, respectively.