Late Quaternary to Holocene Geology, Geomorphology and Glacial History of Dawson Creek and Surrounding area, Northeast British Columbia, Canada

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dc.contributor.authorHickin, Adrian Scott
dc.contributor.supervisorVan der Flier-Keller, Eileen
dc.contributor.supervisorLevson, Victor M.
dc.date.accessioned2013-12-20T18:44:32Z
dc.date.available2013-12-20T18:44:32Z
dc.date.copyright2013en_US
dc.date.issued2013-12-20
dc.degree.departmentSchool of Earth and Ocean Sciences
dc.degree.levelDoctor of Philosophy Ph.D.en_US
dc.description.abstractNortheastern British Columbia was occupied by the Cordilleran (CIS) and the Laurentide (LIS) ice sheets, however, the timing and extent remains contentious. The late Quaternary and Holocene history of this area is examined by exploring geomorphic, stratigraphic, geochemical and geochronologic components of glacial, deglacial, paraglacial and non-glacial landsystems. New tools, such as GIS, LiDAR, and new geochronologic methods, such as optical dating are used to understand the Quaternary geology and geomorphology of the region. Bedrock topography represents the base of the Quaternary section and modelling shows that paleovalleys, common in this region, host extensive Neogene sedimentary records. Stratigraphies from the Murray and Pine valleys indicate glaciation prior to the Mid-Wisconsinan (MIS 3) and during the Late Wiconsinan (MIS 2). Glacial landforms record Late Wisconsinan ice-sheet coalescence and reflect the complex interaction of the LIS and CIS margins. During deglaciation, the LIS and CIS separated and glacial Lake Peace (GLP) formed. Shoreline features enable reconstruction of lake and ice configurations. Four phases of GLP are preserved. Optical ages from Phase II indicate GLP occupied the area some time between ca. 16 – 14 ka yrs ago. The apparent tilt on the shorelines provides a measure of isostatic adjustments and suggests asynchronous retreat of first the LIS, then the CIS. The transition from paraglacial to boreal conditions was driven by climate change and is recorded by vegetation sucession and cessation of paraglacial processes. Optical ages from stabilized dunes and radiocarbon ages from organics date the transition between 12 – 11.5 ka yrs ago with full boreal conditions established by 10 ka yrs ago. The Holocene is dominated by erosional processes, however some systems are aggrading. A case study on a floodplain demonstrates that resistivity (Ohmmapper) surveys provide a grain-size proxy to suppliant GPR studies, which is essential for geophysical fluvial architectural analysis. In the study, the discrepancy between planform style (classic meander model) and subsurface geophysical surveys (indicative of vertical accretion associated with braided and wandering fluvial styles) reiterates cautions that planform may not always be a functions of depositional process and one may not be used to predict the other.en_US
dc.description.proquestcode0372en_US
dc.description.proquestcode0373en_US
dc.description.proquestcode0368en_US
dc.description.scholarlevelGraduateen_US
dc.identifier.bibliographicCitationHickin, A.S., Kerr, B., Turner, D.G., and Barchyn, T.E., 2008. Mapping Quaternary paleovalleys and drift thickness using petrophysical logs, northeast British Columbia, Fontas map sheet, NTS 94I; Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, vol. 45, pages 577—591.en_US
dc.identifier.bibliographicCitationHickin, A.S and Best, M.E., 2013. Mapping the Geometry and Lithostratigraphy of a Paleovalley with a Time-domain Electromagnetic Technique in an Area with Small Resistivity Contrasts, Groundbirch, British Columbia, Canada; Journal of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics, Vol. 18, pages 119—135.en_US
dc.identifier.bibliographicCitationHickin, A.S., Kerr, B., Barchyn. T.E. and Paulen, R.C., 2009. Using ground-penetrating radar and capacitively coupled resistivity to investigate 3-D fluvial architecture and grain-size distribution of a gravel floodplain in northeast British Columbia, Canada; Journal of Sedimentary Research, vol. 79, pages 457—477.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1828/5100
dc.languageEnglisheng
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.rights.tempAvailable to the World Wide Weben_US
dc.subjectQuaternary Geologyen_US
dc.subjectFort St Johnen_US
dc.subjectOptical Datingen_US
dc.subjectStratigraphyen_US
dc.subjectPaleovalleyen_US
dc.subjectElectrical Anisotropyen_US
dc.subjectGlacial Lake Peaceen_US
dc.subjectGlacial Lake Mathewsen_US
dc.subjectCordilleran Ice Sheeten_US
dc.subjectLaurentide Ice Sheeten_US
dc.subjectSand Dunesen_US
dc.subjectHolocene Fossilsen_US
dc.subjectParaglacialen_US
dc.subjectNortheastern British Columbiaen_US
dc.subjectBorealen_US
dc.subjectFluvialen_US
dc.subjectArchitectural Analysisen_US
dc.subjectMurray Riveren_US
dc.subjectPine Riveren_US
dc.subjectKiskatinaw Riveren_US
dc.subjectPaleoecologyen_US
dc.titleLate Quaternary to Holocene Geology, Geomorphology and Glacial History of Dawson Creek and Surrounding area, Northeast British Columbia, Canadaen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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