Quaternary Geology of the Great Island–Kellas Lake Area, Northern Manitoba (Parts of NTS 54L, M, 64I, P) by M.T
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GS-3 Far North Geomapping Initiative: Quaternary geology of the Great Island–Kellas Lake area, northern Manitoba (parts of NTS 54L, M, 64I, P) by M.T. Trommelen1, M. Ross1 and J.E. Campbell2 Trommelen, M.T., Ross, M. and Campbell, J.E. 2010: Far North Geomapping Initiative: Quaternary geology of the Great Island–Kellas Lake area, northern Manitoba (parts of NTS 54L, M, 64I, P); in Report of Activities 2010, Manitoba Innovation, Energy and Mines, Manitoba Geological Survey, p. 36–49. Summary moraines near the Keewatin Ice This is the second of a multi-year collaboration Divide in northern Manitoba. between the Manitoba Geological Survey, the Geologi- New ice-flow indicators were found that delimit ice cal Survey of Canada and the University of Waterloo to flow to the northeast, east and east-southeast, in addition investigate the surficial geology in northern Manitoba, to known ice-flow indicators trending towards the south- as part of the Manitoba Far North Geomapping Initia- east, south, southwest and west-southwest. These new tive. This surficial geology study aims to elucidate the ice-flow indicators are usually rare and protected features, glacial geology and geomorphology of Manitoba’s far but also include fine striations on top of outcrops that sig- north (north of 58°) – an objective that, in conjunction nify the youngest regional flows. Not all striations and with detailed bedrock mapping, will provide a modern grooves developed and/or preserved directional indicators geoscience knowledge base tailored towards current and and it is hoped that dispersal train analysis, of pebbles future mineral exploration and development. This report and till matrix geochemistry, will provide additional con- presents a summary of fieldwork activities related to a straints for relative chronology of the multiple ice-flow month-long detailed survey in summer 2010. Geological directions. observations, sampling of glacial sediments (till) and/or measurements of ice-flow indicators were recorded at 237 2 Introduction stations within an 8100 km area in northeastern Mani- As part of the Manitoba Far North Geomapping Ini- toba, which extends from south of the Seal River in the tiative, an in-depth Quaternary geology study was con- Great Island area to Kellas Lake in the north. A series of ducted in northeastern Manitoba, from Great Island north 1:50 000 scale surficial geology maps is in progress for to Kellas Lake, in July and August, 2010 (Figure GS-3- the Great Island–Kellas Lake area, which encompasses 1). This report presents a summary of fieldwork activi- 2 5700 km . The preliminary findings of this mapping are ties that include surficial geology mapping at 1:50 000 presented herein. scale, continued regional ice-flow indicator analysis and The Quaternary geology survey focused on collec- geophysical surveys on Rogen moraine ridges. This work tion of ice-flow indicator data and till samples for dis- builds on a reconnaissance field study undertaken in 2009 persal train analysis. Samples were collected from till (Trommelen and Ross, 2009). The regional bedrock geo- plains, till blankets, till veneers and from streamlined ter- logical setting is provided by Anderson et al. (2009a) and rain and Rogen moraine terrain, in an effort to establish Anderson et al. (GS-1, this volume). sediment–landform relationships in northeastern Mani- toba. Once analysis and interpretations are completed, Objectives these relationships will be applied to update drift-pros- The main objectives of the surficial geology compo- pecting methodologies for northern Manitoba. Addition- nent of the Manitoba Far North Geomapping Initiative are ally, Rogen moraine and streamlined terrain areas were to better understand the glacial geology and geomorphol- mapped and sampled throughout the study area. To inves- ogy of the study area and to generate geoscience data and tigate the internal architecture of Rogen moraine ridges maps that aid mineral exploration. The specific goals of in the area, shallow shear-wave seismic reflection sur- the detailed surveys are to veys were carried out on three Rogen moraine ridges in • document micro- and meso-scale ice-flow indicators separate fields. Several ground-penetrating radar surveys (e.g., glacial striae, roche moutonnées) in northeast- were also attempted, but due to a combination of silty ern Manitoba, sand tills and permafrost, electromagnetic wave penetra- tion was insufficient. New results are discussed to further • improve understanding of regional ice-flow phases, the understanding of the Rogen moraine ridged landscape • sample glacial sediments (till) to investigate compo- and to eventually postulate a formation model for Rogen sitional patterns (dispersal trains), 1 Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 2 Geological Survey of Canada, 601 Booth Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E8 36 Manitoba Geological Survey Report of Activities 2010 Report of 97°0'0"W 96°0'0"W 95°0'0"W Paleozoic-bearing till Baskerville Lake Field sites Subaerial fan Kellas Kellas Lake Lake Subaqueous fan Cameron Water body Esker, large Long Drumlinized Rogen moraine 59°30'0"N LongLake Stevenson Lake Pristine Rogen moraine Streamlined terrain River 0 2.5 5 10 Creek Gross Lake kilometres Gross Lake Caribou Lake Creek Caribou Hudson Guest Lake Pakulak Bay Post Lake PakulakLake Hanscom Lake Lake Schoenthaler McCannMcCann Lake Lake Lake Werner Lake Warner Lake Study area Thekakaya Hebner Hebner Thekakaya Lake Lake Thuykay Lake Churchill Lake Big SpruceSpruce Sosnowski Hudson Lake Mullin Lake Lake Spruce Mullin Lake Bay Lake River MeadesMeades LakeLake 59°0'0"N Lake RELIEF in metres 1 000 Eppler N 700 Eppler Lake Great Island LakeLake 500 Wither Wither Lake 300 Lake 200 100 0 Sea level Seal River Spot elevation 0 75 150 225 km Figure GS-3-1: Study area in northern Manitoba. Field sites include both 2009 and 2010 sites. Inset map was generated using a Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) 37 digital elevation model. • contribute empirical data from Rogen moraine ridges, Bouchard, 1989; Fisher and Shaw, 1992; Stokes et al., as well as provide characterization of the ridges to 2006, 2008), owing to the paucity of fieldwork in nor- test the various existing models of formation based thern Canada. Several models to explain the formation on the glacial theory, and of Rogen and/or ribbed moraine ridges suggest that the • examine field evidence (sedimentology, geochemis- ridges may be draped by local detritus and that sediment try, pebble lithology) to determine if there is differ- at depth is farther travelled, and this has implications for entiation in internal composition between different drift prospecting in northern Manitoba. subglacial landforms (sediment–landform relation- The interpretation of Rogen (ribbed) moraine is con- ships), with particular emphasis on establishing tentious and some authors suggest that all ribbed moraine potential links between subglacial processes and the is formed by a similar mechanism (Hattestrand, 1997; unusual landscape areas characterized by extensive Hattestrand and Kleman, 1999; Dunlop et al., 2008), swaths of Rogen moraine ridges alternating with while others suggest that various ridge types may have streamlined terrain. been formed by somewhat different processes or driving forces (cf. Moller, 2006; Linden et al., 2008; Moller, in Physiography press). Hypotheses to explain the formation of Rogen The study area is located in the northeastern part of moraine ridges, based mainly on work in Scandinavia, Manitoba (Figure GS-3-1). Elevation varies mainly from vary in terms of subglacial process (subglacial deforma- sea level to 270 m asl. Local relief is up to 30 m high. tion, natural instability, sliding, melt-out; Aario, 1977; Shaw, 1979; Boulton, 1987; Bouchard, 1989; Lundqvist, The Seal River is the major drainage channel in the 1989; Hattestrand, 1997; Hattestrand and Kleman, 1999; southern portion of the study area, flowing east from Moller, 2006; Sarala, 2006; Schoof, 2007; Dunlop et al., Tadoule Lake into Hudson Bay. Great Island refers to the 2008; Linden et al., 2008; Stokes et al., 2008; Moller, in area where the Seal River splits into north and south chan- press), ice-flow dynamics (extensional or compressio- nels, before connecting into one river again. Caribou River nal; Shaw, 1979; Bouchard and Marcotte, 1986; Boulton, is the major drainage channel in the northern portion of 1987; Hattestrand, 1997; Hattestrand and Kleman, 1999; the study area, flowing east into Hudson Bay. Numerous Sarala, 2006; Dunlop et al., 2008; Fowler, 2009), basal small streams flow across the drift plains from one lake to thermal regime (cold/warm interface or warm-based; Sol- another in an immature drainage network, or flow through lid and Sorbel, 1984; Boulton, 1987; Dyke and Morris, the muskeg. The northern part of the map area is charac- 1988; Bouchard, 1989; Hattestrand, 1997; Hattestrand terized by extensive swaths of bouldery drumlinized and and Kleman, 1999), water availability (sliding ice to pristine (nondrumlinized) Rogen moraine ridges alter- sticky ice, subglacial meltwater; Stokes et al., 2008), and nating with swaths of streamlined terrain (Trommelen theorized obstacles at the base of the ice sheet (megaflu- and Ross, in press) and areas of bedrock outcrops. The tes, rough bedrock topography; Boulton, 1987; Bouchard, remaining area is a mix of till blankets and till veneers 1989; Lundqvist, 1989, 1997; Moller, 2006; Stokes et al., over bedrock. Long, large eskers are present throughout 2008). Most authors suggest that Rogen moraine ridges the area, at roughly 18 km intervals. Where the eskers were formed subglacially under a slow or sluggish ice- are located below approximately 200 m asl, they have flow regime, rather than a steady or fast ice-flow regime been partially eroded by lacustrine and/or marine waters. (Aario, 1977; Boulton, 1987; Dyke et al., 1992; Hattes- Below 150 m asl, the eskers exist as washed, low-lying trand and Kleman, 1999; Linden et al., 2008; Stokes et al., sand and gravel blankets rather than ridges.