Groundwater Resources Studies (GRS) 3
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Groundwater Resources Study 3 Three-Dimensional Mapping of Surficial Deposits in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Southwestern Ontario 2007 Three-Dimensional Mapping of Surficial Deposits in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Southwestern Ontario Ontario Geological Survey Groundwater Resources Study 3 by A.F. Bajc and J. Shirota 2007 Parts of this publication may be quoted if credit is given. It is recommended that reference to this publication be made in the following form: Bajc, A.F. and Shirota, J. 2007. Three-dimensional mapping of surficial deposits in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Southwestern Ontario; Ontario Geological Survey, Groundwater Resources Study 3, 42p. © Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2007 Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................. vi Background ........................................................................................................................................... 1 Regional Geologic Setting .................................................................................................................... 2 Paleozoic Geology ........................................................................................................................ 2 Quaternary Geology ...................................................................................................................... 3 Construction of a 3-D Geologic Model ................................................................................................. 9 Data Compilation and Standardization ......................................................................................... 9 Acquisition of New Geological and Geophysical Data ................................................................ 10 Ground Penetrating Radar Surveys ....................................................................................... 10 Seismic Reflection Surveys ................................................................................................... 11 Overburden Drilling and Borehole Geophysical Surveys ..................................................... 13 Development of a Conceptual Geological Model ......................................................................... 14 Model Creation ............................................................................................................................. 16 Data Preparation .................................................................................................................... 17 Approach ............................................................................................................................... 20 Interpolating Elevations ........................................................................................................ 21 Creating the DTMs ................................................................................................................ 22 Creating 3-D Block Models .................................................................................................. 24 Calculating Volumes and Grids ............................................................................................ 25 Synthesis and Interpretation .................................................................................................................. 25 Bedrock Surface ............................................................................................................................ 25 Drift Thickness .............................................................................................................................. 27 Older Aquifers and Aquitards (ATG1 and AFF1) ........................................................................ 28 Canning Drift (ATE1) ................................................................................................................... 29 Pre-Catfish Aquifers (AFD1) ........................................................................................................ 30 Catfish Creek Till (ATC1, AFC1 and ATC2) ............................................................................... 31 Catfish Creek Outwash Deposits (AFB3) ..................................................................................... 31 Lower Maryhill Till and Equivalents (ATB3) .............................................................................. 32 Waterloo Moraine and Equivalents (AFB1, ATB2 and AFB2) .................................................... 32 Upper Maryhill Till and Equivalents (ATB1) ............................................................................... 34 Grand River Outwash Deposits and Equivalents (AFA2)............................................................. 35 Wentworth Till (ATA2) ................................................................................................................ 35 Aquifer Vulnerability and Recharge Areas ........................................................................................... 35 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................... 39 Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................. 39 References ............................................................................................................................................. 40 Metric Conversion Table ...................................................................................................................... 42 iii FIGURES 1. Location of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo in southwestern Ontario. ........................................... 2 2. Bedrock geology of southwestern Ontario .................................................................................................. 3 3. Moraines of southwestern Ontario. ............................................................................................................. 5 4. Time-distance diagram showing major till units in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. ..................... 6 5. Location of the Waterloo Moraine in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. .......................................... 7 6. Ground penetrating radar response over an 8 to10 m high exposure of distal subaquatic fan sediments. .. 11 7. A GSC-operated Minivibe seismic profiling survey in Wellesley Township. ............................................ 12 8. An example of lithologic and geophysical logs for OGS borehole OGS-03-04. ........................................ 13 9. Conceptual geologic model for the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. Ten regionally significant lithostratigraphic units are recognized over the Waterloo Region. ............................................................. 16 10. Example of the location table that contains information regarding borehole source, location and elevation. ................................................................................................................................ 17 11. Example of the formation table that contains standardized information regarding the layers of sediment and rock encountered in each borehole ................................................................................... 18 12. Example of the picks table used for the creation of the 19 hydrostratigraphic units. .................................. 18 13. Surface picks sampled on a 200 m grid and attributed with hydrostratigraphic units mapped on the ground surface. ................................................................................................................................. 19 14. Schematic plan view depicting the spatial distribution of real and virtual boreholes and the corresponding picks for Stratum 1 ........................................................................................................ 22 15. Schematic representation of rules applied to picks and interpolated surfaces to prevent crossovers. ......... 23 16. Section view of DTMs (wireframes) for a portion of the study area. ......................................................... 23 17. Perspective view of DTMs for aquitard surface ATB1. The left DTM shows the unit as a continuous surface with no holes whereas the one on the right has holes cut out where the unit is not present ........... 24 18. Section view of block model 1 created for a portion of the study area ....................................................... 24 19. Example of a text file containing X,Y,Z information for the top of each stratum on a regular grid ........... 25 20. Structural contour of bedrock surface highlighting the location of bedrock wells and deep overburden (DeepOB) holes that push down the bedrock surface. ................................................................................ 26 21. Thickness of Quaternary sediments within the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. ................................. 28 22. Stratified sand and gravel deposits (Parkway aquifer) underlying Catfish Creek Till and younger deposits at the Ross Roth sand and gravel pit, Haysville, Ontario. ............................................... 30 23. Isopach map of Waterloo Moraine and equivalent aquifers in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. .... 33 24. Depth to first aquifer of thickness greater than 3 m in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo ................. 36