ABSTRACT: Quaternary landscapes: present and past at Mary Hill, Coquitlam, British Columbia

CGRG Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology
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Commencing with the oldest sediments exposed the geological history of Mary Hlll may be summarlzed as follows: 1. The oldest Highbury Sediments found in the pit are organic deposits. ...The climate at this time may have been as warm as the present day climate, however, only pollen and insect studies will confirm this. 2. The Highway swamp deposits are overlain by fluvial sediments... These fluvial deposits, .are posslbly proglacial in orlgin, representing a climatic interval between a relatively warm climate and a glacial climate. 3. A major glaciation, represented by the Semlahmoo Drift, resulted from this cooling climate. 4. As a result of climatic warming, the Semlahmoo Glaciation came to a close. 5. The Quadra Sediments of the Olympia Interglaciation were deposited during this second warm period which may have lasted 25 000 years. The climate during this period is belleved to have been similar or slightly cooler than the present day climate. 6. The Quadra deposits are overlain by thick fluvial sediments which were deposited by streams that channelled into the swamps. These fluvial sediments, which have been included in the Quadra lithologic unit, probably were laid down during the transitional period from a relatively warm to a glacial climate. 7. A continued cooling resulted in a glacial climate once again, commencing about 22 000 years ago and lasting about ll 000 years. The Mary Hill pit records three local advances of ice during this period, each accompanied by deposition of till and glaciofluvial sediments. (Author's conclusions)

Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology