CGRG Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology
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Author : Bennett, R.; Blasco, S.; Campbell, C.; Hughes-Clarke, J.; and Church, I.
Date : 2010.
Title : Seabed morphology, processes, and geologic framework of Northern Baffin Bay and Lancaster Sound.
Publication : 7th Annual ArcticNet Scientific Meeting. December 15-17, 2010. The Westin Ottawa, Ottawa,Ontario.
Issue : Programme.
Page(s) : 29.
Abstract
The Greenland portion of Northern Baffin Bay is currently undergoing extensive hydrocarbon exploration and is the site of oil and gas discoveries in recent years. There has been no exploration activity in the Canadian portion of Northern Baffin Bay and Lancaster Sound since the late 1970’s due to concerns about the lack of knowledge about this unique and sensitive environment. Over thirty years later the shallow geology and geohazard potential of this region is not well understood even though the area represents an un-drilled and under-explored potential hydrocarbon basin that is equivalent in size to the Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin. These issues must be addressed in order to make informed decisions about the future of this area. Under the ArcticNet seabed mapping project, the CCGS Amundsen has been acquiring multibeam echosounder and sub-bottom profi ler data in the Northern Baffi n Bay and Lancaster Sound since 2004. In 2008, the Geological Survey of Canada and University partners at the University of Quebec at Rimouski and the University of Quebec at Montreal completed a research cruise in the Northern Baffin Bay and Lancaster Sound area onboard the CCGS Hudson which collected 13 piston cores and about 700 km of high resolution seismic data. These data sets are being integrated to understand the shallow geology of the area in order to identify and analyze potential seabed geohazards. The seabed of Lancaster Sound has been influenced by past glaciations as shown by glacial fluting and deep water ice scours that are observed on multibeam data throughout the Sound. The current understanding of the geologic framework is that Lancaster Sound is comprised of bedrock overlain by discontinuous glacial till. Thin glaciomarine sediments drape the till and/or bedrock. Localized accumulations of Holocene sediment infill depressions with thickness varying from <1 to ~10 m. The seabed of Northern Baffin Bay is dominated by a very large deep water fan which has been collecting sediments since the Eocene from fl uvial deltaic sources followed by sediment derived from glacial-interglacial sequences. A naturally occurring hydrocarbon vent at Scott Inlet (in Northern Baffin Bay) was fi rst observed in 1976 and continues to be active today. The area has been mapped by multibeam and a submersible dive using the CCGS Amundsen’s ROV in 2009 was able to image gas escaping from the seabed. Understanding these features is important to establishing a baseline of natural hydrocarbons present in the waters of the Northwest Passage. Ice Scours have been observed to water depth of 850m at the mouth of Lancaster Sound. These scours are of interest as present day ice berg keels have been observed to have a maximum draft of 450 – 500m in the Arctic. Ice scours in 850m water depth may have been caused during the last glaciation when sea level was about 100m lower and glacial ice up to 1000m thick was present in the area. The study of these deep water scours is important in order to distinguish them from the shallow water scours that are being generated from the present ice conditions.
Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology