| Title | Quaternary geology and drift composition, Lake of the Woods region, northwestern Ontario |
| Download | Downloads |
| |
| Licence | Please note the adoption of the Open Government Licence - Canada
supersedes any previous licences. |
| Author | Minning, G V; Cowan, W R; Sharpe, D R ; Warman, T A |
| Source | Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 436, 1994, 245 pages (6 sheets), https://doi.org/10.4095/194813  Open Access |
| Links | Canadian Database of Geochemical Surveys, downloadable
files
|
| Links | Banque de données de levés géochimiques du Canada,
fichiers téléchargeables
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| Year | 1994 |
| Publisher | Natural Resources Canada |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English |
| Maps | Publication contains 6 maps |
| Map Info. | surficial geology, lithology, landforms, 1:100,000 |
| Media | paper; on-line; digital |
| Related | This publication contains the following
publications |
| File format | pdf |
| Province | Ontario |
| NTS | 52F; 52E/01; 52E/02SE; 52E/02NE; 52E/07; 52E/08; 52E/09; 52E/10; 52E/15; 52E/16 |
| Area | Lake of the Woods; Wabigoon Lake; Rowan Lake; Blue Lake; Rat Portage Bay; Gold Rock; Northwest Angle |
| Lat/Long WENS | -95.0000 -92.0000 50.0000 49.0000 |
| Subjects | surficial geology/geomorphology; geophysics; geochemistry; drift deposits; drift prospecting; glaciation; erosion; deglaciation; glaciolacustrine deposits; moraines; glacial history; tills; element
distribution; geochemical interpretations; glacial deposits; trace element analyses; analyses; geochemical analyses; seismic profiles; seismic interpretations; seismic surveys; geophysical surveys; side-scan sonar; till geochemistry; Wisconsinian
Glacial Stage; glacial stages; Quaternary |
| Illustrations | analyses; seismic profiles; photographs; sketch maps |
| Program | Canada-Ontario Mineral Development Agreement, 1985-1990 |
| Released | 1994 12 01; 2013 06 26 |
| Abstract | Glacial geological mapping and drift prospecting were conducted in the Lake of the Woods area to aid exploration for gold and base metals. Glacial advances from the northeast and northwest created large
areas of erosion and deposits of thin and discontinuous (1-3 m) glacial sediment over granite and greenstone bedrock. Northward retreat of ice was within glacial Lake Agassiz. Thick glaciolacustrine deposits (>50 m), sand and gravel underlying clay,
fill topographic basins such as that near Lake Wabigoon. Three long, arcuate, end moraines (Lac Seul, Hartman, and Eagle-Finlayson) contain stratified drift deposited rapidly on subaqueous fans in Lake Agassiz. Rhythmic sediments (varves) provide a
1000 year chronology of basin history and ice wastage. A modified history of events in glacial Lake Agassiz results. Subaqueous and retreat origins for the major moraines indicate the continuous presence of high lake stages in the area. Red varves
found north of Hartman Moraine suggests an age of ~10 440 BP rather than 10 000 BP. Low water outlets were apparently not present in the area north of Fort Frances until the Nipigon Lake phase ~ 9500 years ago. Drift sampling was at reconnaissance
levels, 219 samples over the 25 500 square kilometre study area. Drift composition indicates that glacial dispersal is minor and composition closely reflects underlying bedrock. Geochemical anomalies thus reflect element distribution in major rock
types. Data points are widely spaced and as a result major geochemical trends in tills are not necessarily detected. Summary anomaly maps show the distribution of gold and related elements and base metals. The geochemical maps indicate that more
closely spaced sampling might yield results in places, for example near Vermilion Bay or Manitou Lakes. Conventional bedrock mapping and prospecting combined with till geochemistry is recommended in most areas where drift cover is thin. Heavy mineral
work on glaciofluvial sediments may also yield further results because these sediments are common and glacial dispersal is low. Basin analysis in thick drift areas provides data on key environmental issues, water supply, waste disposal, and aggregate
resources. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 194813 |
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