| Title | Holocene and active marine geohazards in eastern Baffin Island, Nunavut |
| |
| Author | Normandeau, A ;
Campbell, D C; Bennet, R; Macquarrie, M; MacKillop, K;
Philibert, G; Sedore, P; Maselli, V; Jenner, K A |
| Source | Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office, Summary of Activities 2019, 2020 p. 93-100  Open Access |
| Links | Online - En ligne
|
| Image |  |
| Year | 2020 |
| Alt Series | Natural Resources Canada, Contribution Series 20190552 |
| Publisher | Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | paper; on-line; digital |
| File format | pdf |
| Province | Nunavut; Northern offshore region |
| NTS | 16L; 16M; 26I; 26J; 26O; 26P; 27A |
| Area | Baffin Bay; Baffin Island; Broughton Island; Qikiqtarjuaq; Padle Fiord; Pangnirtung Fiord; Cumberland Sound |
| Lat/Long WENS | -67.0000 -62.0000 69.0000 66.0000 |
| Subjects | marine geology; surficial geology/geomorphology; geophysics; Health and Safety; Nature and Environment; Science and Technology; Holocene; Recent; coastal environment; fiords; littoral environment;
offshore areas; turbidity currents; landslides; debris flows; marine sediments; landslide deposits; littoral drift; submarine features; deltas; glaciers; meltwater channels; watersheds; surface waters; lakes; rivers; sediment transport; longshore
currents; seismicity; earthquakes; tsunami; channels; bedforms; sand waves; bathymetry; geophysical surveys; acoustic surveys, marine; coastal erosion; marine sediment cores; ice retreat; CCGS Hudson Expedition 2018042; CCGS Amundsen Expedition
2019804; R/V Nuliajuk Expedition 2019NULIAJUK; glaciofluvial sediments; colluvial and mass-wasting deposits; Public safety; Infrastructures; marine littoral sediments; Phanerozoic; Cenozoic; Quaternary |
| Illustrations | location maps; geoscientific sketch maps; satellite images; photographs; geophysical profiles |
| Program | Public Safety
Geoscience Baffin Bay |
| Program | Program of Energy Research and Development (PERD) |
| Released | 2020 03 01 |
| Abstract | Marine geohazards in Baffin Bay are varied and widespread across the region. Turbidity currents are present mostly on fiord-head submarine deltas supplied by large volumes of sediment from melting
glaciers. However, lakes in the watersheds act as buffers for sediment transport, trapping sediment in the watershed and preventing the formation of turbidity currents at some fiord heads. It is thus possible to predict the most likely location of
turbidity currents across the fiords of eastern Baffin Island, showing that about half of the fiord-head submarine deltas have active turbidity currents. Turbidity currents also occur at the end of littoral cells, such as on the south shore of
Broughton Island. These geohazards related to longshore drift are currently underexplored in Baffin Bay. In addition to turbidity currents, submarine landslides are widespread in the fiords of Baffin Island. Recent seafloor mapping showed
considerable volumes of displaced material in front of Pangnirtung, although these events appear relatively old. Nonetheless, submarine landslides are known to be occurring currently in some fiords of eastern Baffin Island and are an ongoing process.
Offshore, in deep water, evidence of localized Holocene landslides are observed but do not appear as widespread as in the fiords or nearshore parts of Baffin Island. Ongoing research will help to refine the timing and the triggers of these events.
These marine geohazards have considerable implications for nearshore and submarine infrastructure projects and public safety. |
| Summary | (Plain Language Summary, not published)
Submarine landslides are known to be occurring presently in some fjords of eastern Baffin Island and are an ongoing process. Offshore, in deep water,
evidence of localised Holocene landslides are observed but do not appear as widespread as in the fjords or nearshore parts of Baffin Island. Ongoing research will help to refine the timing and the triggers of these events. These marine geohazards
have considerable implications for nearshore and submarine infrastructure projects and public safety. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 321868 |
|
|