METADATA METADATA   Title: An assessment of surficial geology, massive ice, and ground ice, Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula, Northwest Territories: application to the proposed Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk all-weather highway; GSC Open File 7106 Originator: Smith, I.R., Duong, L. Publication_Date: 2012 Presentation_Form: downloadable zip file Series_Name: Open File Issue_Identification: 7106 Publication_Place: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Publisher: Geological Survey of Canada Citation_Details: Smith, I.R., Duong, L., 2012. An assessment of surficial geology, massive ice, and ground ice, Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula, Northwest Territories: application to the proposed Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk all-weather highway; GSC Open File 7106. doi:10.4095/292017 Abstract: This report utilizes seismic shothole drillers’ lithostratigraphic logs as a basis for contrasting previously published maps and reports of surficial geology, massive ice and ground ice, on the Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula, Northwest Territories. Areas of glaciofluvial ice-contact and outwash deposits, and lacustrine sediments in thermokarst terrain are demonstrated to be less extensive, while areas of till cover are more widespread. Approximately 2% of all shotholes contain records of massive ice, it is most abundant between 4 and 14 m depth, and principally is situated at lithostratigraphic contacts (73%). On the Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula, half (52%) of the massive ice records occur in areas of surface till cover, and it is largely underlain by “sorted + sorted, fine” deposits (72%). Significant spatial, lithostratigraphic, and thickness differences are noted in other physiographic regions. Shothole ground ice records are more common (13% of all such records), particularly within the 15 km buffer area surrounding the proposed Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway (18.4%), although it is acknowledged that many such records may relate to massive ice deposits, and that drillers typically under-report ground ice occurrence. There is significant disagreement between shothole-based massive ice and ground ice occurrences with existing permafrost and ground ice maps that were constructed on the basis of surficial geology-related ground ice associations. Changes in surficial geology classification account for part, elsewhere, ground ice is simply found to be more abundant in different deposit types than previously surmised.  It is argued that integration of abundant shothole lithostratigraphic data provides a more reliable reconstruction of surficial geology, massive ice, and ground ice conditions in the Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula. The data and syntheses presented can better inform engineering and landscape stability assessments, and similarly identify areas wherein more detailed field-surveys and inspection are likely required as part of an infrastructure development proposal. Purpose: Produced as an output of Natural Resources Canada’s Climate Change Geoscience Program. Supplemental_Information: Database and GIS constructed from individual seismic shothole litholog records providing lithostratigraphic information on surficial geology, massive ice, and ground ice, and from published maps and reports on surficial geology, retrogressive thaw slumps, pingos, and permafrost and ground ice conditions. Data extends throughout the northern Mackenzie corridor, Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula, Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories, and northern Yukon, covering parts or all of NTS map areas 96, 97, 106, 107, 116, and 117. Language: English Beginning_Date: 2011 Ending_Date: 2012 Progress: Complete Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed Theme_Keyword: surficial geology, massive ice, ground ice, shothole Theme_Keyword Thesaurus: Climate Change Geoscience Program, database, GEM, Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals Program, geographic information system, Geological Survey of Canada, geology, geophysical seismic exploration, geotechnical borehole, GIS, glaciofluvial, gravel, ground ice, GSC, ice, ice-bonded permafrost, ice layer, ice layers, infrastructure development, lacustrine, litholog, lithostratigraphy, massive ice, muskeg, NTS, national topographic system, NRCAN, Natural Resources Canada, PERD, permafrost, pingo, Program of Energy Research and Development, Quaternary, retrogressive thaw slump, sand, sandstone, seismic shothole, shale, shot hole, shothole, shothole database, silt, stratigraphy, surficial geology, thermokarst, till, water, zero isotherm Place_Keyword: Northwest Territories, Yukon. Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: Anderson Plain, Arctic Coastal Plain, Canada, Colville Hills, Eagle Plain, Husky Lakes, Inuvik, Lower Mackenzie, Mackenzie corridor, Mackenzie Delta, Mackenzie Mountains, Mackenzie Valley, Mackenzie River, Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, NWT, Old Crow basin, Parsons Lake, Peel Plateau, Ramparts River, Richards Island, Richardson Mountains, Tuktoyaktuk, Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula, Upper Mackenzie, Yukon, NTS sheets, 96E, 96F, 96G, 96J, 96K, 96L, 96M, 96N, 96O, 97A, 97B, 97C, 97D, 97F, 106E, 106F, 106G, 106H, 106I, 106J, 106K, 106L, 106M, 106N, 106O, 106P, 107A, 107B, 107C, 107D, 107E, 116F, 116G, 116H, 116I, 116J, 116K, 116N, 116O, 116P, 117A, 117B, 117C, 117D. Use_Constraints: ©Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2012 Browse_Graphic_File_Name: OF7106.pmf Browse_Graphic_File_Description: ESRI ArcReader viewable map Browse_Graphic_File_Type: published map file (PMF) document Point_of_Contact: Rod Smith Contact_Organization: Geological Survey of Canada, Calgary Address_Type: mailing and physical Address: 3303-33rd Street N.W. City: Calgary Province: Alberta Postal_Code: T2L 2A7 Voice_Telephone: (403)292-7132 Facsimile_Telephone: (403)292-5377 E-mail: rodsmith@NRCan.gc.ca Metadata_Contact: Head Geoinformatics Contact_Organization: Geological Survey of Canada, Calgary Address_Type: mailing and physical Address: 3303-33rd Street N.W. City: Calgary Province: Alberta Postal_Code: T2L 2A7 Voice_Telephone: (403)292-7000 Facsimile_Telephone: (403)292-4961 E-mail: GSCC_datainfo@NRCan.gc.ca Metadata_Future_Review_Date: As the open file is updated Metadata_Date: October, 2012