A 3-dimensional (3-D) mapping investigation of Quaternary deposits in the southern part of the County of Simcoe is one of several 3-D mapping projects currently being undertaken as part of the Ontario Geological Survey's groundwater initiative within the Greater Golden Horseshoe area of southern Ontario. Following completion of these projects, a significant proportion of the most densely populated and fastest growing region of the country will be modelled in 3-dimensions, laying the foundation for regional syntheses of subsurface geology. The objective of this project is to develop an interactive 3-D model of Quaternary geology that can: 1) aid in studies involving groundwater extraction, protection and remediation; 2) assist with the development of policies surrounding land use and nutrient management; and 3) help to further understand the interaction between surface and ground waters. A better understanding of the geometry and inherent properties of the Quaternary sediments that overlie bedrock will assist with the development of revised source water protection plans and with the development of a geoscience-based management plan for the groundwater resource. Geoscience data collection was initiated in 2010 and consisted of detailed Quaternary mapping and sedimentological studies of the shallow subsurface, continuous coring to bedrock at 25 locations and a variety of geophysical surveys including: ground gravity, airborne time-domain electromagnetics, downhole geophysical logging and seismic reflection. Supplementary grain size, carbonate, heavy mineral and geochemical analyses enabled an improved interpretation of the subsurface stratigraphy. The information gained from this work resulted in a refined understanding of drift thickness and bedrock topography for the Laurentian trough area as well as the identification of 6 regionally significant chronostratigraphic units further subdivided into 15 layers. The main elements of the model, from youngest to oldest, include: 1) postglacial valley-fill deposits; 2) Oak Ridges Moraine (ORM) and equivalent deposits; 3) Newmarket Till; 4) Scarborough-Thorncliffe Formation equivalents; 5) non-glacial (Sangamon- Middle Wisconsin) deposits and 6) Illinoian and possibly older glacial deposits. Advancements in the understanding of the regional-scale architecture, contact relationships and depositional settings of these elements has allowed for an improved knowledge of the Quaternary history of the region. Notable observations include the identification of a widespread, non-glacial unit in the deep subsurface that likely spans the Sangamon to Middle Wisconsin time interval and the recognition of significant topographic relief of the Newmarket Till, extending from drumlinized uplands into broad valleys previously interpreted as tunnel valleys produced by the catastrophic release of subglacial meltwater. A protracted evolution for these valleys is currently being proposed. The character of groundwater flow within valley settings is more complex than observed in valleys underlying the ORM to the south. In Southern Simcoe County, the valleys are largely infilled with fine-grained units and upward hydraulic gradients commonly inhibit interaction of shallow with deep groundwater flow systems.

Aquifers of the Waterloo Moraine play a key role as the main source of drinking water for the Region of Waterloo. For the effective management of this water source, a sound understanding of the aquifers contained within and below the Moraine is essential. Critical knowledge required for this understanding includes the definition of the sediment facies distribution, architectural elements and geological origin of the Quaternary-aged deposits. A basin analysis approach has been applied to geologic data collection and interpretation to unravel the paleogeographic history of the study area and to provide a predictive framework for understanding its geological variability. Coarse (sand and gravel) sediment within the Waterloo Moraine was deposited during a series of high-energy meltwater discharge events from several sediment input corridors (eskers), into a deep, large, ice-supported glacial lake. This depositional setting led to a complex threedimensional architecture comprising sand-gravel and mud units that are increasingly interbedded away from the multidirectional influx sources around the perimeter of the Moraine. A recently completed digital, three-dimensional geologic model of the area provides details of the various geological units that help refine the understanding of the hydrostratigraphy. This information has improved the understanding of groundwater flow (including interaction between surface and groundwaters) and has provided valuable information critical for source water protection. Information on the distribution, thickness, geometry and properties of these units has resulted in a better understanding of the potential linkages between near-surface recharge areas and deep aquifers across the region. This geological information is important in developing predictive models, for example, determining the location of high transmissivity zones within the moraine. Derivative products such as aquifer vulnerability and recharge maps may help inform policy makers in developing land use and nutrient management plans in the vicinity of well fields and sensitive lands.Les aquifères de la moraine de Waterloo jouent un rôle crucial dans l'approvisionnement en eau potable dans la région de Waterloo. Afin d'assurer la gestion efficace de cette ressource en eau, il est essentiel de bien comprendre les aquifères contenus dans la moraine et sous celle-ci. Parmi les connaissances essentielles à cette compréhension, mentionnons la définition de la distribution des faciès sédimentaires, les éléments architecturaux et l'origine géologique des dépôts datant du Quaternaire. Pour retracer l'histoire paléogéographique de la zone d'étude et établir un cadre prédictif afin d'en comprendre la variabilité géologique, une approche d'analyse de bassin a été appliquée à la collecte et à l'interprétation des données géologiques. Les sédiments grossiers (sable et gravier) dans la moraine de Waterloo se sont déposés pendant une série d'événements très énergétiques de décharge d'eau de fonte provenant de plusieurs corridors d'apports sédim...

The Waterloo Moraine is a stratified moraine with an area of ~400 km 2 and thickness of 60 m. Its sedimentary record contains evidence of high-magnitude meltwater discharge and rapid sedimentation. Sedimentary structures and sediment architecture are presented from several sites that record depositional events of subcritical flows, supercritical flows and hydraulic jumps. The sedimentological signature of these events is: (i) a variety of large scale cross-strata, (ii) climbing cross-stratification, (iii) antidune cross-stratification and (iv) steep-walled scours with diffusely graded fills. These depositional signatures can be attributed to two depositional environments. A conduit or esker setting is interpreted for the observed large-scale cross-beds with bimodal and openwork gravel, whereas a subaqueous fan setting is inferred for the remainder of the studied deposits. The subaqueous fan setting is interpreted in terms of the jet-efflux model where rapid streamwise deceleration of the inertia-dominated jet is recorded by antidunes produced by supercritical flow; steep-walled scours and diffusely graded fills formed beneath hydraulic jump processes; and climbing dunes record subcritical flow. The paper demonstrates that stratified deposits of the Waterloo Moraine consist of organized deposits that can be interpreted within the current understanding of flow dynamics and depositional sedimentary facies models. This provides a step toward improved understanding of the spatial heterogeneity of the moraine sediment and development of predictive models for improved understanding of the hydrogeological character of the Waterloo Moraine.

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Recent three-dimensional mapping investigations in southern Simcoe County, Ontario, allow refinement of the existing regional stratigraphic framework. Analysis of 25 continuously cored boreholes has revealed a complex but consistent sediment succession that provides a record of the last two glacial cycles (Marine Isotope Stages 1-6). Five stratigraphic units (SU1-SU5) comprise the pre-Late Wisconsin record. The stratigraphy is floored by a presumed Illinoian glacial complex consisting of a lower, coarse-grained till (SU1), locally overlain by stratified glaciolacustrine and glaciofluvial sediments (SU2), but more commonly capped by a stone-poor, fine-grained till (SU3) of the Georgian Bay lobe. A widespread subaerial unconformity developed on the upper surface of SU3 contains organic-bearing, nonglacial deposits (SU4) ranging between 54 800 ± 3000 years BP (considered beyond the limits of radiocarbon dating) and 37 450 ± 590 14 C years BP. SU4 is abruptly overlain by a thick succession of rhythmically laminated lacustrine muds graded upwards into glaciolacustrine silts and clays interrupted by regionally continuous sand bodies (SU5). The succession is capped (and locally truncated) by Late Wisconsin Newmarket Till. The sedimentary record of southern Simcoe County is correlated with other well-studied reference sections in southern Ontario and contains information that informs reconstructions of former ice extents in the lower Great Lakes region following the Illinoian glaciation. Several sediment units host aquifers, but limited thickness and spatial extent, as well as issues with naturally occurring dissolved gases and solids, restrict their use for groundwater supply.Résumé : Des études cartographiques tridimensionnelles récentes dans le sud du comté de Simcoe, en Ontario, permettent de peaufiner le cadre stratigraphique régional existant. L'analyse de 25 forages carottés en continu révèle une séquence sédimen-taire complexe mais cohérente qui offre un profil des deux derniers cycles glaciaires (étages 1-6 de la stratigraphie isotopique marine). Cinq unités stratigraphiques (SU1-SU5) renferment le profil pré-wisconsinien tardif. La base de la coupe stratigraphique est un complexe glaciaire d'âge illinoien présumé consistant en un till inférieur à grains grossiers (SU1) sur lequel reposent localement des sédiments glaciolacustres et fluvioglaciaires stratifiés (SU2), mais qui est plus couramment recouvert d'un till à grains fins pauvre en pierres (SU3) du lobe de la baie Georgienne. Une discordance subaérienne répandue formée sur la surface supérieure de SU3 contient des dépôts non glaciaires contenant de la matière organique (SU4) allant de 54 800 ± 3000 années BP (considéré comme étant hors des limites de la datation au radiocarbone) à 37 450 ± 590 14 C années BP. SU4 est abruptement recouverte par une épaisse séquence de boues lacustres à laminations rythmiques passant vers le haut à des silts et des argiles glaciolacustres interrompus par des corps de sable d'ampleur régionale (SU5). La séquence e...

Mapping of Quaternary geology in the Rainy River lowland, northwestern Ontario resulted in discovery of several fossil-bearing localities. Organic remains are associated with both the Moorhead and Emerson phases of glacial Lake Agassiz. Wood samples recovered from Moorhead Phase deposits have radiocarbon ages ranging between 10.8 and 9.9 ka BP. The wood is detrital and cannot be used to date the beginning of the low-water phase. Nearshore, deltaic, alluvial, peatland, open-water wetland, and upland soil environments are represented in the Moorhead Phase sediment records. Emerson Phase transgressive deposits overlie Moorhead Phase sediments and erosional surfaces. Wood samples recovered from flotsam layers in Emerson Phase nearshore deposits have yielded radiocarbon ages ranging between 10.5 and 9.5 ka BP. Stratigraphic and sedimentologic evidence suggests that the transgression began approximately 9.9 ka BP. Pollen, plant macrofossil, insect, and mollusc assemblages have been affected by long-distance transport, sorting, and reworking by fluvial and nearshore processes. They represent a wide spectrum of terrestrial and aquatic habitats indiscriminantly brought together during high-water periods. The Moorhead and Emerson phase assemblages indicate conditions similar to those in the region today, but there is a distinct component whose modern range is much farther north and west of the study region. In this respect, the assemblages are similar to the mixed communities described from other late-glacial sites of the mid-continent.

Nonglacial deposits of Middle Wisconsin age are being discovered with increased frequency across a broad region of southern Ontario, Canada, and provide strong evidence for a time of significant ice withdrawal from the lower Great Lakes region. With each new discovery, a refined understanding of regional climatic and paleoecological environments is emerging. In this paper, we present the results of a sedimentological and paleoecological study of a subtill organic deposit in Zorra Township, southwestern Ontario. The organic deposit, which lies beneath Nissouri Phase Catfish Creek Till (Late Wisconsin), has been dated by accelerator mass spectrometry at between 50.5 and 42.9 14 C ka BP. The organic remains are contained within slack water pond deposits infilling a channel incised into till either of Early Wisconsin or Illinoian age. The fossil assemblage appears to be strongly influenced by taphonomic processes, including degradation due to oxidation, bacterial and fungal decay, and glacial overriding. Reworking and (or) recycling and selective sorting as well as long-distance transport has also influenced the composition of the fossil assemblage preserved. Nonetheless, meaningful paleoecological information is still obtained from this record. Collectively, the pollen and plant macrofossils indicate a boreal-type pine-spruce forest with temperatures cooler than present. The absence of arctic tundra plants, as are found in many other deposits of similar age in the lower Great Lakes basin, is notable. A pond or wetland inhabited by shoreline herbs, shrubs, and trees was present at or proximal to the site. The freshwater mollusc and ostracode assemblages are consistent with a shallow water habitat with dense submerged vegetation. The terrestrial mollusc assemblage suggests a taiga or transitional taiga-tundra fauna. Together, these fossil groups provide one of the most comprehensive environmental reconstructions of Middle Wisconsin time (oxygen isotope stage 3 or OIS3) in southern Ontario and serve to build on the ever-increasing database of paleoecological information accumulating for this episode of the late Quaternary.Résumé : Des dépôts non glaciaires d'âge wisconsinien moyen sont découverts de plus en plus fréquemment dans une vaste région du sud de l'Ontario (Canada) et fournissent des indices probants d'une période de retrait important des glaces de la région du bassin inférieur des Grands Lacs. Chaque nouvelle découverte permet une compréhension plus pointue des milieux climatiques et paléoécologiques régionaux. Nous présentons les résultats d'une étude sédimentologique et paléoé-cologique d'un dépôt organique qui sous-tend un till dans le canton de Zorra, dans le sud-ouest de l'Ontario. La datation par spectrométrie de masse par accélérateur du dépôt organique, qui sous-tend le till de Catfish Creek de la phase de Nissouri (Wisconsinien tardif), a donné des âges entre 50,5 et 42,9 14 C ka BP. Les restes organiques sont contenus dans des dépôts d'étang d'eau stagnante qui remplissent un chenal creusé dans du t...

Population growth in the groundwater-dependent municipalities of southwestern Ontario has prompted interest in the exploration for new, previously untapped, groundwater resources. In this study, the groundwater resource potential of the sediments infilling a deeply buried bedrock valley network centred beneath the Region of Waterloo and the counties of Brant and Hamilton-Wentworth are explored. The objectives of this study are to further refine valley location and geometry, understand infilling sediments and their hydrogeological properties, and characterize waters contained within the aquifers to inform future water management decisions. Results of a regional ground gravity survey were instrumental in locating buried bedrock valleys and guided follow-up drilling. Continuous sediment coring and monitoring well installations were completed to target thick and coarse-grained sediment packages that, based on existing borehole data, showed aquifer potential. Hydraulic testing and groundwater sampling results provided valuable insights into groundwater quantity and quality. Highly transmissive aquifers, some worth investigating further, have been identified within portions of the valley network. The aquifers appear to occur at a number of stratigraphic positions and do not necessarily occur as the deepest unit overlying bedrock. Bedrock topography likely played a role, however, in their preferential preservation. They are commonly overlain by thick sequences of relatively impermeable sediments, providing excellent protection from anthropogenic contamination. Information from water chemistry, however, does suggest hydraulic connection to the surface at some locations. Groundwater quality and quantity information combined with a conceptual three-dimensional geologic model aids in the selection of groundwater resource exploration targets within the untapped resources of the deep, Dundas buried valley sediments.Résumé : La croissance démographique dans les municipalités qui dépendent de l'eau souterraine dans le sud-ouest de l'Ontario entraîne un intérêt croissant pour l'exploration de nouvelles ressources d'eau souterraine non exploitées. L'étude explore le potentiel de ressources d'eau souterraine de sédiments qui remplissent un réseau de vallées creusées dans le socle rocheux centré sous la région de Waterloo et les comtés de Brant et Hamilton-Wentworth. Les objectifs de l'étude consistent à mieux définir l'emplacement et la géométrie des vallées, comprendre les sédiments qui les remplissent et leurs propriétés hydrogéologiques et caractériser les eaux contenues dans les aquifères afin d'éclairer les décisions futures en matière de gestion de l'eau. Les résultats d'un levé gravimétrique régional au sol ont servi à situer des vallées ensevelies creusées dans le socle et ont guidé les forages de suivi. Le carottage continu des sédiments et l'installation de puits de surveillance ont été réalisés dans le but de cibler des séquences de sédiments grossiers épaisses qui, à la lumière de données de forage existante...