Robert F. Wilson

The geology and origin of the Ingonish Basin, on the Scotian Shelf east of Ingonish, Nova Scotia were investigated. Data were collected by continuous seismic reflection profiling, bathymetric surveying, and bottom sampling with a Van Veen grab. Subcrops of the Pennsylvanian Morien Group, the Mississippian Windsor Group and either the pre-Carboniferous crystalline basement or possibly massive evaporites of the Windsor Group were traced along the profile. The Mountain Fault on Ciboux Shoal, a diapir or horst at Ingonish, and a fault zone four kilometres north of Ingonish were also noted on the seismic reflection profile. On this same profile, the unconsolidated sediments consist of two units, the lower one being glacial drift and the upper one of unknown origin. In the surficial sediments, the grain size in general decreases within the basin, possibly as the result of currents weaker than those on the adjacent shoals. Sediment is transported to the basin by bottom currents and ice-rafting. The Ingonish Basin was eroded by rivers before the Pleistocene Epoch and by glaciers during the Pleistocene Epoch.

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Supervisors: R.A. Gees