Shallow groundwater systems in sub-humid, low-relief Boreal Plain landscapes: Interactions between glacial landforms, climate, and topography

K.J. Hokanson, C.A. Mendoza, K.J. Devito

In the proceedings of: GeoEdmonton 2018: 71st Canadian Geotechnical Conference; 13th joint with IAH-CNC

Session: Anthropogenic Activities in Watersheds

ABSTRACT: We test the influence of the hierarchical controls of climate, glacial deposit types, and topography on recharge, storage, and shallow groundwater flow in the Boreal Plains, a low-relief, sub-humid, glaciated region experiencing unprecedented disturbances. Hydrogeological, geochemical, and isotopic data were collected from surface waters to 40m depth, along a 55km transect encompassing pond-wetland-forestland complexes across the major glacial depositional types typical of the Boreal Plains. High spatial variability of water table fluctuations and responses to climate signals illustrate the strong controls that surficial geology and topography exert over scales of groundwater flow within and between glacial landforms. Scale of flow varies from local to intermediate in the coarse outwash, and is predominately local in the fine-textured landforms. For management and monitoring applications, chemoscapes and isoscapes delineate areas with characteristic water storage and transmission properties, which control scales of flow and responses to climate.

RÉSUMÉ: - climat, types de dépôts glaciaires, topographie - sur le rechargement, stockage, et flux des eaux souterraines peu profondes des Plaines Boréales - région à faible relief, subhumide, glaciaire, subissant des perturbations inouïes. Des données hydrologiques, géochimiques et isotopiques ont été recueillies des eaux de surface à 40m de profondeur, sur un transect de 55km couvrant des complexes bassin-marais-forêt dans les dépôts glaciaires typiques des Plaines Boréales. La grande variabilité spatiale des fluctuations des nappes phréatiques et les réponses aux signaux climatiques illustrent les forts contrôles que géologie et topographie exercent sur le flux des eaux se localise principalement dans les reliefs à fine texture. Les paysages chimiques et isotopiques délimitent les régions ayant des propriétés de stockage et de transmission des eaux caractéristiques.

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