Saskatchewan: Geology, Mineral and Energy Resources, and Effects of Ice Age
ART 1: GeoExplore Saskatchewan (50 marks): link down there
https://skgeolhighwaymap(dot)maps(dot)arcgis(dot)com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=a845cbb370f74015978
06887318e2676
Based on the information provided on the GeoExplore Saskatchewan site, answer the following questions. Each response should be around 250 words.
1) Describe the geology of Saskatchewan and, in particular, explain the geological differences between northern and southern Saskatchewan. (10 marks)
2) Describe the three main types of plate boundaries (check your notes). What role did plate tectonics have in Saskatchewan’s geological history? (10 marks)
3) Describe Saskatchewan’s mineral and energy resources. How do these resources relate to the geology of the province? What relevance are the Athabasca Basin and the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin for geological resources? What are critical minerals? (10 marks)
4) Describe the Ice Age and its effects on Saskatchewan? (10 marks)
5) Describe the three major drainage basins in Saskatchewan. Does all of the surface water flow out from these basins? What is the relationship between glacial landforms and surface drainage (we will discuss in class)? What are the characteristics of the main types of streams? (10 marks)
PART 2: Prophets and Wizards (30 marks):
Listen to Episode 346 (Two totally opposite ways to save the planet) of Freakonomics Radio
(https://freakonomics(dot)com/podcast/two-totally-opposite-ways-to-save-the-planet-ep-346-
rebroadcast/).
1) How do prophets and wizards propose to solve environmental problems? Are these
arguments similar to Ehrlich and Simon? Are you a prophet or a wizard?
The response should be about 400-500 words.
PART 3: Geology and the World (20 marks):
Conduct your own research to answer and respond to the following question. It should be
around 400-500 words. You are required to provide proper references for the sources of
information that you use.
1. Select any location in the world and describe its geology (e.g. rock types, structures,
geological history, tectonics, resources, etc.) (20 marks)
Assignment Details:
Length: While word counts are provided to give you a sense of the level of detail, the length
may vary as it is more important that you demonstrate an understanding of the material.
References: There are various formats to reference material. More important than the
specific format is that you reference sources of information consistently. The U of S provides a
detailed description of citation styles here: https://libguides(dot)usask(dot)ca/citation
The assignment must be submitted through turn-it-in on UR Courses.
Students who submit work that is not their own will receive a mark of zero for the assignment and
will be reported to the Dean of Science.
Late assignments will not be accepted and will receive a mark of zero.
Due Date: Dec 3, 2022 (11:59 pm)
Geography
Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course
Date
GEOGRAPHY
PART 1
Question 1
Saskatchewan is divided into two of Canada's physiographic regions. They include Interior Plains and the Canadian Shield. According to Hoeve & Sibbald (1978), the Canadian Shield is characterized by rugged rock exposures and lakes. It is important to note that Saskatchewan is one of the largest wheat producers in the world. When it comes to the north and south of Saskatchewan, Precambrian rocks are found in the north. Alternatively, they can be seen in the Canadian Shield in the north. One of the interesting bits about this particular region is that unmetamorphosed younger Phanerozoic sedimentary strata cover it in the southern half. Further, the Precambrian Shield's lakes and exposures can be found on the harsh terrain of the Shield region. Hoeve & Sibbald (1978) also note that the northern part of the province is featured by muskeg, swamp, and lichened rock of the Canadian Shield.
In the last three decades, one of the main factors that have resulted in the unique geological terranes established in the region is mapping and improved structural, radiometric, and geochemical techniques. Proterozoic remobilized Archean basement feature the Wollaston belt to the southeast. At the same time, greywacke and granitic rocks comprise the Reindeer Zone in the southeast.
Question 2
There are three main types of plate boundaries. They include convergent boundaries (colliding plates), divergent continental boundaries, and transform boundaries.
1.Convergent boundaries (colliding plates).
Convergent boundaries occur when two tectonic plates collide to form subduction zones. These plates subduct under a less dense plate, whereby the plate is destroyed. The following is the process in which convergent boundaries occur;
`i. Oceanic crust meets
If the two plates comprise oceanic crust, oceanic trenches and island arcs are formed.
ii. Oceanic-continental crust interface
When the denser oceanic plate subducts, a mountain range is formed. An example of this boundary is the Andes.
iii. Continental crust fusion
It is important to note that since the continental crusts are very light to subduct, they collide, forming mountain ranges. For instance, the Himalayas.
2. Divergent Boundaries
Under this boundary, two plates slide apart at divergent borders, which is why it is called a divergent boundary. The void is typically filled with new crust material from molten magma. It is important to note that continents have the ability to develop divergent boundaries that open up to sea basins. When it comes to inland, divergent borders cause rifts that become rift valleys. On the other, mid-oceanic ridges are divergent plate boundaries among oceanic plates.
3. Transform boundaries
This is the kind of boundary where tectonic plates slide by. These tectonic plates move horizontally, and anomalies of the crust occur on land or underwater. It is important to note that fiction prevents tectonic plates from gliding apart. This means that tension is exerted in both plates, and when it is more than the threshold of the rock, an earthquake occurs. The orogenic belts epitomize zones along which more tectonic plates were amalgamated in Saskatchewan.
Question 3
Saskatchewan's most valuable minerals are uranium, helium, and potash. Philips (2006) states the province has the largest potash industry globally. This account for one-third of the global production yearly. At the same time, the region also hosts half of the world's famous reserves. The Athabasca is a region of the Canadian Shield in the north of Saskatchewan and Alberta. It is important to note that it is the leading source of high quality Uranium in the world. At the same time, Athabasca Basin supplies 20% of Uranium worldwide. Since the discovery of Uranium at Athabasca Basic, currently, it account for more than 1.4 billion pounds of Uranium globally (Philips, 2006).
Philips (2006) also notes that the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin includes the Phanerozoic wedge overlapping the Precambrian bedrock. The lower sedimentary layers entail the base clastics, platform carbonates, and evaporites, especially the Prairie Evaporite's substantial POTASH deposits. An Eocene convergent margin produces a foreland basin with vast accumulations of clastic deposits from the westward through the Cordilleran Mountain Belt. However, tertiary sands, gravels, and kaolin are exposed on the border of the United States. One main issue affecting the basin is the block of tectonic movement due to sea level variations. However, post-depositional folding has assisted in the distribution of essential resources like potash, Coal, and oil in the region.
Question 4
According to Velez (2004), Ice Age is a time of colder temperatures worldwide. There is rapid glacial expansion during this particular period, and it can last for millions of years. In Saskatchewan, there are numerous ice ages have taken place. The earliest Ice Age occurred 570 million years ago. The recent one is the Pleistocene Epoch that took place 11 700 years ago. Velez (2004) also notes that the last ice age lasted 8000 years. The interesting bit is that the whole region was covered with ice expect the wood mountain plateaus and Cypress hills. As a result, people moved north to escape the ice formation. It is important to note that much of the present-day topography of Saskatchewan is due to ice formation.
Unlike the southern part of the region, where thick glacial sediments buried the bedrock, the northern part has thin and patchy glacial deposits and sculpted bedrock outcrops. Additionally, melting ice usually released water carried by glacial waters that carved deep valleys. Velez (2004) notes that one of the significant impacts of the ice age was the production of vast amounts of water which account for the region's modern topography. Also, the bedrock became smooth, and valleys widened. Lastly, glaciation also left sediments and gravel, which are essential to the export economy of Canada.
Question 5
Drainage basins are used to collect water and allow its flow to rivers. Here are three major river basins in Saskatchewan.
1 Saskatchewan River Basin - the primary source of the streamflow is the eastern slopes and lake area. The basin is used to generate hydroelectric power. It drains in Hudson Bay.
2 North and South Saskatchewan River Basin – One of the interesting bits about this river...