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The Seafloor of Southeastern Canada

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Landscapes and Landforms of Eastern Canada

Part of the book series: World Geomorphological Landscapes ((WGLC))

Abstract

Quaternary glaciations played a critical role in producing the modern landscape of the seafloor of southeastern Canada. Glacial landscapes such as cross-shelf troughs, fjords, recessional moraines and tunnel valleys were sculpted by the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Following deglaciation, relative sea level rise led to the formation of sandy bedforms and tidal scours on the continental shelf. In contrast, the deep-water margin was not directly modified by the ice sheet, but was significantly influenced by it. Large quantities of glacigenic sediments were distributed along the continental slope during the last glacial maximum through turbidity currents, contour currents and submarine landslides. Turbidity currents eroded submarine canyons and deposited submarine fans, which are among the largest sediment accumulations in southeastern Canada. Although the continental shelf and the deep-water margin have contrasting landscapes, they are genetically linked to tectonics and the pattern of retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. This chapter gives an overview of the landscape and landforms of the seafloor of southeastern Canada and details how its glacial heritage played a major role in sculpting the modern seabed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geological Survey of Canada (Atlantic), Natural Resources Canada, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, 1 Challenger Drive, P.O. Box 1006, Dartmouth, NS, B2Y 4A2, Canada

    Alexandre Normandeau, David J. W. Piper, John Shaw, Brian J. Todd, D. Calvin Campbell & David C. Mosher

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  1. Alexandre Normandeau
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  2. David J. W. Piper
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  3. John Shaw
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  4. Brian J. Todd
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  5. D. Calvin Campbell
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  6. David C. Mosher
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Correspondence to Alexandre Normandeau .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Olav Slaymaker

  2. Department of Geography, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St John's, NL, Canada

    Norm Catto

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Normandeau, A., Piper, D.J.W., Shaw, J., Todd, B.J., Calvin Campbell, D., Mosher, D.C. (2020). The Seafloor of Southeastern Canada. In: Slaymaker, O., Catto, N. (eds) Landscapes and Landforms of Eastern Canada. World Geomorphological Landscapes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35137-3_20

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