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Clay-Mineral Assemblages from Late Quaternary Deposits on Vancouver Island, Southwestern British Columbia, Canada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Bertrand Blaise
Bertrand Blaise*
Affiliation:
Pacific Geoscience Centre, Geological Survey of Canada, P.O. Box 6000, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada V8L 4B2
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Abstract

On Vancouver Island, the Dashwood Drift, Cowichan Head Formation, Quadra Sand, and Vashon Drift were deposited during late Pleistocene glacial and interstadial periods and show large variations in clay-mineral contents partly related to changing climatic conditions. Glacial deposits are characterized by iron-rich chlorite, illite (both well crystallized), and smectite with a morphology reflecting rapid derivation from volcanic rocks. The clay mineralogy of nonglacial deposits is more complex, and is marked by the presence of vermiculite, kaolinite, halloysite, and irregular mixed-layer minerals. Nonglacial clay minerals are poorly preserved and show a higher state of alteration due to pedogenesis. Large variations in nonglacial deposits compared to glacial deposits are also due to secondary factors such as selective sorting, soil and rock source variations, differences in sedimentary environment, and diagenesis. These secondary factors do not seem to obliterate significantly the climatic imprint on the clay minerals. These studies also permit the recognition of glacially reworked sediments, the determination of relationships between two units in the same section, and the establishment of the conditions of clay-mineral formation.

Résumé

Résumé

Dans le secteur de l'Ile de Vancouver, les formations de Dashwood Drift, Cowichan Head, Quadra Sand et Vashon Drift se sont déposées au cours des périodes glaciaires et non-glaciaires du Pléistocène Terminal. Elles présentent des variations importantes du cortège argileux dont certaines sont relatives aux fluctuations climatiques. Les périodes glaciaires sont caractérisées par des chlorites riches en fer, des illites (toutes deux bien cristallisées) et des smectites avec une morphologie rappelant celle de smectites développées à partir de roches volcaniques. La minéralogie des argiles des dépôts non-glaciaires est plus complexe; elle est marquée, en outre, par la présence de vermiculite, kaolinite, halloysite et de minéraux interstratifiés irréguliers. Ces assemblages sont médiocrement préservés et montrent une degré d'altération pédologique plus èlevé par rapport aux assemblages glaciaires. Les variations importantes enregistrées dans les dépôts nonglaciaires sont également dues à des facteurs secondaires tels la sédimentation différentielle, les sources sédimentaires variantes, et des possibles modification diagénétiques; toutefois ces facteurs ne semblent pas oblitérer de manière significative les empreintes climatiques des minéraux argileux. Cette étude permet également de différencier des sédiments remaniés sous régime glaciaire, de déterminer les relations entre les unités lithologiques d'une même coupe et d'établir l'origine des minéraux argileux rencontrés.

Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 31 , Issue 1 , January 1989 , pp. 41 - 56
Copyright
University of Washington

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