Five lake and one soil sediment record from six mountainous sites on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, were examined for changes in pollen, macrofossils, charcoal, and mineral clasts to reconstruct late Quaternary history of vegetation, fire and climate. The results provide insights into the history and dynamics of the Mountain Hemlock biogeoclimatic zone and highlight the role of several species and species groups not previously recognized. During the early Holocene, Alnus crispa expanded throughout the region following deglaciation, playing a more important role in these ecosystems than today. Abies lasiocarpa was the dominant Abies species at these sites during the late glacial and early Holocene until it was replaced by A. amabilis between about 10,500 and 7300 calBP, perhaps due to changes in regional atmospheric circulation and greater seasonal variability in insolation than we experience today. A. amabilis increased during the mid Holocene and was later replaced at the sites by increased abundance of T. mertensiana while T. heterophylla became much more abundant at nearby low elevations. Ericaceous-heath communities were established soon after deglaciation at the moister sites but not until about 7000 calBP at drier sites. These drier sites show more variation in vegetation throughout their records than the wetter sites. High charcoal and clast concentrations coincident with rapid vegetation shifts during the early Holocene suggest that these changes were probably the result of large stand-clearing fires that exposed mineral soils. A peak in charcoal at several of the sites occurs at ca. 4000 calBP suggesting more frequent fire at that time. During the late glacial and very early Holocene, P. contorta was an important seral species until A. crispa became well established. In the mid to late Holocene when Ericaceous-heath became established, A. crispa was unable to predominate, possibly because of reduced fire activity or because the heath communities hindered the exposure of fresh mineral soil surfaces. As a consequence, conifer-dominated stands were favoured. Basal sediments from these sites are not as old as they are at lower elevations, suggesting that deglaciation may have happened later at higher elevations.

This investigation uses dendrochronologic and radiometric techniques to infer the timing of glacier advance for four ice lobes that are drained by Manatee Creek in a remote valley located in the southern Coast Mountains, British Columbia. Dendroglaciologic evidence exposed by retreating glaciers provides evidence for increasing complexity in the Holocene glacial record, particularly for mid-late Holocene events. Since Holocene ice fronts periodically extended below treeline in the region, previous glacier advances overrode and buried forests beneath till deposits. The dendroglaciologic evidence presented here corroborates the record of glacier advances described for other southern British Columbia Coast Mountain glaciers and details ice front position at ca. 4270 14C yr BP, 3430 14C BP and 2350 14C yr BP. Well-preserved sequences of lateral, nested moraines were mapped and profiled to delineate the boundaries of Manatee and Oluk glaciers. Relative dates provided by lichenometry and dendrochronology were used as limiting dates for the deposition of 5-6 moraines during the late 14th, early 16th, early 18th, 19th, and early-20th Century. Reconstructions of Holocene glacial history offer insight into the regional, climatic regime and add to the discussion about pervasive, millennial-scale cycles.

At the frontal ridge near the base of the slope off Vancouver Island, wide-angle ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) data were acquired in summer 2005, in support of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 311. Marine gas hydrate is present beneath the ridge based on the observation of the 'Bottom Simulating Reflector' (BSR) that is interpreted to coincide with the base of the methane hydrate stability zone. Hydrate was also observed in downhole logs and drilling by IODP. The BSR has been identified on single-channel seismic data at -250-260 m depth beneath the ridge crest and on its seaward slope. The OBS data have been analyzed with the objective of determining the velocity structure in the upper portion of the accretionary wedge especially the hydrate stability zone and underlying free gas. As identified by a clear refracted phase, the velocity structure above the BSR shows anomalous high velocities of about 1.95 (±0.5) km/s at shallow depths of 80 - 110 m. On vertical incidence data, high amplitude reflectors are observed near this depth. Below the BSR, the velocities increase to -2.4 km/s at sub-seafloor depths of about 600 m. A strong refracted phase with a velocity of 4.0 km/s is generated at a depth of about 1700 mbsf. Velocities from traveltime inversion of OBS data are in general agreement with the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) X311 downhole sonic velocities. In particular, on the log data, a layer with low porosity and high velocities of 2.4 - 2.8 km/s was observed at depths of 50 - 75 m. This probably corresponds with the 1.95 km/s layer at depths of 80-110 m interpreted from the OBS data. The refraction data thus suggest that this high-velocity layer varies laterally through the frontal ridge region, out to distances of at least 4 km from the drillhole. BSR depths (250-280 m) estimated in the present work also agree with the IODP X311 depths. From the velocity structure, we can make estimates of hydrate concentration in a region close to the deformation front, where fluid flow velocities are expected to be large. The gas hydrates concentrations vary from -35% for the shallow phase to -22% for the layer above the BSR. The deep refracted phase with a velocity of 4.0 km/s at 1700 m depth indicates the presence of highly compacted accreted wedge sediments. On the SW side of the frontal ridge, a collapse structure is observed in newly acquired multi-beam bathymetry data from the University of Washington and in seismic reflection data. The BSR is present in the region surrounding the slump. There are only weak indications of its presence within the slide region. Since hydrates may prevent normal sediment compaction, their dissociation in sediment pores is thought to decrease seafloor strength, potentially facilitating submarine landslides on continental slopes. The head wall of the frontal ridge slide is -250 m high, extending close to the BSR depth, and the slump has eroded a -2.5 km long section into the ridge, along strike. Migrated seismic reflection data image a set of normal faults in the frontal ridge striking NE-SW, perpendicular to the strike of the ridge and the direction of plate convergence. These faults outcrop at the seafloor and can be traced from the surface through the sedimentary section to depths well below the BSR in some locations. Seafloors scarps show that fault seafloor displacements of -25 m to 75 m are generated. The two faults with the largest seafloor scarps bound the region of slope failure on the frontal ridge, suggesting that the lateral extent of slumping is fault-controlled. The triggering mechanism for the slope failure may have been a combination of various effects. The possible mechanisms explored include gas hydrate dissociation, high pore pressure fluid expulsion along the faults, and salinity elevation in faults which would inhibit the formation of gas hydrates along the faults. However, an earthquake may induce initial slope failure, which can not only start gas hydrate dissociation but also increase fluid expulsion and pore pressure.

Elevated polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations have been detected in marine mammals inhabiting the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia (Canada) and Puget Sound, Washington State (USA). This raises concerns about adverse health effects and underscores the importance of documenting source, transport, and fate of contaminants. This marine mammal-oriented study- (1) examines dietary exposure to complex mixtures of persistent organic pollutants (POPs); (2) characterizes POP accumulations using congener-specific contaminant analyses, stable isotope ratios, and multivariate statistical methods; and (3) explores some of the influencing factors for POP bioaccumulation in marine mammals. A first application of a food basket approach to assessing real-world dietary exposure to mixtures of chemicals in marine mammals has revealed Puget Sound as a regional “hotspot” for PCB contamination. The consistency between PCB concentrations in Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) and their food baskets validates the use of this method as a basis for exploring dietary exposure, metabolism, biomagnification, and health risks in marine mammals. Concentration rankings of POPs and estimated daily intakes based on our food baskets suggests that both legacy (e.g., PCB, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane [DDT]) and new (polybrominated diphenyl ethers [PBDEs]) POPs may pose potential health risks to seals. Accumulations of PCBs in the Strait of Georgia seal food web demonstrate the bioaccumulative nature and persistence of PCBs. Correlations of PCB concentrations with physicochemical properties and trophic level revealed the important role that metabolism plays in biomagnification in seals, alongside trophic level and log Kow. We estimate a PCB load of 77 kg within the Strait of Georgia biomass, with the largest proportion (36 %) detected in marine mammals. Dietary exposure of POPs to resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) was assessed by measuring POPs in four stocks of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), their primary prey. Differences in POP concentrations between chinook smolts and returning adults suggest that the majority of POPs are acquired at sea during the major growth period in their life cycle. Higher POP concentrations and low lipid content were observed among the more southerly stocks suggesting a migration-associated metabolism and loss of lighter congeners, thereby exposing southern residents to more highly contaminated chinook salmon. Consumption on a lipid-weight basis, (higher consumption on a wet weight basis), as well as consuming prey from a more contaminated region, likely increases killer whale exposure to POPs, offering an explanation for higher contaminant burdens in southern residents. While previous research has examined species inhabiting different trophic levels or food chains in other regions, this study has provided an assessment of POP dietary exposure, biomagnification, and influencing factors on trophic accumulations in a North-eastern Pacific marine mammal food web. These results have provided further insight into the influence of such factors as age, sex, lipid content, diet, migration-related metabolism, physicochemical properties (degree of chlorination, log Kow), and chemical structure on POP accumulation in marine mammals. We have identified the largely unregulated PBDEs as posing potential health risks to marine mammals and offered a means to update existing tissue residue guidelines for the protection of wildlife.

Much emphasis has been placed on the recovery and maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Although a number of studies have focused on the relationship between carbon sequestration and ecosystem dynamics, few have focused on the effects of management activities oriented towards biodiversity values on soil carbon and nitrogen pools. The dual goals of restoration for ecosystem structure and function versus restoration for soil carbon sequestration may not be mutually exclusive. This research evaluates the ability of restoration work to meet both of these goals using the restoration work done by the Galiano Conservancy Association in a Coastal Douglas-fir forest on Galiano Island, British Columbia as a case study. The restoration in District Lot 63 was successful in terms of increasing both floristic diversity and stand structure heterogeneity. Significant changes in soil carbon were observed in the forest floor, and significant changes in both soil carbon and nitrogen were observed in the top 15 cm of the mineral soil. As time from treatment increased, soil carbon and nitrogen approached, and in some cases surpassed, reference area levels. The results from this study indicate that the restoration on Galiano Island was successful in terms of increasing the biodiversity values of the stand and may have no large long-term effects on soil carbon or nitrogen pools.

We present here a theory for the generation of mesoscale eddies, in the context of describing the generation of dipoles seen near the Queen Charlotte Islands in British Columbia. The Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) is used to show dipoles forming from the coalescence of small headland eddies at Cape St. James. These headland eddies are formed by frictional generation of potential vorticity (PV) when the tide oscillates across the cape. Only 20% of the PV generated at the cape ends up in the headland eddies, with the remainder lost due to mixing of waters with PV of opposite signs. Coalescence of the headland eddies is achieved with a much higher efficiency - the PV contained in the final eddy is near 80% of the sum of that contained in the small eddies. Not all headland eddies coalesce. Coalescence of a positive PV eddy occurs only when the eddy is formed on a strong tidal flood followed by a weak ebb. Thus, a diurnal inequality in the tides is a requirement for coalescence. The eddies in the final dipole contain roughly equal amounts of PV; each has a radius of approximately 15 km and extends to nearly 100-m depth.

This thesis describes a passive-source seismic mapping project in the Nechako Basin of central British Columbia (BC), Canada, with the ultimate goal of assessing the hydrocarbon and mineral potential of the region. The Nechako Basin has been the focus of limited hydrocarbon exploration since the 1930s. Twelve exploratory wells were drilled; oil stains on drill chip samples and the evidence of gas in drill stem tests attest to some hydrocarbon potential. Seismic data collected in the 1980s were of variable quality due mainly to effects of volcanic cover in this region. For the present study, an array of nine seismic stations was deployed in 2006 and 2007 to sample a wide area of the Nechako Basin and map the sediment thickness, crustal thickness, and overall geometry of the basin. This study utilizes recordings of about 40 distant earthquakes from 2006 to 2008 to calculate receiver functions, and construct S-wave velocity models for each station using the Neighbourhood Algorithm inversion. The surface sediments are found to range in thickness from about 0.8 to 2.7 km, and the volcanic layer below ranges in thickness from 2.3 to 4.7 km. Both sediments and volcanic cover are thickest in the central part of the basin. The average crustal thickness across the basin is about 30-32 km; it is thicker in the northern and western parts of the basin, and thinner in the southern and eastern parts. This study complements other research in this region, such as independent active-source seismic studies and magnetotelluric measurements, by providing site-specific images of the crustal structure down to the Moho and detailed constraints on the S-wave velocity structure.

The purpose of this work was to examine the source and fate of hydrocarbons, the primary constituents of oil, in sea otter (Enhydra lutris) habitat on the west coast of British Columbia (BC), Canada and their fate in the sea otter food web. Oil pollution is the primary threat to this recovering population, reflecting their extreme vulnerability as a result of several unique life history characteristics, including the absence of a blubber layer, reliance on their fur for insulation, and the fact that their entire lives can be spent at sea. While the vulnerability of sea otters to acute oil exposure has been demonstrated, chronic hydrocarbon exposure through dietary processes is not well understood. We measured hydrocarbon (alkane, hopane and sterane biomarker, and polycyclic aromatic) concentrations in sediments, prey items, and live-captured sea otters using high resolution gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS). Background signatures were characterized for remote sediment sites, with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) patterns revealing the predominance of petrogenic sources. However, PAH concentrations were up to three orders of magnitude higher at two small harbour sites, with patterns reflecting weathered petroleum and the combustion of fossil fuels and biomass. Concentrations at these sites exceeded both national and provincial sediment quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life. Despite differences in habitat and feeding ecology, all sea otter prey species sampled exhibited PAH patterns dominated by petrogenic low molecular weight (LMW) compounds, highlighting the likely importance of water as an exposure route. While biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) generally decreased with increasing octanol-water partitioning coefficients (log Kow) for parent PAHs, BSAFs for alkyl PAHs increased, indicative of bioaccumulation by invertebrates. Biomagnification factors (BMFs) indicated that while parent PAHs biodiluted in sea otters, consistent with metabolic elimination, some higher alkylated 3- and 4-ring PAHs biomagnified, challenging the commonly held view that PAHs dilute in food webs. This retention was reflected in estimated ∑PAH body burdens, in which alkyl PAHs comprised 89 ± 7% and 84 ± 10% of totals in male and female otters, respectively. While vertebrates are efficient metabolizers of parent PAHs, this apparent retention of some alkyl PAHs in sea otters raises concerns about the potential toxicological effects of these poorly understood compounds. This research suggests that sea otters may be vulnerable to PAH-related health risks as a consequence of their large dietary requirements (~25% of body weight per day), even when prey PAH concentrations are low.

With an increasing number of large area data sets, many study areas exhibit spatial non-stationarity or spatial variation in mean and variance of observed phenomena. This poses issues for a number of spatial analysis methods which assume data are stationary. The Getis and Ord’s Gi* statistic is a popular measure that, like many others, is impacted by non stationarity. The Gi* is used for locating hot and cold spots in marked data through the detection of spatial autocorrelation in values that are extreme relative to the global mean value, or the mean entire study area. This thesis describes modifications of the Getis and Ord’s Gi* local measure of spatial association, in part to account for regional differences (spatial non-stationarity) in a dataset. Instead of using data from the entire study area to calculate the mean parameter, as is done for the standard Gi*, I capture points for calculation of the mean using a circular distance band centred on the pivot location, which I call the local region (similar to the Ord and Getis Oi statistic). This approach can be applied to a single instance of a local region or to multiple spatial scales of the local region. I explore both in this paper using simulated datasets and a case study on mountain pine beetle infestation data. I find that the local region, when of a similar size to a true region (homogeneous section of the study area where the mean is approximately the same across locations), obtains similar results to the standard Gi* calculated separately on distinct regions (simulated to be distinct), but has the advantage of not needing explicit delineation of regional boundaries or partitioning into separate subareas. The results of a probability score for a multi-scale approach include high and low scores that are more evenly distributed across the study area and that are thus able to pick out more subtle variations within different regions. Through the case study I demonstrate how the multi-scale approach may be applied to a real dataset.

Exposed on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, the Jurassic Bonanza arc is believed to represent the southerly continuation of the Talkeetna arc. Small bodies of mafic and ultramafic cumulates within deeper plutonic levels of the arc constrain the fractionation pathways leading from high-MgO basalt to andesite-dacite compositions. The removal of amphibole from the most primitive non-cumulate compositions controls the compositions of mafic plutons and volcanics until the onset of plagioclase crystallization. This removal is accomplished by the intercumulus crystallization of large amphibole oikocrysts in primitive olivine hornblendite cumulates. Experimental hornblende compositions that crystallize from high-MgO basalts similar to primitive basalts from the Bonanza arc show a good correlation between octahedral Al in hornblende and pressure, and provide a means of estimating crystallization pressures during differentiation of primitive arc basalt. Application of an empirical barometer derived from experimental amphibole data (P = Al(6)/0.056 – 0.143; r2 = 0.923) to natural hornblendes from this study suggests that crystallization of primitive basalts took place at 470-880 MPa. Two-pyroxene thermometry gives a result of 1058 +/- 91 ºC for the only olivine hornblendite sample with both pyroxenes. Lever rule calculations require the removal of 30-45 % hornblende from the most primitive basalt compositions to generate basaltic andesite, and a further 48% crystallization of hornblende gabbro to generate dacitic compositions. Hornblende removal is more efficient at generating intermediate compositions than anhydrous gabbroic fractionating assemblages, which require up to 70% crystallization to reach basaltic andesite from similar starting compositions. There are no magmatic analogues to bulk continental crust in the Bonanza arc; no amount of delamination of ultramafic cumulates will push the bulk arc composition to high-Mg# andesite. Garnet removal appears to be a key factor in producing bulk continental crust.