A sedimentological and geomorphologic investigation southeast of the City of Guelph, Ontario was undertaken to determine the nature, trends in distribution, and origin of subsurface sediments in the Paris moraine. Sediments were investigated by drilling five cored-holes, mapping geomorphic elements, and creating a database of existing data. Nine broadly encompassing and reoccurring lithofacies were identified, ranging from gravel to clayey silt. The general transverse trend of geomorphic elements across the moraine consists of a frontslope, hummocky, and backslope element. Sediment-landform associations were identified from the synthesis of cored-hole, geomorphic element mapping, and lithologic cross-section data. Based on these results, the Paris Moraine is thought to be the remnants of an ice-cored controlled moraine. The relief inversion process responsible for the formation of the controlled moraine creates a horizontally and vertically variable distribution of lithofacies. Hydrogeologic properties of the moraine sediments will likely be similarly spatially variable and difficult to predict. / Ontario Research Fund, NSERC, OMAFRA

Many growing southern Ontario communities, including Guelph, rely on fractured bedrock aquifers for drinking water. Contamination and overexploitation pose a threat to these water resources, necessitating characterization of vulnerability, risks, and recharge areas. Quaternary sediments southeast of the City of Guelph, including the Paris Moraine, were investigated in order to delineate hydrostratigraphy. This was achieved through study of 9 cored-holes, as well as existing MOE, GRCA, and University of Guelph data. Falling head permeameter measurements and empirical grain-size distribution measurements and analysis were employed for determination of 𝐾𝑠𝑎𝑡 values, which were used to construct a hydrostratigraphy. Of 19 methods evaluated, The Kozeny-Carman empirical grain-size method for determining 𝐾𝑠𝑎𝑡 was found to be more representative of measured values for the study area. The area is dominated by a conductivity regime of 2.72x10-7 – 1.40x10-6 m/s with local heterogeneity present on the scale of 10’s to 100’s of meters. The Paris Moraine, particularly its backslope, is at higher risk due to its relatively high conductivity, greater occurrence of aquifer units, as well as prevalence of small-scale topographic (hummocky topography), and bedrock topographic lows. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)