<p> The clay mineralogy and elemental chemistry of soil and sediment samples from a small area of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago were examined. The importance of mineral-water reactions and the distinctive features of the geochemical cycle in polar regions are discussed. New data are presented for Hg, Au and Pd in near-shore sediments. In the case of Au and Pd the study was extended to include pelagic sediments from other oceans, and these results are discussed in an appendix.</p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)