This thesis is focused on studies of glacial and slope morphology in the high Arctic of western Greenland shelf and the Molloy Hole seafloor spreading area, based on high-resolution acoustic methods and other geophysical data. The main purpose is to improve our understanding of glacial dynamics and associated processes in the marginal region of a large marine-terminating ice sheet. Newly acquired data, together with existing datasets have been compiled to create bathymetric models, which were used to study the seafloor landscape and its preserved record of glacial and sedimentary processes. The new bathymetric models were used with novel processing tools combined with seismic profiles, sub-bottom profiles and overlays of geological- and gravimetric maps to describe the observed landforms and interpret causal relationships. The main conclusions are: 1)   The underlying geology is an important control on the cross-shelf trough (CST) dimensions in western Greenland. This is likely due to the influence of underlying geology to the frictional resistance of the ice flow over the basement rock. Our observations show that ice streaming in areas with basaltic bed-types cause minimal over-deepening of the main trunk of the trough, which also has weaker lateral boundaries allowing the ice stream to shift flow direction more easily. CSTs on the Cenozoic-Mesozoic sedimentary basins indicate a stronger eroding and more focused paleo-ice streams. 2)   Bedrock lithology has an important part in controlling the location of the head-to-trough transition in CSTs of western Greenland. The areas where the head’s network of channels converges to form the main trunk of the trough are mostly located on the boundary from crystalline to sedimentary bedrock. These areas are also marked by distinct over-deepenings. 3)   Preglacial conditions such as faults/fractures and lithological properties of the basement rocks in western Greenland served as an important control on the erosional potential of the glacial processes, particularly on a local scale. Faults and fractures have led to the topographic steering of the ice flow that causes further excavation and erosion of the bed, while uneven erosion patterns, based on differences in glacial morphological features, is observed between areas of adjacent bedrocks with different lithology. 4)   The occurrence of trough mouth fans is suggested to be controlled mainly by the shelf width, which governs the glacial flow length along available sediment sources. It is also controlled by the continental slope steepness, which may be too steep for sediment fans to accumulate, or may cause slope failure which eventually transports the sediments to the deep basin. 5)   The maximum ice extent in west Greenland extended towards the shelf edge. Geomorphological evidence of ice margin standstills and slow retreat (grounding zone wedges and transverse moraines) in some areas reveal a multi-stage deglaciation process. 6)   The view of a highly dynamic paleo-Greenland ice sheet is supported by the presence of a large number of CSTs which hosted ice streams, and evidence of ice stream flow-switching throughout one or several glaciations. 7)   The influence of glacial sedimentary processes extends into the deepest areas of the Arctic Ocean. A submarine landslide, here termed the Molloy Slide, has been described in the Molloy Hole in the Davis Strait between Greenland and Svalbard. This slide was likely caused by massive glacial sediment deposition along the west Svalbard margin. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Manuscript. Paper 2: Manuscript.</p>

The Fraser delta hosts a population of over 500,000 including the municipalities of Richmond and Delta and the Vancouver International Airport. The main arm of the Fraser River has been fixed in place by construction of a jetty focusing sediment deposition on the Sand Heads area. There is a history of submarine slide events at the delta crest which pose substantial risk to coastal infrastructure near the delta front. A submarine channel, characterized by prominent levee deposits, extends seaward from the Sand Heads area. In this study, sand beds in cores from levee overspill deposits are dated using excess 210Pb activity. They are interpreted as the downstream deposits of channelized turbidity currents generated by liquefied slide material. Sedimentation is characterized by sandy mud, interpreted to be deposited continuously by river plume suspension fall-out, and two distinct kinds of sand beds which represent two genetically different processes. The first type of sand bed (Facies 6) is thick, sharp based and clean, often showing classic Bouma turbidite elements including a massive sand base with laminated sands fining up to a mud top and is interpreted as the deposit from slides involving large volumes of material at the upper reaches of the tributary channels. The second type of sand bed (Facies 5) is characterized by muddy sand, has gradational contacts, and is interpreted as a low density deposit from either river generated turbidity currents or distal turbidites from smaller slide events. Facies 6 sand beds often occur as sets of 2 to 4 beds and individual bed sets have been dated to approximately the same ages of known large-scale slide events. Facies 5 sand beds occur more frequently and generally occur after periods with high flow. Sediment cores show three distinct phases of levee growth within the past 100 years approximately. A basal phase consists of very thick beds of medium sand that are interpreted to represent the early stage of channel-levee evolution when continuous overspill occurs during turbidity current events. The second stage is characterized by thick sets of frequent Facies 6 fine grained sand beds separated by less than one year of mud deposition. These sand beds are interpreted as representing a period of levee growth where channel relief is low and overspill events occur often. The third phase is characterized by thick mud intervals with less frequent fine sand beds. Phase 3 is interpreted to reflect a state when levee growth has increased channel relief to a height greater than that of the typical channelized turbidity current. In the third phase, sediment bypass is common and only larger density flows are capable of spilling onto the levees. Deposits interpreted to represent large slides have a return interval of 10 to 15 years during the past 40 years. Deposits of smaller events occur on average every four to five years. Event ages are compared to large spring floods from the Fraser River and seismic activity to determine any causal relationship. There is some relationship between ages of event beds and river flood years, but the largest sand beds do not correspond to unusually large flood years or seismic activity. It is concluded that there are likely a combination of factors which contribute to slope failure including over steepening and increased pore pressure. / Graduate / 0372 / cooper.stacey@nrcan.gc.ca