EON-ROSE

Along its coasts, Canada is facing a wide range of hazards, including flooding by storm surges and tsunami, coastal erosion and subsidence. In the Arctic, there are additional concerns over loss of glacier and sea ice and permafrost. This research theme will advance monitoring of temporal changes in land, water and ice masses, as well as the hazards resulting from such changes, by integrating data from multiple satellite missions with CCArray observations using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers and devices for precise measurement of Earth’s gravitational field.

The critical zone extends from the top of the tree canopy to the deepest penetration of groundwater, and is where life interacts with the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. The critical zone provides a link between deep earth and atmospheric boundary layer processes, and acts as the interface through which these disparate zones interact. Thus, critical zone structure and function evolve with changing climatic and tectonic conditions, which regulate water and nutrient availability. From the rapidly uplifting ranges of Cascadia and Yakutat to the rapidly changing arctic landscapes of Tuktoyaktuk, the climatic and tectonic gradients encompassed by the Canadian Cordillera provide a natural laboratory to test how perturbations in climate and tectonic activity affect critical zone evolution. The CCArray “Critical Zone” theme researchers will use a transdisciplinary approach to exploit the dynamic tectonic and climatic environments of the Canadian Cordillera to elucidate critical zone processes and responses. Measurements of shallow hydrological, geochemical, geophysical, and biological characteristics of the critical zone will serve to connect our understanding of how deep earth and atmospheric processes influence life’s progress on Earth.

Global geochemical cycles maintain the Earth in a more-or-less steady state. Fluid-rock interaction is a major process, which helps sustain these geochemical cycles. Fluids move through the crust along faults and fractures, and are responsible for mass transport of elements and nutrients from the deep crust to near-surface environments. Thermal (e.g., magmatic) and tectonic events are two key drivers for fluid movement. Some of these fluids are responsible for the formation of important exploitable energy-related geological resources, including fossil fuels, geothermal, fissionable materials and metals.

During fluid-rock interaction, minerals can form that are diagnostic of the fluids. For example, chemical and isotopic analysis of these minerals can provide valuable information regarding the timing of when the fluid passed along a fault or fracture and the type of fluid (magmatic, rainwater, brine etc.). These signatures of fluid-rock interactions can affect 1000s of km3 of rock (e.g., sedimentary basins, metamorphic haloes around igneous intrusions) and are often used to explore for natural resources. The Geochemistry theme within CCArray will study the role of faults as conduits for magmatic and hydrothermal activity in western Canada using novel geochemical and geochronological techniques.

The CCArray theme “Geohazards Related to Resource Development and Infrastructure” is broadly defined to cover studies focusing on geohazards that are either resulted from or may have significant impact on the safety and/or operation of the development of natural resources as well as associated facilities and infrastructure. Specific topics include, but not limit to, quantitative characterization of various types of geohazards in western Canada where developments of natural resource are on-going or planned in the near future, delineation of the sources of various geohazards that may have a significant impact on the developmental process of natural resources and the construction of facilities and infrastructure in the context of regional tectonics, and the investigation and simulation of possible interactions between the formation and evolution of geohazards and man-made activities. Two of the most noticeable geohazards related to resource development and infrastructure are induced earthquakes and triggered landslides. A multi-disciplinary approach is proposed to best address these challenging issues with observations from both seismology and space-based geodesy. Targeted case studies will be conducted for significant events with important implications for regional hazard assessment and/or regulatory considerations.

Concerns over climate change are largely tied to combustion of fossil fuels to meet energy demands of society. A transition to renewable non-CO2 emitting energy sources is thus critical to ensure climate stability. Compared to any other renewable, geothermal energy is by far the most reliable source of electricity. Geothermal systems can also provide excellent sources of thermal energy for communities and industry. Indicators for enormous geothermal potential exist throughout the Canadian Cordillera, including numerous thermal springs and volcanoes, yet Canada has not harnessed this energy resource. Exploration and development is hindered by lack of solid geoscience data that can help reduce the exploration risk associated with targeting deep geothermal resources. The CCArray “Geothermal Energy” theme will develop new geoscience tools to support the exploration and sustainable development of geothermal resources. Application of new geophysical methods combined with structural geology, fluid geochemistry, and rock physical properties will be used to help define the occurrence of deep seated geothermal resources that can provide a clean and reliable source of renewable energy to the nation.

The Cordilleran foreland region has experienced a sharp increase in induced seismicity that has, in some cases, been linked to fault activation by hydraulic fracturing. Key to improved understanding of natural and induced seismicity and the hazards posed to people, the environment and infrastructure are detailed pictures of the relationship between seismicity and its causes – be they natural or induced and a better understanding of ground motion. CCArray research will examine the relationship of seismicity patterns to tectonic features and industrial activity associated with development of low-permeability oil and gas resources, including hydraulic fracturing and wastewater disposal.  The objective is to characterize both natural and induced-seismicity hazards and the factors that control these processes.

Most metallic mineral deposits form at places where there is a specific geological architecture, and a special set of geological interactions between fluids, magmas, faults and rocks. Because we all consume metals all the time, society demands that we explore to find more. Discovering new mineral resources is increasingly difficult. Much of the land surface has been well-explored, is covered with glacial till, or is off limits to mining activites. Therefore, mineral exploration must increasingly consider the type of geological architecture and locations of past geological interactions deeper and deeper in the crust.

Various geophysical methods, likes the ones included in CCarray, provide researchers with an unparalleled opportunity to ‘see’ into the crust to identify those geological features like deep faults that may be responsible for bringing metal-bearing magmas and fluids to the near-surface. We can look backwards by evaluating features beneath existing mineral deposits, and look forward by considering locations where as yet undiscovered resources may occur.

The Canadian Cordillera and the adjacent continental craton have been built and modified by multiple tectonic events over the last 2+ billion years, including episodes of plate rifting, subduction, terrane accretion, and mountain-building. The CCArray Tectonic Processes Theme seeks to understand the evolution and current tectonics of western Canada, from the Earth’s surface to the upper mantle. What processes have governed the development of the Cordillera? How are these preserved in the modern structure of the continent and underlying mantle? What is the relationship between present-day plate boundaries and deformation/seismicity of western Canada? How do preexisting structures in the continental lithosphere control its evolution? These questions require an integrated approach that combines high-resolution geophysical imaging of the crust and mantle (primarily seismology and magnetotellurics), geodetic and geological observations of current and past lithosphere deformation, reconstructions of tectonic plate boundaries through time, and geodynamic studies of continental lithosphere and plate margin processes. Collectively, these methods span a range of time and space scales to provide insight into the complex tectonics that have shaped this dynamic region.

Climate change, hydropower generation, flood hazards and control, water supplies, and aquatic ecosystems collectively drive the need to quantify the fraction of runoff from glaciers and snow. Increased emissions of greenhouse gasses will accelerate warming in the decades ahead leading to strong mass loss and subsequent retreat of alpine glaciers. For many catchments glaciers provide cool, plentiful water to streams especially during summer and early autumn when seasonal snow packs have been depleted. Surface runoff from melting snow and ice also provides over 90% of British Columbia’s current electricity needs. Finally, rapid changes in snow cover also poses substantial risk to humans and property. The rain-on-snow floods that impacted Calgary and neighboring communities was the second most costly (over 1.7 Billion in insured losses) natural disaster to impact Canada. Collectively, these examples highlight the important links between the cryosphere and climate and why snow and ice are of great importance to Canada.