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Presents a reply to a comment on the study "Analysis and Reinterpretation of Deformation Features in the Rouge River Valley, Scarborough, Ontario," by N. Eyles and A. Mohajer. Structural analysis of deformation features in relation to local ice flow directions; Interpretation of drumilinoid features; Compatibility of the faults with neotectonic-related or glacial tectonic-related processes.

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Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: We relate families of faults in the Ottawa graben to periods in the tectonic evolution of eastern North America. The Ottawa graben is a seismically active structure that coincides with a 55km wide topographic depression extending from near Montréal through Ottawa. It is part of the St. Lawrence rift system that also includes the seismically active Saguenay graben. The Cambrian to Ordovician sedimentary rocks that overlie Grenvillian basement rocks in the Ottawa area are cut by several generations of brittle faults. Relative ages of faults and associated structures are determined, or inferred, from field studies of key outcrops. Three periods of faulting are defined. The orientations of the paleo-stress fields associated with each period are modelled using fault and fault surface lineations orientation data. The oldest generation of faults (D1) formed in response to a stress field in which the greatest principal stress (σ 1) was horizontal and oriented NW. D2 and D3 occurred when σ 1 was oriented WNW and SW, respectively. Hence the paleo-stress field underwent a counterclockwise rotation from D1 to D3. The D2 and D3 periods involved the reactivation of faults and the development of new faults. D1 structures are kinematically congruent with the compressional direction associated with the closing of the Iapetus Ocean during Paleozoic time. Emplacement of Cretaceous carbonatite dykes coincided with D2, which occurred during the Mesozoic when the stress regime was associated with the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. The relative timing of these structures supports both Paleozoic and Mesozoic ages of mineralization events within the Ottawa graben. D3 structures are consistent with the post-Cretaceous stress field in eastern North America. Recent seismicity within the Ottawa graben may involve reactivations of faults belonging to the families identified in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Cariboo Mountains, British Columbia, contain an intracontinental dextral strike-slip fault system that crosscuts the regional fold structures. This fault system accounts for a minimum of 120 km and a maximum of 200 km of dextral strike-slip displacement. This probably accommodates some of the motion associated with the southern termination of the Northern Rocky Mountain Trench Fault and is part of a step-over zone between the Northern Rocky Mountain Trench Fault and the Fraser River – Straight Creek fault systems. The Isaac Lake Synclinorium is a kilometre-scale Jurassic fold structure that is bounded by the dextral oblique Isaac Lake and Winder strike-slip faults. These faults are part of the regional strike-slip fault system that is found throughout the Cariboo Mountains. Deformation associated with the strike-slip faults is complex and is partitioned into motion along the faults and into the formation of kilometre-scale folds that are found in areas between the faults. The angular relationship between the strike-slip faults and folds conforms to models developed for dextral strike-slip fault systems with drag on high-friction faults. We interpreted these structures to have formed during a continuous deformation event. Timing constraints indicate that faulting started by the Late Cretaceous and may have had a long and protracted history into the Tertiary.La chaîne Cariboo, en Colombie-Britannique, possède un système intracontinental de failles décrochantes dextres qui recoupe les structures de pli régionales. Ce système de failles est responsable d'un déplacement horizontal dextre d'au moins 120 km et d'au plus 200 km. Il est aussi probablement responsable d'une partie du mouvement associé à l'extrémité sud de la faille du sillon des Rocheuses septentrionales et il fait partie de la zone empiétant sur la faille du sillon des Rocheuses septentrionales et les systèmes de failles Fraser River – Straight Creek. Le synclinorium de Isaac Lake est une structure de pli d'ordre kilométrique, datant du Jurassique; il est limité par les failles décrochantes dextres obliques de Isaac Lake et de Winder. Ces failles font partie du système de failles décrochantes régionales que l'on retrouve à travers toute la chaîne Cariboo. La déformation associée aux failles décrochantes est complexe et elle est répartie en mouvement le long des failles et en formation de plis d'échelle kilométrique qui se retrouvent dans certaines régions entre les failles. La relation angulaire entre les failles décrochantes et les plis est conforme aux modèles développés pour des systèmes de failles décrochantes dextres comportant du frottement pour les failles à coefficient de frottement élevé. Nous croyons que ces structures ont été formées au cours d'un événement de déformation continue. Les contraintes de temps indiquent que les failles ont débuté au Crétacé tardif et qu'elles ont pu avoir une longue histoire qui s'est prolongée jusqu'au Tertiaire.[Traduit par la Rédaction] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural information about that portion of the economically important Destor–Porcupine Deformation Zone and its associated faults, which lie buried under many metres of Clay Belt sediments in the region north of Matheson, Ontario, must rely principally on interpretation of geophysical data. In this area, the Archean greenstones of the Abitibi are crosscut by at least three generations of strongly magnetic diabase dykes. The predominant dyke set, the Matachewan, trend north–south, orthogonal to structures in the greenstones. Directional horizontal derivative analysis of the total magnetic field, which has a much sharper angular cutoff than that provided by standard Fourier-based filters, provides a method for separating the magnetic contributions from these two sources. This analysis revealed the existence of a previously unidentified fault (the Winslow fault) located to the north of, and parallel to, the economically significant Pipestone Fault. We also define a second new fault, the Carr fault, that is intimately associated with the existence of a buried felsic intrusive complex in Carr Township. Possible associations between these faults and previously known faults defined from surface mapping programs are explored.On doit se fier surtout à des interprétations de données géophysiques pour obtenir des informations structurales sur la portion d'importance économique de la Zone de déformation Destor–Porcupine et ses failles associées qui se trouvent enfouies sous plusieurs mètres de sédiments du Clay Belt dans la région au nord de Matheson, en Ontario. Dans cette région, les roches vertes archéennes de l'Abitibi sont recoupées par au moins trois générations de dykes de diabase fortement magnétiques. L'ensemble de dykes prédominant, le Matachewan, a une direction N–S orthogonale aux structures dans les roches vertes. L'analyse directionnelle de la dérive horizontale du champ magnétique total, qui a une coupure angulaire beaucoup plus abrupte que celle des filtres standard basés sur les séries de Fourier, fournit une méthode pour séparer les contributions magnétiques de ces deux sources. Cette analyse révèle l'existence d'une faille antérieurement non identifiée (la faille Winslow) située au nord de, et parallèle à, la faille Pipestone, une faille d'une grande importance économique. Nous définissons également une seconde nouvelle faille, la faille Carr, qui est intimement associée à l'existence d'un complexe intrusif felsique enfoui dans le canton de Carr. Nous étudions aussi les associations possibles entre ces failles et d'autres failles connues antérieurement alors que définies par des programmes de cartographie de surface.[Traduit par la Rédaction] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stability graph method is a design tool used for open stope design in many mines throughout the world. After eighteen years of experience with this design tool, some limitations have been identified. One shortcoming of the stability graph method is the fact that it does not contain a factor that accounts for the presence of faults near the stope surface. This criticism is a legitimate one, considering that most metalliferous orebodies are associated with faults by their genesis, and that invariably, dilution in many open stopes is often related to the presence of faults. Therefore, a procedure that leads to the incorporation of a factor to account for faults in the stability graph has been developed to significantly improve the stability graph in predicting stope performance. Fault factor curves for use in the Canadian Shield where the in situ stress ratio K is often close to 2 have been proposed. This paper validates the use of the fault factor with case histories from the Kidd #3 Mine in Timmins, Ontario, Canada, and presents a stability graph that accounts for faults. The fault factor reduces the stability number N and improves the prediction of stope performance and improves dilution control. Two statistical indices are also presented for assessing the reliability of the stability graph in predicting open stope performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Timiskaming Graben is a 400 km long, 50 km wide north-west trending morphotectonic depression within the Canadian Shield of eastern North America and experiences frequent intraplate earthquakes. The graben extends along the border of Ontario and Quebec, connecting southward with the Nipissing and Ottawa-Bonnechere grabens and the St. Lawrence Rift System which includes a similar structure underlying the Hudson Valley of the eastern USA. Together they form a complex failed rift system related to regional extension of North American crust during the breakup of Rodinia and, later, Pangea. The Timiskaming Graben lies within a belt of heightened seismic activity (Western Quebec Seismic Zone) with frequent moderate magnitude (greater than magnitude 5) earthquakes including a magnitude 6.2 in 1935. These events threaten aging urban infrastructure built on soft glacial sediments; post-glacial landslides along the Ottawa Valley suggest earthquakes as large as magnitude 7. The inner part of the Timiskaming Graben is filled by Lake Timiskaming, a large 110 km long post-glacial successor to glacial Lake Barlow that was ponded by the Laurentide Ice Sheet 9500 years ago. The effects of frequent ground shaking on lake floor sediments was assessed by collecting more than 1000 line kilometres of high-resolution 'chirp' seismic profiles. Late glacial Lake Barlow glaciolacustrine and overlying post-glacial sediments are extensively deformed by extensional faults that define prominent horsts and grabens; multibeam bathymetry data suggest that faults influence the morphology of the modern lake floor, despite high sedimentation rates, and indicate recent neotectonic deformation. The Lake Timiskaming area provides evidence of post-glacial intracratonic faulting related to recurring earthquake activity along a weak spot within the North American plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional geological mapping of the glaciated surface of northwestern Victoria Island in the western Canadian Arctic revealed an anomalous structure in otherwise flat-lying Neoproterozoic and lower Paleozoic carbonate rocks, located south of Richard Collinson Inlet. The feature is roughly circular in plan view, approximately 25 km in diameter, and characterized by quaquaversal dips of approximately 45°, decreasing laterally. The core of the feature also exhibits local vertical dips, low-angle reverse faults, and drag folds. Although brecciation was not observed, shatter cones are pervasive in all lithologies in the central area, including 723 Ma old dikes that penetrate Neoproterozoic limestones. Their abundance decreases distally, and none was observed in surrounding, horizontally bedded strata. This circular structure is interpreted as a deeply eroded meteorite impact crater of the complex type, and the dipping strata as the remnants of the central uplift. The variation in orientation and shape of shatter cones point to variably oriented stresses with the passage of the shock wave, possibly related to the presence of pore water in the target strata as well as rock type and lithological heterogeneities, especially bed thickness. Timing of impact is poorly constrained. The youngest rocks affected are Late Ordovician (approximately 450 Ma) and the impact structure is mantled by undisturbed postglacial sediments. Regional, hydrothermal dolomitization of the Ordovician limestones, possibly in the Late Devonian (approximately 360 Ma), took place before the impact, and widespread WSW- ENE-trending normal faults of probable Early Cretaceous age (approximately 130 Ma) apparently cross-cut the impact structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY In the stable craton of northeastern Canada moderate seismicity as well as glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) has been observed. We investigate five earthquakes with moment magnitudes between 3.6 and 4.1 that have occurred in northern Hudson Bay since 2007, which may be triggered by GIA. Focal mechanisms of the earthquakes are determined using a waveform-fitting procedure for surface waves, in which the best double-couple mechanism is obtained through a grid search over strike, dip, and rake. All events exhibit a thrust-fault mechanism, in general agreement with mechanisms of previously analysed earthquakes in that area. Stress-inversion results incorporating our new mechanisms as well as previously published results exhibit significant differences from previously calculated stresses from GIA models. For the first time, maximum horizontal stress direction S Hmax is compared to the modelled stress values for northeastern Canada. We find that the maximum horizontal stress direction strikes roughly NNW-SSE, in contrast to previously inferred NE-SW orientation of S Hmax. Our results indicate that the local stress field in northern Hudson Bay deviates from regional stresses resulting from the existence of a roughly E-W oriented zone of faulting, which is not included in existing GIA models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Charlevoix seismic zone (CSZ) in the St Lawrence valley of Québec is historically the most active in eastern Canada. The structurally complex region comprises rift faults formed during the opening of the Iapetus Ocean, superimposed by a 350 Ma meteorite impact structure, resulting in a circular highly fractured zone. Although seismicity is localized along two steeply dipping planar rift-parallel zones, previous work indicates that most of the large-scale rift faults bound the low magnitude background seismicity rather than generate earthquakes themselves. In order to gain insight into the mechanics of the partitioning of this seismicity, a 2-D model of the CSZ was built using the stress analysis code FLAC. The rift faults are represented by frictional discontinuities. The heavily fractured impact structure is represented by an elastic continuum of reduced modulus. Boundary displacements are used to generate a regional stress field with the major horizontal component in the direction of tectonic loading. Given a high strength, the rift faults have little effect on the stress patterns. Stress trajectories naturally flow around the crater of reduced elastic modulus, leaving the fractured area with lower stresses than the background level. However, when the rift faults have low strength, they are unable to support stress trajectories inclined to them, due to the resolved shear stress exceeding their strength. This prevents trajectories from flowing out of the rift, effectively channelling higher magnitude stresses into the region of the impact structure between the faults. Low-strength bounding faults can thus explain the localization of seismicity into linear bands, rather than distributed seismicity throughout the impact structure. It also explains how the rift faults act as boundaries to regions of low magnitude seismicity. These results indicate that the interplay between faults of varying strength and zones of differing elastic modulus can give rise to complicated stress patterns, and can explain many of the seismicity patterns observed in the CSZ. This has implications for other intraplate seismic zones, as it shows an example of how regional weak faults can modify stress conditions around local structures and drive seismicity. The results are particularly relevant for other regions located within rifted crust, such as the New Madrid seismic zone, which possibly display evidence of stress channelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Application of bandpass and directional filtering to potential-field data in northwestern Canada allows separation of anomalies due to northwest-oriented upper crustal sources that are associated with Cordilleran structures from anomalies due to northeast-oriented lower crustal sources that are primarily associated with Precambrian Shield rocks. In northeastern British Columbia, northeast-trending lower crustal structures of the Canadian Shield as represented in the gravity patterns appear to project west of the Tintina fault – Northern Rocky Mountain Trench at about 56°N. About 400–500 km farther north, the Tintina fault may penetrate into the lithospheric mantle. It is, thus, likely that the depth extent of the Tintina fault rises southward into the crust, as dextral strike-slip motion is transformed into contractional structures of the southern Cordillera.L'application de filtres directionnels à bandes passantes sur des données de champ potentiel dans le Nord-ouest canadien permet de séparer les anomalies dues à des sources de la croûte supérieure orientées vers le nord-ouest (qui sont associées aux structures de la Cordillère) des anomalies causées par des sources de la croûte inférieure orientées vers le nord-est (qui sont surtout associées à des roches du Bouclier précambrien). Dans le Nord-ouest de la Colombie-Britannique, les structures à direction nord-est de la croûte inférieure du Bouclier, telles que représentées dans les patrons de gravité, semblent se projeter à l'ouest de la faille Tintina – sillon des Rocheuses septentrional à environ 56ºN. Environ 400–500 km plus au nord, la faille Tintina pourrait pénétrer dans le manteau lithosphérique. Il est donc probable que la profondeur de la faille Tintina s'élève vers le sud à l'intérieur de la croûte alors que le décrochement dextre est transformé en structures de contraction de la Cordillère méridionale.[Traduit par la Rédaction] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the possibility that the mylonitic mafic granulite in the fault megabreccia at Clarke Head, Nova Scotia is a specimen of Avalonian lower crust. Development of the fault megabreccia within a major Late Palaeozoic transcurrent structure; Survival of the original geochemical signature through dynamic recrystallization at granulite grade.