Modelling Palaeohydrological Controls in Postglacial Mountain Drainage Basins

Date
2017
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Abstract
Quaternary glacial processes were a driving factor in the formation of the landscape of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Modelling of basin scale hydrology in glaciated mountain regions, including the associated morphology and sedimentology, has not previously been undertaken. The present study investigates drainage basin hydrology for the Kananaskis Valley immediately after glaciation. Low order drainage basins are analyzed to define a prototypical basin to facilitate groundwater modelling. The surface and groundwater modelling software HydroGeoSphere is used to model the prototypical drainage basin hydrology. Results show that glaciated mountain valley morphology and glacigenic sediments are pertinent controls on both the surface and groundwater dynamics in low order drainage basins. Sediments with high hydraulic conductivity were found to play the most significant role for the fate of precipitation in mountain drainage basins. Understanding how a history of glaciation affects mountain drainage basins is crucial for fully conceptualizing the hydrology of these regions.
Description
Keywords
Geology, Hydrology, Physical Geography
Citation
Klassen, P. (2017). Modelling Palaeohydrological Controls in Postglacial Mountain Drainage Basins (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/26960