Natural Resources Canada and the Yukon government have produced a poster showing the geology and geological history of the Whitehorse Valley.
The poster, titled Geoscape Whitehorse — Geoscience for a Yukon Community, spans 250 million years.
“It shows, with photographs and diagrams, the geological materials that make up the valley,” says Archie Lang, the territory’s minister of Energy, Mines and Resources. “Understanding what lies beneath our feet will help promote the wise use of our natural resources, such as ground water, energy and minerals.”
About 20,000 years ago, the entire Whitehorse Valley was filled with glacial ice. When it melted, a lake was formed. The clay cliffs, as well as the flat area used as airport runways, are what remain of the lake bottom.
The poster traces the glacial and volcanic history of the area and shows the origin of the copper deposits near Whitehorse. It also shows the origin of the community’s drinking water.
The poster is part of Geoscape Canada, an initiative by the Geological Survey of Canada to inform Canadians about geoscience issues in their communities. The poster is on display at www.sts.gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/geoscape.
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