Proactive disclosure Print version ![Print version Print version](/web/20061103003040im_/http://www.gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/esst_images/_printversion2.gif) ![](/web/20061103003040im_/http://www.gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/esst_images/_spacer.gif) | ![](/web/20061103003040im_/http://www.gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/esst_images/_spacer.gif) | ![Geological Survey of Canada Geological Survey of Canada](/web/20061103003040im_/http://www.gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/esst_images/gsc_e.jpeg) Natural Resources Canada > Earth Sciences Sector > Geological Survey of Canada > Pacific > Vancouver
GSC Pacific (Vancouver) Projects - Current
Title: |
Integrated petroleum resource potential and geoscience studies of the Bowser and Sustut basins, northern British Columbia |
Project Leader: |
Carol Evenchick (GSC Vancouver) |
Description:
![Click for a larger image](/web/20061103003040im_/http://www.gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/org/vancouver/programs/images/landslide3_t.jpg) |
A pan-basin multi-thematic analysis of two frontier basins, backed by GIS-enabled datasets and models, and resource assessment, will provide the petroleum industry with a quantum leap in information and interpretations for making exploration spending decisions by reducing exploration risk.
A wide range of primary products will be completed (multi-thematic geoscience syntheses and petroleum assessments, digital basin atlas, complementary maps, papers and nontechnical reports).
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Program: |
Northern Resources Development |
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Title: |
Triassic time and correlations |
Project Leader: |
Mike Orchard (GSC Vancouver) |
Description: |
Triassic rocks host a considerable resource of both hydrocarbons and metals: understanding their genesis and distribution is made possible through accurate dating and correlation. The current project aims to consolidate geoscience knowledge in support of sound economic decisions in this area of Sustainable Development of Natural Resources. It is intended to provide essential support to geological mapping and process studies by enhancing the geoscience knowledge base for the Triassic Period (250-200 Ma) and establishing knowledge gaps. The goal is to develop a stable temporal framework that can be applied for dating and correlating events and hence understanding processes that have affected the Canadian landmass.
The project has close linkages with activities underway within the CCGK program, particularly the resource syntheses activity and the GDRIS projects. Similarly, links to the NRD Program as it relates to Northern energy and mineral knowledge gaps are key.
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Program: |
Consolidating Canada's Geoscience Knowledge |
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Title: |
Stewart River Project, Yukon: Geoscience maps to mineral wealth in the Dawson District |
Project Leader: |
Steve Gordey (GSC Vancouver) |
Description: |
This project will increase economic development in the Yukon by encouraging mineral exploration. In particular, the mineral potential of the Dawson area will be enhanced through new geoscience knowledge, developing the regional geological context for the areas mineral occurrences, and by comparing the local geology to that of important copper-zinc-lead-bearing areas in the southern Yukon. A new copper-gold deposit will be evaluated, as will the potential for others of this type. Geological mapping and a digital compilation of new and existing geoscience data will be done jointly with the Yukon territorial government, the mineral industry and local people. |
Program: |
Northern Resources Development |
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Title: |
An integrated information system for bedrock, surficial, geochronological, stratigraphical and paleontological data |
Project Leader: |
Peter Davenport (GSC Calgary) |
Description: |
This project will begin the creation of interconnected databases based on standard data models for geological map information and key underlying data and concepts(geochronology, paleontology and stratigraphy) that reside within ESS for delivery through the Geoscience Data Repository Information System(GDRIS), and through the Canadian Geoscience Knowledge Network(CGKN) internet portal. The information will be organized to be accessible and useful to a broad range of users, and the data models will be established to support the archiving and distribution needs of new projects within ESS programs, and also those of provincial and territorial surveys for future projects under the Canadian Geoscience Mapping Strategy(CGMS). Activities will interleave with parallel projects under the program, and work in related areas will be coordinated to minimize duplication and maximize linkage. |
Program: |
Consolidating Canada's Geoscience Knowledge |
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Title: |
The Gulf Islands Groundwater Project |
Project Leader: |
Murray Journeay (GSC Vancouver) |
Description:
![Click for larger image](/web/20061103003040im_/http://www.gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/org/vancouver/programs/images/groundwater_t_e.jpg) |
Located off the Eastern shore of Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands region is used as a case study area for developing methodologies to map the 3-D geologic architecture and intrinsic vulnerability of structurally-controlled regional aquifers. Groundwater flow is predominantly through fractures, with large-scale fracture zones and faults acting as primary conduits for flow at the island scale. Surficial and bedrock geology maps, soil maps, structural measurements, mapped lineaments, water well information, and topographic and bathymetric data have been assembled into a comprehensive GIS database. Data have been analyzed and interpreted using GoCAD to map the 3-dimensional architecture of selected sites, which ultimately will be valuable for flow and transport modelling. A methodology has also been developed to map the intrinsic vulnerability of fractured aquifers using a modified DRASTIC approach. The methodology, termed DRASTIC-Fm takes advantage of GIS capabilities, and incorporates the structural indices necessary for capturing the importance of regional structural elements in recharge and well capture zone determinations. |
Program: |
Groundwater |
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Title: |
Ancient Pacific Margin NATMAP Project |
Project Leader: |
Bob Thompson (GSC Sidney) |
Description: |
The Ancient Pacific Margin Project (formerly NATMAP project 990002) will synthesize geoscience data collected from a metal-rich region of the Canadian Cordillera. By filling this economically important knowledge gap, the metals industry will be strategically placed to undertake new, cost-effective and focused exploration programs. In areas where land-use involves many stakeholder groups, informed decisions that take proper account of metal potential will be possible. This project anticipates the following three primary outcomes:
- Enhanced investment opportunities derived from the marketing of "on-line", innovative geological models derived from new, synthetic geoscience products.
- Identification of economically important knowledge gaps through the comparison of APM project data, syntheses and ideas with the state of geoscience knowledge in adjoining regions.
- Enthusiasm and support for an "intergovernmental Collaborative Geological Mapping Strategies initiative" through aggressive marketing of the benefits of projects like APM.
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Program: |
Consolidating Canada's Geoscience Knowledge |
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Title: |
Multinational Andean Projects (Proyectos Multinacional Andino) |
Project Leader: |
Catherine Hickson |
Description:
![](/web/20061103003040im_/http://www.gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/org/vancouver/programs/images/mapgac.gif) |
The high Andean region of South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and Colombia) is physiographically a region of extremes. Mountain peaks rise to over 7000 m, snow accumulations are measured in 10s of metres and rainfall in metres. Even the high
plateau - the Puna or Altiplano, at an average elevation of 4200 m - suffers from extreme
dryness, winds and cold. Life in these regions is difficult, subsistence agriculture is the main
economic activity and communities in these regions are among the poorest in South America.
Per capita income in these areas is as low as $500us dollars per year. Along with the climatic
extremes, this area is subject to natural disasters on a wide scale and scarcity of water on a local
scale. Access to clean water remains a limiting factor for development in many regions. In the last
century, earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides have killed more than 200,000 people in the
participant countries, affected more than 13 million people, and caused more than 12 billion U.S.
dollars in damage (Data from OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database). Earthquakes are
common and great quakes (greater than M8) are known to occur on a generational time scale. Three
of the largest historical earthquakes ever recorded were in Chile (M9.5; 1960), Ecuador (M8.8; 1906)
and Argentina (M8.5; 1922). Volcanic eruptions are frequent, disrupting and dislocating people for
weeks or months, and sometimes killing people. In the last 100 years, more than 400,000 people have
been affected by eruptions. Landslides and debris flows occur repeatedly in this region of steep,
unstable mountainous terrain. The 1999 landslides and floods in Venezuela killed at least 30,000 people,
affected 600,000 people, and cost 2 billion U.S. dollars. The worst disaster in South America in the
last century was a combination of an earthquake and landslide which occurred in Ancash
Department, Peru 31 May 1970. This event killed more than 66,000 people, injured 143,000 and
affected 3 million people; losses were evaluated at $530us million dollars. Despite their disaster-prone
environment, the people of the region persevere; relocation is not a viable option, nor do the
governments have the resources to undertake such an endeavour. It is through increased
economic development, public planning processes and public education that the lives of these people
can be bettered.
To increase the quality of life for the peoples of the Andes will take economic activity on a broad
enough scale that through taxation revenues governments can provide infrastructure and other
social benefits. In order to foster economic activity companies must feel that social and political
stability exists in order to proceed with investment. Natural hazards form part of
the complex mixture of natural, social and political factors that influence the location and type of
investment. The availability and integration of updated geoscience and geospatial data on natural hazards will help land use
planning and optimize economic investment. It is expected that the information created, integrated and interpreted will be used by local governments in
better planning of the placement of infrastructure and community development (hazard zonation).
Appropriate mitigation strategies for large business is as important as providing information on
anthropogenic and natural hazards to individual citizens - if a natural disaster destroys the
economic base of a region the impact will be even greater and recovery longer. This impact is
especially hard on the women and children.
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Program: |
Global Opportunities Program |
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Title: |
Pathways |
Project Leader: |
Boyan Brodaric (GSC Continental Geoscience Division) |
Description: |
The UN anticipates that global population growth by the year 2030 (2 billion people) will be concentrated mainly in regional urban centers. Over this decade alone, the World Bank estimates that urban development will require over $3 trillion in new infrastructure. The impact of this growth on neighboring rural communities will be significant, particularly with respect to land use and sustainable resource management (water, energy, mineral and forest resources). Decisions made in either local or regional jurisdictional contexts will have significant consequences for neighboring regions. This has given rise to a demand for new strategies to integrate sustainability planning and decision-making processes along the urban-rural interface, both across geospatial scales and jurisdictional boundaries (Municipal and Regional Districts).
Pathways is a an ontology-based knowledge integration and decision support system (DSS) that will address these needs by situating and translating earth science information into a form that is compatible with emerging sustainability modeling, planning and decision support frameworks. The system is intended to provide capacities;
- to integrate, translate and visualize existing web-based natural and social science information and knowledge assets describing current system conditions for a given geographic region, through the use of interoperable semantic web and data mining technologies,
- to couple these information/knowledge systems with integrated assessment modeling tools to examine both likely and desirable future scenarios for a community or region, and to assist in the research and development of local, regional and federal policies that will support pathways toward preferred future scenarios,
- to monitor progress toward or away from identified planning objectives using sustainability indicators and related decision-support tools, and
- to engage multi-stakeholder community groups in the development and use of these systems in support of specific planning and decision-making functions. The system will provide a framework for integrating information and knowledge outputs of complimentary ESS programs, and will be developed using standards-based web services technologies, and emerging Canadian (CGDI) and international (OGC) standards for information and system interoperability.
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Program: |
Sustainable development through knowledge integration |
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Title: |
Geoscape Canada initiative |
Project Leader: |
Bob Turner |
Description:
![Click here for a larger image](/web/20061103003040im_/http://www.gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/org/vancouver/programs/images/radon1.jpg) |
The Geoscape Canada initiative is a collaboration between Natural Resources Canada and provincial geological surveys, universities, and other agencies. It promotes the use of relevant local geoscience information by communities across Canada through the production of colourful, large-format posters and companion web sites. Posters for Vancouver, Fort Fraser (north-central BC), Victoria, Whitehorse, southern Saskatchewan, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa/Gatineau, Québec, and Montréal, are now available through GSC sales offices, and the poster content is on the internet at http://geoscape.nrcan.gc.ca/. A new geological map of Canada for the public is now available, and Geoscape posters for Nanaimo, Edmonton, the Grand River basin (Kitchener-Waterloo area), and Nunavut region are in progress.
The Geoscape Canada initiative focuses on the geoscience issues of major Canadian metropolitan areas, where most Canadians live. We are thus speaking to Canadians about the places they care most about. The principal goal of the Geoscape Canada project is to promote wiser, science-based decision making at all levels of government levels through improved public understanding of earth science issues. A second goal is to foster links between the GSC and educators, provincial and municipal government agencies, businesses, and community organizations involved in public education.
![Visit the Geoscape Website](/web/20061103003040im_/http://www.gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/org/vancouver/programs/images/geoscapeicon.gif)
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Program: |
Consolidating Canada's Geoscience Knowledge |
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