LE3 .A278 2023

2023

Snyder, Mo

Acadia University

Bachelor of Science

Honours

Environmental Science

Earth & Environmental Sciences

The objective of this project is two-fold: to examine the accuracy of the current geological map and to produce an environmental risk assessment in a small area near Pugwash, Nova Scotia. This area lies within the Cumberland sub-basin, a component of the late Paleozoic Maritimes Basin spanning much of onshore and offshore Atlantic Canada. The current geological map of the Oxford/Pugwash area includes three sizeable, yet independent, salt diapirs mapped along a NE–SW trend. However, this map predates developments in the understanding of salt tectonics that support the notion that the three diapirs are likely part of a larger salt structure, likely a salt wall. To test the hypothesis, the areas between the diapirs are examined to determine if there is evidence of a salt wall connecting them. Sinkholes outside the mapped diapir limits, borehole data, and geological mapping all support the interpretation that a salt wall, and not isolated salt diapirs, exist in the area of interest. To address the second part of this project, producing an environmental risk assessment, we collect data from the local populace, through informal interviews and surveys, about sinkhole risks in the area. It is apparent during these interviews, that most locals are unaware of any potential geological hazards (e.g., sinkholes) in their communities. The overall goal of this second objective is to increase public awareness of geohazards to mitigate the potential impact of sudden structural collapses.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:4020