| This thesis is an investigation of the development of the aeolian landscape of the Prairie Provinces of Canada. Understanding the development of one of Canada's most sensitive landscapes can give insight into the landscape response to future environmental change. As the region was deglaciated between 18 and 8 ka BP, the sand dunes reflect the environmental conditions of the late Pleistocene and throughout the Holocene. The most comprehensive study to date, this thesis identified, measured and classified the morphologic characteristics of 125 visible dune occurrences (2508 measured individuals), revealing three regions of similar characteristics. The northern region reflects the winds off the Laurentide ice sheet; the central region reflects the variability in trajectory of the Pacific Westerly circulation; and the southern region reflects the recurrent drought conditions common across the northern Great Plains. The conclusions of this thesis are fourfold. Initially, the sediment supply was deposited within a short period immediately following deglaciation. Since this period further dune initiation and development has arisen from the sediment stored within the forms themselves. Secondly, transport capacity has remained competent since deglaciation, and hence, dune development and morphology are dependent on the temporal and spatial variability of sediment availability. Thirdly, in the southern region and portions of the central region numerous cycles of re-activation throughout the Holocene have continually modified the primary forms; and lastly, the largest of these cycles will likely not affect any occurrences beyond the transitional sub-regions of the southern and central regions. |
