The Geographical Events Leading to the Waterloo Region

The Physical Events Leading to the Waterloo Region

May 25^th, 2010

(Figure 0) Waterloo

1.0 Table of Contents

Table of Contents......................... 1.0

Introduction.................................. 1.1

Events of the Precambrian........... 2.2

Events of the Paleozoic................ 3.3

Events of the Mesozoic................ 5.4

Events of the Cenozoic................. 6.5

Conclusion................................... 7.6

Bibliography.................................. 8.7

Legend-

1.1 (page one, paragraph/part 1)

Formation of the Waterloo Region

1.1 Introduction

Our present home in the Region of Waterloo ^{(figure 1)} has an immense and complex landscape on which all living things thrive on. However this piece of land was not always in such favorable condition. What we now know was the Waterloo region today is the result of movement in the tectonic plates over millions of years. This enormous process of how the Waterloo Region came to be is a fundamental and crucial knowledge we should all know.  Some important questions we should all ask are: “How have the events shaped the region?” and “What forces are responsible for the formation of Waterloo Region?” Only by asking these questions and learning the answers from them, will one understand more about our beautiful environment in which Mother Nature created.

(Figure 1) Waterloo Region

2.2 Events of the Precambrian

The formation of the Waterloo Region began in the Precambrian Era. In this era, our beautiful home was vastly different from its present landscape. The events occurred in this period began the reformation of the Waterloo Region. The Precambrian period is marked from 4600 million to 543 million years ago. At the time the region was located in the southern hemisphere where many volcanic activities took place, resulting in an immense deposit of igneous rocks and ultimately forming the Laurentia Shield.

On a more continental scale, this plate of which North America resides on during the era, the Laurentia Shield, collided with all of the rest of the shields of the Earth completing Rodinia ^{(figure 3)}. Rodinia was called by some as a “super continent”, since it was made up of all of the continents together. The formation of the “super continent” caused the folding of the places to the west side of the Waterloo Region and resulted in the formation of Grenville Mountains. Rodinia stood the test of time for a long duration. However, since the convection currents of Earth always kept the plates in motion, Rodinia began to split apart into smaller continents once more approximately 550 million years ago. When the plates fully separated from each other, the sea level covering the earth surface was at a tremendous height. By this time, the Iapetus Ocean ^{(figure 2)} had been formed and continued to grow bigger. Yet, the Waterloo Region, including other areas close to it, were covered in shallow seas. In addition, the Grenville Mountains ^{(figure 4)} to the west of the Waterloo Region has been eroding for some time, and has eroded its surface to the east, onto Waterloo. All of these abiotic variables that have occurred during this time have heavily impacted upon our region’s formation. Because of this, the Precambrian Era was an essential page to the book of the history of the Waterloo Region.

(Figure 2) Iapetus Ocean

(Figure 3) Rodinia

(Figure 4) Grenville Mountains

3.3 Events of the Paleozoic

Although the Precambrian period may have been the earliest time period in which the Waterloo Region first formed, the Paleozoic Era has also impacted our region by a substantial amount. The Grenville Mountains eventually eroded away into the Iapetus Ocean. After, the carbonates in the Iapetus Ocean had replaced the sand deposits from the Grenville Mountains. [put it in Precambrian] The carbonates then were pressed tightly and moved to the edge of the continent with clay and sand. Additionally, the Iapetus Ocean then took over 100 million years for itself to close, and formed Pangaea ^{(figure 5)}, the ‘second’ super continent. As it closed, its intense folding, faulting and monumental pressure created another mountain chain. As a result of this process, called the Taconic Orogeny, the Appalachian Mountains were formed. This creation of the mountain chain caused a compression into the ground, called the Michigan Basin. Also, this mountain chain had eroded and its deposits accumulated into our region, developing the Ordovician Queenston Shale.

505 million years ago preceding the Late Ordovician period was the Middle Cambrian period. The Waterloo Region today still has the ancient rocks from the Middle Cambrian period. They stand approximately 2 metres thick in the ground, just above the Precambrian rocks.  

The sub-era of Late Ordovician period occurred 450 million years ago. This period had numerous major occurrences that adjusted the shape our region. For example, during this period, the uplift of North America had dwindled away the ocean to the more shallow water bodies.

In the Late Silurian period the shallow oceans our area of North America mostly dried up and huge amounts of salt were deposited. These salts can even be found near Windsor. The Silurian rocks formed the top of the Niagara Escarpment, can be seen in the Elora and the Rockwood bedrock beside the Grand River.

The last period was the Early Devonian Period which held many surprising secrets at the mouth of the Grand River. Many fossils formed during this time period. Unfortunately, the rocks of the same period were eroded from this area in the past.

The Paleozoic Era had one of the most abundant sub-eras containing information about the Waterloo region. Thus, the Paleozoic Era is an important piece of the formation of the Waterloo Region as a whole.

(Figure 5) Pangaea

5.4 Events of the Mesozoic

All of the features in the Paleozoic Era still remain in the Mesozoic Era. In addition to that, as with the Paleozoic Era, this geologic time period continued to change the Waterloo region, ‘replacing’ the role of the Paleozoic Era. An important aspect was that it was the time of the dinosaurs ^{(figure 6)}, and other ancient animals. It was also the same time when these colossal dinosaurs became extinct. Some of these organisms, such as the Pterodactyl, inhabited our area during the Jurassic period and until the Late Cretaceous period.

However, it was also a great time because of the physical changes of the Earth that affected our region from this era. Most of the rocks from this age were unfortunately not present in our beloved Waterloo. Instead, they are in the James Bay Lowlands. One of the most exciting things that happened during this time, particularly in the Cretaceous period, was that the super-continent Pangaea broke up and started to form into the continents we can see today, and the Atlantic Ocean. In addition to the Atlantic Ocean, North America was still covered in seas, including the Michigan Sea. The Michigan Sea played a key part in forming our Waterloo Region, since the end result of the sea from differential erosion was the Niagara Escarpment ^{(figure 7)}.

As with many of the major eras, the formation of the Waterloo region cannot be told in complete detail without the major events that occurred during the Mesozoic Era. Therefore, the Mesozoic Era held many important events, which helped create our region.

(Figure 6) Dinosaur

(Figure 7) Niagara Escarpment

6.5 Events of the Cenozoic

The Waterloo Region during the Mesozoic Era was almost to its present shape. However, there is still the Cenozoic Era, the Ice Ages, and the finishing formation of our Grand River. This final period is the one in which we reside in currently. A lot has happened, even though our period is small compared to previous eras.

Even though there weren’t any super-continents there was the Quaternary period. This period is the period of the Ice Ages, with eskers, drumlins, glaciers and kames.

The ice sheets ^{(figure 8)} that covered almost all of the land had given a tremendous amount of influence on the topography on the continents, including our continent. Glaciers had advanced very far down near the United States around 18 000 years ago and carved the shape of the land, which is a process known as “glacial erosion”. Around 14 000 years ago, these massive glacial ices retreated and its geological impact formed depressions, which were soon to be filled with water and be what we now call the Great Lakes. Once these massive ice sheets retreated, they created erratics, which were bedrock carried by the ice, carved eskers into the land, formed the many drumlins which are near Waterloo, and also made meltwater, which filled the Great Lakes with fresh water.

            The Great Lakes is a crucial water form in our region; but the Grand River is also another important water form. The large Quaternary moraines and the deep, buried valleys from the Grand River are both are our dominant drinking-water supplies. In addition to that, deposits from the glacial till from the Quaternary period can still be found today in the Grand River.

            In recent history, a biotic factor has influenced the land on a grand scale, compared to some of the abiotic ones. This biotic factor is us. We humans have changed the shape of the land in such a huge way and in such a short time, that today; we can see how much the land is different because of mankind’s intelligence. There are many roads, many highways, huge buildings, and other various man-made structures.

            The Cenozoic Era had many interesting and unique events which is completely different from the other eras. This era is the one in which the land is mostly influenced by, since the Cenozoic Era was the most recent of all. The most probable and major event which happened was humanity’s influence upon the land, and the Ice Ages. Therefore, the Cenozoic Period was an essential part to know about in the history of the Waterloo Region.

(Figure 8) Ice Sheets

7.6 Conclusion

Many changes have influenced with each other throughout the four major Eras which include; the Precambrian Era, the Paleozoic Era, the Mesozoic Era, and the Cenozoic Era. These changes connected with each other in such a way so that our present Earth, including our very own Waterloo Region, can exist. This region has endured two super continents, many ice ages, and of course, us humans. Without these important events from the four major eras, we would not have this area in which we can thrive upon.

Because of all of these important aspects which influenced the current shape of our region, I conclude that the Waterloo Region would not be the same without these physical events leading to the present form of our area.

8.7 Bibliography

Research

Morgan, Alan V. (March 12^th, 2006). Quaternary Geology of the Grand River Basin. From Geoscape Grand River. Retrieved June 2^nd, 2010, from http://www.geoscapegrandriver.ca/

Morgan, Alan V. (not specified). Geo Time Trail. Retrieved June 2^nd, 2010, from http://wci.wrdsb.on.ca/geography/uploads/Geo_time_trail.pdf

Not specified. (not specified).Formation of Waterloo Region Info Text. Retrieved June 2^nd, 2010, from http://wci.wrdsb.on.ca/geography/uploads/Formation_of_waterloo_region_infotext.doc

Photos

Figure 0: Waterloo [Map]. (not specified). Retrieved from June 2^nd, 2010, from http://www.city.waterloo.on.ca/Portals/57ad7180-c5e7-49f5-b282-c6475cdb7ee7/CS_EDM_images/proximity.gif

Figure 1: Waterloo Region [Map]. (not specified). Retrieved June 2^nd, 2010, from http://www.graac.ca/admin/sources/editor/assets/RegionColourMunicipalities.jpg

Figure 2: Iapetus Ocean [Artist’s representation]. (not specified). Retrieved from June 2^nd, 2010, from http://image.absoluteastronomy.com/images/encyclopediaimages/b/ba/baltica-laurentia_caradoc_en.svg.png

Figure 3: Rodinia [Map]. (not specified). Retrieved from June 2^nd, 2010, from http://sixtydegreesbelowzero.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/rodinia_750b.jpg

Figure 4: Grenville Mountains [Diagram]. (not specified). Retrieved from June 2^nd, 2010, from http://www.jamestown-ri.info/grenville_exposure.gif

Figure 5: Pangaea [Artist’s representation]. (not specified). Retrieved from June 2^nd, 2010, from http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/pangaea_h.jpg

Figure 6: Dinosaur [Artist’s representation]. (not specified). Retrieved from June 2^nd, 2010, from http://domz60.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/dinosaur.jpg

Figure 7: Niagara Escarpment [Photograph]. (not specified). Retrieved from June 2^nd, 2010, from http://brucetrail.org/images/0000/0055/niagara_escarpment.jpg

Figure 8: Ice Sheets [Illustration]. (not specified). Retrieved from June 2^nd, 2010, from http://www.learner.org/courses/essential/earthspace/images/show6_ice_age.jpg