GLACIAL STRATIGRAPHY AND IMPLICATIONS TO ENGINEERING GEOLOGY AND LAND-USE: AN EXAMPLE FROM FREDERICTON, NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA
The deposits at Fredericton represent several conditions that demonstrate the need for detailed stratigraphic mapping and the implications for future land-use. For example, major parts of the high-density area of Fredericton are sited on a floodplain that is prone to periodic flooding. Until recently, the floodplain was considered to overly the clay aquiclude that protected the underlying aquifer from surface contamination. However, it has been shown that in some areas, postglacial fluvial erosion has cut through the aquiclude thus enabling migration of contaminants into the aquifer. A further consideration is the high sensitivity to disturbance and vibration of the underlying clay units. This sensitivity resulted in damage to walls and chimneys from ground motion associated with the 1929 Grand Banks earthquake, sited 830 km away, and more recently to building foundations at sites adjacent to construction activities.
Considerations for future development and land-use planning include; the potential for contamination of the aquifer, flood-prone urban areas, disturbance of sensitive clay by construction and its susceptibility to seismically-induced ground disturbance.