Glacial and post-glacial events in Nova Scotia have produced a wide variety of glacial deposits and features inland, along the coast and in the province's offshore waters. Glacial features such as drumlins and eskers have influenced settlement patterns by providing agricultural land, good sites for housing development and workable aggregate resources for building and road construction. Materials range from large till with cobbles or boulders to fine-grained-sand deposits. Glaciation is also responsible for the large numbers of glacial lakes in Nova Scotia, formed by erosion and damming by deposits that obstructed water flow (see T8.2).

The most important areas, from an economic standpoint, are the glacial-retreat and post-glacial deposits, which include ablation till, glacio-fluvial and alluvial deposits (see T3.4). These deposits are found throughout the entire province and constitute the main source of (nonquarry) aggregate material. Glacial till is also the basis of many of the soil formations in the province (see T12.9)

This Document Includes:

Historical Context

1700s
1800s
1900 - 1950

The Use of Glacial Deposits Today

Forestry
Development
Recreation
Beach Mining
Quarrying

Offshore Metallic and Industrial-Mineral Potential

Placer Gold Deposits
Sand and Gravel
Environmental Concerns

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Additional Keywords:
hardwood forests, Ross Farm, Barrow pits, Silica Sand, Belmont operation, farms, Christmas tree farming, Cow Bay, Beaches Protection Act, kames, eskers, clays, drumlin fields, agriculture

Associated Topics

T2.2 The Avalon and Meguma Zones
T2.7 Offshore Geology
T3.4 Terrestrial Glacial Deposits and Landscape Features
T3.5 Offshore Bottom Characteristics
T7.1 Modifying Forces
T7.3 Coastal Landforms
T8.2 Freshwater Environments
T12.3 Geology and Resources
T12.7 The Coast and Resources
T12.9 Soil and Resources

Associated Habitats

H2.2 Boulder/Cobble Shore
H2.3 Sandy Shore
H5.2 Oldfield
H5.3 Cliff and Bank