D. Calvin Campbell

Natural Resources Canada | NRCan · Geological Survey of Canada

Permanently cold deep-sea sediments (2500-3500 m water depth) with or without indications of thermogenic hydrocarbon seepage were exposed to naphtha to examine the presence and potential of aerobic hydrocarbon-degrading microbial populations. Monitoring these microcosms for volatile hydrocarbons by GC-MS revealed sediments without in situ hydrocarb...

The evolution of submarine canyons is primarily controlled by turbidity currents, which erode and fill them over time; however, many other hydrodynamic currents operate within canyons. Bottom currents from these other hydrodynamic processes, including internal tides can be dominant processes, but their deposits are seldom recognized in sediment cor...

Introduction and approach Bacterial endospore distributions in marine sediments are influenced by geological conduits providing routes for subsurface to surface microbial dispersal. To examine this phenomenon in more detail, endospore abundance was determined by quantifying the biomarker 2,6-pyridine dicarboxylic acid (dipicolinic acid or DPA) in 1...

Microorganisms are the ocean's first responders to marine pollution events, yet baseline studies rarely focus on microbial communities. Temporal and spatial microbial biodiversity baselines were established using bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of seafloor sediments in a deep-water oil prospective area along the Scotian Slope off Canada...

Interactions between bottom currents and gravity-driven flows are capable of building mixed (turbidite-contourite) depositional systems. Such systems are characterized by complex morphologies, from turbidite-generated features to contourite-shaped bodies. However, their recognition in the ancient record has been significantly hindered by a dearth o...

Several Jurassic to Eocene mixed turbidite-contourite systems were identified along the upper to middle continental slope of Nova Scotia (Canada), providing a unique opportunity to investigate the impact of along-and down-slope process interaction on sediment deposition, transport and redistribution. The mixed systems were studied using 3D seismic...

Previous interpretation of the nature and distribution of subaerial glacial landforms established that Frobisher Bay in southeastern Baffin Island was glaciated in the Late Wisconsinan by ice flowing southeast from the Foxe–Baffin Ice Dome. New seafloor mapping within the bay has revealed submarine glacial landforms that are described and interpret...

Deep sea hydrocarbon seep detection relies predominantly on geochemical analyses of seabed marine sediment cores to identify the presence of gas or oil. The presence of seeping hydrocarbons in these locations alters local redox stratification and microbial community structure. Cultivation-independent biodiversity surveys of microbial communities ca...

Oceanic gateways have influenced the global oceanic circulation and climate since ancient times. During the Mesozoic, the breakup of Pangea, and most importantly of Laurasia (which began with the separation of North America from Eurasia at ~215-175 Ma in the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic and which lasted until ~56 Ma in the Paleocene) and Gondwan...

Canada ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 2003. With that ratification is an obligation to submit data and information to the U.N. pertaining to the limits of the country’s extended continental shelf (ECS); the portion of the juridical continental shelf that extends beyond 200 nautical miles. A team of Canadian...

Deep sea hydrocarbon seep detection relies predominantly on geochemical analyses of seabed marine sediment cores to identify the presence of gas or oil. The presence of seeping hydrocarbons in these locations alters resident microbial community structure, leading to culture-based biodegradation assays as a complement to geochemical tools for seep d...

The deep biosphere is the largest microbial habitat on Earth and features abundant bacterial endospores. Whereas dormancy and survival at theoretical energy minima are hallmarks of microbial physiology in the subsurface, ecological processes such as dispersal and selection in the deep biosphere remain poorly understood. We investigated the biogeogr...

This report presents the surficial geology of the Scotian Shelf Bioregion (SSB) (DFO, 2009; Figure 1). The Scotian Shelf surficial geology had been interpreted in the past over the shallower portions of the bioregion (King, 1970; Maclean and King, 1971; Drapeau and King, 1972; Fader et al., 1977; Fader et al., 1978; Fader et al., 1982) as well as o...

We appreciate the comments by G. Shanmugam on the paper “A new classification system for mixed (turbidite-contourite) depositional systems: Examples, conceptual models and diagnostic criteria for modern and ancient records” by S. Rodrigues, F.J. Hernández-Molina, M. Fonnesu, E. Miramontes, M. Rebesco, D. C. Campbell [Earth-Science Reviews (2022), 1...

Interactions between along-slope bottom currents and down-slope turbidity flows can create a myriad of features and deposits. Despite numerous efforts to differentiate contourites from turbidites and mixed features, reliable diagnostic criteria are still lacking from the stratigraphic and sedimentological viewpoints. The main aim of this study is t...

The identification of several Cretaceous to Paleogene mixed turbidite-contourite systems along the upper to middle continental slope of Nova Scotia provides a unique opportunity to investigate the spatial and temporal variability of their morphological elements. The mixed systems were studied using 3D seismic reflection data and well-established ch...

Sackville Spur is a large, separated sediment drift deposit adjacent to Flemish Cap, offshore Newfoundland. It is a Neogene to Recent structure formed by sediment reworking and redeposition by the Labrador Current. The region is an active hydrocarbon exploration frontier. The presence of a prominent, multiple-segmented bottom simulating reflection...

paragraph The deep biosphere is the largest microbial habitat on Earth and features abundant bacterial endospores 1,2 . Whereas dormancy and survival at theoretical energy minima are hallmarks of subsurface microbial populations ³ , the roles of fundamental ecological processes like dispersal and selection in these environments are poorly understoo...

Iceberg discharge influences ocean circulation, affects climate and increases global sea level. Icebergs are also known to gouge the seafloor in water depths limited by their keel depth, thus representing a hazard to subsea infrastructure. Here, we provide evidence that icebergs can affect the seafloor at depths greater than their keel depth by tri...

Turbidity currents in submarine canyons transport large volumes of sediment and carbon to the deep sea and are known to present a major risk to submarine infrastructure. Understanding the origin, the triggers, the recurrence, and the timing of these events is important for predicting future events and mitigating their impact. Depending on the morph...

A geohazard assessment workflow is presented that maximizes the use of 3D seismic reflection data to improve the safety and success of offshore scientific drilling. This workflow has been implemented for International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Proposal 909 that aims to core seven sites with targets between 300 and 1000 m below seabed across th...

At marine cold seeps, gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons migrate from deep subsurface origins to the sediment-water interface. Cold seep sediments are known to host taxonomically diverse microorganisms, but little is known about their metabolic potential and depth distribution in relation to hydrocarbon and electron acceptor availability. Here we comb...

A new 6500-year construction of storms combined with other paleo-storm records finds abrupt changes in the Atlantic Ocean circulation impact the records finds abrupt changes in the Atlantic Ocean circulation impact the latitudinal preference of storm activity. latitudinal preference of storm activity.

This study examines the influence of the strength of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) on storminess at different latitudes in the North Atlantic, based on a new 6.5 kyr record of large storms from the Scotian Shelf (Eastern Canada) that provides the first >3.5 ka record from mid-latitudes. Comparison with a compilation of other pa...

We evaluate the linkages between lithofacies and mineral composition of late Quaternary sediments along the Baffin Slope for cores 2013029 64, 74, and 77. Four major lithofacies were identified: diamicton (L1), laminated red-brown mud (L2), tan carbonate mud (L3), and brown bioturbated mud (L4). In addition, gold-brown mud (L2a) beds were identifie...

Quaternary glaciations played a critical role in producing the modern landscape of the seafloor of southeastern Canada. Glacial landscapes such as cross-shelf troughs, fjords, recessional moraines and tunnel valleys were sculpted by the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Following deglaciation, relative sea level rise led to the formation of sandy bedforms and...

Characterized by an active margin to the west, passive margins to the east and north, and numerous fjords and estuaries, the seafloor of Canada is prone to subaqueous landslides. The Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) facilitates government response in times of crisis by providing timely and concise information to Canadians, and informs the strategi...

At marine cold seeps, gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons migrate from deep subsurface origins to the sediment-water interface. Cold seep sediments are known to host taxonomically diverse microorganisms, but little is known about their metabolic potential and depth distribution in relation to hydrocarbon and electron acceptor availability. In this work...

Turbidity currents and contour currents are common sedimentary and oceanographic processes in deep-marine settings that affect continental margins worldwide. Their simultaneous interaction can form asymmetric and unidirectionally migrating channels, which can lead to opposite interpretations of paleocontour current direction: channels migrating aga...

The western North Atlantic passive margin is considered relatively stable, with few slope instabilities recognized during the Holocene. However, new multibeam bathymetry mapping and sediment core acquisition off eastern Canada indicate that previously unidentified, large, submarine landslide events occurred during the Late Holocene, between 4 and 1...

The 2018041 CCGS Hudson expedition was a joint mission between the Geological Survey of Canada (Atlantic) and the Nova Scotia Department of Energy and Mines (NSDEM). Past expeditions (2015018 and 2016011-PH2) on the Scotian Slope led to evidence of cold seeps on the seafloor and the presence of gas hydrates. The objectives of expedition 2018041 wer...

Expedition report covering an expedition in 2016 to examine cold seeps on the Scotian Slope.

Subbottom profilers image below the seafloor using very high frequencies to inform about the near surface sediments in the marine environment. The Geoforce boomer/sparker system is a versatile profiler for imaging sediments in shallow and deep water. Its resolving capabilities are particularly useful for understanding submarine landslides, as shown...

Limited baseline knowledge about the marine geology of the seabed of inner Frobisher Bay poses a challenge to coastal and seabed infrastructure for the City of Iqaluit. Over the past four years, the area covered by targeted, high-resolution multibeam bathymetric mapping has increased around the southeastern part of Baffin Island, allowing to better...

The Baffin Geological Synthesis is an ongoing activity under the GEM-2 Baffin Project that initiated in 2016. The activity aims to summarize existing and new geological data resulting from previous and current GEM Baffin studies and related research (Fig. 1). The Synthesis combines current and previous onshore and offshore studies in order to produ...

Sediment waves are commonly observed on the sea floor and often vary in morphology and geometry according to factors such as seabed slope, density and discharge of turbidity currents, and the presence of persistent contour currents. This paper documents the morphology, internal geometry and distribution of deep‐water (4000 to 5000 m) bedforms obser...

The Laurentian Fan is one of the largest submarine fans on the western margin of the North Atlantic. Recently acquired high-resolution multibeam bathymetric data (60 m horizontal resolution) reveal a major mass transport deposit (MTD) on the Western Levee of Western Valley (WLWV), covering >14 000 km2 in water depths from 3900 m to >5000 m. Typical...

Twelve piston cores were used to characterize late Quaternary lithofacies, depositional processes and deglacial history along the Baffin Bay slope between Lancaster Sound and Home Bay. Core investigations show four distinct laterally correlatable lithofacies along the slope – basal and upper diamicton, laminated red brown mud, tan carbonate gravell...

Submarine slope failures in the nearshore waters of SE Baffin Island, eastern Canadian Arctic, present a challenge to coastal and seabed development. Submarine slope failures are a known geohazard in fjords in Norway, Chile, Alaska, British Columbia and elsewhere, but have received little attention in the coastal waters of Arctic Canada. Over the p...

The Laurentian Fan is one of the largest submarine fans on the western margin of the North Atlantic. Recently acquired high-resolution multibeam bathymetric data (60 m horizontal resolution) reveal a major mass-transport deposit (MTD) on the Western Levee of Western Valley (WLWV), covering >14 000 km ² in water depths from 3900 to >5000 m. Typical...

Quantitative X-ray diffraction (qXRD) mineralogy of bedrock, ice-rafted, and fluvial clasts, 239 seafloor samples (<2 mm), and samples from two long piston cores were used to (i) define regional patterns and sources within Baffin Bay, (ii) evaluate two areas from west Greenland and east Baffin Island in more detail, and (iii) apply these findings t...

The tectonic history of a margin dictates its general shape; however, its geomorphology is generally transformed by deep-sea sedimentary processes. The objective of this study is to show the influences of turbidity currents, contour currents and sediment mass failures on the geomorphology of the deep-water northwestern Atlantic margin (NWAM) betwee...

Preface This Open File report summarizes a set of 20 piston cores, up to 822 cm long, taken from the continental slope of Baffin Bay, Canada, in water depths between 833 and 1715 m. It provides down-core lithostratigraphy, physical properties measurements, core photography and core X-radiography, in addition to high-resolution seismic data over mos...

The seabed of Frobisher Bay exhibits a complex topography reflecting the predominance of exposed bedrock. Superimposed on the bedrock are landforms created by the flow of grounded ice during the last glacial period. As this ice retreated, glaciomarine sediment was deposited in bedrock troughs and was subsequently overlain by postglacial mud. Areas...

This open file report summarizes field activities during a marine geology expedition in 2015. The expedition was to the continental slope off Nova Scotia and the purpose was to investigate potential hydrocarbon seeps on the seabed in the region. The research is a collaboration between the Geological Survey of Canada and the Nova Scotia Department o...

Several deep-water sectors offshore Newfoundland and Labrador are available for parcel nomination in the next few years. This paper summarizes the current availability of geohazard information from Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) data holdings, Open Files and published papers. It presents background geological information on controls on geohazard...

Frobisher Bay, a macrotidal inlet of the Labrador Sea in southeastern Baffin Island, is 230 km long and varies in width from 40 km at its southeastern extremity to 20 km at its northwest end. It lies within the territory of Nunavut, which has the land area equivalent to Western Europe, but with a population of only ~30,000. Competing industrial use...

Two-dimensional and three-dimensional multichannel seismic reflection data are utilized to examine previously unrecognized contourite depositional systems along the continental margin of Nova Scotia, Canada. Prior to this study these features were thought to be of limited extent in the study area. The new data show that contourite drifts are widesp...

Interpretations of the Late Cretaceous to Quaternary geological history of the North American Basin rely on a seismic and lithostratigraphic framework developed predominantly from data along the northeastern United States margin. Prior to this study, attempts to extend this framework northward to the Nova Scotia margin were hindered by correlation...

Recently acquired multibeam bathymetry data are used to investigate seafloor instability features along a 310 km-long segment of the St. Lawrence River Estuary. The analysis of this dataset indicates that submarine slides occur over a much larger area than previously recognized and that Holocene sediments are reworked by mass-transport along signif...

Integrated seabed mapping is an important prerequisite for effective management of offshore areas. With the rapidly expanding City of Iqaluit on its shores and mineral resources on nearby Hall Peninsula, Frobisher Bay will undoubtedly see new infrastructure development over the next several years. The 2014 field season marked the first of a two-yea...

Hydrocarbon resource potential and a growing population have increased the need for new marine infrastructure in the Baffin Bay region. Before determining the viability of any seabed development, scientific understanding of geological hazards is essential. For this study, high resolution geophysical data and sediment samples on the Northeast Baffin...

Contourite drifts of alternating sand and mud, shaped by the Labrador Current, formed during the late Quaternary in Flemish Pass seaward of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Canada. The drifts preserve a record of Labrador Current flow variations through the last glacial maximum. A high-resolution seismic profile and a transect of four cores were co...

The ~51 Ma Montagnais impact crater on the outer Scotian Shelf is well known, but the potential effects from the impact event on the slope and rise seaward of the crater have, until now, remained poorly understood. Through detailed seismic stratigraphic correlation and ties to available wells, we define a three-fold seismic stratigraphic subdivisio...

The ∼51 Ma Montagnais impact crater on the outer Scotian Shelf is well known, but the potential effects from the impact event on the slope and rise seaward of the crater have, until now, remained poorly understood. Through detailed seismic stratigraphic correlation and ties to available wells, we define a threefold seismic stratigraphic subdivision...

This study uses the eastern Canadian continental margin as a type example to assess controls on the distribution of different types of submarine landslides. A brief summary is provided of the major styles of submarine landslides recognised globally, their transport mechanisms, and the factors responsible for both preconditioning and triggering fail...

Quaternary deposits in southern Orphan Basin include complex mass transport deposits (MTD) comprising both glaciogenic debris flows (GDF) and blocky MTD. 3D seismic reflection data were used to highlight the difference between the two types of MTD. The main MTD in southern Orphan Basin were sourced from the slope off Trinity Trough in the west of t...

Many studies have proposed that reactivation of dormant faults during deglaciation is a source of neotectonic activity in glaciated regions, but few have demonstrated the relationship to submarine landslides. In this study, seabed morphology and shallow geology of the outer continental margin adjacent to the Charlie Gibbs Fracture Zone off Newfound...

Marine sedimentary records from the western North Atlantic show that a significant portion of sediment deposited since the Pliocene originated from the Canadian Shield. In the Labrador Sea, previous studies have shown that bottom currents strongly influenced sedimentation during the Pliocene, while during the Quaternary, intensification of turbidit...

The development of the Lancaster Sound Trough Mouth Fan (TMF) and glacial history in Arctic Canada were studied using a high-resolution seismic profile across the entire fan and two piston cores. Stacked tills separated by erosion surfaces on the shelf pass seaward through till deltas into thick transparent glacigenic debris flow (GDF) deposits on...

A new surficial geology map of the St. Lawrence River Estuary illustrates sediment distribution and variability in a relatively confined environment. This map is based on recently collected geophysical and geological data that provide a link between submarine landforms and sedimentary units. The strong dichotomy between the areas to the northeast a...

The Scotian margin endured a number of unsuccessful hydrocarbon exploration attempts because of insufficient understanding of continental shelf-to-slope and slope geologic processes. The Shubenacadie H-100 and Shelburne G-29 wells were drilled on mounded seismic morphologies, interpreted as depositional fans. In post-drill analysis, it is apparent...