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In ascending order, the stratigraphic units of the Oak Ridges Moraine are: Paleozoic bedrock, Lower deposits, Newmarket Till, Oak Ridges Moraine sediments, and Halton till. Newmarket till forms an areally extensive sheet, the upper contact of which is a highly irregular erosional surface marked by incised channels and drumlins. Newmarket till is a thick aquitard, characterized by low hydraulic conductivity. Flow through the Newmarket Till aquitard is attributed primarily to interconnections among various heterogeneities of the unit. Flow within the diamicton matrix itself is considered to be minor. In some places, the till is incised, and sometimes eroded entirely, by a network of sand- and gravel-filled channels forming productive aquifers. The sediments filling the channels are Oak Ridges sediments. In other places, the channels breach the till entirely and form high-conductivity windows connecting upper and lower aquifer systems. |
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Physiography
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| Hydrogeological region | Southern Ontario Lowlands |
| Hydrogeological context | |
| Relief | Oak Ridges moraine has elevations around 430 m. Elevations are higher on the moraine ridge and decreases slightly on the edges. It forms the height of land east of the Niagara Escarpment. |
| Area | 6124.00 km2 |
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Lithology
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| Description | In ascending order, the stratigraphic units of the Oak Ridges Moraine are: Paleozoic bedrock, Lower deposits, Newmarket Till, Oak Ridges Moraine sediments, and Halton till. Newmarket till forms an areally extensive sheet, the upper contact of which is a highly irregular erosional surface marked by incised channels and drumlins. In some places, these channels are filled by sand and gravel. In other places, the channels breach the till entirely and form high-conductivity windows. |
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Aquifer
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| Aquifers | List of aquifers
none |
Groundwater Information Network