Abstract

The Canadian Glacier Inventory Project was initiated in the 1960s as part of Canada's contribution to the International Hydrological Decade (1965-1974) programme for a world inventory of glaciers (Ommanney, 1980), sponsored by Unesco. Basic physical data on Canada's estimated 100,000 glaciers were to be compiled from maps and photographs. This necessitated the adoption of a suitable coding system. In order to establish region and basin identifiers, Canada was subdivided into major basins.

In the Arctic, a modification of the coding system developed for polar regions by B.B. Roberts (1963) was used. For mainland Canada, the basin sub-divisions of the Water Survey of Canada were adopted. The Canadian regional identifiers are preceded by * to distinguish the Canadian data set. Subsequent numbers represent the major drainage basins or areas, as follows:

*3 - Labrador (Atlantic Ocean), *5 - Nelson River (Hudson Bay), *7 - Slave River (Mackenzie River), *8 - Pacific Ocean, *9 - Yukon River, 11 - Mackenzie District (Arctic Ocean,) 62 - Baffin and Bylot Islands, 64 - High Arctic Islands, 65 - Somerset and Prince of Wales Islands, 67 - Boothia Peninsula, 69 - Victoria and Banks Islands.

The original regional numbering system has since been modified by the World Glacier Monitoring Service, in Zürich, so that Canadian data stored there will not use the same initial alphanumeric codes.

Glacier numbers were assigned to individual ice masses by numbering clockwise from the mouth of the basin. Each basin was identified with an alphanumeric code. As this numbering system was the key to all the glacier inventory data, it was decided to publish it in map sheets which could form the basis of a Glacier Atlas of Canada. Separate sheets were printed once the inventory compilation for a particular region had been completed.

The maps were prepared initially by photo reduction of a compilation provided by the Glacier Inventory Project. Certain standard procedures were followed to ensure uniformity when seasonal staff were used.

All indices were compiled at a scale of 1:250,000 from the 1:50,000 scale inventory work maps. The outline of the final map was drawn on the index using an overlay. The boundary included all glaciers in the basin or basins being shown and as much of the total basin(s) as possible. As all the maps are published in a standard format, the orientation of the map was controlled by the size and shape of the basin(s) and the map frame size. Thus north is not necessarily at the top. The limits were drawn only for those basins for which the glacier numbering was to be shown. Solid lines were used to divide major regions and dashed lines the individual basins. Only the outline of the glaciers is shown, the margin of the ice and the major nunataks. Divides between individual glaciers were omitted. Sufficient hydrography was marked to indicate the direction of flow of most of the glacier melt water. A scribe coat was produced directly from this compilation and all further work was carried out by the Drafting Unit of the Inland Waters Directorate. The Atlas plates were numbered using a decimal system with the first two digits corresponding to the major region and basin. The final digit was a sequential number covering individual maps. Four maps per plate were printed for economy of production.

A full list of the maps published and contained in this Atlas is given. The work was begun in the Inland Waters Branch (IWB) which later became a Directorate (IWD) and moved from the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources (EMR) to the Department of the Environment (DOE).

In the mid-1970s, publication of this series was suspended. As it is now extremely unlikely that the series can be continued in its present form, a decision was made in 1989 to distribute a few limited-edition bound volumes of those maps already published to selected reference libraries.

Sincere thanks are extended to John W. Clarkson and Mary M. Strome who were instrumental in the compilation of most of these maps.

The glacier inventory data associated with these glacier numbers and extensive records on many of Canada's other glaciers are kept by the Scientific Information Division, National Hydrology Research Institute, Environment Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 3H5.

C. Simon L. Ommanney, Saskatoon, March 1989

Purpose

Atlas of Canada Map Archives - As limited numbers of the Glacier Atlas of Canada exist, the plates have been scanned and made available to the public through the Atlas of Canada Web site to facilitate access to this valuable reference.

Contact Information

GeoGratis Client Services
Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Earth Sciences Sector

2144 King Street West, Suite 010
Sherbrooke, Quebec, CAN
Phone: +01-819-564-5600 / 1-800-661-2638 (Canada and USA)
Fax: +01-819-564-5698
E-mail: geoginfo@NRCan.gc.ca