Saskatchewan: Geology, Mineral and Energy Resources, and Effects of Ice Age

Geography
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GEOGRAPHY
PART 1
Question 1
Saskatchewan is divided into two of Canada's physiographic regions. They include Interior Plains and the Canadian Shield. According to Hoeve & Sibbald (1978), the Canadian Shield is characterized by rugged rock exposures and lakes. It is important to note that Saskatchewan is one of the largest wheat producers in the world. When it comes to the north and south of Saskatchewan, Precambrian rocks are found in the north. Alternatively, they can be seen in the Canadian Shield in the north. One of the interesting bits about this particular region is that unmetamorphosed younger Phanerozoic sedimentary strata cover it in the southern half. Further, the Precambrian Shield's lakes and exposures can be found on the harsh terrain of the Shield region. Hoeve & Sibbald (1978) also note that the northern part of the province is featured by muskeg, swamp, and lichened rock of the Canadian Shield.
In the last three decades, one of the main factors that have resulted in the unique geological terranes established in the region is mapping and improved structural, radiometric, and geochemical techniques. Proterozoic remobilized Archean basement feature the Wollaston belt to the southeast. At the same time, greywacke and granitic rocks comprise the Reindeer Zone in the southeast.
Question 2
There are three main types of plate boundaries. They include convergent boundaries (colliding plates), divergent continental boundaries, and transform boundaries.
1.Convergent boundaries (colliding plates).
Convergent boundaries occur when two tectonic plates collide to form subduction zones. These plates subduct under a less dense plate, whereby the plate is destroyed. The following is the process in which convergent boundaries occur;
`i. Oceanic crust meets
If the two plates comprise oceanic crust, oceanic trenches and island arcs are formed.
ii. Oceanic-continental crust interface
When the denser oceanic plate subducts, a mountain range is formed. An example of this boundary is the Andes.
iii. Continental crust fusion
It is important to note that since the continental crusts are very light to subduct, they collide, forming mountain ranges. For instance, the Himalayas.
2. Divergent Boundaries
Under this boundary, two plates slide apart at divergent borders, which is why it is called a divergent boundary. The void is typically filled with new crust material from molten magma. It is important to note that continents have the ability to develop divergent boundaries that open up to sea basins. When it comes to inland, divergent borders cause rifts that become rift valleys. On the other, mid-oceanic ridges are divergent plate boundaries among oceanic plates.
3. Transform boundaries
This is the kind of boundary where tectonic plates slide by. These tectonic plates move horizontally, and anomalies of the crust occur on land or underwater. It is important to note that fiction prevents tectonic plates from gliding apart. This means that tension is exerted in both plates, and when it is more than the threshold of the rock, an earthquake occurs. The orogenic belts epitomize zones along which more tectonic plates were amalga...