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Landscapes and Landforms of Western Canada pp 291–302Cite as

The Diverse Landscapes of Haida Gwaii

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Part of the book series: World Geomorphological Landscapes ((WGLC))

Abstract

The archipelago of Haida Gwaii, formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, is one of the most dynamic geomorphic environments in Canada. Climatic and geophysical forces have combined to shape the unique landscape of the archipelago. Strong cyclonic storms from the Pacific Ocean are frequent and are accompanied by heavy rainfall. The two strongest earthquakes in Canadian history happened on the Queen Charlotte Fault just west of the archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. Coastal landscapes on the west coast are rugged and rocky, whereas the north and east coasts are formed in thick glacial sediments that are being rapidly eroded by waves. The mountainous spine that runs the length of Haida Gwaii is susceptible to landslides and other mass wasting processes. Slope failures are the primary agent of natural disturbance in these mountains and occur at rates that are among the highest in Canada. They are triggered by heavy rainfall, forestry activities, and earthquakes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Prince George, BC, V2N 4W5, Canada

    Alexandre Bevington & Marten Geertsema

  2. Department of Earth Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

    John J. Clague

  3. BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 6E9, Canada

    Thomas Millard

  4. School of Geographical Sciences & Urban Planning, and School of Earth & Space Exploration, Arizona State University, PO Box 875302, Tempe, AZ, 85287-5302, United States

    Ian J. Walker

Authors
  1. Alexandre Bevington
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  2. John J. Clague
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  3. Thomas Millard
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  4. Ian J. Walker
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  5. Marten Geertsema
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alexandre Bevington .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Olav Slaymaker

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Bevington, A., Clague, J.J., Millard, T., Walker, I.J., Geertsema, M. (2017). The Diverse Landscapes of Haida Gwaii. In: Slaymaker, O. (eds) Landscapes and Landforms of Western Canada . World Geomorphological Landscapes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44595-3_21

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