Dawson City Research Articles

Finite Element Simulation of Behavior of Laterally Loaded Piles in Permafrost

The finite element computer program RDPIL.FOR for laterally loaded piles in a viscoelastic layered soil is developed. The program uses a Maxwell model to accommodate the initial elastic subgrade modulus, which is independent of time. This necessitates the initial subgrade modulus k (preferably extrapolated from pile tests), Poisson's ratio μ, and creep parameters n, b, and σc (obtainable from either pressuremeter or triaxial test results). Finally, the validity of the proposed method is checked against the results of pile tests that have been carried out in the 1970s at Inuvik, N.W.T., and Dawson City, Yukon.

Historical Research and the Canadian Parks Service

The Canadian Parks Service (CPS) of Environment Canada is the leading federal agency responsible for identifying, protecting and commemorating nationally significant examples of Canada's cultural heritage. Among its activities are the operation of a system of national parks, national historic parks, a program of erecting historic plaques, and a national cost-sharing program with various agencies and organizations to acquire and preserve sites of outstanding national importance. These initiatives have resulted in the commemoration of persons, places, and events across the country that represent a variety of historical themes. National historic parks include the remains of a Viking settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Les Forges du Saint-Maurice in Quebec, the Hudson's Bay Company post at Lower Fort Garry in Manitoba, and the Klondike National Historic Sites in Dawson City, all recognized as major accomplishments in heritage preservation and interpretation in Canada.

Rb–Sr whole-rock age of the Klondike Schist, Yukon Territory

Seven samples of metarhyolite from a measured section of the Klondike Schist, in the Yukon Crystalline Terrane, 5 km southwest of Dawson City, give a whole-rock Rb–Sr isochron age of 202 ± 11 Ma with an initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio of 0.7140 ± 0.0001. The high initial ratio suggests that this is a metamorphic age, recording the time of shearing of the metarhyolites. An estimated minimum age of formation of the protolith of approximately 260 Ma was obtained by rotating the isochron to an assumed primary initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio of 0.707.The siliceous cataclasites of the Klondike Schist may have formed as a forearc wedge of arkose with intercalated volcanics. The unit was intensely sheared in a subduction zone, prior to obduction onto the ancient North American continental margin. The results of this isotopic study suggest an age of formation of 260 Ma and an age of cataclasis of 202 Ma. The metarhyolites remained closed to Rb–Sr isotopic equilibration during obduction, though the thermal event is recorded in K–Ar isotopic data reported by other authors. The results of this study are consistent with theories of formation of this assemblage.

Domestic and Commercial Vegetable Gardening in Dawson City, Yukon Territory, 1980

Canadian subarctic agriculture has not been a widespread practice. Because of increasing northern populations associated with industrial development, and the high cost of fresh produce, the practicality and success of subarctic gardening are examined. Dawson City was chosen for study because of its long history of gardening. In 1980 there were 50 domestic gardens, 56 greenhouses, and three commercial gardens which supplied produce both locally and to Whitehorse and Inuvik. The study documents the following crops: cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, turnips, kohlrabi, radish, beans, peas, potatoes, lettuce, kale, beetroot, Swiss chard, celery, onions, cucumber, tomatoes, zucchini, corn, peppers, leeks, squash, sunflowers and a large variety of herbs. The specific crop varieties used by gardeners are noted along with observations on their relative success, planting and harvesting dates and special gardening practices.Key words: agriculture, gardening, vegetable cultivation

The Occurrence of <i>Thiobacillus ferrooxidans</i> and Arsenic in Subarctic Streams Affected by Gold-Mine Drainage

Thirty-five streams in gold-mining regions between Rampart, Alaska, and Dawson City, Yukon Territory, were sampled to determine dissolved arsenic concentrations, and numbers of the acidophilic iron- and sulfur-oxidizing bacterium Thiobacillus ferrooidans. The pH of the streams varied from 6.3 to 8.6 and the streams were nearly saturated with dissolved oxygen. T. ferrooxidans was found in eight of nine streams affected by gold-mine drainage and in only one of 26 streams not affected by gold-mine drainage. Some of the streams affected by gold-mine drainage near Fairbanks, Alaska, occasionally contained levels of dissolved arsenic above 50 parts per billion. The recognition that T. ferrooxidans is associated with gold-mine material and that the heavy metal arsenic exists in streams affected by gold-mine wastes is important for understanding the environmental affects of mining activity on subarctic streams.Key words: arsenic, gold mines, heavy metals, pyrite, Thiobacillus ferrooxidans

Hepaticae of the Yukon Territory, Canada

There are presently 91 species and one subspecies, in 39 genera and 23 families of Hepaticae, recorded from the Yukon Territory, Canada. Sixty-three species are from literature reports and 28 species and one subspecies are reported here as new. Significant range extensions are recorded for Macrodiplophyllum microdontum (Mitt.) Perss., Radula prolifera Arn., Scapania spitzbergensis (Lindb.) K.Miill., Frullania tamarisci (L.) Dum. and Hygrolejeunea alaskana Schuster & Steere. With more intensive field work the number of taxa found in the Yukon can be expected to increase greatly. The Yukon Territory occupies the extreme northwestern corner of Canada. The territory is topographically diverse, ranging in elevation from sea level to 6050 meters. The Rocky Mountains traverse the territory in a northwesterly direction and almost the entire area is mountainous. A large portion of the northern and western areas of the territory were unglaciated during the Pleistocene and these harbor a rich and unique flora and fauna. Much of the Yukon is inaccessible except by helicopter or, in certain areas, by float plane. Roads are scarce and restricted to river bottoms. Until the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898, very few plant collections were made in the territory (see Hulten, 1940 and Vitt, 1974). In 1898, when Dawson City became a city of 30,000 inhabitants, R. S. Williams travelled from Skagway, Alaska, to Dawson City and on route collected specimens of plants, including numerous mosses and hepatics. Howe (1901) published a list of Williams' hepatic collections; in 1902 Macoun added 10 additional species. Later Persson (1949, 1952) annotated many of Williams' original specimens. Likewise, Macoun collected around Dawson City in 1902. Evans (1903b) and Persson (1949, 1952) reported on many of these collections, particularly those which Macoun sent to Kindberg. The latter are presently deposited in Stockholm (s). No significant collections were made in the Yukon after Williams' and Macoun's collections at the turn of the century, until the 1930's and 1940's when Eric Hulten collected in the territory. These collections were examined and reported by Persson (1947, 1949, 1952). Through these papers, Persson added many new species to the hepatic flora of the Yukon Territory. In 1957 Crum and Schofield collected a few hepatic specimens in the southern Yukon, including the area around Kluane Lake and along the Alaskan Highway, but these collections have not been published to date. In 1957 Hansford T. Schacklette collected in the Dawson City area and these specimens were reported by Persson (1963). In addition, several papers have incidentally mentioned particular hepatic species found in the territory; these include Evans (1903a), Brinkman (1934), Persson and Gjaerevoll (1957, 1961), Persson and Weber (1958), Frye and Clark (1937-1947). Schuster (1966, 1969, 1974) listed numerous species from the Yukon Territory. After review of the literature and examination of collections made 1 Department of Biology, College of Great Falls, Great Falls, Montana 59405, U.S.A. 2 Department of Botany, The University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada. This content downloaded from 207.46.13.73 on Sat, 14 May 2016 06:11:37 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 462 THE BRYOLOGIST [Volume 80 by D. H. Vitt and D. G. Horton, we can record 92 taxa in 39 genera. This is in comparison to the 207 taxa in 66 genera in Alaska (Worley, 1970), 225 taxa in 69 genera in British Columbia (Schofield, 1968) and 136 taxa in 51 genera in Alberta (Bird & Hong, 1975). Up to the present time, the hepatic flora has been very poorly collected and, considering the latitudinal and altitudinal extremes of the Yukon, the known flora could be expected to at least double in number of taxa. Future field studies will undoubtedly yield numerous range extensions even though the Yukon hepatic flora probably will not equal that of Alaska or British Columbia in the number of species in view of the more continental climate of the Yukon. The arrangement of families and authority names follows Schuster (1966-1974). The taxa not treated by Schuster follow the classification of Arnell (1956). The species and genera are arranged alphabetically within the families and the subgenera of Lophozia are indicated. Specimens cited are deposited in the University of Alberta (ALTA) with duplicate specimens deposited in the College of Great Falls (GFC). In many cases only a few specimens are cited, although additional collections are on deposit in ALTA. Each taxon new to the Yukon is indicated by an asterisk. Collection numbers without the name of a collector are those of D. H. Vitt.

A note on foundation preparation in permafrost

Sawdust and wood chips were found to be used extensively in Dawson City, Yukon Territory, for the purpose of insulating the permafrost. This technique was used to help stabilize the foundations of buildings which would otherwise be subject to movement caused by seasonal melting of the frozen ground and heating of the structures.

The Distribution of <i>Bryobrittonia pellucida</i> Williams (Musci)

Bryobrittonia pellucida was first described by R. S. Williams from sterile material collected in April 1899 on a bluff of the Yukon River, just below Dawson City, Yukon Territory. This species, which Williams placed in the monotypic genus Bryobrittonia, was considered for several decades to belong in the Pottiaceae. In 1953, Steere described sporophytes from specimens collected in the Brooks Range, Alaska. The presence of large, campanulate calyptrae ...; erect, 8-ribbed capsules; and double peristome are all characters of the Encalyptaceae. As Steere pointed out, Bryobrittonia should be placed in this family and retained as a genus separate from Encalypta. ... In the summer of 1973, while collecting in the Grande Cache region, north of Jasper National Park, Alberta, Wilbur Peterson and the present author found Bryobrittonia pellucida in quantity along a small stream at Sherman Meadows, about 150 km. south of Grande Prairie. Later in the summer they collected the species along small streams in the Yukon Territory in the Whitehorse area, and with sporophytes at Dawson City and in the Mt. Klotz region of west-central Yukon. In 1972, collections were obtained from the Kluane Lake region of southwestern Yukon. All of the collections were from sandy silt banks beside streams. The Alberta collections were from 1220 m. elevation in an area of Pinus contorta and Picea glauca in the upper montane zone and are approximately 900 km. south of its previously known range. ... After Williams made his collection at Dawson City, Bryobrittonia pellucida was not rediscovered until Persson published details of two collections from the Seward Peninsula, Alaska. Steere reported numerous collections from the Brooks Range, Alaska, as well as Coppermine, N.W.T., and Prince Patrick Island in the western Canadian Arctic. It has also been reported from Peary Land in northern Greenland, northern Ellesmere Island, and Axel Heiberg Island. Brassards added an additional locality on northern Ellesmere. Savicz-Ljubitzkaja and Smirnova recorded it as occurring in the Polar Urals and eastern Siberia (probably near the Lena River). Examination of material in the National Museum of Canada has revealed additional locations of the species in the Nahanni River region of the southwestern Mackenzie District, the Mackenzie River delta in north- western Mackenzie District, and in the Kluane Range region of southwestern Yukon Territory. The distribution of Bryobrittonia pellucida, as it is presently known in North America is shown on Fig. 2 and its altitudinal range along the western cordillera in Fig. 3. ... Although the presence of these species in disjunct localities in the alpine or upper montane zones of the Rockies may be the result of recent long distance dispersal from more northern populations, it seems more likely that these species survived at least the Wisconsin glaciation in situ in refugia, far south of their continuous Arctic range. The importance of alpine refugia has been long underrated in North America and it is likely that many of the arctic circumpolar species will be found in alpine habitats of western Alberta, northwestern British Columbia and particularly in the unglaciated alpine regions of the Yukon.

Cretaceous Paleogeography of Arctic Canada: ABSTRACT

In Early Cretaceous time Berriasian-Valanginian boreal seas covered North Yukon and Sverdrup basins and were connected at the site of the present Beaufort Sea. Dawson City strait connected the North Yukon sea with the North Pacific sea of the Saint Elias trough across the present Klondike plateau. The remainder of Arctic Canada was dry land. In latest Valanginian time, uplift excluded the Hauterivian-Barremian seas from Sverdrup basin but North Yukon basin and Dawson City strait remained flooded after partial, early Hauterivian regression. An Aptian boreal transgression flooded the Sverdrup basin and restored direct connection with the North Yukon sea which subsequently spread eastward into Darnley Bay and lower Peel River areas. Aptian orogeny closed the Dawson City strait and separated permanently the Canadian Boreal and North Pacific seas. The early and middle Albian boreal seas covered Sverdrup and North Yukon basins and most of Mackenzie Lowlands and Mountains but late Albian and Cenomanian seas were restricted to a residual seaway east of Mackenzie River that connected the Mowry sea with that of Sverdrup basin. An early Turonian transgression flooded the present regions of northern Yukon, Mackenzie Mountains, and, possibly, the Sverdrup basin; its total extent is still obscure. In the late Turonian the sea left the Mackenzie Mountains region but the North Yukon and Sverdrup basins remained flooded and were connected with a residual seaway east of Mackenzie River. A new seaway, connecting Sverdrup basin with the West Greenland sea across Ellesmere Island and Baffin Bay, opened in the late Turonian. The most extensive flooding of Arctic Canada was caused by the Coniacian to mid-Santonian transgression which covered the areas of the Mackenzie Mountains, North Yukon basin, and Sverdrup basin, and extended east as far as Coppermine River. Strong late Santonian uplifts on the west side of the Mackenzie Lowlands were followed by a series of increasingly intense uplifts that caused progressive eastward retreat of the Campanian-Maestrichtian seas. A residual seaway connecting the Bearpaw sea with that of West Greenland across the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and Baffin Bay continued to exist east of Mackenzie River until late Maestrichtian time. All of Arctic Canada became dry land in late Maestrichtian or early Paleocene time. End_of_Article - Last_Page 2488------------

The Alaska Highway: Background to Decision

Construction of the Alaska Highway was considered as early as 1929. Interest was stimulated by Highway Associations at Fairbanks, and Dawson City; it increased after British Columbia and Alaskan officials began exchanges of information. Alaska adopted a memorial petitioning the US Congress to arrange conferences between representatives of the US and $12 million authorized by the US Congress functioned by their Canadian counterparts 1930-33. It recommended in 1935 construction with $2 mill from the US and $12 mill from Canada. Another joint commission was appointed in 1938 and a Permanent Joint Board on Defense established in 1940. In early 1942, $50 mill was authorized by the US Congress. In nine months and six days, the Alaska Highway was a reality at a cost of $139,794,567.

THE THREE-MILE SECTIONAL MAPS OF THE CANADIAN WEST

Soon after the Confederation of Canada in 1867, settlement of the Prairies was initially assisted by the preparation of large-scale survey plans. Popular demand for maps at a more convenient scale prompted the Federal Department of the Interior to establish a map series at 6 miles to 1 inch in 1873. By 1891, it became evident that the scale was too small to show necessary map detail and accordingly the Department authorized a new series at 3 miles to 1 inch. This famous sectional map series of the Canadian West eventually increased to 132 sheets covering the great plains, and extending westward to the Pacific, eastward into Ontario and as far north as Dawson City in Yukon Territory. In 1919, a decision was made to convert this series of cadastral plans into topographic maps. The New Series maps remained in production from 1920 to 1955 when they were finally superseded by the 1:250,000 maps of the National Topographic Series.

Fortymile: American Outpost in the Canadian North

In the year 1887 an extremely odd village sprang up on the banks of the Yukon river, not many miles from the present site of Dawson City. It was called Fortymile, and, had it been on another planet, it could scarcely have been more remote from civilization. It was almost five thousand miles by boat from the nearest city (Victoria, B.C.), and for nine months of the year was sealed off from the world, its citizens prisoners of their own choosing in a dark and unknown land.

Ice bridges

The ice bridges described in this article are constructed annually to replace the ferries which operate during the summer on the Yukon, Pelly and Stewart rivers in Yukon Territory. These river crossings are on the Mayo Road connecting Dawson City and Mayo with the Alaska Highway. The traffic on the road consists largely of heavy trucks carrying mining ores from the United Keno Hill, and other mines.

Archaeological Investigations in the Arctic and Subarctic, 1957

... I shall attempt to summarize the various archaeological activities that occurred in the Arctic and subarctic during the last summer. ... Members of a party called Operation Hazen organized by the Defence Research Board as part of the Canadian program for the International Geophysical Year worked on archaeological remains on Ellesmere Island, discovering four sites of aboriginal structures. One, about twenty miles north of Lake Hazen; one on the shores of Lake Hazen; and two along the Ruggles River. Few artifacts were uncovered since they did no digging. These sites, however, are of considerable significance for not only are they the northernmost sites in the Canadian Arctic but they are situated along the hypothetical route of migration from the Canadian Arctic to Greenland. ... Dr. Jorgen Meldgaard of the National Museum of Denmark, returned to the Alarnerk Site in the Igloolik area on the Melville Peninsula after two season's absence. ... Most of these early pre-Dorset remains appear to belong to an early and late period having burins, micro-blades, side-blades, small end-blades, and other artifacts indicating a close relationship with both the Cape Denbigh Flint Complex of Alaska as well as with Sarqaq of Greenland. The sequential changes in his artifact types from these pre-Dorset remains closely parallel change of types from the four middle cultural phases from the Firth River in the Canadian Yukon. ... Mr. William E. Taylor of the National Museum of Canada undertook preliminary excavation and survey in the interior as well as the coast and adjacent islands of the northern part of the Ungava Peninsula. His activities in the interior were at Payne Lake where he found about forty house remains, of which he excavated four. All of these were Dorset with one having a slight overlay of Eskimo remains. On the coast at the estuary of the Payne River, he uncovered another Dorset site as well as one Dorset burial. ... At Sugluk, seven sites were investigated and five of these appear to be Dorset villages with semi-subterranean rectangular houses. My endeavours were in the southern part of the Yukon Territory between Johnsons Crossing, Kluane Lake, Dawson City, and Mayo. Ninety-seven sites were discovered as well as about 1,000 artifacts. The sites seem to belong to at least six different artifact complexes, four of which were below the volcanic ash layers dated about 300 A.D. Twenty-eight of the sites are micro-blade sites. In Alaska, Dr. Ivar Skarland of the Department of Anthropology of the University of Alaska, during the last part of the summer, investigated interior sites on which "Puma" projectile points have been found. Mr. Gordon Lowther, of the McCord Museum of McGill University of Montreal, undertook archaeological survey in the Old Crow Flats in the Yukon Territory. He was most successful in finding fourteen archaeological sites as well as places at which mammoth bones occurred. As yet, his materials have not been analysed ....

The Discovery of Gold at Nome, Alaska

THE AVERAGE educated American associates the discovery of gold in Alaska with the days of '98, Dawson City, and the Klondike. He is surprised to learn that gold was discovered before 1898, that Dawson City is not in Alaska, and that the Klondike is not a river within the territory of the United States. Gold was discovered in Alaska long before 1898. Even before the United States acquired Alaska in 1867, the Russians had found gold, but they discouraged any systematic search lest their fur trade suffer.' In Canadian territory adjoining Alaska, gold had been found on the Fraser River in 1858, and on the upper waters of the Stikine in 1861. During the next two decades miners prospected many of the numerous creeks of southern Alaska. From this prospecting came two significant developments, which led directly to the stampedes up to Dawson City and Nome. In 1880 Joe Juneau and Dick Harris discovered rich deposits in SilVer Bow Basin, and thereby initiated in 1881 the first gold rush in Alaska. The second event was the opening of the Dyea-Chilkoot Pass to American prospectors. In 1879 a party of twenty prospectors had attempted to cross the Chilkoot Pass but had been prevented from ascending the trail by the Indians, who feared that their monopoly of the Yukon fur trade might be destroyed if the passes were opened to American gold hunters. With the aid of Captain L. A. Beardslee, commander of the S.S. Jamestown, and with the codperation of a naval lieutenant who dramatically explained the workings of a Gatling gun to the natives, the prospectors were successful. On May 29, 1880, the Dyea-Chilkoot gate was opened to white men for the first time. Thereafter a few hardy prospectors crossed the pass each year, explored

The Rat River

IN the summer of 1926 Gwendolen Dorrien-Smith and I travelled from Edmonton to Vancouver Island via the Mackenzie river elta, the AlaskaCanada boundary, the river Yukon, and the fjords of the Pacific. The plans for this circuitous journey had developed gradually. One of us wished to visit Vancouver Island and the other had waited for years to see Alaska; a neighbour connected with the Hudson's Bay Company told us that their Mackenzie river steamer trip was one of unusual interest. Our problem then was how to combine these three journeys without retracing our footsteps. After careful study of the travel literature of Northern and Western Canada, we wrote to the H. B. Co. authorities in Winnipeg asking for advice about three alternative routes from the Mackenzie river to the Pacific: (1) via the Liard, Dease, and Stikihe rivers to Wrangell; (2) via the Peel river to Dawson City; (3) via the Rat river to the divide and down the Porcupine and Yukon rivers to Fort Yukon.

Reports of Meteorological Observatories

THE Meteorological Service of Canada (1906).—This report extends to nearly 650 quarto pages; the geographical position, and height above sea where known, of the numerous stations in operation in that year are given, also hourly observations at Victoria, Winnipeg, Toronto, and Montreal. From a monthly chronicle of weather conditions it would appear that, generally speaking, temperature was above and rainfall below the normal. Temperatures exceeding 100° and below –50° were, as usual, recorded at many stations, the highest being 107°, at Point Clark, Ontario, and the lowest –65.5°, at Dawson City, Yukon. The absence of maps, the impracticability of comparing data contained in various tables, and the frequent practice of separating rainfall and depth of snow, render it somewhat difficult to obtain a general idea of the characteristics of the year over such a vast area beyond that given by the chronicle referred to. For this purpose the excellent summaries in the Monthly Weather Review, although based chiefly on telegraphic reports, are more convenient. 'The weather predictions were very successful; the general total percentage of fulfilment (including partial verifications) varied from 81.3 in November to 92.4 in July, the average beirfg 86.3 per cent.

The Geology of Mining Areas

MR. R. G. MCCONNELL has contributed to the “Annual Report of the Geological Survey of Canada,” vol. xiv., part B (1905, price 25 cents), a well-illustrated paper of wide interest on the Klondike gold-fields. The general topography and the communications with other regions are described, and the full-page landscapes convey an excellent idea of the conditions under which mining is carried on. Roads have been developed, the White Pass railroad is completed, and it now takes less than a week to reach Dawson City from Vancouver. In the latitude of only 60° N., the surface-stratum is continuously frozen, and unfrozen ground is reached at depths of from 60 feet to 200 feet. In summer, gravel-beds which are unprotected by moss thaw down to a depth of from 6 feet to 10 feet (p. 9). The gold-bearing quartz-veins are included for the most part in the Klondike series of schists. Microscopic evidence supports the view that these schists are of igneous origin, since a passage is traceable from uncrushed granitoid types to mylonitic sericite-schist (p. 19). Cainozoic rocks are found folded in with the schists in Last Chance Creek, thus proving the recency of earth-movement in this area. In the basin above Rock Creek these beds contain lignites of Upper Eocene age. The low-level gravels of the creeks, which are so important to the gold-miner, include bones of the mammoth, as well as of many existing northern animals (p. 29). The greater part, at least, of the Klondike gold is detrital, and is derived from the small but very numerous quartz-veins associated with the older schists (p. 61). Many of the grains of alluvial gold enclose quartz, and a few are themselves enclosed in quartz. The decay of the rocks must have been enormous to allo* of the vast accumulation of auriferous gravels. The quartz-veins are much younger than the schists in which they lie, but are older than the andesites and quartz-porphyries of the district. Lodemining has so far made little progress, but work among the gravels seems still, increasing.