Labrador and the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland: Foreshore and Flanking Geomorphology

Abstract

The coastline of Labrador and the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland displays a variety of marine, glacial, aeolian, karst, tectonic, and other geomorphic features. Structural geology and lithology underpin landscapes from Killiniq to the Strait of Belle Isle. In central and southern Labrador, extending to the northernmost Northern Peninsula, glacial features are related to MIS 2 Laurentide glaciation. Local glaciation influenced the distinctive landscapes of Torngat Mountains National Park, and Mealy Mountains (Akami-UapishkU; KakKasuak) National Park Reserve. Postglacial relative sea levels vary from less than 20 m to more than 170 m asl. Relative sea level history varies from falling through rising episodes, reflecting differing glaci-isostatic regimes. Currently, relative sea level is falling along Lake Melville, but rising in central and southern Labrador and along the Northern Peninsula. Since the initial occupation in the early Holocene, through indigenous settlement and Viking visits, to modern times, geomorphology has been a dominant influence on human activity along the coastline.