Churchill - Biophysical processes
Latitude and climate
The latitude of Churchill is significant because it impacts the climate, and so, the plant and animal communities in the region. Being just south of the Arctic Circle it experiences a Continental Subarctic climate. Mean monthly temperatures are below zero for six to eight months and on average 50-90 days in a year are frost free. Winters tend to be long and bitterly cold, while summers are short and mild. These climatic conditions are integral to providing the conditions suitable for polar bears, belugas and arctic foxes, etc.
For more detail about Churchill's climate see the Weatherbase website.
Bedrock and soils
Churchill is built on an outcrop of Proterozoic sedimentary bedrock of subgreywacke and conglomerates. Subgreywacke is a dark-coloured sedimentary rock with grains 0.06-2 mm in diameter containing free quartz, a low mud content and high carbonate content. The wider Churchill province contains sedimentary, metamorphic and volcanic rock. Glaciation, marine inundation and weathering have covered these bedrocks with gravel, silt, boulders, sand, clay, and organic materials.
Soil properties and vegetation
Close to the Hudson Bay Coast, salt marshes and mangroves are found, but soil properties are different as you move further inland. Tundra vegetation, bogs and boreal forests are supported by better developed soils inland. Permafrost is widespread and the region also contains ice-related coastal features as a result of sea ice.
Hydrology
Churchill is located at the mouth of the Churchill River where it feeds into Hudson Bay. The Churchill River flows 487km east to west from Saskatchewan, through Manitoba to where it drains into the Hudson Bay. The river is made up of a large number of lakes joined together by rapids and waterfalls. Hudson Bay completely freezes over in winter. The river is located within a drainage basin called the Canadian Shield. Both sea ice and river water contribute to the region's freshwater budget.
Food chains and food webs
Churchill is in close proximity to Wapusk National Park and Caribou River National Park. Organisms found in this area include polar bears, beluga whales, and more than 270 bird species including the snowy owl, gyrfalcon and ptarmigan.
The latitude of Churchill is significant because it impacts the climate, and so, the plant and animal communities in the region. Being just south of the Arctic Circle it experiences a Continental Subarctic climate. Mean monthly temperatures are below zero for six to eight months and on average 50-90 days in a year are frost free. Winters tend to be long and bitterly cold, while summers are short and mild. These climatic conditions are integral to providing the conditions suitable for polar bears, belugas and arctic foxes, etc.
For more detail about Churchill's climate see the Weatherbase website.
Bedrock and soils
Churchill is built on an outcrop of Proterozoic sedimentary bedrock of subgreywacke and conglomerates. Subgreywacke is a dark-coloured sedimentary rock with grains 0.06-2 mm in diameter containing free quartz, a low mud content and high carbonate content. The wider Churchill province contains sedimentary, metamorphic and volcanic rock. Glaciation, marine inundation and weathering have covered these bedrocks with gravel, silt, boulders, sand, clay, and organic materials.
Soil properties and vegetation
Close to the Hudson Bay Coast, salt marshes and mangroves are found, but soil properties are different as you move further inland. Tundra vegetation, bogs and boreal forests are supported by better developed soils inland. Permafrost is widespread and the region also contains ice-related coastal features as a result of sea ice.
Hydrology
Churchill is located at the mouth of the Churchill River where it feeds into Hudson Bay. The Churchill River flows 487km east to west from Saskatchewan, through Manitoba to where it drains into the Hudson Bay. The river is made up of a large number of lakes joined together by rapids and waterfalls. Hudson Bay completely freezes over in winter. The river is located within a drainage basin called the Canadian Shield. Both sea ice and river water contribute to the region's freshwater budget.
Food chains and food webs
Churchill is in close proximity to Wapusk National Park and Caribou River National Park. Organisms found in this area include polar bears, beluga whales, and more than 270 bird species including the snowy owl, gyrfalcon and ptarmigan.
