Description
Canada Stream is one of the major sources of inflow to Lake Fryxell and is typically the first stream in the basin to begin flowing in the austral summer. Canada Stream drains the upper east side of the Canada Glacier. The gauge is located at the site of a previous rock weir about 1.5 km above the lakeshore. At the gauge, flow draining the upper glacier has joined with flows from a large pond at the base of the glacier. Between the gauge and the lakeshore the stream flows through a steeply incised channel with large boulders in the streambed and then across a broad alluvial fan. The alluvial fan is referred to as a "delta site". Some samples collected from Canada Stream are labelled by an earlier name: "Fryxell Stream". Stream length: 1.5 km.
Environmental data
Hydrological, biological, chemical, and physical property measurements have been made for a number of McMurdo Dry Valley streams and lakes.
See: LTER Data
Diatom taxa found in
Canada Stream
- Achnanthes taylorensis
- Amphora cf. oligotraphenta
- Chamaepinnularia aliena
- Chamaepinnularia cymatopleura
- Chamaepinnularia cymatopleura var. #3
- Chamaepinnularia deltaica
- Chamaepinnularia quaternaria
- Craticula molestiformis
- Fistulifera pelliculosa
- Hantzschia abundans
- Hantzschia amphioxys
- Hantzschia amphioxys f. muelleri
- Hantzschia hyperaustralis
- Humidophila arcuata
- Humidophila arcuata var. parallela
- Humidophila australis
- Luticola austroatlantica
- Luticola bradyi
- Luticola dolia
- Luticola elegans
- Luticola gaussii
- Luticola laeta
- Luticola mcknightiae
- Luticola murrayi
- Luticola mutica
- Luticola muticopsis
- Luticola permuticopsis
- Luticola sp. #2
- Luticola sp. #3
- Luticola spainiae
- Luticola transantarctica
- Marine diatom fragments
- Mayamaea atomus
- Mayamaea atomus fo. permitis
- Mayamaea atomus var. #1
- Melosira charcotii
- Microcostatus naumannii
- Muelleria cryoconicola
- Muelleria meridionalis
- Muelleria peraustralis
- Muelleria supra
- Navicula gregaria
- Navicula seibigiana
- Navicula shackletoni
- Nitzschia australocommutata
- Nitzschia westiorum
- Pinnularia borealis
- Psammothidium germainii
- Psammothidium papilio
- Sabbea adminensis
- Stauroneis latistauros
Canada Stream, Taylor Valley.
See: Overview maps
Canada Stream early in the austral summer when streams freeze and thaw frequently. 1989. Photo: Sarah Spaulding.
Installation of stream gauge on Canada Stream to record glacier and snow melt. 1998. Photo: Sarah Spaulding.
