Late Quaternary glacial history of Khentey Mountains,Central Mongolia

Mongolian glaciers have been the subject of relatively little research, resulting in less geochronological constraint than other parts of Central Asia. The Khentey Mountains (latitude 47–51°N, longitude 105–112°E) are a typical landlocked mountain range exhibiting clear geomorphic evidence of late Quaternary glaciation. Yet, compared to western parts of Mongolia such as the Mongolian Altay, Gobi Altay, Khangay, and Khovsgol, glacial history of the Khentey Mountains is poorly understood. To address this, and permit comparison of the Khentey glacier–climate record with other alpine regions in Mongolia, we performed geomorphological mapping and cosmogenic ¹⁰Be surface‐exposure dating in two glaciated regions of the Khentey Mountains: Yestii and Khagiin Khar. Specifically, we measured ¹⁰Be in 34 samples collected from five moraine sequences, which, together with morphostratigraphy, correspond to four main glacial stages: (i) The M_y1 terminal moraine sequence for Yestii (21.0±4.9 ka) and the M_k1 moraine for Khagiin Khar (19.6±2.6 ka), both of which represent the Last Glacial Maximum; (ii) the Lateglacial M_k2 moraine, dated to 16.0±3.5 ka; (iii) the M_k3 moraine, dated to either 17.6±7.0 ka (Lateglacial) or 12.1±1.1 ka (Younger Dryas); and (iv) the currently undated M_k4 moraine (~2200 m a.s.l.), to which we assign a Holocene age. Our results suggest that the timing of maximum glacier extent in Mongolia was regionally variable. In the Khentey Mountains, maximum glaciation occurred during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2, whereas the maximum occurred during MIS 3 in Khangay and Khovsgol and during MIS 4 in the Altay. The MIS 2 glacial maximum in the Khentey Mountains coincided with the global sea level minimum during the Last Glacial Maximum, and was followed by at least three glacial re‐advances during the Lateglacial to possibly the Holocene.     

The Quaternary Lancaster Sound trough‐mouth fan,NW Baffin Bay

The development of the Lancaster Sound Trough Mouth Fan (TMF) and glacial history in Arctic Canada were studied using a high‐resolution seismic profile across the entire fan and two piston cores. Stacked tills separated by erosion surfaces on the shelf pass seaward through till deltas into thick transparent glacigenic debris flow (GDF) deposits on the slope, separated by thin, well‐stratified glaciomarine layers. An age model was built by ties to the Ocean Drilling Program Site 645. The deepest GDF on the seismic profile was indicative of the onset of shelf‐crossing glaciation in the Early Pleistocene. The transition of the growth of Lancaster Sound TMF from an aggradational sequence (unit M) to an aggradational–progradational sequence (unit F) occurred at the Middle Pleistocene transition in glacial cyclicity. In the most recent glacial cycle, GDF sheets were deposited during Heinrich events 4 and 2 according to the correlation of the main detrital carbonate beds in two piston cores. The outmost till wedge reflects the maximum advance of the grounding glacier, far seaward of previously proposed Last Glacial Maximum ice extent. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Glacier fluctuations in the southern Peruvian Andes during the late‐glacial period,constrained with cosmogenic 3He

The occurrence of pronounced climate reversals during the last glacial termination has long been recognised in palaeoclimate records from both hemispheres and from high to low latitudes. Accurate constraint of both the timing and magnitude of events, such as the Younger Dryas and Antarctic Cold Reversal, is vital in order to test different hypotheses for the causes and propagation of abrupt climate change. However, in contrast to higher‐latitude regions, well‐dated records from the Tropics are rare and the structure of late‐glacial tropical climate remains uncertain. As a step toward addressing this problem, we present an in situ cosmogenic ³He surface exposure chronology from Nevado Coropuna, southern Peru, documenting a significant fluctuation of the ice margin during the late‐glacial period. Ten tightly clustered ages from a pair of moraines located halfway between the modern glacier and the Last Glacial Maximum terminus range from 11.9 to 13.9 ka and give an arithmetic mean age of 12.8 ± 0.7 ka (1σ). These data constitute direct evidence for a readvance, or prolonged stillstand, of glaciers in the arid Andes of southwestern Peru. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chronology of the Last Glacial Maximum in the Salzach palaeoglacier area (Eastern Alps)

A chronostratigraphy based on luminescence data was established at a key loess profile (Duttendorf) in the northern alpine foreland of Austria. The data help to constrain the timing and duration of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in the area of one of the largest east Alpine piedmont glaciers, the Salzach palaeoglacier. Climate deterioration and maximum advance of this glacier were coeval with the beginning of the main loess accumulation phase in the glacier forefield at ～29–30 ka. A late LGM‐outwash gravel layer deposited on top of the loess profile marks the end of the LGM glacier activity at ～20 ka. The geomorphological setting around the loess profile provides evidence of a major glacier oscillation during the course of the LGM, a phenomenon qualitatively known from other alpine palaeoglaciers but never interpreted in terms of palaeoclimate. A LGM glacier oscillation similar to that of the Salzach palaeoglacier was reported recently from the south Alpine Tagliamento palaeoglacier, suggesting a common forcing. The onset of loess deposition at Duttendorf and the tentatively contemporal advance of the Salzach palaeoglacier reflect, as do other data, the drastic cooling in Europe as a result of Heinrich event 3. The first glacier maximum is not well constrained in the study area but a correlation with the better dated Tagliamento amphitheatre suggests a possible response to Heinrich 2. The second re‐advance occurred synchronously (within dating uncertainties) in both palaeoglaciers forefields (at ～21 ka) but the forcing mechanism remains unknown. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The last Welsh Ice Cap: Part 2 – Dynamics of a topographically controlled icecap

During the Last Glacial Maximum, the British–Irish Ice Sheet was dominated by a number of accumulation centres, including a terrestrially based, semi‐independent icecap centred on Wales. The dynamics of this Welsh Ice Cap (WIC) over the last glacial period are still relatively poorly understood, with few studies taking into consideration the dynamic evolution of the icecap as a whole. Here we contrast results from two modelled reconstructions of the WIC in conjunction with the wider glacial geomorphological record to elucidate understanding of its form, extent and dynamics. Model output was analysed to yield zones of high basal motion and the spatial distribution of potential glacial erosion. We conclude that coherent flowsets of streamlined bedforms are linked to fast‐flowing outlets dominated by basal sliding. Large‐scale changes in dynamics are discussed, with a number of possible major advances proposed over the glacial cycle. Maximum ice thicknesses of ～1200 m in Mid Wales indicate that all mountain summits were probably ice‐covered during the Last Glacial Maximum, even if it was with a thin protective mantle of cold‐based ice, leading to landscape preservation of these upland zones. The distribution, dynamism and landscape modification related to the WIC are further discussed at the regional scale. Model predictions of glacier distribution through the Younger Dryas stadial accord well with geologically reconstructed limits at this time.     

Late Quaternary glaciation in the Tianshan and implications for palaeoclimatic change: a review

Xu, X., Kleidon, A., Miller, L., Wang, S., Wang, L. & Dong, G. 2009: Late Quaternary glaciation in the Tianshan and implications for palaeoclimatic change: a review. Boreas, 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2009.00118.x. ISSN 0300‐9483. The Tianshan mountain range has been extensively and repeatedly glaciated during the late Quaternary. Multiple moraines in this region record the extent and timing of late Quaternary glacier fluctuations. The moraines and their ages are described in three sub‐regions: eastern, central and western Tianshan. Notable glacial advances occurred during marine oxygen isotope stages (MIS) 6, 4, 3, 2, the Neoglacial and the Little Ice Age (LIA) in these sub‐regions. Glaciers in western Tianshan advanced significantly also during MIS 5, but not in eastern and central Tianshan. The local last glacial maximum (llgm) of the three sub‐regions pre‐dated the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and occurred during MIS 4 in eastern and central Tianshan, but during MIS 3 in western Tianshan. The spatial and temporal distribution of the glaciers suggests that precipitation (as snow at high altitude) is the main factor controlling glacial advance in the Tianshan. The late Quaternary climate in the Tianshan has been generally cold–dry during glacial times and warm–humid during interglacial times. Between neighbouring glacial times, the climate has had a more arid tendency in eastern and central Tianshan. These palaeoclimatic conditions inferred from glacial landforms indicate important relationships between the mid‐latitude westerly, the Siberian High and the Asian monsoon.     

Recognition and palaeoclimatic implications of late Quaternary niche glaciation in eastern Lesotho

Geomorphic evidence of former glaciation in the high Drakensberg of southern Africa has proven controversial, with conflicting glacial and non‐glacial interpretations suggested for many landforms. This paper presents new geomorphological, sedimentological and micromorphological data, and glacier mass‐balance modelling for a site in the Leqooa Valley, eastern Lesotho, preserving what are considered to be moraines of a former niche glacier that existed during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The geomorphology and macro‐sedimentology of the deposits display characteristics of both active and passive transport by glacial processes. However, micromorphological analyses indicate a more complex history of glacial deposition and subsequent reworking by mass movement processes. The application of a glacier reconstruction technique to determine whether this site could have supported a glacier indicates a reconstructed glacier equilibrium line altitude (ELA) of 3136 m a.s.l. and palaeoglacier mass balance characteristics comparable with modern analogues, reflecting viable, if marginal glaciation. Radiocarbon dates obtained from organic sediment within the moraines indicate that these are of LGM age. The reconstructed palaeoclimatic conditions during the LGM suggest that snow accumulation in the Drakensberg was significantly higher than considered by other studies, and has substantial relevance for tuning regional climate models for southern Africa during the last glacial cycle. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A case for a downwasting mountain glacier during Termination I,Verçenik valley,northeastern Turkey

Field evidence of palaeoglacial records in the Verçenik valley in the Eastern Black Sea Mountains was examined and 19 samples for surface exposure dating with cosmogenic ¹⁰Be were collected with the aim of increasing knowledge on the amplitude and frequency of palaeoglacier advances in Anatolia. Glacial erosional features were mapped and the flow directions of the palaeoglaciers were determined. The Verçenik palaeoglacier advanced before 26.1 k ± 1.2 k yr. The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) advance continued until 18.8 k ±1.0 k yr. The Verçenik palaeoglacier collapsed during Termination I. After 17.7 k ± 0.8 k yr there was no more ice in the main valley. The Verçenik palaeoglacier most probably then separated into five small glaciers that were restricted to the tributary valleys. Among these, the Hem?in palaeoglacier completed its recession around 15.7 k ± 0.8 k yr. On the basis of glacial erosion features, a Lateglacial glacier advance can be identified. Evidence of the Little Ice Age advance appears to be absent. The results from this valley system seem to be consistent with the first results from the adjacent Kavron valley and with the Anatolian LGM palaeoclimate, the sea surface temperature minima in the western Mediterranean, the deposition of red clay layers in the Black Sea and deposition of the Heinrich‐1 layer in the North Atlantic. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Climate variability during the Last Glacial Maximum in eastern Australia: evidence of two stadials?

A high‐resolution, multiproxy record encompassing the last glacial–interglacial transition is presented for Native Companion Lagoon, a coastal site in subtropical eastern Australia. Rates of aeolian sedimentation in the lake were established by trace element analyses of lacustrine sediments and used as a proxy for aridity. In conjunction with sediment moisture content, charcoal and pollen these provide a multi‐decadal record of palaeoenvironmental variability for the period 33–18 k cal. yr BP. Results indicate that the Last Glacial Maximum in eastern Australia spanned almost 10 k cal. yr, and was characterised by two distinct cold dry events at approximately 30.8 k cal. yr BP and 21.7 k cal. yr BP. Provenance of selected sediment samples by trace element geochemical fingerprinting shows that continental sourced aeolian sediments originated primarily from South Australia during these cold events and from sites in central Australia during the intervening time. Used in combination with a pollen record, the provenance of long‐travelled dust to mainland sites shows that the two cold events were characterised by frequent meridional dry southwesterly winds rather than zonal westerly airflow as previously believed. The intervening period was cool and humid, which we infer as being associated with more frequent southeasterly winds of maritime origin. These results lend support to previous research that indicates the Southern Hemisphere experienced a period of widespread climatic amelioration at the height of the last glacial known as the Antarctic Isotopic Maximum. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cosmogenic radionuclide dating of glacial landforms in the Lahul Himalaya,northern India: defining the timing of Late Quaternary glaciation

The timing of glaciation in the Lahul Himalaya of northern India was ascertained using the concentrations of cosmogenic ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al from boulders on moraines and drumlins, and from glacially polished bedrock surfaces. Five glacial stages were identified: Sonapani I and II, Kulti, Batal and Chandra. Of these, cosmogenic exposure ages were obtained on samples representative of the Batal and Kulti glacial cycles. Stratigraphical relationships indicate that the Sonapani I and II are younger. No age was obtained for the Chandra glacial advance. Batal Glacial Stage deposits are found throughout the valley, indicating the presence of an extensive valley glacial system. During the Kulti Stage, glaciers advanced ca. 10 km beyond their current positions. Moraines produced during the Batal Stage, ca. 12–15.5 ka, are coeval with the Northern Hemisphere Late‐glacial Interstadial (Bølling/Allerød). Deglaciation of the Batal Glacial Stage was completed by ca. 12 ka and was followed by the Kulti Glacial Stage during the early Holocene, at ca. 10–11.4 ka. On millennial time‐scales, glacier oscillations in the Lahul Himalaya apparently reflect periods of positive mass‐balance coincident with times of increased insolation. During these periods the South Asian summer monsoon strengthened and/or extended its influence further north and west, thereby enhancing high‐altitude summer snowfall. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Heinrich Events and Heinrich(-like) Events

Ice-raft debris layers in the North Atlantic sediments of IRD belt characterize abrupt climate variability, corresponding to Heinrich events during the Last Glacial and Heinrich(-like) events beyond the Last Glacial. During Heinrich/(-like) events, the Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere and cryosphere interacted strongly on the millennial-scale and had a profound impact on the global climate. In more than 30 years of continuous research on Heinrich/(-like) events and their remote response, the results have been more focused on the trigger mechanism and the new distinguished proxies of Heinrich/(-like) events. The first occurrence of Heinrich/(-like) events in IRD belt during MIS 16 was the initiation of a major landmark climate mechanism after MPT. The research on Heinrich/(-like) events may require a new ice sheet dynamics model related to the large ice sheet and the long-term ice age, which is forming a new hot topic.     

Latest Pleistocene and Holocene glacier fluctuations in the Himalaya and Tibet

The timing and extent of latest Pleistocene and Holocene alpine glacier fluctuations in the Himalaya and Tibet are poorly defined due to the logistical and political inaccessibility of the region, and the general lack of modern studies of the glacial successions. Nevertheless, renewed interest in the region and the aid of newly developing numerical dating techniques have provided new insights into the nature of latest Pleistocene and Holocene glacier oscillations. These studies provide abundant evidence for significant glacial advances throughout the Last Glacial cycle. In most high Himalayan and Tibetan regions glaciers reached their maximum extent early in the Last Glacial cycle. However, true Last Glacial Maximum glacier advances were significantly less extensive. Notable glacier advances occurred during the Lateglacial and the early Holocene, with minor advances in some regions during the mid-Holocene. There is abundant evidence for multiple glacial advances throughout the latter part of the Holocene, although these are generally very poorly defined, and were less extensive than the early Holocene glacier advances. The poor chronological control on latest Pleistocene and Holocene glacial successions makes it difficult to construct correlations across the region, and with other glaciated regions in the world, which in turn makes it hard to assess the relative importance of the different climatic mechanisms that force glaciation in this region. The Lateglacial and Holocene glacial record, however, is particularly well preserved in several regions, notably in Muztag Ata and Kongur, and the Khumbu Himal. These successions have the potential to be examined in detail using newly developing numerical dating methods to derive a high-resolution record of glaciation to help in paleoclimatic reconstruction and understanding the dynamics of climate and glaciation in the Himalaya and Tibet.     

Inherited clast dispersal patterns: Implications for palaeoglaciology of the SE Keewatin Sector of the Laurentide Ice Sheet

The net effect of ice‐flow shifts resulting in the dilution or reworking of clasts on a single preserved till sheet is often unknown yet has major implications for palaeoglaciology and mineral exploration. Herein, we analyse variations in till clast lithologies from a single till sheet, within palimpsest‐type Glacial Terrain Zones in NE Manitoba, Canada, to better understand sediment–landform relationships in this area of high landform inheritance. This near‐ice‐divide area is known to consist of a highly fragmented subglacial landscape, resulting from spatio‐temporal variations in intensity of reworking and inheritance throughout multiple glacial events (subglacial bed mosaic). We show that a seemingly homogenous ‘Keewatin’ till sheet is composed of local (>15 km) and continental‐scale (～100‐km‐long carbonate train and 350–600 km long Dubawnt red erratic train) fan, irregular (amoeboid) or lobate palimpsest dispersal patterns. Local dispersal is more complex than the preserved local landform flowset(s) record, but appears consistent with the overall glacial history reconstructed from regional flowset and striation analyses. The resultant surface till is a spatial mosaic interpreted to reflect variable intensities in modification (overprinting) and preservation (inheritance) of a predominately pre‐existing till sheet. A multi‐faceted approach integrating till composition, regional landforms, ice‐flow indicators, and stratigraphic knowledge is used to map relative spatio‐temporal erosion/reworking intensity.     

Morphological and sedimentary responses to ice mass interaction during the last deglaciation

During decline of the last British–Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS) down‐wasting of ice meant that local sources played a larger role in regulating ice flow dynamics and driving the sediment and landform record. At the Last Glacial Maximum, glaciers in north‐western England interacted with an Irish Sea Ice Stream (ISIS) occupying the eastern Irish Sea basin (ISB) and advanced as a unified ice‐mass. During a retreat constrained to 21–17.3 ka, the sediment landform assemblages lain down reflect the progressive unzipping of the ice masses, oscillations of the ice margin during retreat, and then rapid wastage and disintegration. Evacuation of ice from the Ribble valley and Lancashire occurred first while the ISIS occupied the ISB to the west, creating ice‐dammed lakes. Deglaciation, complete after 18.6–17.3 ka, was rapid (50–25 m a^?1), but slower than rates identified for the western ISIS (550–100 m a^?1). The slower pace is interpreted as reflecting the lack of a calving margin and the decline of a terrestrial, grounded glacier. Ice marginal oscillations during retreat were probably forced by ice‐sheet dynamics rather than climatic variation. These data demonstrate that large grounded glaciers can display complex uncoupling and realignment during deglaciation, with asynchronous behaviour between adjacent ice lobes generating complex landform records.

     

Modification of sediment characteristics during glacial transport in high-alpine catchments: Mount Cook area, New Zealand

The Mount Cook area in the Southern Alps of New Zealand is heavily glacierized with numerous peaks over 3000 m a.s.l. feeding several large valley glaciers. The region is subject to rapid tectonic uplift and heavy precipitation (up to 15 m per year). This paper describes the clast roundness, clast shape and textural characteristics associated with five glaciers (Fox, Franz Josef, Hooker, Mueller and Tasman) in terms of inputs to the glacier system, transport by the glaciers and reworking following glacial deposition. Inputs include rockfall, alluvial fan and avalanche material delivered to the surface of valley glaciers. Basal debris, where observed at the terminus of two glaciers, consists mainly of incorporated fluvial material. Following deposition, reworking is mainly by subglacial and proglacial streams. The dominant facies are (i) boulder gravel with mainly angular clasts on the steep slopes above the glaciers, (ii) sandy boulder gravel, with mainly angular and subangular clasts, forming lateral and end moraines, and (iii) sandy boulder/cobble gravel with mainly subrounded clasts, and sand, which represent glacially transported sediment reworked by braided rivers. Diamicton is rare in the contemporary glacial environment. Since most sediment associated with glaciers in the Southern Alps lacks unambiguous indications of glacial transport, interpretation of similar sediments in the geological record should not necessarily exclude the involvement of glacial processes.     

Late Pleistocene–Holocene environmental and climatic history of a freshwater paramo ecosystem in the northern Andes

This study presents the first multi-proxy palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic history for northern South America based on the palaeolimnological reconstruction of a pond located in a dry paramo at 3570 masl. During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the study area was under glacial conditions, then during global events Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1), Bølling–Allerød (BA), and the Younger Dryas (YD), the pond expanded, accumulation rates and proxies for erosion reached the highest values, indicative of humid conditions, with maxima in humidity during the BA and YD. Dry conditions and pond desiccation occurred in the Greenlandian–Northgrippian and by 6010 cal a bp the area was transformed into the mire of today. Comparisons with records from other sites in South America indicate that changes in humidity are most likely controlled by the Intertropical Convergence Zone, mainly during the glacial and postglacial, and by changes in the Pacific Ocean, more pronounced after the YD.     

Glacier-dammed lake in Southeastern Tibetan Plateau during the Last Glacial Maximum

Lacustrine, alluvial terraces and sediments record at least one Holocene glacially dammed lake in Songzong Basin immediately upstream of the Purlung TsangpoRiver, a main tributary of the downstream of Yarlung Tsangpo River, at the northeastern syntaxis of the Himalaya. The lacustrine deposit is more than 88 meters thick at the SongzongLandslide. There is an 18.33 meters thick layer of lacustrine silt within the lacustrine terrace. The Optical Simulated Luminescence (OSL) ages at the bottom and top of the lacustrine silt layerare 22.5±3.3ka B.P., and 16.1±1.7ka B.P., respectively, which indicates that the lacustrine deposits were formed during the Last Glacial Maximum ranging from 25kaB.P. to 15kaB.P.The ancient shorelines and the lake erosion zone confirm the preexistence of Songzong Lake. There are also terraces formed by moraines in the Songzong Basin. The high and large moraineterrace seen near the mouth of the Dongqu Valley is very prominent. The special characteristics of thelacustrine sediment and the ancient lake line in the Songzong Basin indicate that the lacustrinesediments are related to the blocking of the Purlung Tsangpo River by a glacier from DongquValley during Last Glacial Maximum.     

Ice‐rafting patterns on the western Svalbard slope 74–0 ka: interplay between ice‐sheet activity,climate and ocean circulation

The distribution of ice‐rafted detritus (IRD) is studied in three cores from the western Svalbard slope (1130–1880 m water depth, 76–78°N) covering the period 74–0 ka. The aim was to provide new insight into the dynamics of the Svalbard–Barents Sea Ice Sheet during Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 4–1 to get a better understanding of ice‐sheet interactions with changes in ocean circulation and climate on orbital and millennial (Dansgaard–Oeschger events of stadial–interstadial) time scales. The results show that concentration, flux, composition and grain‐size of IRD vary with climate and ocean temperature on both orbital and millennial time scales. The IRD consists mainly of fragments of siltstones and mono‐crystalline transparent quartz (referred to as ‘quartz’). IRD dominated by siltstones has a local Svalbard–Barents Sea source, while IRD dominated by quartz is from distant sources. Local siltstone‐rich IRD predominates in warmer climatic phases (interstadials), while the proportion of allochthonous quartz‐rich IRD increases in cold phases (glacials and stadials/Heinrich events). During the Last Glacial Maximum and early deglaciation at 24–16.1 ka, the quartz content reached up to >90%. In warm climate, local iceberg calving apparently increased and the warmer ocean surface caused faster melting. During the glacial maxima (MIS 4 and MIS 2) and during cold stadials and Heinrich events, the local ice‐sheets must have been relatively stable with low ablation. During ice retreat phases of the MIS 4/3 and MIS 2/1 transitions, maxima in IRD deposition were dominated by local coarse‐grained IRD. These maxima correlate with episodes of climate warming, indicating a rapid, stepwise retreat of the Svalbard–Barents Sea Ice Sheet in phase with millennial‐scale climate oscillations.     

Facies model for sedimentation in the glaciolacustrine environment

Diamictons which have characteristics of both basal tills and lacustrine sedimenis have been called by various authors waterlaid tills, lacuatrotills, subaqueous tills, aqualills, underwater tills, and other terms with the word till replaced by moraine. It is proposed that a more restrictive definition of these terms be applied based on criteria indicative of the environment of deposition.
The term lacustrotill is proposed for the till-like sediments deposited in the lacustrine environment by flow mechanisms. Their clasts are often striated and may exhibit preferred orientation unrelated to glacier movement. Deformation structures suggestive of slumping or flowage during deposition are usually present.
The term waterlaid till is proposed for sediments deposited beneath a floating glacier, where the water depth does not allow appreciable size separation during settling: glacial drift dumped in standing water at the snout of a glacier grounded on a lake bottom: or till deposited during re advances (perhaps annually) into a lake basin and subsequently slightly reworked by lacustrine processes.
These sediments contain glacially abraded clasts which may even show a weak preferred orientation related to glacial movement; deformation and flow structures will not normally be present: and they may he massive, or exhibit crude stratification.     

Glacial and climate history of the last 24 000 years in the Polar Ural Mountains,Arctic Russia,inferred from partly varved lake sediments

We present a well‐dated, high‐resolution and continuous sediment record spanning the last c. 24 000 years from lake Bolshoye Shchuchye located in the Polar Ural Mountains, Arctic Russia. This is the first continuous sediment succession reaching back into the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) ever retrieved from this region. We reconstruct the glacial and climate history in the area since the LGM based on sedimentological and geochemical analysis of a 24‐m‐long sediment core. A robust chronology was established using a combination of AMS ¹⁴C‐dating, the position of the Vedde Ash and varve counting. The varved part of the sediment core spans across the LGM from 24 to 18.7 cal. ka BP. We conclude that the lake basin remained ice‐free throughout the LGM, but that mountain glaciers were present in the lake catchment. A decrease in both glacial varve preservation and sedimentation rate suggests that these glaciers started to retreat c. 18.7 cal. ka BP and had disappeared from the catchment by 14.35 cal. ka BP. There are no indications of glacier regrowth during the Younger Dryas. We infer a distinct climatic amelioration following the onset of the Holocene and an Early to Middle Holocene thermal optimum between 10–5 cal. ka BP. Our results provide a long‐awaited continuous and high‐resolution record of past climate that supplements the existing, more fragmentary data from moraines and exposed strata along river banks and coastal cliffs around the Russian Arctic.