Late Quaternary history of Washington Land, North Greenland

During the last glacial stage, Washington Land in western North Greenland was probably completely inundated by the Greenland Ice Sheet. The oldest shell dates from raised marine deposits that provide minimum ages for the last deglaciation are 9300 cal. yr BP (northern Washington Land) and 7600 cal. yr BP (SW Washington Land). These dates indicate that Washington Land, which borders the central part of Nares Strait separating Greenland from Ellesmere Island in Canada, did not become free of glacier ice until well into the Holocene. The elevation of the marine limit falls from 110 m a.s.l. in the north to 60 m a.s.l. in the southwest. The recession was followed by readvance of glaciers in the late Holocene, and the youngest shell date from Neoglacial lateral moraines north of Humboldt Gletscher is 600 cal. yr BP. Since the Neoglacial maximum, probably around 100 years ago, glaciers have receded. The Holocene marine assemblages comprise a few southern extralimital records, notably of Chlamys islandica dated to 7300 cal. yr BP. Musk ox and reindeer disappeared from Washington Land recently, perhaps in connection with the cold period that culminated about 100 years ago.     

Late Quaternary history of the Kap Mackenzie area,northeast Greenland

Wagner, B., Bennike, O., Cremer, H. & Klug, M. 2010: Late Quaternary history of the Kap Mackenzie area, northeast Greenland. Boreas, Vol. 39, pp. 492–504. 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2010.00148.x. ISSN 0300‐9483. The Kap Mackenzie area on the outer coast of northeast Greenland was glaciated during the last glacial stage, and pre‐Holocene shell material was brought to the area. Dating of marine shells indicates that deglaciation occurred in the earliest Holocene, before 10 800 cal. a BP. The marine limit is around 53 m a.s.l. In the wake of the deglaciation, a glaciomarine fauna characterized the area, but after c. one millennium a more species‐rich marine fauna took over. This fauna included Mytilus edulis and Mysella sovaliki, which do not live in the region at present; the latter is new to the Holocene fauna of northeast Greenland. The oldest M. edulis sample is dated to c. 9500 cal. a BP, which is the earliest date for the species from the region and indicates that the Holocene thermal maximum began earlier in the region than previously documented. This is supported by driftwood dated to c. 9650 cal. a BP, which is the earliest driftwood date so far from northeastern Greenland and implies that the coastal area was at least partly free of sea ice in summer. As indicated by former studies, the Storegga tsunami hit the Kap Mackenzie area at c. 8100 cal. a BP. Loon Lake, at 18 m a.s.l., was isolated from the sea at c. 6200 cal. a BP, which is distinctly later than expected from existing relative sea‐level curves for the region.     

Late Quaternary glacial history of the central west coast of Jameson Land, East Greenland

The Late Quaternary ( c . 130,000–10,000 BP) glacial history of the central west coast of Jameson Land, East Greenland, is reconstructed through glacial stratigraphical studies. Seven major sedimentary units are described and defined. They represent two interglacial events (where one is the Holocene). one interstadial event and two glacial events. The older interglacial event comprises marine and fluvial sediments, and is correlated to the Langelandselv interglacial, corresponding to oxygen isotope sub-stage 5e. It is followed by an Early Weichselian major glaciation during the Aucellaelv stade, and subsequently by an Early Weichselian interstadial marine and deltaic event (the Hugin Sø interstade). Sediments relating to the Middle Weichselian have not been recognized in the area. The Hugin Sø interstade deposits have been overrun by a Late Weichselian ice advance, during the Flakkerhuk stade, when the glacier, which probably was a thin, low gradient fjord glacier in Scoresby Sund, draped older sediments and landforms with a thin till. Subsequent to the final deglaciation, some time before 10,000BP, the sea reached the marine limit around 70 m a.s.l., and early Holocene marine, fluvial and littoral sediments were deposited in the coastal areas.     

The Late Quaternary sedimentary record in Scoresby Sund, East Greenland

Until recently, little was known about the Quaternary marine sedimentary record in East Greenland. Geophysical and geological investigations in Scoresby Sund were undertaken to characterize the nature and chronology of this record. Seismic records show that almost 70% of the outer fjord system is covered by about 10 m of unlithified sediments, making direct correlation with the Quaternary records on land and the adjacent continental margin difficult. These acoustically unstratified sediments are scoured by icebergs above 550 m water depth. Almost 90% of core material is massive diamicton of Holocene age, deposited mainly from iceberg rafting and turbid meltwater. Sedimentation rates are 0.1 -0.3 m 1000 yr-¹. Thicker accumulations of unlithified Quaternary sediments in Scoresby Sund occur as sediment ridges and in two other major depocentres. A low sediment ridge runs across the mouth of Scoresby Sund, and is interpreted as an end moraine of Late Weichselian Flakkerhuk stadial age. The very restricted sediment thickness suggests that grounded ice filled the fjord during the Flakkerhuk and an ice shelf was not present. High inputs of ice rafted debris to the continental margin at about 18 000 BP indicate this as a probable age for the moraine. During the Allerød Interstadial, ice probably retreated from the outer fjord system, since massive diamictons similar to those of Holocene age are present at the base of most cores. A major depocentre of acoustically stratified sediments at the head of Hall Bredning is interpreted to represent ice proximal deposits from a glacier margin extending across the fjord. It is adjacent to dated moraines on land and is inferred to be of Milne Land stadial age (about 10 000 BP). A similar age is interpreted for acoustically laminated sediments and a moraine at the entrance of Vikingebugt, on the south side of Scoresby Sund. Dated kame terraces in the inner fjord system indicate that ice retreated to its present position 6–7000 years ago.     

Luminescence dating of Late Quaternary sediments from East Greenland

Luminescence dating based on K-feldspars and using both TL and OSL methods have been performed on 94 sediment samples from East Greenland. The ages go back more than 380 ka, but are mainly from the last interglaciation and the subsequent period and include both shallow-marine/coastal-fluvial and ice proximal meltwater sediments. Independent age control indicates that the dates in the first group generally fall within ± 15% of the expected age, although a few samples show larger deviations. The ice proximal sediments, on the other hand, show a much larger spread and exaggerated ages, probably owing to incomplete bleaching. OSL may give better results than TL in these sediments.     

Late Quaternary glacier and sea-ice history of northern Wijdefjorden,Svalbard

The deglaciation history and Holocene environmental evolution of northern Wijdefjorden, Svalbard, are reconstructed using sediment cores and acoustic data (multibeam swath bathymetry and sub-bottom profiler data). Results reveal that the fjord mouth was deglaciated prior to 14.5±0.3 cal. ka BP and deglaciation occurred stepwise. Biomarker analyses show rapid variations in water temperature and sea ice cover during the deglaciation, and cold conditions during the Younger Dryas, followed by minimum sea ice cover throughout the Early Holocene, until c. 7 cal. ka BP. Most of the glaciers in Wijdefjorden had retreated onto land by c. 7.6±0.2 cal. ka BP. Subsequently, the sea-ice extent increased and remained high throughout the last part of the Holocene. We interpret a high Late Holocene sediment accumulation rate in the northernmost core to reflect increased sediment flux to the site from the outlet of the adjacent lake Femmilsjøen, related to glacier growth in the Femmilsjøen catchment area. Furthermore, increased sea ice cover, lower water temperatures and the re-occurrence of ice-rafted debris indicate increased local glacier activity and overall cooler conditions in Wijdefjorden after c. 0.5 cal. ka BP. We summarize our findings in a conceptual model for the depositional environment in northern Wijdefjorden from the Late Weichselian until present.     

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.     

Late Quaternary ice sheet, lake and sea history of southwest Scandinavia – a synthesis

Based on a large number of new boreholes in northern Denmark, and on the existing data, a revised event‐stratigraphy is presented for southwestern Scandinavia. Five significant Late Saalian to Late Weichselian glacial events, each separated by periods of interglacial or interstadial marine or glaciolacustrine conditions, are identified in northern Denmark. The first glacial event is attributed to the Late Saalian c. 160–140 kyr BP, when the Warthe Ice Sheet advanced from easterly and southeasterly directions through the Baltic depression into Germany and Denmark. This Baltic ice extended as far as northern Denmark, where it probably merged with the Norwegian Channel Ice Stream (NCIS) and contributed to a large discharge of icebergs into the Norwegian Sea. Following the break up, marine conditions were established that persisted from the Late Saalian until the end of the Early Weichselian. The next glaciation occurred c. 65–60 kyr BP, when the Sundsøre ice advanced from the north into Denmark and the North Sea, where the Scandinavian and British Ice Sheets merged. During the subsequent deglaciation, large ice‐dammed lakes formed before the ice disintegrated in the Norwegian Channel, and marine conditions were re‐established. The following Ristinge advance from the Baltic, initiated c. 55 kyr BP, also reached northern Denmark, where it probably merged with the NCIS. The deglaciation, c. 50 kyr BP, was followed by a long period of marine arctic conditions. Around 30 kyr BP, the Scandinavian Ice Sheet expanded from the north into the Norwegian Channel, where it dammed the Kattegat ice lake. Shortly after, c. 29 kyr BP, the Kattegat advance began, and once again the Scandinavian and British Ice Sheets merged in the North Sea. The subsequent retreat to the Norwegian Channel led to the formation of Ribjerg ice lake, which persisted from 27 to 23 kyr BP. The expansion of the last ice sheet started c. 23 kyr BP, when the main advance occurred from north–northeasterly directions into Denmark. An ice‐dammed lake was formed during deglaciation, while the NCIS was still active. During a re‐advance and subsequent retreat c. 19 kyr BP, a number of tunnel‐valley systems were formed in association with ice‐marginal positions. The NCIS finally began to break up in the Norwegian Sea 18.8 kyr BP, and the Younger Yoldia Sea inundated northern Denmark around 18 kyr BP. The extensive amount of new and existing data applied to this synthesis has provided a better understanding of the timing and dynamics of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet (SIS) during the last c. 160 kyr. Furthermore, our model contributes to the understanding of the timing of the occasional release of large quantities of meltwater from the southwestern part of the SIS that are likely to enter the North Atlantic and possibly affect the thermohaline circulation.     

Late Quaternary history of northern Russia and adjacent shelves — a synopsis

This synopsis highlights some of the main results presented in this issue of Boreas. The collection of papers deals with ice sheet reconstruction in space and time, isostatic and eustatic response to deglaciation, land to shelf sediment interaction, and Eemian and Holocene environmental variations. The most significant new results are that the last glacial maximum of the Kara Sea and Barents Sea ice sheets were both much smaller and much older than in most previous hypotheses. This puts new constraints on, for example, climate and ice sheet linkages, ice sheet interactions (Scandinavian-Barents Sea-Kara Sea), and land-ocean riverine input through time.     

Late Quaternary environmental change and human impact around Lake Bolac,western Victoria,Australia

The late Quaternary history of the Lake Bolac region is reconstructed from sedimentary and pollen analysis of lake and swamp sequences and is supported by archaeological remains from lunette sediments. Freshwater deposits recovered from lake Turangmoroke appear to date from the last glacial period, when the vegetation was composed of herbfield and grassland. Subsequent dry conditions at the end of the Pleistocene caused the deflation of some accumulated sediments. On refilling, the lake had become saline. As moisture availability increased, casuarina woodland, dominated by Allocasuarina verticillata, became the regional vegetation cover. Domination by casuarina ended ca. 8000–7000 yr BP, probably as a result of rising saline ground-water tables. Casuarinas were replaced to some degree by eucalypts, augmented by the development of a riverine Eucalyptus camaldulensis woodland. Swamp deposition commenced in the channel of neighbouring Fiery Creek at ca. 4000 yr BP, most likely as the result of a reduction in stream flow with decreased precipitation. Despite suggestions of significant impact on the vegetation by Aboriginal people from other sites in southeastern Australia, there is no evidence of any alteration here from periods of occupation dated to around 13000 yr BP and after 3500 yr BP. The period of European occupation, though, is marked by significant changes in fire patterns, reduced tree cover, loss of floristic diversity, increased erosion rates and salinity levels, and decreased water levels.     

The Late Quaternary vegetational and climatic history of Easter Island

Easter Island occupies an exceptionally isolated position in the south Pacific Ocean. It is entirely volcanic, and is famous for its giant statues. Late Quaternary sediments have been investigated in three craters: Rano Raraku, Rano Aroi and Rano Kao, giving a continuous record over the past 30 Ka. Pollen records indicate that the island was formerly forested. Palynological and sedimentological evidence suggests a Late Pleistocene climate slightly cooler and drier than the present. Deforestation by people occurred mainly between 1200 and 800 yr BP. This may have led to an ecological disaster and to the decline of the megalithic civilization. The depauperation of the present native flora owes more to human activity than to isolation.     

Late Quaternary environmental history of central Prins Karls Forland, western Svalbard

This paper presents the results from stratigraphic and geomorphologic investigations in the Poolepynten area, Prins Karls Forland, western Svalbard. Field mapping, soil profile development and ¹⁴C dating reveal the existence of at least two generations of raised beach deposits. Well-developed raised beaches rise to the Late Weichselian marine limit at 36 m a.s.l. Discontinuous pre-Late Weichselian beach deposits rise from the Late Weichselian marine limit to approximately 65 m a.s.l. Expansion of local glaciers in the area during the Late Weichselian is indicated by a till that locally overlies pre-Late Weichselian raised beach deposits. Stratigraphic data from coastal sections reveal two shallow marine units deposited during part of oxygen isotope stage 5. The two shallow marine units are separated by a subglacially deposited till that indicates an ice advance from Prins Karls Forland into the Forlandsundet basin some time during the latter part of stage 5. Discontinuous glaciofluvial deposits and a cobble-boulder lag could relate to a Late Weichselian local glacial advance across the coastal site. Late Weichselian/early Holocene beach deposits cap the sedimentary succession. Palaeotemperature estimates derived from amino acid ratios in subfossil marine molluscs indicate that the area has not been submerged or covered by warm based glacier ice for significant periods of time during the time interval ca. 70 ka to 10 ka.     

Late Quaternary history of the coastal Wahiba Sands,Sultanate of Oman

Continental sediments and geomorphological features of the coastal Wahiba Sands, Sultanate of Oman, reflect environmental variability in southeastern Arabia during the late Quaternary. Weakly cemented dune sands, interdune deposits and coastal sediments were dated by luminescence methods to establish an absolute chronology of changes in sedimentary dynamics. The dating results confirm previous assumptions that during times of low global sea level sand was transported by southerly winds from the exposed shelf onto the Arabian Peninsula. Two prominent phases of sand accumulation in the coastal area took place just before and after the last glacial maximum (LGM). A final significant period of dune consolidation is recognised during the early Holocene. However, no major consolidation of dunes appears to have occurred during the LGM and the Younger Dryas. In the northern part of the Wahiba Sands, these two periods are characterised by substantial sand deposition. This discrepancy is explained by the lack of conservation potential for dunes in the coastal area, probably caused by a low groundwater table due to low sea level and decreased precipitation. While the times of aeolian activity reflect arid to hyper‐arid conditions, lacustrine and pedogenically altered interdune deposits indicate wetter conditions than today caused by increased monsoonal circulation during the Holocene climatic optimum. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Zircon captures exhumation of an ultrahigh-pressure terrane,North-East Greenland Caledonides

Zircon from the North-East Greenland ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) terrane formed over a 45 million year period from peak UHP conditions through the amphibolite facies. Our study utilizes sensitive high resolution ion microprobe-reverse geometry (SHRIMP-RG) mass spectrometry to assess the multiple ages and trace element patterns preserved in zircon from samples chosen to capture the exhumation history of these rocks. Peak UHP conditions from 365 to 350 Ma are derived from coesite-bearing samples, while a suite of progressively retrogressed quartzofeldspathic host gneisses and late-stage, leucocratic melts emplaced into the gneisses track exhumation. Melting occurred during all stages of exhumation, beginning with H₂O-absent dehydration melting of phengite on the decompression path. A garnet-bearing leucosome in the neck of a kyanite-eclogite boudin that gives an age of 347 Ma is taken as the beginning of phengite melting. Leucosomes formed in HP granulite to amphibolite facies gneisses between 350 and 340 Ma, and fluid assisted melting continued until 320 Ma in the form of late, cross cutting pegmatites. Changes in the zircon trace element patterns are linked to decreasing temperature, and show that significant new zircon grew during melting on the exhumation path. Zircon cores recording protolith ages generally preserve magmatic temperatures (700 °C) and typical igneous REE patterns (Yb/Gd = 10). UHP/HP eclogite-facies zircon records higher T (900 °C) and flat HREE patterns (Yb/Gd = 1). Granulite to amphibolite facies zircon in quartzofeldspathic gneisses records both flat (Yb/Gd = 1) and steep (Yb/Gd = 100) HREE patterns at ca 700 °C suggesting the variable effects of garnet during decompression. Amphibolite facies pegmatites and leucosomes document a transition from moderate HREE (Yb/Gd = 10) at 700 °C to steep HREE (Yb/Gd = 100–1000) patterns at 600 °C. The pronounced steepening of the HREE patterns is attributed to garnet breakdown during amphibolite-facies metamorphism. The 30–50 million year spread of ages observed in individual samples records multiple periods of zircon growth and is interpreted as a characteristic signature of slowly exhumed UHP terranes. The data show that zircon ages combined with trace element and textural characterization of zircon from a broad suite of samples can successfully define the exhumation history of UHP terranes.     

Late Quaternary glaciation history of Isla de los Estados,southeasternmost South America

Isla de los Estados is a mountainous island southeast of Tierra del Fuego, in southernmost South America. Its central and eastern parts have an alpine topography, transected by U-shaped valleys, small, partly over-deepened fjords, and a multitude of abandoned cirques, all associated with extensive former local glaciations. Traces of glacial erosion generally reach 400–450 m a.s.l., and above that trimline a distinct sharp-edged nunatak derived landscape is present. The westernmost part of the island has a lower, more subdued topography, reflecting its “softer” geology but possibly also over-running and erosion by mainland-derived ice streams. The present study concentrated on glacigenic sediment sequences exposed along coastal erosional cliffs. A combination of OSL and ¹⁴C datings show that these sediments mostly date from the latest (Wisconsinan/Weichselian) glacial cycle, i.e. from the last ca. 100 ka with the oldest (glaciolacustrine) deposits possibly as old as 90–80 ka. The upper parts of overlying tills, with associated lateral and terminal moraines from glaciers that expanded onto an eustatically exposed dry shelf north of the island, date from the last global glacial maximum (LGM). Radiocarbon ages of peat and lake sediments indicate that deglaciation began 17–16 cal ka BP.     

Late Quaternary landscape history and geoarchaeology of two drainages on Black Mesa,northeastern Arizona,USA

Two approximately 5‐ to 6‐km drainage segments on Black Mesa preserve unusually complete sequences of late Quaternary alluvium and soils. Radiocarbon‐ and tree‐ring‐dated alluvial and soil stratigraphy suggests entrenched paleoarroyos were beginning to aggrade at about >24,260, 11,070, 9660, 8800, 7060, 3500, 2140, and 1870 ¹⁴C yr B.P. Using the quantity of sediment removal from post‐A.D. 1900 arroyos as analogue, at least 77–200% of total valley alluvium has been removed and replaced by younger sediments during an estimated 11 late Pleistocene and Holocene erosion epicycles. Given that most (59%) of the 150 recorded prehistoric sites in the two study areas occur on valley floors where only about 3% of surface alluvium predates Lolomai phase Basketmaker II occupation (˜1900–1600 yr B.P.), it may be inferred that pre‐Lolomai phase Basketmaker II sites which may have been located along washes have been removed or buried by fluvial erosion. Identification of five buried hearths in alluvial sections, including White Dog and Lolomai phase Basketmaker II sites (dating about 3500 and 1870 ¹⁴C yr B.P., respectively) and one possible Early Archaic site, supports this conclusion. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Forward modeling corona growth in a partially eclogitized leucogabbro, Bourbon Island, North-East Greenland

Coronitic textures are common in partially eclogitized igneous bodies, such as gabbros, leucogabbros, and anorthosites, east of the Germania Land Deformation Zone in North-East Greenland. Coronas formed by prograde metamorphic processes that transformed the gabbroic bodies to eclogite facies, and record frozen stages of the prograde metamorphic evolution of these rocks. A metaleucogabbro-norite body on Bourbon Island in Jøkelbugt is characterized by three concentric areas: a coronitic core, a mottled inner rim with areas of completely eclogitized material surrounded by a matrix of coronitic metaleucogabbro, and an outer rim of strongly foliated and completely retrogressed amphibolite. The Bourbon body preserves four stages of the prograde metamorphic history: Stage I, Stage II, Stage III, and Eclogite Stage. Stage I coronas are found only in the core of the body, which is the least reacted part of the leucogabbro-norite and the closest to the protolith, and is characterized by the corona sequence Pl_rim/Grt + Kfs + Amp/Grt + Amp/Cpx_rim. The typical corona sequence for Stage II is Pl_rim/Grt + Pl + Zo/Cpx_rim/Amp_rim. Stage III samples show a Pl_rim + Ky + Scp/Grt + Pl + Qtz/Qtz + Pl sequence, with the relict clinopyroxene being replaced in part by microcrystalline aggregates of Cpx + Amp + Pl. The Eclogite Stage shows relict Pl completely replaced by Grt, and the relict Cpx completely replaced by aggregates of Omp + Pl + Kfs + Amp. We tested open-system grain boundary diffusion (OSGBD) theories to model the prograde Stage I symplectitic coronas. The observed ratio of the thickness of the different layers is Pl_rim:Grt + Kfs + Amp:Grt + Amp:Cpx_rim equal to 3:1.3:0.95:0.5. These ratios are very close to the modeled ones of 2.7:1.1:1:0.5. Furthermore, subtle textural changes within the Grt + Kfs + Amp corona were also reproduced by the model. The model gave us insight into the conditions of the metamorphic system in which the coronas formed. The sequence Pl_rim/Grt + Kfs + Amp/Grt + Amp/Cpx_rim formed by diffusion driven reactions in an open system involving gain of Fe, K, and Na, and loss of Ca and Mg at the original clinopyroxene–plagioclase boundary. Relative mobilities of the different components within the corona layers were L_MgMg > L_AlAl > L_SiSi > L_CaCa > L_KK > L_FeFe > L_NaNa. Fluid circulation was active to some degree during the transformation to eclogite. The differences between core, inner rim, and the two domains within the inner rim of the metaleucogabbro-norite can be explained by different degrees of fluid circulation in different portions of the rock. The presence of phases containing Cl and P, such as scapolite, in completely eclogitized samples supports the presence of fluid circulation in the system. Another possible explanation for the mottled appearance of the inner rim is protolith heterogeneity.     

Late Weichselian deglacial history of Disko Bugt, West Greenland, and the dynamics of the Jakobshavns Isbrae ice stream

New relative sea-level (RSL) data from Disko Bugt, a large marine embayment in West Greenland, are used to examine the deglacial history of the Jakobshavns Isbrae ice stream. RSL data show rapid deglaciation after 10.3 ka cal. yr BP. Once deglaciation began, a bedrock high in the west of the bay exerted no discernible influence on the deglacial chronology. Following initial rapid retreat, ice stream recession slowed as it approached the eastern shores of the bay. Seabed elevations increase here and the ice stream terminus lingered for several thousand years before retreating into the narrow bedrock-confined Jakobshavns Isfjord. The seabed topography of Disko Bugt includes several deep channels which probably record the former course of the ice stream. Using a simple water depth/calving velocity relationship it is estimated that the maximum calving velocity on deglaciation was c. 4.8 km a^-1. This is less than the present rate (6–7 km a^-1), although ice discharge was two to four times that observed today. Initiation of rapid ice stream retreat was probably caused by ice stream thinning and increased surface melting. A critical point in time was the retreat of the ice stream from shallow continental shelf waters ( c. 400 m) into the deep bedrock trough (>800 m) which marks the entrance to Disko Bugt.