The subglacial thermal organisation (STO) of ice sheets

This paper examines ice-sheet wide variations in subglacial thermal regime and ice dynamics using the landform record exposed on the beds of former mid-latitude ice sheets (the Laurentide, Cordilleran, Fennoscandian and British-Irish Ice Sheets). We compare the landform patterns beneath these former ice sheets to the flow organisation beneath parts of the contemporary Antarctic Ice Sheet inferred from RADARSAT-1 Antarctic Mapping Project (RAMP) data. The evidence preserved in the landform record and observed on contemporary ice masses can be grouped into four major ice-dynamical components that collectively define the subglacial thermal organisation (STO) of ice sheets. These ice-dynamical components are frozen-bed patches, ice streams, ice-stream tributaries and lateral shear zones. Frozen-bed patches appear at a wide range of spatial scales, spanning four orders of magnitude. In some areas, frozen-bed zones comprise large proportions of the bed (e.g. near the ice divide in continental areas), whilst in other areas they constitute isolated “islands” in areas dominated by thawed-bed conditions. Ice streams, narrow zones of fast flow in ice sheets that are otherwise dominated by slow sheet flow, are also common features of Quaternary ice sheets. Tributaries to ice streams flow at velocities intermediate between full ice-stream and sheet flow, and may divert ice drainage from one primary ice-stream corridor to an adjacent one. Sharp lateral boundaries between landforms indicate sliding and non-sliding conditions, respectively. These lateral boundaries represent important discontinuities in the glacial landscape and mark the location of shear zones between thawed-bed ice streams and intervening frozen-bed areas. We use the landform evidence in the area around Great Bear Lake, Canada to trace the evolution of an ice-stream web through time, demonstrating that frozen-bed patches are integral components of this complex system. We conclude that frozen-bed patches are important for the stability of ice sheets because they laterally constrain and isolate peripheral drainage basins and their ice streams.     

Bedform topography and basal conditions beneath a fast-flowing West Antarctic ice stream

A grid of seismic reflection lines has been used to image basal topography and infer basal conditions and flow processes beneath ～140 km² of Rutford Ice Stream, West Antarctica. The subglacial topography in this region consists of two troughs flanking a central high and the bed is composed of water-saturated sediments. The two troughs are filled with deforming sediment, whereas the bed in the central region appears to undergo a transition from largely deforming conditions upstream to basal sliding downstream. The deforming bed is very flat along flow, but undulates across flow. Sliding areas show rougher bed topography. Cross-stream bed topography is characterised by streamlined mounds of deforming sediment aligned in the ice flow direction. These bedforms occur superimposed on the bed in regions of both basal sliding and sediment deformation. In places, they form finger-like mounds of material, which extend into the sliding region further downstream. Mean bedform height is 22 m, mean width is 267 m, and many of them extend for at least 1–2 km along flow. We interpret most of these bedforms as drumlins and one as a mega-scale glacial lineation. The juxtaposition of different basal conditions is consistent with models proposed from terrestrial studies in which the glacier bed is a mosaic of stable and deforming bed areas, variable both spatially and temporally. Any theory of subglacial sediment rheology must also be able to account for our conclusion that, at any given time, pervasive deformation extends at least a few metres into the bed and can persist over a considerable area (many km²). Bedform geometry and basal conditions concur with interpretations of former ice streams, with evidence for increasing elongation ratio with distance downstream. However, those studies also identified bedrock cropping out at the ice-bed interface, for which there is no evidence on Rutford Ice Stream.     

Glacial deposits and Late Weichselian ice-sheet dynamics in the northeastern Baltic Sea

Glacial deposits and landforms, interpreted from the continuous seismic reflection data, have been used to reconstruct the Late Weichselian ice-sheet dynamics and the sedimentary environments in the northeastern Baltic Sea. The bedrock geology and topography played an important role in the glacial dynamics and subglacial meltwater drainage in the area. Drumlins suggest a south-southeasterly flow direction of the last ice sheet on the Ordovician Plateau. Eskers demonstrate that subglacial meltwater flow was focused mostly within bedrock valleys. The eskers have locally been overlain by a thin layer of till. Thick proximal outwash deposits occupy elongated depressions in the substratum, which often occur along the sides of esker ridges. Ice-marginal grounding-line deposit in the southern part of the area has a continuation on the adjacent Island of Saaremaa. Therefore, we assume that its formation took place during Palivere Stadial of the last deglaciation, whereas the moraine bank extending southwestward from the Serve Peninsula is tentatively correlated with the Pandivere Stadial. The wedge-shaped ice-marginal grounding-line deposit was locally fed by subglacial meltwater streams during a standstill or slight readvance of the ice margin. The thickness of the glacier at the grounding-line was estimated to reach approximately 180 m. In the western part of the area, terrace-like morphology of the ice-marginal deposit and series of small retreat moraines 10–20 km north of it suggest stepwise retreat of the ice margin. Therefore, a rather thin and mobile ice stream was probably covering the northeastern Baltic Sea during the last deglaciation.     

Sedimentology of an ice lobe margin esker with implications for the deglacial dynamics of the Finnish Lake District lobe trunk

We provide evidence for the subglacial to ice‐marginal successive deposition of the Lohtaja?Kivijärvi ice lobe margin esker influenced by the changes in the meltwater delivery and proglacial water depth within the Finnish Lake District lobe trunk during the last deglaciation in Finland. The study is mostly based on the sedimentological data from the 100 km long esker chain with 15 logged sites. The long breaks in the lobe margin esker and the re‐emerged deposition along the stable position of the subglacial meltwater route were related to the discontinuities and reappearances of the neighbouring eskers. This considerable variability in the meltwater discharge and debris transport under the described deglacial conditions cannot be explained by markedly decreased meltwater production due to palaeoclimatic factors or lack of debris within the trunk region. The primary control on the changes in meltwater availability and related esker deposition was thus due to the spatial and temporal changes in ice mass properties and shifting of the meltwater flow paths within the trunk. These changes were initiated by the topographically higher and partly supra‐aquatic Suomenselkä watershed area with subsequent deepening of the proglacial water during the deglaciation. The understanding of the long‐lived esker deposition along the former ice‐stream trunk margin adds to the evaluation of palaeoglaciological reconstructions and geomorphologically based spatial models for ice‐stream landscapes.     

Temporal changes in subglacial meltwater activity: field evidence from the late Devensian in the north of Ireland

Temporal changes in meltwater abundance, distribution and characteristics (controlling subglacial processes and ice sheet dynamics) can be inferred from subglacial sediment successions. Field evidence for changes in subglacial meltwater characteristics over time is presented from two sites (Doonan, Drummee) near a former late Weichselian (Devensian) ice centre in the north of Ireland. On a macroscale, both sites investigated show subglacial diamicton overlying glacially planated bedrock platforms. In more detail, primary sedimentary structures and facies variability show a complex relationship between depositional processes and meltwater characteristics at the ice/bed interface (IBI). Sedimentary evidence suggests sediment transport and deposition took place by low-viscosity subglacial slurries (mobile sediment–meltwater admixtures), which are part of a continuum between the processes of subglacial sediment deformation and subglacial meltwater flooding. Subtle changes in meltwater abundance and distribution at the IBI controlled slurry rheology, mechanisms of particle support and detailed sediment depositional processes.     

Soft-bedded subglacial meltwater channel from the Welzow-Süd opencast lignite mine, Lower Lusatia, eastern Germany

An excellent section in the Welzow-Süd open-cast lignite mine in Lower Lusatia, eastern Germany, provided a rare opportunity to study a small (5 m deep), buried subglacial meltwater channel of Saalian age. The channel is steep-sided and distinctly U-shaped. It is separated from undeformed outwash deposits in which it is incised by a sharp erosional contact and it is filled with meltwater sand and till. The till was possibly squeezed into the channel from the adjacent ice/bed interface. Directly beneath the channel, there is a partly truncated diapir of clayey silt, evidencing sediment intrusion into the channel from below. During channel formation, the pressure gradient was oriented from the surrounding sediments into the channel, so that the channel served as a drainage conduit for groundwater from the adjacent subglacial aquifer. The substratum consists largely of sandy aquifers with a total thickness of about 100 m, separated by two aquitards. Channel formation was initiated when hydraulic transmissivity of the bed did not suffice to evacuate all the subglacial meltwater as groundwater flow. As the Welzow-Süd channel belongs to a dense network of subglacial channels in eastern Germany, temporary ice-sheet instability in this region prior to channel formation seems possible.     

Modeling ice sheets from the bottom up

Three facts should guide ice-sheet modeling. (1) Ice height above the bed is controlled by the strength of ice-bed coupling, reducing ice thickness by some 90 percent when coupling vanishes. (2) Ice-bed coupling vanishes along ice streams that end as floating ice shelves and drain up to 90 percent of an ice sheet. (3) Because of (1) and (2), ice sheets can rapidly collapse and disintegrate, thereby removing ice sheets from Earth's climate system and forcing abrupt climate change. The first model of ice-sheet dynamics was developed in Australia and applied to the present Antarctic Ice Sheet in 1970. It treated slow sheet flow, which prevails over some 90 percent of the ice sheet, but is the least dynamic component. The model made top-down calculations of ice velocities and temperatures, based on known surface conditions and an assumed basal geothermal heat flux. In 1972, Joseph Fletcher proposed a six-step research strategy for studying dynamic systems. The first step was identifying the most dynamic components, which for Antarctica are fast ice streams that discharge up to 90 percent of the ice. Ice-sheet models developed at the University of Maine in the 1970s were based on the Fletcher strategy and focused on ice streams, including calving dynamics when ice streams end in water. These models calculated the elevation of ice sheets based in the strength of ice-bed coupling. This was a bottom-up approach that lowered ice elevations some 90 percent when ice-bed coupling vanished. Top-down modeling is able to simulate changes in the size and shape of ice sheets through a whole glaciation cycle, provided the mass balance is treated correctly. Bottom-up modeling is able to produce accurate changes in ice elevations based on changes in ice-bed coupling, provided the force balance is treated correctly. Truly holistic ice-sheet models should synthesize top-down and bottom-up approaches by combining the mass balance with the force balance in ways that merge abrupt changes in stream flow with slow changes in sheet flow. Then discharging 90 percent of the ice by ice streams mobilizes 90 percent of the area so ice sheets can self-destruct, and thereby terminate a glaciation cycle.     

Successive subglacial depositional processes as interpreted from basal tills in the Lower Vistula valley (N Poland)

Three basal-till facies from the Lower Vistula valley were examined. The lowest facies, a sandy diamicton with characteristic sand inclusions forming detached and attenuated folds, is overlain by a bedded till characterized by alternating diamictons and sorted sediment layers. The uppermost till facies is a homogeneous diamicton.The three till facies must have been formed by complex subglacial sedimentary processes during the first Late Weichselian ice advance. The lowest till facies is interpreted as a deformation till, and accumulated during the initial stage of the ice advance. The middle facies represents a stagnation phase during the initial ice advance, and was deposited during recurrent periods of subglacial melt-out followed by meltwater sedimentation. The upper till facies was deposited by direct subglacial melt-out during a stage of stagnant ice.It is suggested that bed deformation and temporarily enhanced basal sliding have been caused by ice streaming at the time of the ice-sheet advance and just before its stagnation.     

Streamlined bedrock terrain and fast ice flow, Jakobshavns Isbrae, West Greenland: implications for ice stream and ice sheet dynamics

This study investigates the marginal subglacial bedrock bedforms of Jakobshavns Isbrae, West Greenland, in order to examine the processes governing bedform evolution in ice stream and ice sheet areas, and to reconstruct the interplay between ice stream and ice sheet dynamics. Differences in bedform morphology (roche moutonnee or whaleback) are used to explore contrasts in basal conditions between fast and slow ice flow. Bedform density is higher in ice stream areas and whalebacks are common. We interpret that this is related to higher ice velocities and thicker ice which suppress bed separation. However, modification of whalebacks by plucking occurs during deglaciation due to ice thinning, flow deceleration, crevassing and fluctuations in basal water pressure. The bedform evidence points to widespread basal sliding during past advances of Jakobshavns Isbrae. This was encouraged by increased basal temperatures and melting at depth, as well as the steep marginal gradients of Jakobshavns Isfjord which allowed rapid downslope evacuation of meltwater leading to strong ice/bedrock coupling and scouring. In contrast to soft-bedded ice stream bedforms, the occurrence of fixed basal perturbations and higher bed roughness in rigid bed settings prevents the basal ice subsole from maintaining a stable form which, coupled with secondary plucking, counteracts the development of bedforms with high elongation ratios. Cross-cutting striae and double-plucked, rectilinear bedforms suggest that Jakobshavns Isbrae became partially unconfined during growth phases, causing localised diffluent flow and changes in ice sheet dynamics around Disko Bugt. It is likely that Disko Bugt harboured a convergent ice flow system during repeated glacial cycles, resulting in the formation of a large coalesced ice stream which reached the continental shelf edge.     

Glacial imprints of the Okanogan Lobe,southern margin of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet

The glacial geomorphology of the Waterville Plateau (ca. 55 km²) provides information on the dynamics of the Okanogan Lobe, southern sector of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet in north‐central Washington. The Okanogan Lobe had a profound influence on the landscape. It diverted meltwater and floodwater along the ice front contributing to the Channeled Scabland features during the late Wisconsin (Fraser Glaciation). The glacial imprint may record surge behaviour of the former Okanogan Lobe based on a comparison with other glacial landsystems. Conditions that may have promoted instability include regional topographic constraints, ice marginal lakes and dynamics of the subglacial hydrological system, which probably included a subglacial reservoir. The ice‐surface morphology and estimated driving stresses (17–26 kPa) implied from ice thickness and surface slope reconstructed in the terminal area also suggest fast basal flow characteristics. This work identifies the location of a fast flowing ice corridor and this probably affected the stability and mass balance of the south‐central portion of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet. Evidence for fast ice flow is lacking in the main Okanogan River Valley, probably because it was destroyed during deglaciation by various glacial and fluvial processes. The only signature of fast ice flow left is the imprint on the Waterville Plateau. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Boulder-gravel hummocks and wavy basal till contacts: products of subglacial meltwater flow beneath the Saginaw Lobe, south-central Michigan, USA

Hummocky terrain composed of boulder gravel and a wavy contact between stratified till and sand are described and explained as products of subglacial meltwater activity beneath the Saginaw Lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet in south-central Michigan. Exposures and geophysical investigations of hummocky terrain in a tunnel channel reveal that hummocks (˜100m diameter) are glaciofluvial bedforms with a supraglacial melt-out till or till flow veneer. The hummocky terrain is interpreted as a subglacial glaciofluvial landscape rather than one of stagnant ice processes commonly assumed for hummocky landscapes. Sandy bedforms at another site are in-phase with a wavy contact at the base of a stratified till exposed for 50m along the margin of a tunnel channel. The 0.4m thick stratified till is overlain by up to 5m of compact, pebble-rich, sandy subglacial melt-out till. The contact between the till and sand has a wave form with a 0.5m amplitude and 3-5m wavelength. Bedding within the stratified till, sandy bedforms and melt-out till are mostly in-phase with each other. Clasts from the overlying stratified till penetrate and deform the underlying sand recording recoupling of the ice to its bed. Ice ripples cut into the base of river ice have a similar morphology and are considered analogs for cavities cut into the base of the glacier and subsequently filled with sand. Subglacial meltwater activity was not coeval at each study site, indicating that subglacial meltwater played important roles in the evolution of the subglacial environment beneath the Saginaw Lobe at different times.     

Are long subglacial bedforms indicative of fast ice flow?

It has been suggested that extremely long subglacial bedforms (e.g. attenuated drumlins and mega-scale glacial lineations) record former areas of fast-flowing ice and that bedform elongation ratio is a useful proxy for ice velocity. Despite the availability of much data pertaining to the measurement and analysis of subglacial bedforms, these assumptions have rarely been explicitly addressed in detail. In this paper, we demonstrate that long subglacial bedforms (length:width ratios ≥10:1) are indicative of fast ice flow. Using satellite imagery, we mapped over 8000 lineaments associated with a highly convergent flow pattern near Dubawnt Lake, District of Keewatin, Canada. This flow pattern is unusual in that it displays a large zone of convergence feeding into a main 'trunk' and then diverging towards the inferred ice margin. The 'bottleneck' pattern is taken to record an increase and subsequent decrease in ice velocity and we analysed transverse and longitudinal variations in bedform morphometry. The main trunk of the flow pattern (down-ice of the convergent zone) is characterized by mega-scale glacial lineations of great length (up to 13 km) and high elongation ratios (up to 43:1). The down-ice variations in elongation ratio reflect exactly what we would expect from a terrestrial ice stream whose velocity increases in the onset zone passes through a maximum in the main trunk and slows down as the ice diverges at the terminus. It is suggested that any unifying theory of drumlin formation must be able to account for the association between long subglacial bedforms and fast ice flow, although it is not assumed that fast ice flow always produces attenuated bedforms. A further implication of this work is that many more ice streams may be identified on the basis of attenuated subglacial bedforms, radically altering our views on the flow dynamics of former ice sheets.     

Subglacial drainage by groundwater-channel coupling,and the origin of esker systems: Part 1—glaciological observations

OverallThis work is presented in two parts. Part I presents observations on the coupling between subglacial channel flow and groundwater flow in determining subglacial hydraulic regime and creating eskers from an Icelandic glacier that is suggested as an analogue for many parts of Pleistocene ice sheets. Part II develops a theory of perennial subglacial stream flow and the origin of esker systems, and models the evolution of the subglacial stream system and associated groundwater flow in a glacier of the type described in Part I. It is suggested that groundwater flow may be the predominant mechanism whereby meltwater at the glacier bed finds its way to the major subglacial streams that discharge water to glacier margins.Part IBoreholes drilled through an Icelandic glacier into an underlying till and aquifer system have been used to measure variations in head in the vicinity of a perennial subglacial stream tunnel during late summer and early winter. They reveal a subglacial groundwater catchment that is drained by a subglacial stream along its axis. The stream tunnel is characterised by low water pressures, and acts as a drain for the groundwater catchment, so that groundwater flow is predominantly transverse to ice flow, towards the channel.These perennial streams flow both in summer and winter. Their portals have lain along the same axes for the 5 km of retreat that has occurred since the end of the Little Ice Age, 100 years ago, suggesting that the groundwater catchments have been relatively stable for at least this period. In the winter season, stream discharges are largely derived from basal melting, but during summer, water derived from the glacier surface finds its way, via fractures and moulins, to the glacier bed, where it dominates the meltwater flux. Additional subglacial streams are created in summer to help drain this greater flux from beneath the glacier, through poorly integrated and unstable networks. Summer streams cease to flow during winter and tend not to form in the same places in the following summer. Perennial streams are the stable component of the system and are the main sources of extensive esker systems.Strong flow of groundwater towards low-pressure areas along channels and the ice margin is a source of major upwelling that can produce sediment liquefaction and instability. A theory is developed to show how this could have a major effect on subglacial sedimentary processes.     

Drumlin formation in Southern Anglesey and Arvon,Northwest Wales

This is a study of Late Devensian drumlins formed in southern Anglesey and Arvon, northwest Wales. This area was affected by ice sheet coalescence when the Welsh ice sheet met with the lrish Sea ice sheet, and drumlins were formed once the two had coalesced. It is suggested that the drumlins were the result of net subglacial soft-bed erosion, and that they represent more resistant cores within the subglacial deforming layer. The drumlins have either gravel or till cores, and where the core was deformable, large-scale compressive glaciotectonic structures were seen (e.g. Dinas Dinlle) with local subglacial compression of –59%. Where the cores were more resistant (e.g. Lleiniog) these were not deformed but remained as more competent masses within the deforming layer. It is suggested that the less competent material flowed around the cores, some remaining as a thin carapace, but most of the material being removed down glacier, leaving the drumlins as erosional remnants. In northwest Wales there is a multi-till sequence that traditionally has been interpreted as having been deposited as the result of separate ice-sheet advances and retreats. However, in this study, it is suggested that the different tills were deposited as the result of ice-sheet coalescence, and that sites such as Dinas Dinlle do not show evidence of a major readvance in the retreat of the Devensian ice, but are indicative of continuously changing conditions within the subglacial deforming bed.     

Subglacial bed conditions during Late Pleistocene glaciations and their impact on ice dynamics in the southern North Sea

Passchier, S., Laban, C., Mesdag, C.S. & Rijsdijk, K.F. 2010: Subglacial bed conditions during Late Pleistocene glaciations and their impact on ice dynamics in the southern North Sea. Boreas, Vol. 39, pp. 633–647. 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2009.00138.x. ISSN 0300‐9483. Changes in subglacial bed conditions through multiple glaciations and their effect on ice dynamics are addressed through an analysis of glacigenic sequences in the Upper Pleistocene stratigraphy of the southern North Sea basin. During Elsterian (MIS 12) ice growth, till deposition was subdued when ice became stagnant over a permeable substrate of fluvial sediments, and meltwater infiltrated into the bed. Headward erosion during glacial retreat produced a dense network of glacial valleys up to several hundreds of metres deep. A Saalian (MIS 6) glacial advance phase resulted in the deposition of a sheet of stiff sandy tills and terminal moraines. Meltwater was at least partially evacuated through the till layer, resulting in the development of a rigid bed. During the later part of the Saalian glaciation, ice‐stream inception can be related to the development of a glacial lake to the north and west of the study area. The presence of meltwater channels incised into the floors of glacial troughs is indicative of high subglacial water pressures, which may have played a role in the onset of ice streaming. We speculate that streaming ice flow in the later part of the Saalian glaciation caused the relatively early deglaciation, as recorded in the Amsterdam Terminal borehole. These results suggest that changing subglacial bed conditions through glacial cycles could have a strong impact on ice dynamics and require consideration in ice‐sheet reconstructions.     

No significant ice-sheet expansion beyond present ice margins during the past 4500 yr at Rauer Group, East Antarctica

The history of glacial advances and retreats of the East Antarctic ice sheet during the Holocene is not well-known, due to limited field evidence in both the marine and terrestrial realm. A 257-cm-long sediment core was recovered from a marine inlet in the Rauer Group, East Antarctica, 1.8 km in front of the present ice-sheet margin. Radiocarbon dating and lithological characteristics reveal that the core comprises a complete marine record since 4500 yr. A significant ice-sheet expansion beyond present ice margins therefore did not occur during this period.     

Subglacial deformation and water-pressure cycles as a key for understanding ice stream dynamics: evidence from the Late Ordovician succession of the Djado Basin (Niger)

Subglacial deformation is crucial to reconstructing glacier dynamics. Sediments associated with the Late Ordovician ice sheet in the Djado Basin, Niger, exhibit detailed structures of the subglacial shear zone. Three main types of subglacial shear zones (SSZ) are discriminated. The lowermost SSZ, developed on sandstones, displays Riedel macrostructures and cataclastic microstructures. These resulted from brittle deformation associated with strong glacier/bed coupling and low pore-water pressure. Where they developed on a clay-rich bed, the overlying SSZ display S–C to S–C′ fabrics, sheath folds, and dewatering structures. These features indicate high ductile shear strain and water overpressure. On fine-grained sand beds, the SSZ exhibit homogenized sand units with sand stringers, interpreted as fluidized sliding beds. The succession of subglacial deformation processes depends on fluid-pressure behavior in relation to subglacial sediment permeability. Fluid overpressure allows subglacial sediment shear strength and ice/bed coupling to be lowered, leading to ice streaming.     

Distribution and type of sticky spots at the centre of a deglacial streamlined lobe in northeastern Manitoba,Canada

The distribution of basal drag zones (sticky spots) underneath palaeo‐ice streams or lobes is largely unknown. We investigated the centre of the large (300 km long and up to 400 km wide) deglacial Hayes Lobe in NE Manitoba, Canada, by focusing on surficial till and its composition to get insights into dispersal patterns and their potential relationships to areas of basal drag. Subglacial bed roughness is a good criterion to identify areas of basal drag, but till composition may provide important insights across smoother beds. The onset zone of the Hayes Lobe overlies Palaeozoic Carbonate Platform rocks, whereas the majority of the lobe overlies the low‐lying Canadian Shield. We show that, within a 3500‐km² central area of this lobe, calcareous detritus within the till has been transported over 100 km within subglacial environments of reduced ice‐bed coupling and fast ice flow. Six per cent of samples (n = 782), however, outline 0.2 to 4 km wide spots with a dominantly local composition. The glacial history and composition indicate that the till within these spots contains high inheritance from a pre‐Late Wisconsinan ice‐flow phase, which we suggest was protected beneath sticky spots (low erosion, high strength) during transport of substantial calcareous detritus to the area. Furthermore, our findings show that local till spots are present within streamlined landforms, as well as till blankets or veneers over bedrock. This diverse geomorphology indicates that the process of drumlinization within the deglacial Hayes Lobe does not appear to have been responsible for significant sediment transport or deposition across the study area. The overall record thus indicates potentially complex spatiotemporal shifts between calcareous till deposition, sticky conditions, erosion and drumlinization – which supports the subglacial bed mosaic model.     

Late Quaternary submarine bedforms and ice‐sheet flow in Gerlache Strait and on the adjacent continental shelf,Antarctic Peninsula

Geophysical data from Gerlache Strait, Croker Passage, Bismarck Strait and the adjacent continental shelf reveal streamlined subglacial bedforms that were produced at the bed of the Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet (APIS) during the last glaciation. The spatial arrangement and orientation of these bedforms record the former drainage pattern and flow dynamics of an APIS outlet up‐flow, and feeding into, a palaeo‐ice stream in the Western Bransfield Basin. Evidence suggests that together, they represent a single ice‐flow system that drained the APIS during the last glaciation. The ice‐sheet outlet flowed north/northeastwards through Gerlache Strait and Croker Passage and converged with a second, more easterly ice‐flow tributary on the middle shelf to form the main palaeo‐ice stream. The dominance of drumlins with low elongation ratios suggests that ice‐sheet outlet draining through Gerlache Strait was comparatively slower than the main palaeo‐ice stream in the Western Bransfield Basin, although the low elongation ratios may also partly reflect the lack of sediment. Progressive elongation of drumlins further down‐flow indicates that the ice sheet accelerated through Croker Passage and the western tributary trough, and fed into the main zone of streaming flow in the Western Bransfield Basin. Topography would have exerted a strong control on the development of the palaeo‐ice stream system but subglacial geology may also have been significant given the transition from crystalline bedrock to sedimentary strata on the inner–mid‐shelf. In the broader context, the APIS was drained by a number of major fast‐flowing outlets through cross‐shelf troughs to the outer continental shelf during the last glaciation. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Last Glacial Maximum ice sheet dynamics in Arctic Canada inferred from young erratics perched on ancient tors

A long-standing debate regarding the reconstruction of former ice sheets revolves around the use of relative weathering of landscapes, i.e., the assumption that highly weathered landscapes have not been recently glaciated. New cosmogenic isotope measurements from upland bedrock surfaces and erratics along the northeastern margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) shed light on this debate. ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al concentrations from three perched erratics, yielding cosmogenic exposure ages of 17–11 ka, are much lower than those measured in two unmodified, highly weathered tors upon which they lie, which yield cosmogenic exposure ages of >60 ka. These findings suggest that non-erosive ice covered weathered upland surfaces along the northeastern margin of the LIS during the last glacial maximum. These data challenge the use of relative weathering to define the margins of Pleistocene ice sheets. The juxtaposition of non-erosive ice over upland plateaus and erosive ice in adjacent fiords requires strong gradients in basal thermal regimes, suggestive of an ice-stream mode of glaciation.