Subglacial emplacement of tills and meltwater deposits at the base of overdeepened bedrock troughs

The sedimentary infills of subglacially eroded bedrock troughs in the Alps are underexplored archives for the timing, extent and character of Pleistocene glaciations but may contain excellent records of the Quaternary landscape evolution over several glacial–interglacial cycles. The onset of sedimentation in these bedrock troughs is often reflected by diamicts and gravels directly overlying bedrock in the deepest basin segments. Subglacial or proglacial depositional environments have been proposed for these coarse‐grained basal units but their characteristics and origin remain controversial. This article presents results from drill cores that recovered a coarse‐grained basal unit in a major buried bedrock‐trough system in the Lower Glatt Valley, northern Switzerland. The excellent core recovery allowed a detailed study combining macroscopic, microscopic and geochemical methods and gives unprecedented insights into the transition from erosion to deposition in overdeepened bedrock troughs. These results show that the basal infill comprises diamicts, interpreted as subglacial tills, separated by thin sorted interbeds, originating from subglacial cavity deposition. The stacking of these units is interpreted to represent repeated switching between a coupled and decoupled ice–bed‐interface indicating an ever‐transforming mosaic of subglacial bed conditions. Decoupling in response to high basal water pressures is probably promoted by the confined subglacial hydraulic conditions resulting from the bedrock acting as aquitards, the narrow reverse sloping outlet and a large catchment area. While stratigraphic and lithological evidence suggests that erosion and the onset of basal sedimentation occurred during the same glaciation, different scenarios for the relative timing of infilling in relation to formation and glaciation of the bedrock trough are discussed. Overlying deltaic and glaciolacustrine sediments suggest deposition during subsequent deglaciation of the bedrock trough. The basal sediment characteristics are in agreement with previous reports in hydrogeological and seismic exploration and suggest the occurrence of similar basal successions in other subglacially overdeepened basins in the Alps and elsewhere.     

阿尔泰山喀纳斯河流域末次冰期OSL年代学新证

布尔津河支流喀纳斯河源于中俄蒙三国交界处友谊峰的南坡,为额尔齐斯河的重要源区.友谊峰连同奎屯峰等高峰形成了阿尔泰山最大的现代冰川作用中心.在第四纪期间,这些冰川都发生了规模较大的进退,在河谷中留下了形态较为清晰的冰川地形.应用OSL单片再生剂量测定技术对采自主U型谷两侧的高大侧碛垄进行了定年,测年结果分别为(27.2±2.0)ka(K-1)与(16.1±1.5)ka(K-2).基于地貌地层学原理、并结合已有的年代学资料(OSL与14 C)与古气候研究资料,末次冰期以来喀纳斯河流域共有5次规模较大的冰进,分别为小冰期、新冰期、末次冰期晚冰阶(MIS 2)、末次冰期中冰阶(MIS 3中期)与末次冰期早冰阶(MIS 4).     

中国第四纪冰期数值年表初步划分

20世纪70年代以前,我国第四纪冰川冰期主要是根据第四纪冰川遗迹的侵蚀-沉积地貌特征和沉积物的物理化学风化程度的差异划分的相对年代;80～90年代开始有放射性碳和地衣法的测年;90年代以后,采用热释光和电子自旋共振技术测年,获得了我国第四纪冰川的一些数值年代,划分了5次冰期,其时代初步定为:小冰期Ⅲ(1871±20A.D.),小冰期Ⅱ(1777±20A.D.),小冰期Ⅰ(1528±20A.D.);新冰期Ⅲ(1550±70aB.P.,1580±60aB.P.),新冰期Ⅱ(2.8～2.5kaB.P.),新冰期Ⅰ(3.1kaB.P.);末次冰期Ⅳ(YD)(11.5～10.4kaB.P.),末次冰期Ⅲ(24～16kaB.P.),末次冰期Ⅱ(56～40kaB.P.),末次冰期Ⅰ(73～72kaB.P.);倒数第二冰期(相当于MIS6～10),Ⅲ阶段(154～136kaB.P.),Ⅱ阶段(277～266kaB.P.),Ⅰ阶段(333～316kaB.P.);倒数第三冰期(相当于MIS12～16),Ⅱ阶段(520～460kaB.P.),Ⅰ阶段(710～593kaB.P.)。未来的研究趋势是采用宇宙成因核素暴露年代方法和光释光技术在更大的空间尺度上对冰川地貌精细定年,分析第四纪冰川发育的空间差异和异时性机制。     

西藏东南部末次冰期早阶段冰川作用及其古气候意义

西藏东南部的“古乡冰期”和“白玉冰期”是划分中国第四纪冰期的蓝本。其中,白玉冰期即末次冰期,分为早阶段和晚阶段,相对应的冰川沉积广泛分布于本区的波堆藏布谷地。已有的冰川数值年代结果显示,末次冰期晚阶段的冰川作用发生于海洋氧同位素阶段（MIS）2。然而,关于早阶段的冰进记录,目前却未有确切的年代学证据,此次冰川作用究竟发生于MIS 4还是MIS 3,是一个悬而未决的问题。在前人研究及野外地貌调查的基础上,运用光释光测年手段对波堆藏布谷地疑似形成于末次冰期早阶段的冰碛垄进行测年,年代结果介于（56.4±4.2）~（65.9±3.9） ka之间,相当于MIS 4。藏东南地区MIS 4冰期冰川作用年代与青藏高原及其周边山地具有可比性,表明该阶段冰川作用发生的普遍性。通过对比北半球低纬度地区夏季太阳辐射及亚洲季风区古气温与古降水指标记录,认为藏东南地区MIS 4冰期冰川作用可能是对北半球低纬度地区夏季太阳辐射减弱及气温下降的响应,与季风降水无关。     

希夏邦马峰东南富曲河谷的冰川沉积和冰川构造

在希夏邦马峰（海拔８０１２ｍ）东南富曲河谷，中更新世以来有三次冰期；即聂拉木、富曲和普罗冰期。它们均可再分为两个亚阶段。聂拉木南的高冰碛平台长３.５ｍ，宽１.５ｋｍ，厚２００ｍ。属于中更新世聂拉木冰期（聂聂雄拉冰期）的巨大山谷冰川沉积，中尼公路从高冰碛平台尾端通过，形成数公里长的冰碛剖面，呈现出美丽多姿的冰川成因类型沉积和冰川构造现象，包括冰下，冰上融出碛，冰内.冰下河道沉积，冰湖沉积，坠碛，流磺等。冰川运动时造成的冰川构造，如断层、滑动面-…等也很清楚，代表了海洋型（暖冰川）冰川沉积和冰川构造特征，是中国目前研究冰川构造最理想的场所。     

Palaeogeographical changes in response to glacial–interglacial cycles,as recorded in Middle and Late Pleistocene seismic stratigraphy,southern North Sea

Offshore stratigraphic records from the North Sea contain information to reconstruct palaeo-ice-sheet extent and understand sedimentary processes and landscape response to Pleistocene glacial–interglacial cycles. We document three major Middle to Late Pleistocene stratigraphic packages over a 401-km² area (Norfolk Vanguard/Boreas Offshore Wind Farm), offshore East Anglia, UK, through the integration of 2D seismic, borehole and cone penetration test data. The lowermost unit is predominantly fluviatile [Yarmouth Roads Formation, Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 19–13], including three northward-draining valleys. The middle unit (Swarte Bank Formation) records the southernmost extent of tunnel valley-fills in this area of the North Sea, providing evidence for subglacial conditions most likely during the Anglian stage (MIS 12) glaciation. The Yarmouth Roads and Swarte Bank deposits are truncated and overlain by low-energy estuarine silts and clays (Brown Bank Formation; MIS 5d–4). Smaller scale features, including dune-scale bedforms, and abrupt changes in cone penetration test parameters, provide evidence for episodic changes in relative sea level within MIS 5. The landscape evolution recorded in deposits of ~MIS 19–5 are strongly related to glacial–interglacial cycles, although a distinctive aspect of this low-relief ice-marginal setting are opposing sediment transport directions under contrasting sedimentary process regimes.     

天山乌鲁木齐河流域冰川地貌与冰期研究的回顾与展望

乌鲁木齐河源于天山北列喀拉乌成山的北坡,区内保存着形态多样、较为清晰的第四纪冰川侵蚀与沉积地形.经过老中青数代人的考察研究,取得如下研究成果:1)查清了河源区冰川地形的分布与特征,运用冰川沉积学与地貌地层学原理对乌鲁木齐河出山口处的扇形地进行了冰川与非冰川成因的鉴别;2)基于地衣法、常规14 C与AMS14 C、TL、ESR、CRN(10Be)等多种定年方法的测年结果,并结合地貌地层学原理,建立了乌鲁木齐河流域小冰期、新冰期、末次冰期(MIS 2～4)、MIS 6与MIS12较完整的冰川演化序列,为我国第四纪冰川研究树立了一个典型范例.展望未来,乌鲁木齐河源区的冰川地貌演化模拟与古环境重建等需作进一步研究,喀拉乌成山南坡的冰川地形有待进行综合定年;若以乌鲁木齐河源流域冰期序列为参照,冰川发育与天山的构造抬升以及东、中与西段天山冰川发育是否具有一致性,天山地区是否保存有更老冰碛等科学问题尚待深入探讨.     

滇西北山地末次冰期冰川发育及其基本特征

对滇西北海拔4 000~4 500 m 山地的第四纪冰川发育和平衡线高度进行了研究. 结果表明: 古冰川发育主要依托海拔4 000~4 300 m的夷平面,早中期发育小型的冰帽以及流入四周谷地的山谷冰川,晚期主要发育规模较小的冰斗冰川. 冰川主要发育期为末次冰期,古冰川平衡线、山体最高峰以及夷平面的高度显示,冰川发育所依托的夷平面在末次冰期时超过古平衡线,二者差值为50~400 m,为冰川发生提供了良好的地形与地势条件. 冰川规模演化表明,滇西北地区多处山地MIS 3中期的冰川规模大于末次冰盛期（LGM）,可能与MIS 3中期较强南亚季风带来较丰富的降水有关. 古气候研究资料以及研究区的冰期系列表明,滇西北海拔4 000~4 500 m山地末次冰期的冰川作用是构造和气候相耦合的结果.     

A multi‐dating approach applied to proglacial sediments attributed to the Most Extensive Glaciation of the Swiss Alps

Dehnert, A., Preusser, F., Kramers, J. D., Akçar, N., Kubik, P. W., Reber, R. & Schlüchter, C. 2010: A multi‐dating approach applied to proglacial sediments attributed to the Most Extensive Glaciation of the Swiss Alps. Boreas, Vol. 39, pp. 620–632. 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2010.00146.x. ISSN 0300‐9483. The number and the timing of Quaternary glaciations of the Alps are poorly constrained and, in particular, the age of the Most Extensive Glaciation (MEG) in Switzerland remains controversial. This ice advance has previously been tentatively correlated with the Riss Glaciation of the classical alpine stratigraphy and with Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6 (186–127 ka). An alternative interpretation, based on pollen analysis and stratigraphic correlations, places the MEG further back in the Quaternary, with an age equivalent to MIS 12 (474–427 ka), or even older. To re‐evaluate this issue in the Swiss glaciation history, a multi‐dating approach was applied to proglacial deltaic ‘Höhenschotter’ deposits in locations outside the ice extent of the Last Glacial Maximum. Results of U/Th and luminescence dating suggest a correlation of the investigated deposits with MIS 6 and hence with the Riss Glaciation. Cosmogenic burial dating suffered from large measurement uncertainties and unusually high ²⁶Al/¹⁰Be ratios and did not provide robust age estimates.     

天山夏特河流域晚第四纪冰川沉积序列与地貌演化

夏特河源于天山最大现代冰川作用中心托木尔—汗腾格里峰的东北坡,流域内保存有形态较为清晰的四套冰川沉积。这些地形记录了夏特河流域的古冰川变化,对它们进行研究可获得该地晚第四纪以来的冰川时空演化规律。在第三套冰碛夹层中的砂质透镜体里采集了5个OSL年代学样品,应用单片再生（SAR）测年技术测得它们的年龄为（13.3±0.8）~（20.1±1.3） ka。基于测年结果、各套冰碛距现代冰川的远近、冰碛垄的完整程度、冰碛物的风化胶结状况及接触关系,并参阅托木尔—汗腾格里峰南坡与东南坡以及东、中、西段天山其他流域的年代学资料,可初步得出：第一套和第二套冰碛分别沉积于小冰期和新冰期;第三套冰碛形成于末次盛冰期及随后的冰消期,可对应于海洋氧同位素阶段（MIS） 2;保存在河口的第四套冰川沉积及与其相关联的宽阔且长达数十千米的“U”形谷共同指示,它应形成于冰川规模较大的倒数第二次冰期,时间上可对应于MIS 6。     

Würmian deglaciation of western Lake Geneva (Switzerland) based on seismic stratigraphy

Western Lake Geneva (le Petit-Lac) was filled during the Quaternary over a major erosion surface truncating the cemented, folded and thrusted Tertiary sediments of the foreland Alpine basin. The carving of the lake occurred during Quaternary glaciations with ice originating from the Rhone valley catchment basin flowing in two branches oriented SW and NE over the Swiss Plateau. Lake Geneva is situated on the South-Western branch of this paleo ice-cap.For the first time, a dense grid of high-resolution seismic profiles (airgun 5-inch³, airgun 1-inch³ and echosounder) has imaged the whole Quaternary sequence, providing a paleoenvironmental interpretation and a detailed reconstruction of the Rhone glacier retreat stages during glacial events that led to the formation of western Lake Geneva.The Quaternary sequence filling up the bedrock valley is exceptionally thick with up to 220 m of deposits and consists of glacial, glacio-lacustrine and lacustrine sediments. Fourteen seismic units have been defined (units U1–U14). Unit U1 represents the remnants of glacial deposits older than the last glacial cycle, preserved in the deepest part of the lake and in secondary bedrock valleys. Unit U2 represents gravel and sands deposited by meltwater circulation at the bottom of the glacial valley. Unit U3 is a thick, stratified unit marking the beginning of the deglaciation, when the Rhone glacier became thinner and buoyant and allowed the formation of a subglacial lake. Younger glacial units (units U4, U5, U7, U9, U11) are acoustically chaotic sediments deposited subglacially under the water table (undermelt tills), while the glacier was thinning. These glacial units are bounded by synform erosion surfaces corresponding to readvances of the glacier.The transition from a glacial to a glacio-lacustrine environment started with the appearance of a marginal esker-fan system (unit U6). Esker formation was followed by a small advance–retreat cycle leading to the deposition of unit U7. Then, the ice front receded and stratified sediments were deposited in a glacio-lacustrine environment (units U8, U10 and U12). This retreat was punctuated by two readvances – Coppet (unit U9) and Nyon (unit U11) – producing large push moraines and proglacial debris flows. Finally, a lacustrine environment with a characteristic lake current pattern and mass movement deposits took place (units U13 and U14).Except for unit U1, the sedimentary sequence records the Würmian deglaciation in a fjord-like environment occupied by a tidewater glacier with a steep, calving ice front. The presence of an esker-fan system reveals the importance of subglacial meltwater flow in continental deglaciation. Push-moraines and erosion surfaces below the glacier indicate at least 5 readvances during the deglaciation thus revealing that oscillations of ice front are the key process in deglaciation of perialpine fjord-lakes. The dating of these continental glacier fluctuations would allow correlation with oceanic and ice records and help to understand the climatic mechanisms between oceans and continents.     

喜马拉雅山佩枯岗日冰川地貌的年代学、平衡线高度和气候研究

喜马拉雅山珠穆朗玛峰-希夏邦马峰地区是青藏高原南部现代冰川集中发育区之一,古冰川遗迹亦十分丰富,是研究第四纪青藏高原冰川形成和演化的关键区,一直备受地貌和第四纪环境研究者的关注.应用原地宇宙核素10Be暴露年龄测试技术,对采自希夏邦马峰西北佩枯岗日拉曲谷地冰碛垄上的冰川漂砾进行年代学研究;结合冰川地貌分析方法,对古冰川...     

Three‐dimensional architecture and hydrostratigraphy of cross‐cutting buried valleys using airborne electromagnetics,glaciated Central Lowlands,Nebraska, USA

Buried valleys are characteristic features of glaciated landscapes, and their deposits host important aquifers worldwide. Understanding the stratigraphic architecture of these deposits is essential for protecting groundwater and interpreting sedimentary processes in subglacial and ice‐marginal environments. The relationships between depositional architecture, topography and hydrostratigraphy in dissected, pre‐Illinoian till sheets is poorly understood. Boreholes alone are inadequate to characterize the complex geology of buried valleys, but airborne electromagnetic surveys have proven useful for this purpose. A key question is whether the sedimentary architecture of buried valleys can be interpreted from airborne electromagnetic profiles. This study employs airborne electromagnetic resistivity profiles to interpret the three‐dimensional sedimentary architecture of cross‐cutting buried valleys in a ca 400 km² area along the western margin of Laurentide glaciation in North America. A progenitor bedrock valley is succeeded by at least five generations of tunnel valleys that become progressively younger northward. Tunnel‐valley infills are highly variable, reflecting under‐filled and over‐filled conditions. Under‐filled tunnel valleys are expressed on the modern landscape and contain fine sediments that act as hydraulic barriers. Over‐filled tunnel valleys are not recognized in the modern landscape, but where they are present they form hydraulic windows between deep aquifer units and the land surface. The interpretation of tunnel‐valley genesis herein provides evidence of the relationships between depositional processes and glacial landforms in a dissected, pre‐Illinoian till sheet, and contributes to the understanding of the complex physical hydrology of glacial aquifers in general.     

Luminescence dating of ice‐marginal deposits in northern Germany: evidence for repeated glaciations during the Middle Pleistocene (MIS 12 to MIS 6)

The exact number, extent and chronology of the Middle Pleistocene Elsterian and Saalian glaciations in northern Central Europe are still controversial. This study presents new luminescence data from Middle Pleistocene ice‐marginal deposits in northern Germany, giving evidence for repeated glaciations during the Middle Pleistocene (MIS 12 to MIS 6). The study area is located in the Leine valley south of the North German Lowlands. The data set includes digital elevation models, high‐resolution shear wave seismic profiles, outcrop and borehole data integrated into a 3D subsurface model to reconstruct the bedrock relief surface. For numerical age determination, we performed luminescence dating on 12 ice‐marginal and two fluvial samples. Luminescence ages of ice‐marginal deposits point to at least two ice advances during MIS 12 and MIS 10 with ages ranging from 461±34 to 421±25 ka and from 376±27 to 337±21 ka. The bedrock relief model and different generations of striations indicate that the older ice advance came from the north and the younger one from the northeast. During rapid ice‐margin retreat, subglacial overdeepenings were filled with glaciolacustrine deposits, partly rich in re‐worked Tertiary lignite and amber. During MIS 8 and MIS 6, the study area may have been affected by two ice advances. Luminescence ages of glaciolacustrine delta deposits point to a deposition during MIS 8 or early MIS 6, and late MIS 6 (250±20 to 161±10 ka). The maximum extent of both the Elsterian (MIS 12 and MIS 10) and Saalian glaciations (MIS 8? and MIS 6) approximately reached the same position in the Leine valley and was probably controlled by the formation of deep proglacial lakes in front of the ice sheets, preventing a further southward advance.     

柴达木盆地一里坪石膏~(230)Th定年及成盐期与第四纪冰期和构造运动的关系

本文采用多接收电感耦合等离子体质谱法(MC-ICP-MS),对柴达木盆地一里坪15YZK01钻孔中前336.2 m含石盐地层中的7个石膏样品进行230Th定年。依据年代-深度公式,获得S1-S4盐层的成盐年代分别为733.8~716.0 ka、581.9~573.8 ka、181.6~179.3 ka和158.0~154.2 ka;含芒硝粉砂地层的年代为171.6 ka。结合前人对一里坪表面盐壳的14C测年数据,证实一里坪表面盐层S5开始形成于末次冰期。15YZK01钻孔记录的成盐期与青藏高原第四纪冰期及构造运动存在一定的对应关系:石盐层S1对应于"昆黄运动"之后的望昆冰期,以及深海氧同位素第18阶段(MIS18);S2对应于大间冰期,但是该年代比较接近望昆冰期;S3和S4石盐层及含芒硝粉砂层对应于共和运动和倒数第二次冰期MIS6;S5石盐层开始形成的时代对应于末次冰期MIS2。同时,通过对柴达木盆地多个钻孔含盐地层的测年数据进行总结,证实中更新世以来青藏高原冰川活动与柴达木盆地盐类沉积存在着一定的对应关系。柴达木盆地西北部的成盐盆地中通常发于有倒数第二次冰期和末次冰期的石盐层;而盆地东南部的察尔汗盐湖区仅发现有末次冰期以来的石盐层。柴达木盆地成盐期受到青藏高原第四纪冰期和构造运动的影响,第四纪冰期中盐湖水源补给量的减少,是导致柴达木盆地成盐的重要驱动因素。     

Analysis of overdeepened valleys using the digital elevation model of the bedrock surface of Northern Switzerland

Based on surface and borehole information, together with pre-existing regional and local interpretations, a 7,150 square kilometre Raster Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the bedrock surface of northern Switzerland was constructed using a 25 m cell size. This model represents a further important step in the understanding of Quaternary sediment distribution and is open to a broad field of application and analysis, including hydrogeological, geotechnical and geophysical studies as well as research in the field of Pleistocene landscape evolution. An analysis of the overdeepened valleys in the whole model area and, more specifically in the Reuss area, shows that, in most cases, overdeepening is restricted to the areas covered by the Last Glaciation Maximum (LGM). However, at various locations relatively narrow overdeepened valleys outreach the tongue basins and the LGM ice shield limits. Therefore, an earlier and further-reaching glacial event has probably contributed significantly to the overdeepening of these valleys. No significant overdeepening has been identified downstream of Böttstein (Aare) and Kaiserstuhl (Rhine), although the ice extended considerably further downstream, at least during the most extensive glaciation. Except for the bedrock between Brugg and Böttstein, no overdeepened valleys are found significantly north of the outcrop of Mesozoic limestone of the Folded and Tabular Jura. A detailed analysis of the Reuss area shows that the Lake and Suhre valleys are separated from the Emmen—Gisikon Reuss valley basin by a significant bedrock barrier. The individual bedrock valleys are divided into several sub-basins, indicating a multiphase evolution of the valleys. Some of the swells or barriers separating the sub-basins coincide with known late LGM retreat stages. In the Suhre valley, an old fluvial valley floor with restricted overdeepened sections is documented.     

Timing of massive ‘Fleuve Manche’ discharges over the last 350 kyr: insights into the European ice-sheet oscillations and the European drainage network from MIS 10 to 2

Continuous high-resolution mass accumulation rates (MAR) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) measurements from marine sediment records in the Bay of Biscay (NE Atlantic) have allowed the determination of the timing and the amplitude of the ‘Fleuve Manche’ (Channel River) discharges during glacial stages MIS 10, MIS 8, MIS 6 and MIS 4–2. These results have yielded detailed insight into the Middle and Late Pleistocene glaciations in Europe and the drainage network of the western and central European rivers over the last 350 kyr. This study provides clear evidence that the ‘Fleuve Manche’ connected the southern North Sea basin with the Bay of Biscay during each glacial period and reveals that ‘Fleuve Manche’ activity during the glaciations MIS 10 and MIS 8 was significantly less than during MIS 6 and MIS 2. We correlate the significant ‘Fleuve Manche’ activity, detected during MIS 6 and MIS 2, with the extensive Saalian (Drenthe Substage) and the Weichselian glaciations, respectively, confirming that the major Elsterian glaciation precedes the glacial MIS 10. In detail, massive ‘Fleuve Manche’ discharges occurred at ca 155 ka (mid-MIS 6) and during Termination I, while no significant discharges are found during Termination II. It is assumed that a substantial retreat of the European ice sheet at ca 155 kyr, followed by the formation of ice-free conditions between the British Isles and Scandinavia until Termination II, allowed meltwater to flow northwards through the North Sea basin during the second part of the MIS 6. We assume that this glacial pattern corresponds to the Warthe Substage glacial maximum, therefore indicating that the data presented here equates to the Drenthe and the Warthe glacial advances at ca 175–160 ka and ca 150–140 ka, respectively. Finally, the correlation of our records with ODP site 980 reveals that massive ‘Fleuve Manche’ discharges, related to partial or complete melting of the European ice masses, were synchronous with strong decreases in both the rate of deep-water formation and the strength of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation. ‘Fleuve Manche’ discharges over the last 350 kyr probably participated, with other meltwater sources, in the collapse of the thermohaline circulation by freshening the northern Atlantic surface water.     

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.     

Late Pleistocene glaciations at Lake Donggi Cona,eastern Kunlun Shan (NE Tibet): early maxima and a diminishing trend of glaciation during the last glacial cycle

The Burhan Budai Shan in NE Tibet represents a key location for examining the variable influence of the mid‐latitude westerly and monsoonal circulations on late Quaternary glaciations in this sector of the Tibetan Plateau. Our study investigates the glacial history of mountains near Lake Donggi Cona (35°17′N, 98°33′E) using field mapping in combination with ¹⁰Be surface exposure dating and numerical reconstructions of former glacial equilibrium line altitudes (palaeo‐ELA). A set of 23 new exposure ages, collected from moraines in four glacial valleys, ranges from 45 to 190 ka, indicating ice expansion during the early and middle part of the last glacial cycle, and during the penultimate and possibly an earlier Mid‐Pleistocene glaciation. Ice advances reaching 12–15 km in length occurred at around 190–180 ka (≥MIS 6), between 140–100 ka (late MIS 6/MIS 5), and 90–65 ka (late MIS 5/early MIS 4), with a maximum ELA depression of 400–500 m below the estimated modern snowline. Exposure ages from the valley headwaters further indicate a small glaciation between c. 60–50 ka (late MIS 4/early MIS 3), which was essentially restricted to the cirque areas. Significantly, we find no evidence for any subsequent glaciation in the area during MIS 2 or the Holocene period. These results indicate a diminishing trend of glaciation in the region since at least MIS 4, and corroborate the case of a ‘missing LGM’ in the more interior parts of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. The emerging pattern suggests that the most favourable conditions for glaciation during the Late Pleistocene correspond to periods of relatively moderate cooling combined with an intermediate or rising East Asian monsoon strength.     

他念他翁山中段第四纪冰川作用ESR定年初步研究

他念他翁山中段地处青藏高原东南部和云贵高原过渡地带,海拔4 200 m以上保存着确切的第四纪冰川遗迹.对其进行深入研究,不仅可以重建横断山脉冰川作用的演化历史,还能够为青藏高原的隆升机制提供重要依据.采用野外地貌调查与电子自旋共振测年（ESR）相结合的方法,查明他念他翁山第四纪冰川发育的地貌特点,并初步对研究区的冰期系列进行划分.结果显示,他念他翁山中段古冰川类型主要为山麓冰川、山谷冰川和冰斗冰川.晚第四纪以来至少经历了4次冰川作用,分别为倒数第二次冰期（MIS 6）,年代为（192±51）~（207±45）ka;末次冰期中期（MIS 3）,年代为（55±8）~（54±9）ka;末次冰盛期（MIS 2）,年代为（25±1）~（38±6）ka,以及全新世新冰期/小冰期（MIS 1）.