Sediment anisotropy coincides with moraine ridge trend in south-central Finnish Lapland

The morpho-sedimentary anisotropy of a field of moraine ridges, classified previously as ribbed moraine, was studied by means of ASTER satellite data, airborne radiometric (AR) data, digital elevation models (DEMs) and azimuthal measurement of electrical conductivity (σ_a) in Kivitaipale, south-central Finnish Lapland. The 20 km long corridor of moraine ridges is diagonally oriented to the youngest (Late Weichselian) active-ice streamlined features and presumably dates back to post-Younger Dryas. The maximum σ_a anisotropy of sediments is parallel to the orientation of the ridge crests. Crudely to well stratified gravels and sands of glaciofluvial open channel origin and moderately sorted sediments attributed to glaciofluvial sliding bed facies are exposed in the cores of the ridges, whereas signs of (basal) till cover or glaciodynamic deformations are absent. On the basis of morpho-sedimentary anisotropy, we contend that the origin of the studied corridor of ridges is linked to subglacial outburst event(s) rather than a transverse-to-ice-flow origin of ribbed moraine. The triggering mechanism for the outburst(s) remains unresolved, yet the timing of outburst(s), concurrent with the maximum post-Younger Dryas fault instability, may imply that earthquake(s) contributed to subglacial drainage.     

Maximum extent of the Eurasian ice sheets in the Barents and Kara Sea region during the Weichselian

Based on field investigations in northern Russia and interpretation of offshore seismic data, we have made a preliminary reconstruction of the maximum ice-sheet extent in the Barents and Kara Sea region during the Early/Middle Weichselian and the Late Weichselian. Our investigations indicate that the Barents and Kara ice sheets attained their maximum Weichselian positions in northern Russia prior to 50 000 yr BP, whereas the northeastern flank of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet advanced to a maximum position shortly after 17 000 calendar years ago. During the Late Weichselian (25 000-10 000 yr BP), much of the Russian Arctic remained ice-free. According to our reconstruction, the extent of the ice sheets in the Barents and Kara Sea region during the Late Weichselian glacial maximum was less than half that of the maximum model which, up to now, has been widely used as a boundary condition for testing and refining General Circulation Models (GCMs). Preliminary numerical-modelling experiments predict Late Weichselian ice sheets which are larger than the ice extent implied for the Kara Sea region from dated geological evidence, suggesting very low precipitation.     

Tepsankumpu revisited — pollen evidence of stable Eemian climates in Finnish Lapland

Several till-covered organic deposits, principally lake gyttja, in Finnish Lapland have been correlated with the last (i.e. Eemian) interglacial on the basis of their lithostratigraphic position and pollen stratigraphy. Most of the sequences are short, but together with three longer sequences from Finnish Lapland and one from Swedish Lapland (Leveäniemi) they provide a complete picture of Eemian vegetational and climatic development. The Tepsankumpu site was revisited, and the till-covered thick freshwater gyttja deposit was studied in detail for pollen in order to search for signals of rapid climatic fluctuations postulated for the earlier part of the Eemian on the basis of Greenland ice core studies. The Eemian pollen stratigraphy in Finnish Lapland closely resembles the Holocene pollen stratigraphy of the area. The abundance of spruce and alder pollen suggests, however, more northerly limits for forest vegetation zones during the Eemian than during the Holocene. Oak also grew closer to Lapland, indicating a wanner climate than during the Holocene climatic optimum. The Tepsankumpu pollen stratigraphy indicates climatic stability over the entire time-span it covers, i.e. the major part of the interglacial. This finding is in conflict with results from Greenland GRIP ice core studies and interpretations of some Continental European Eemian pollen diagrams.     

Deglaciation and glacial lake development in the Kaamasjoki river basin, Finnish Lapland

The glacial hydrology of the meltwaters of the ice sheet during deglaciation in a large river basin has been reconstructed on the basis of heights of thresholds and saddles of bedrock topography, glaciofluvial accumulation forms (eskers, deltas and plains of sorted material) and erosional landforms (drainage channels and shorelines) as well as a few terminal moraines. The water level of glacial lake dropped in several stages. The lake existed and deglaciation took place before 9740±280 years B.P. The deglaciation took place at a much faster rate in the studied region than later in western Lapland.     

A brief geology and palaeontology of New Zealand

Book reviewed in this article:
C. A. Fleming: The Geological History of New Zealand and its Life ,