Glacial deposits and ice-sheet dynamics in the north-central Baltic Sea during the last deglaciation

Nine seismic stratigraphic units were distinguished, and their distribution mapped, in an 80 × 130 km submeridionally oriented area in the north-central Baltic Sea, east of Gotska Sandön and Farö. Analysis of these units revealed a great influence of the bedrock topography on the structure and distribution of the glacial deposits. Major glacially eroded valleys in the Baltic Clint, connecting the Faro Deep and the North Central Baltic Basin (Harff & Winterhalter 1996) across a narrow sill, form an extensive submeridional bedrock depression. The concentration of ice flow into this depression is reflected in the drumlinized surface of the till near the Baltic Clint. Large eskers in the elongated bedrock depressions and on the Ordovician Plateau mark the locations of former subglacial meltwater conduits. Termination of the eskers with extensive glacio fluvial outwash fans at the northern limit of the Farö Deep, the presence of subaquatic melt-out till in the bottom of it, and wedge-shaped ice-marginal grounding-line deposit on the Silurian Plateau suggest floating ice margin conditions in the low-lying areas and a local ice shelf confined to the Frö Deep during the deglaciation.     

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.