A geochemical and sedimentary record of high southern latitude Holocene climate evolution from Lago Fagnano, Tierra del Fuego

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moy, Christopher M.; Dunbar, Robert B.; Guilderson, Thomas P.; Waldmann, Nicolas; Mucciarone, David A.; Recasens, Cristina; Ariztegui, Daniel; Austin, James A.; Anselmetti, Flavio S.

2011-02-01

Situated at the southern margin of the hemispheric westerly wind belt and immediately north of the Antarctic Polar Frontal zone, Tierra del Fuego is well-positioned to monitor coupled changes in the ocean-atmosphere system of the high southern latitudes. Here we describe a Holocene paleoclimate record from sediment cores obtained from Lago Fagnano, a large lake in southern Tierra del Fuego at 55°S, to investigate past changes in climate related to these two important features of the global climate system. We use an AMS radiocarbon chronology for the last 8000 yr based on pollen concentrates, thereby avoiding contamination from bedrock-derived lignite. Our chronology is consistent with a tephrochronologic age date for deposits from the middle Holocene Volcán Hudson eruption. Combining bulk organic isotopic (δ13C and δ15N) and elemental (C and N) parameters with physical sediment properties allows us to better understand sediment provenance and transport mechanisms and to interpret Holocene climate and tectonic change during the last 8000 yr. Co-variability and long-term trends in C/N ratio, carbon accumulation rate, and magnetic susceptibility reflect an overall Holocene increase in the delivery of terrestrial organic and lithogenic material to the deep eastern basin. We attribute this variability to westerly wind-derived precipitation. Increased wind strength and precipitation in the late Holocene drives the Nothofagus forest eastward and enhances run-off and terrigenous inputs to the lake. Superimposed on the long-term trend are a series of abrupt 9 negative departures in C/N ratio, which constrain the presence of seismically-driven mass flow events in the record. We identify an increase in bulk δ13C between 7000 and 5000 cal yr BP that we attribute to enhanced aquatic productivity driven by warmer summer temperatures. The Lago Fagnano δ13C record shows similarities with Holocene records of sea surface temperature from the mid-latitude Chilean continental

A Geochemical and Sedimentary Record of High Southern Latitude Holocene Climate Evolution from Lago Fagnano, Tierra del Fuego

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moy, C M; Dunbar, R B; Guilderson, T P

Situated at the southern margin of the hemispheric westerly wind belt and immediately north of the Antarctic Polar Frontal zone, Tierra del Fuego is well-positioned to monitor coupled changes in the ocean-atmosphere system of the high southern latitudes. Here we describe a Holocene paleoclimate record from sediment cores obtained from Lago Fagnano, a large lake in southern Tierra del Fuego at 55{sup o}S, to investigate past changes in climate related to these two important features of the global climate system. We use an AMS radiocarbon chronology for the last 8,000 years based on pollen concentrates, thereby avoiding contamination from bedrock-derivedmore » lignite. Our chronology is consistent with a tephrochronologic age date for deposits from the middle Holocene Volcan Hudson eruption. Combining bulk organic isotopic ({delta}{sup 13}C and {delta}{sup 15}N) and elemental (C and N) parameters with physical sediment properties allow us to better understand sediment provenance and transport mechanisms and to interpret Holocene climate and tectonic change during the last 8,000 years. Co-variability and long-term trends in C/N ratio, carbon accumulation rate, and magnetic susceptibility reflect an overall Holocene increase in the delivery of terrestrial organic and lithogenic material to the deep eastern basin. We attribute this variability to westerly wind-derived precipitation. Increased wind strength and precipitation in the late Holocene drives the Nothofagus forest eastward and enhances run-off and terrigenous inputs to the lake. Superimposed on the long-term trend are a series of abrupt 9 negative departures in C/N ratio, which constrain the presence of seismically-driven mass flow events in the record. We identify an increase in bulk {delta}{sup 13}C between 7,000 and 5,000 cal yr BP that we attribute to enhanced aquatic productivity driven by warmer summer temperatures. The Lago Fagnano {delta}{sup 13}C record shows similarities with Holocene records of sea

Assessment of land influence on a high-latitude marine coastal system: Tierra del Fuego, southernmost Argentina.

PubMed

Amin, Oscar; Comoglio, Laura; Spetter, Carla; Duarte, Claudia; Asteasuain, Raúl; Freije, Rubén Hugo; Marcovecchio, Jorge

2011-04-01

The study deals with the determination of physico-chemical parameters, inorganic nutrients, particulate organic matter, and photosynthetic pigments on a monthly basis during an annual cycle from nine sampling sites of the coastal zone of a high-latitude ecosystem (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina). Nitrites and phosphates concentrations were similar to other systems of the south Atlantic coast (median, 0.30 and 1.02 μM, respectively), while nitrates were higher in all sampling periods (median, 45.37 μM), and silicates were significantly smaller (median, 7.76 μM). Chlorophyll a and phaeopigments have shown median values of 0.38 and 0.85 mg m(-3), respectively, while saturated values of dissolved oxygen were recorded throughout the study. The analysis reflected that nutrient enrichment seems to be linked to an anthropogenic source, the presence of peatlands areas, and a sink of Nothofagus pumilio woods. The area could be characterized in three zones related to (1) high urban influence, (2) natural inputs of freshwater, and (3) mixed inputs coming from moderate urban impacts.

Paleoseismic observations of an onshore transform boundary: The Magallanes-Fagnano fault, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Costa, C.H.; Smalley, R.; Schwartz, D.P.; Stenner, Heidi D.; Ellis, M.; Ahumada, E.A.; Velasco, M.S.

2006-01-01

We present preliminary information on the geomorphologic features and paleoseismic record associated with the ruptures of two Ms 7.8 earthquakes that struck Tierra del Fuego and the southernmost continental margin of South America on December 17, 1949. The fault scarp was surveyed in several places cast of Lago Fagnano and a trench across a secondary fault trace of the Magallanes-Fagnano fault was excavated at the Ri??o San Pablo. The observed deformation in a 9 kyr-old peat bog sequence suggests evidence for two, and possibly three pre-1949 paleoearthquakes is preserved in the stratigraphy. The scarp reaches heights up to 11 m in late Pleistocene-Holocence(?) deposits, but the vertical component of the 1949 events was always less than ???1 m. This observation also argues for the occurrence of previous events during the Quaternary. Along die part of the fault we investigated east of Lago Fagnano, the horizontal component of the 1949 rupture does not exceed 4 m and is likely lower than 0.4 m, which is consistent with the kinematics of a local releasing bend, or at the end of a strike-slip rupture zone. ?? 2006 Revista de la Asociacio??n Geolo??gica Argentina.

La Memoria De Nuestra Tierra: Colorado

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baca, Judy

2005-01-01

La Memoria de Nuestra Tierra combines a meticulously hand-painted landscape with historic photographs in a seamless blend imprinted on the holographic-like surface of a metallic coated substrate. The mural for the Denver International Airport, entitled La Memoria de Nuestra Tierra is a breakthrough in digital murals, printed digitally on a…

Hepatic and renal metallothionein concentrations in Commerson's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus commersonii) from Tierra del Fuego, South Atlantic Ocean.

PubMed

Cáceres-Saez, Iris; Polizzi, Paula; Romero, Belén; Dellabianca, Natalia A; Ribeiro Guevara, Sergio; Goodall, R Natalie P; Cappozzo, H Luis; Gerpe, Marcela

2016-07-15

The Commerson's dolphin is the most common endemic odontocete of subantarctic waters of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina incidentally caught in fishing nets. The species is classified as "Data Deficient" by the IUCN. Metallothioneins (MTs) are considered as suitable biomarkers for health and environmental monitoring. The aims of the study were to assess MT concentrations in the liver and kidney of bycaught specimens. Moreover, correlations with Zn, Se, Cd, Ag and Hg, and the molar ratios of MT:metals were estimated to evaluate if there is an indication of their respective protective role against metal toxicity in tissues. Hepatic and renal MT concentrations were similar, ranging from 11.6 to 29.1nmol·g(-1) WW, and Kidney/Liver ratios ranging from 0.73 to 1.93 corresponded to normal ranges. Results suggest that MTs are related to physiological ranges for the species. This information constitutes the first MT report on Commerson's dolphins and possibly considered as baseline for species' conservation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functional ecology of soil microbial communities along a glacier forefield in Tierra del Fuego (Chile).

PubMed

Fernández-Martínez, Miguel A; Pointing, Stephen B; Pérez-Ortega, Sergio; Arróniz-Crespo, María; Green, T G Allan; Rozzi, Ricardo; Sancho, Leopoldo G; de Los Ríos, Asunción

2016-09-01

A previously established chronosequence from Pia Glacier forefield in Tierra del Fuego (Chile) containing soils of different ages (from bare soils to forest ones) is analyzed. We used this chronosequence as framework to postulate that microbial successional development would be accompanied by changes in functionality. To test this, the GeoChip functional microarray was used to identify diversity of genes involved in microbial carbon and nitrogen metabolism, as well as other genes related to microbial stress response and biotic interactions. Changes in putative functionality generally reflected succession-related taxonomic composition of soil microbiota. Major shifts in carbon fixation and catabolism were observed, as well as major changes in nitrogen metabolism. At initial microbial dominated succession stages, microorganisms could be mainly involved in pathways that help to increase nutrient availability, while more complex microbial transformations such as denitrification and methanogenesis, and later degradation of complex organic substrates, could be more prevalent at vegetated successional states. Shifts in virus populations broadly reflected changes in microbial diversity. Conversely, stress response pathways appeared relatively well conserved for communities along the entire chronosequence. We conclude that nutrient utilization is likely the major driver of microbial succession in these soils. [Int Microbiol 19(3):161-173 (2016)]. Copyright© by the Spanish Society for Microbiology and Institute for Catalan Studies.

Nutrient cycling in Nothofagus pumilio forests along an altitudinal gradient in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

Treesearch

Jorge L. Frangi; Marcelo D. Barrera; Laura L. Richter; Ariel E. Lugo

2005-01-01

Nothofagus pumilio (lenga) forests form monocultures from sea level to timberline in Tierra de Fuego, Argentina. Past studies suggested that the life form change from erect forest to krummholz had advantages to forest function. Aboveground net primary productivity (NPP) and organic matter production per unit leaf area and growing season day were higher in krummholz...

Dietary resilience among hunter-gatherers of Tierra del Fuego: Isotopic evidence in a diachronic perspective.

PubMed

Tafuri, Mary Anne; Zangrando, Atilio Francisco Javier; Tessone, Augusto; Kochi, Sayuri; Moggi Cecchi, Jacopo; Di Vincenzo, Fabio; Profico, Antonio; Manzi, Giorgio

2017-01-01

The native groups of Patagonia have relied on a hunter-gatherer economy well after the first Europeans and North Americans reached this part of the world. The large exploitation of marine mammals (i.e., seals) by such allochthonous groups has had a strong impact on the local ecology in a way that might have forced the natives to adjust their subsistence strategies. Similarly, the introduction of new foods might have changed local diet. These are the premises of our isotopic-based analysis. There is a large set of paleonutritional investigations through isotopic analysis on Fuegians groups, however a systematic exploration of food practices across time in relation to possible pre- and post-contact changes is still lacking. In this paper we investigate dietary variation in hunter-gatherer groups of Tierra del Fuego in a diachronic perspective, through measuring the isotopic ratio of carbon (∂13C) and nitrogen (∂15N) in the bone collagen of human and a selection of terrestrial and marine animal samples. The data obtained reveal an unexpected isotopic uniformity across prehistoric and recent groups, with little variation in both carbon and nitrogen mean values, which we interpret as the possible evidence of resilience among these groups and persistence of subsistence strategies, allowing inferences on the dramatic contraction (and extinction) of Fuegian populations.

Phylogeography of the Patagonian otter Lontra provocax: adaptive divergence to marine habitat or signature of southern glacial refugia?

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background A number of studies have described the extension of ice cover in western Patagonia during the Last Glacial Maximum, providing evidence of a complete cover of terrestrial habitat from 41°S to 56°S and two main refugia, one in south-eastern Tierra del Fuego and the other north of the Chiloé Island. However, recent evidence of high genetic diversity in Patagonian river species suggests the existence of aquatic refugia in this region. Here, we further test this hypothesis based on phylogeographic inferences from a semi-aquatic species that is a top predator of river and marine fauna, the huillín or Southern river otter (Lontra provocax). Results We examined mtDNA sequences of the control region, ND5 and Cytochrome-b (2151 bp in total) in 75 samples of L. provocax from 21 locations in river and marine habitats. Phylogenetic analysis illustrates two main divergent clades for L. provocax in continental freshwater habitat. A highly diverse clade was represented by haplotypes from the marine habitat of the Southern Fjords and Channels (SFC) region (43°38' to 53°08'S), whereas only one of these haplotypes was paraphyletic and associated with northern river haplotypes. Conclusions Our data support the hypothesis of the persistence of L. provocax in western Patagonia, south of the ice sheet limit, during last glacial maximum (41°S latitude). This limit also corresponds to a strong environmental change, which might have spurred L. provocax differentiation between the two environments. PMID:21356052

Spatial abundance models and seasonal distribution for guanaco (Lama guanicoe) in central Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.

PubMed

Flores, Celina E; Deferrari, Guillermo; Collado, Leonardo; Escobar, Julio; Schiavini, Adrián

2018-01-01

Spatially explicit modelling allows to estimate population abundance and predict species' distribution in relation to environmental factors. Abiotic factors are the main determinants of a herbivore´s response to environmental heterogeneity on large spatiotemporal scales. We assessed the influence of elevation, geographic location and distance to the coast on the seasonal abundance and distribution of guanaco (Lama guanicoe) in central Tierra del Fuego, by means of spatially explicit modelling. The estimated abundance was 23,690 individuals for the non-breeding season and 33,928 individuals for the breeding season. The factors influencing distribution and abundance revealed to be the elevation for the non-breeding season, and the distance to the coast and geographic location for the breeding season. The southwest of the study area presented seasonal abundance variation and the southeast and northeast presented high abundance during both seasons. The elevation would be the driving factor of guanaco distribution, as individuals move to lower areas during the non-breeding season and ascend to high areas during the breeding season. Our results confirm that part of the guanaco population performs seasonal migratory movements and that the main valleys present important wintering habitats for guanacos as well as up-hill zones during summer. This type of study would help to avoid problems of scale mismatch and achieve better results in management actions and is an example of how to assess important seasonal habitats from evaluations of abundance and distribution patterns.

Spatial abundance models and seasonal distribution for guanaco (Lama guanicoe) in central Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

PubMed Central

Deferrari, Guillermo; Collado, Leonardo; Escobar, Julio; Schiavini, Adrián

2018-01-01

Spatially explicit modelling allows to estimate population abundance and predict species’ distribution in relation to environmental factors. Abiotic factors are the main determinants of a herbivore´s response to environmental heterogeneity on large spatiotemporal scales. We assessed the influence of elevation, geographic location and distance to the coast on the seasonal abundance and distribution of guanaco (Lama guanicoe) in central Tierra del Fuego, by means of spatially explicit modelling. The estimated abundance was 23,690 individuals for the non-breeding season and 33,928 individuals for the breeding season. The factors influencing distribution and abundance revealed to be the elevation for the non-breeding season, and the distance to the coast and geographic location for the breeding season. The southwest of the study area presented seasonal abundance variation and the southeast and northeast presented high abundance during both seasons. The elevation would be the driving factor of guanaco distribution, as individuals move to lower areas during the non-breeding season and ascend to high areas during the breeding season. Our results confirm that part of the guanaco population performs seasonal migratory movements and that the main valleys present important wintering habitats for guanacos as well as up-hill zones during summer. This type of study would help to avoid problems of scale mismatch and achieve better results in management actions and is an example of how to assess important seasonal habitats from evaluations of abundance and distribution patterns. PMID:29782523

Ancient marine hunter-gatherers from Patagonia and Tierra Del Fuego: Diversity and differentiation using uniparentally inherited genetic markers.

PubMed

de la Fuente, Constanza; Galimany, Jacqueline; Kemp, Brian M; Judd, Kathleen; Reyes, Omar; Moraga, Mauricio

2015-12-01

The human population history from Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego has been of great interest in the context of the American peopling. Different sources of evidence have contributed to the characterization of the local populations, but some main questions about their history remain unsolved. Among the native populations, two marine hunter-gatherers groups inhabited the Patagonian channels below the 478S: Kawéskar and Yámana. Regardless of their geographical proximity and cultural resemblance, their languages were mutually unintelligible. In this study we aim to evaluate the genetic diversity of uniparental genetic markers in both groups and to test if there is a high genetic differentiation between them, mirroring their linguistic differences. Ancient DNA was extracted from 37 samples from both populations. We compared their genetic variability of their mitochondrial lineages and Y-STR as well as with other modern native populations from the area and further north. We observed an important differentiation in their maternal lineages: while Kawéskar shows a high frequency of D (80%), Yámana shows a high frequency of C (90%). The analysis of paternal lineages reveals the presence of only Q1a2a1a1 and little variation was found between individuals. Both groups show very low levels of genetic diversity compared with modern populations. We also notice shared and unique mitochondrial DNA variants between modern and ancient samples of Kawéskar and Yámana. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Diversity of endosymbiotic Nostoc in Gunnera magellanica from Tierra del Fuego, Chile [corrected].

PubMed

Fernández-Martínez, M A; de Los Ríos, A; Sancho, L G; Pérez-Ortega, S

2013-08-01

Global warming is causing ice retreat in glaciers worldwide, most visibly over the last few decades in some areas of the planet. One of the most affected areas is the region of Tierra del Fuego (southern South America). Vascular plant recolonisation of recently deglaciated areas in this region is initiated by Gunnera magellanica, which forms symbiotic associations with the cyanobacterial genus Nostoc, a trait that likely confers advantages in this colonisation process. This symbiotic association in the genus Gunnera is notable as it represents the only known symbiotic relationship between angiosperms and cyanobacteria. The aim of this work was to study the genetic diversity of the Nostoc symbionts in Gunnera at three different, nested scale levels: specimen, population and region. Three different genomic regions were examined in the study: a fragment of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene (16S), the RuBisCO large subunit gene coupled with its promoter sequence and a chaperon-like protein (rbcLX) and the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The identity of Nostoc as the symbiont was confirmed in all the infected rhizome tissue analysed. Strains isolated in the present study were closely related to strains known to form symbioses with other organisms, such as lichen-forming fungi or bryophytes. We found 12 unique haplotypes in the 16S rRNA (small subunit) region analysis, 19 unique haplotypes in the ITS region analysis and 57 in the RuBisCO proteins region (rbcLX). No genetic variability was found among Nostoc symbionts within a single host plant while Nostoc populations among different host plants within a given sampling site revealed major differences. Noteworthy, interpopulation variation was also shown between recently deglaciated soils and more ancient ones, between eastern and western sites and between northern and southern slopes of Cordillera Darwin. The cell structure of the symbiotic relationship was observed with low-temperature scanning

Speckle Interferometry of Four Close Binaries: First Results of the Tierra Astronomical Institute Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wasson, Rick; Goldbaum, Jesse; Boyce, Pat; Harwell, Robert; Hillburn, Jerry; Rowe, Dave; Sadjadi, Sina; Westergren, Donald; Genet, Russell

2017-04-01

This paper documents first use for speckle interferometry of the Tierra Astronomical Institute’s 24-inch telescope, located at Terra Del Sol, some 60-miles east of San Diego, CA. Measurements are reported for four close binary systems - STF2173AB, D15, STF2205, and HSD2685 - observed over the weekend of July 1-3, 2016. The objectives of this engineering checkout run were to evaluate the integration of the telescope and ZWO ASI 290MM high speed CMOS camera, and to establish observational procedures for future speckle observations, including those made with advanced high school and college student researchers. Difficulties encountered in the checkout are described, along with suggestions for overcoming them in the next run.

Transferring Knowledge Gained From a Field Experience in Tierra del Fuego, the Uttermost Part of the Earth, to Central Texas Science Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ormiston, C.; Dovzak, N.; Anderson, S.; Perry, E.; Ellins, K.; Tingle, D.; Knettel, P.; Redding, S.; Odle, K.

2005-12-01

As part of the UTIG's Teachers in the Field program, we, three teachers from Boerne High School in south-central Texas, and four of our students, collaborated with an international team of geoscientists studying the tectonic and climatic evolution of the Lago Fagnano region in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, in March 2005. This unique field experience allowed us to participate in all aspects of the scientific process: the consideration of research questions, development of a research plan, collection of field data and observations, and synthesis and presentation of results. In addition to field work and reconnaissance tied directly to the project objectives, we characterized the modern chemical/physical soil and water parameters (temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, NH4 content, etc.) and isotopic (18O and D) composition of the Lago Fagnano watershed. These data are now integrated into an existing database of comparable chemical/physical information gathered for North American sites through our summer field courses. We will utilize this rich data set to make Texas-Tierra del Fuego ecosystem comparisons with our classes. The level of mentoring, preparation and follow-up provided by an NSF GK-12 Fellow was a key factor contributing to the success of our experience and an important element in helping us transfer components of this challenging experience to our students. Before, during, and following a two-week field season at Lago Fagnano, we and our students were actively engaged as learners and as scientists. We acquired concepts and skills that are readily applicable in a classroom setting: geologic mapping, GIS applications, isotopic data collection and analysis, tectonics concepts, and a general understanding of how science is truly conducted. Other factors that contributed to a positive experience included the team of dynamic scientists, who encouraged, helped and inspired us, the strong support that we received from our high school campus and district level

Tierra Concrete Homes Honored with Energy Star Award

Science.gov Websites

building. NREL's research on low energy residences is sponsored by DOE's Building America Program. Building America conducts systems engineering research and system cost/performance tradeoffs to increase energy performance with minimal increases in housing cost. See the Building America Web site. Tierra Concrete Homes

Espectroscopia del Cometa Halley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naranjo, O.; Fuenmayor, F.; Ferrin, L.; Bulka, P.; Mendoza, C.

1987-05-01

Se reportan observaciones espectroscópicas del cometa Halley. Los espectros fueron tomados usando el espectrógrafo del telescopio reflector de 1 metro del Observatorio Nacional de Venezuela. Se utilizó óptica azul, con una red de difracción de 600 lineas/min, obteniéndose una dispersión de 74.2 A/mm y una resolución de 2.5 A, en el rango espectral de 3500 a 6500 A. Seis placas fueron tomadas con emulsión IIa-O y dos con IIa-D. Los tiempos de exposición fueron entre 10 y 150 minutos. El cometa se encontraba entre 0.70 y 1.04 UA del Sol, y entre 1.28 y 0.73 UA de la Tierra. Las emisiones más prominentes en el espectro, son las del CN, C2, y C3. Otras emisiones detectadas corresponden a CH, NH2 y Na. Los espectros muestran un fuerte continuo, indicando un contenido significativo de polvo. Se detectó mayor intensidad del contínuo, en la dirección anti solar, lo cual es evidencia de la cola de polvo.

Chronicles from the End of the Word: the Holocene climate variability in Tierra del Fuego

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waldmann, N.; Ariztegui, D.; Anselmetti, F.; Austin, J.; Moy, C.; Borromei, A.; Coronato, A.; Recasens, C.; Dunbar, R.; Martinez, M.; Olivera, D.

2008-12-01

Latest advances in the chronology and environmental importance of Antarctic paleoclimate records point towards a larger heterogeneity than previously thought. Thus, realistic inter-hemispheric correlations rely in the development of a tight array of well constrained records with a dense latitudinal coverage. Climatic records from southernmost Patagonia are hence critical corner-stones to link these Antarctic paleoclimatic archives with their South American counterparts. At 55° S on the Island of Tierra del Fuego, Lago Fagnano is located in one of the most substantially and extensively glaciated regions of southernmost South America during the Late Pleistocene. This elongated lake is the largest (~110 km long) and southernmost non-ice covered water body in the world. Existing on-shore geomorphological reconstructions combined with new lacustrine subsurface data, allowed us to better constrain the magnitude and chronology of the Fagnano glacier fluctuations since the LGM. The former Fagnano glacier flowed eastwards from the Darwin Cordillera fed by more than 50 tributary glaciers. The glacier spread over the low ranges and lowlands through three different lobes and was drained by four main outwash basins directly into the Atlantic Ocean. During the maximum ice-expansion, the ice-covered area was ca. 4000 km2 with a maximum length of ca. 132 km. A set of submerged frontal moraines covered by lacustrine infilling identified in the seismic survey suggests occasional eastward re-advances of the paleo-glacier within the overall westward deglaciation pattern. These re-advances may correspond to cold events such as the Antarctic Cold Reversal (ACR), the Huelmo- Mascardi Cold Event (HMCE) and/or the Younger Dryas Chronozone (YDC). The ongoing development of a robust age model blended with a multi-proxy dataset will potentially clarify remaining controversial issues dealing with the geographical extension and chronology of these cold episodes during the last deglaciation. A

Linking invasive exotic vertebrates and their ecosystem impacts in Tierra del Fuego to test theory and determine action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valenzuela, Alejandro E. J.; Anderson, Christopher B.; Fasola, Laura; Cabello, José L.

2014-01-01

Understanding processes and impacts of biological invasions is fundamental for ecology and management. Recent reviews summarized the mechanisms by which invasive species alter entire ecosystems, but quantitative assessments of these mechanisms are lacking for actual assemblages to determine their relative importance, frequency and patterns. We updated information on introduced vertebrates in the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago (TDF) via an exhaustive literature review and new data to evaluate ecosystem impact mechanisms and provide management recommendations. To date, 24 exotic vertebrates have naturalized in TDF, outnumbering natives nearly 2:1, with the North American beaver (Castor canadensis) and muskrat (Ondatra zibethica) being the most widely distributed species and also impacting the ecosystem through the greatest number of mechanisms. Introduced vertebrates occupied most parts of the archipelago with human-inhabited islands having greater taxa richness. All exotics potentially altered ecosystems by one or more mechanisms: 100% food webs, 92% invasional meltdown, 42% habitat modification, 38% disease or parasite transmission, 21% soil property and disturbance regime changes. Impact to habitat structure was the main clustering criterion for this assemblage. Within the species that physically alter habitats, we found two sub-groups: 1) large herbivores and 2) "others" including beavers and muskrats. Species that did not alter habitat were divided further into those with predatory trophic effects (carnivorous mammals and trout, sub-group 4) and the rest with assorted impacts (sub-group 3). By establishing high quality information on archipelago-wide assemblage, distribution, impacts and mechanisms for exotic vertebrates, we recommend, based on ecological criteria, prioritizing the management of sub-group 2. A secondary priority might be given to the carnivores in sub-group 4, while species in sub-groups 1 and 3 are less urgent. As the first systematic survey of

Torres del Paine National Park

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Grinding glaciers and granite peaks mingle in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park. The Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite captured this summertime image of the park on January 21, 2013. This image shows just a portion of the park, including Grey Glacier and the mountain range of Cordillera del Paine. The rivers of glacial ice in Torres del Paine National Park grind over bedrock, turning some of that rock to dust. Many of the glaciers terminate in freshwater lakes, which are rich with glacial flour that colors them brown to turquoise. Skinny rivers connect some of the lakes to each other (image upper and lower right). Cordillera del Paine rises between some of the wide glacial valleys. The compact mountain range is a combination of soaring peaks and small glaciers, most notably the Torres del Paine (Towers of Paine), three closely spaced peaks emblematic of the mountain range and the larger park. By human standards, the mountains of Cordillera del Paine are quite old. But compared to the Rocky Mountains (70 million years old), and the Appalachians (about 480 million years), the Cordillera del Paine are very young—only about 12 million years old. A study published in 2008 described how scientists used zircon crystals to estimate the age of Cordillera del Paine. The authors concluded that the mountain range was built in three pulses, creating a granite laccolith, or dome-shaped feature, more than 2,000 meters (7,000 feet) thick. NASA Earth Observatory image created by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using Advanced Land Imager data from the NASA EO-1 team. Caption by Michon Scott. Instrument: EO-1 - ALI View more info: earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=80266 Credit: NASA Earth Observatory NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA�

Late glacial ice advances in the Strait of Magellan, Southern Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mcculloch, Robert D.; Bentley, Michael J.

During the last glacial cycle low gradient glaciers repeatedly drained north-eastward into the Strait of Magellan and dammed extensive proglacial lakes in the central section of the strait. This paper focuses on the two most recent glacial advances in the strait, culminating over 150 and 80 km from the present ice limits. The timing of the first of the two advances has, up to now, been ambiguous and depended on the interpretation of anomously older dates of 16,590-15,800 yr BP for deglaciation at Puerto del Hambre. Here, we show there is evidence from seismic data and truncated shorelines that the Puerto del Hambre basin has been tectonically displaced and that the dates do not represent minimums for deglaciation. Several other dates show that the advance occurred sometime before 14,260 yr BP. The timing of the second advance has been investigated using a refined tephrochronology for the region, which has also enabled a palaeoshoreline and glaciolacustrine sediments to be linked to a moraine limit. 14C dating of peat and a key tephra layer, above and below the glaciolacustrine deposits, respectively suggest that the advance culminated in the Strait of Magellan between 12,010 and 10,050 yr BP.

Differences in Bacterial Diversity and Communities Between Glacial Snow and Glacial Soil on the Chongce Ice Cap, West Kunlun Mountains.

PubMed

Yang, Guang Li; Hou, Shu Gui; Le Baoge, Ri; Li, Zhi Guo; Xu, Hao; Liu, Ya Ping; Du, Wen Tao; Liu, Yong Qin

2016-11-04

A detailed understanding of microbial ecology in different supraglacial habitats is important due to the unprecedented speed of glacier retreat. Differences in bacterial diversity and community structure between glacial snow and glacial soil on the Chongce Ice Cap were assessed using 454 pyrosequencing. Based on rarefaction curves, Chao1, ACE, and Shannon indices, we found that bacterial diversity in glacial snow was lower than that in glacial soil. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and heatmap analysis indicated that there were major differences in bacterial communities between glacial snow and glacial soil. Most bacteria were different between the two habitats; however, there were some common bacteria shared between glacial snow and glacial soil. Some rare or functional bacterial resources were also present in the Chongce Ice Cap. These findings provide a preliminary understanding of the shifts in bacterial diversity and communities from glacial snow to glacial soil after the melting and inflow of glacial snow into glacial soil.

Glacial stages and post-glacial environmental evolution in the Upper Garonne valley, Central Pyrenees.

PubMed

Fernandes, M; Oliva, M; Palma, P; Ruiz-Fernández, J; Lopes, L

2017-04-15

The maximum glacial extent in the Central Pyrenees during the Last Glaciation is known to have occurred before the global Last Glacial Maximum, but the succession of cold events afterwards and their impact on the landscape are still relatively unknown. This study focuses on the environmental evolution in the upper valley of the Garonne River since the Last Glaciation. Geomorphological mapping allows analysis of the spatial distribution of inherited and current processes and landforms in the study area. The distribution of glacial records (moraines, till, erratic boulders, glacial thresholds) suggests the existence of four glacial stages, from the maximum expansion to the end of the glaciation. GIS modeling allows quantification of the Equilibrium Line Altitude, extent, thickness and volume of ice in each glacial stage. During the first stage, the Garonne glacier reached 460m in the Loures-Barousse-Barbazan basin, where it formed a piedmont glacier 88km from the head and extended over 960km 2 . At a second stage of glacier stabilization during the deglaciation process, the valley glaciers were 12-23km from the head until elevations of 1000-1850m, covering an area of 157km 2 . Glaciers during stage three remained isolated in the upper parts of the valley, at heights of 2050-2200m and 2.6-4.5km from the head, with a glacial surface of 16km 2 . In stage four, cirque glaciers were formed between 2260m and 2590m, with a length of 0.4-2km and a glacial area of 5.7km 2 . Also, the wide range of periglacial, slope, nival and alluvial landforms existing in the formerly glaciated environments allows reconstruction of the post-glacial environmental dynamics in the upper Garonne basin. Today, the highest lands are organized following three elevation belts: subnival (1500-1900m), nival (1900-2300m) and periglacial/cryonival (2300-2800m). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Importance of the Nothofagus Forest on Snowmelt Process linked to floods in Mountain Basins of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina as Input for Land Use Policies.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iturraspe, R. J.; Urciuolo, A. B.; Lofiego, R.

2007-05-01

The conception and application of policies and best practices for the appropriate land use from the view point of extreme floods attenuation, must be based on scientist acknowledge of the basin response, reaching each one of the hydrological cycle's components. That condition is necessary as a start point for an integrated intersectoral management of water and forest resources at the basin scale, especially when forest logging or forest urbanization appear as land use alternatives with socioeconomic importance, confronting the natural roll of the forest in the basin. Within this framework, this article analyzes the forest importance on the seasonal snow-pack and snow-melting process in the mountain basin environment of Tierra del Fuego Island, Argentina, where a mixed rain-snow hydrological regimen and a canopy of native Nothofagus forest are basic features considered. Extreme floods events are related to heavy rain and snow-melting combination. In theory, the worst scenario is the exceptional rain occurrence at the moment of the maximum snow storage, air temperature higher than 0ºC in the whole basin, and previous wet conditions. On this scenario we analyze aspects that indicate forest influences on the snow pack distribution and evolution which are favorable to the attenuation of the intensity of melting process which are induced by rain and temperate air mass. Results were obtained in the context of the EPIC FORCE (EU) Project.

Glacial history of Tranquilo glacier (Central Patagonia) since the Last Glacial Maximum through to the present.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagredo, E. A.; Araya, P. S.; Schaefer, J. M.; Kaplan, M. R.; Kelly, M. A.; Lowell, T. V.; Aravena, J. C.

2014-12-01

Deciphering the timing and the inter-hemispheric phasing of former glacial fluctuations is critical for understanding the mechanisms and climate signals underlying these glacial events. Here, we present a detailed chronology of glacial fluctuations for Río Tranquilo glacier (47°S), since the LGM, including up to the present. Río Tranquilo is a small glacial valley located on the northern flank of Monte San Lorenzo, an isolated granitic massif, ~70 km to the east of the southern limit of the Northern Patagonian Icefield. Although Mt. San Lorenzo is located on the leeward side of the Andes, it is one of the most glacierized mountains in the region, with an ice surface area of ~140 km2. Geomorphic evidence suggests that during past episodes of climate change several small glaciers that today occupy the headwalls of Río Tranquilo valley expanded and coalesced, depositing a series of moraines complexes along the flanks and bottom of the valley. We used two independent dating techniques to constrain the age of the glacial history of the area. 10Be surface exposure ages from boulders located atop moraine ridges reveal that Río Tranquilo valley underwent glacial expansion/stabilization during at least the LGM (late LGM?), Late glacial (ACR and Younger Dryas) and Mid-Holocene. Within the Mid-Holocene limits, tree-ring based chronology indicates that Río Tranquilo glacier expanded during the Late Holocene as well. Our results are the first detailed chronology of glacial fluctuations from a single valley glacier, spanning the entire period from the (end of the) LGM up to the present, in southern South America. By identifying different glacial episodes within a single alpine valley, this study provides baseline data for studying the relative magnitude of the climate events responsible for these glacial events.

Regional Analysis of the Hazard Level of Glacial Lakes in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chisolm, Rachel E.; Jhon Sanchez Leon, Walter; McKinney, Daene C.; Cochachin Rapre, Alejo

2016-04-01

of glacial lakes and their hazard potential. This phase of glacial lake hazard assessment aims to be geographically comprehensive in order to identify potentially dangerous lakes that may have previously been ignored. A second phase of analysis that includes site visits will be necessary for a thorough analysis at each lake to determine the potential hazard for downstream communities. The objective of the work presented here is to identify potentially dangerous lakes that warrant further study rather than provide a final hazard assessment for each lake of the glacial lake inventory in the Cordillera Blanca. References: Emmer, A. and Vilímek, V.: New method for assessing the potential hazardousness of glacial lakes in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., 11, 2391-2439, 2014. UGRH - Unidad de Glaciologia y Recursos Hidricos. Inventario de Lagunas Glaciares del Peru. Ministerio de Agricultura y Riego, Autoridad Nacional del Agua, Direcccion de Conservacion y Planeamiento de Recursos Hidricos, Huaraz, Peru, 2014. Wang, W., Yao, T., Gao, Y., Yang, X., and Kattel, D. B.: A first-order method to identify potentially dangerous glacial lakes in a region of the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, Mountain Res. Develop., 31, 122-130, 2011.

Evidence of a low-latitude glacial buzzsaw: Progressive hypsometry reveals height-limiting glacial erosion in tropical mountain belts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunningham, M.; Stark, C. P.; Kaplan, M. R.; Schaefer, J. M.; Winckler, G.

2017-12-01

It has been widely demonstrated that glacial erosion limits the height of mid-latitude mountain ranges—a phenomenon commonly referred to as the "glacial buzzsaw." The strength of the buzzsaw is thought to diminish, or die out completely, at lower latitudes, where glacial landscapes occupy only a small part of mountain belts affected by Pleistocene glaciation. Here we argue that glacial erosion has actually truncated the rise of many tropical orogens. To elicit signs of height-limiting glacial erosion in the tropics, we employ a new take on an old tool: we identify transient geomorphic features by tracking the evolution of (sub)catchment hypsometry with increasing elevation above base level, a method we term "progressive hypsometry." In several tropical mountain belts, including the Central Range of Taiwan, the Talamanca of Costa Rica, the Finisterres of Papua New Guinea, and the Rwenzoris of East Africa, progressive hypsometry reveals transient landscapes perched at various elevations, but the highest of these transient features are consistently glacial landscapes near the lower limit of late-Pleistocene glacial equilibrium line altitude (ELA) fluctuation. We attribute this pattern to an efficient glacial buzzsaw. In many cases, these glacial landscapes are undergoing contemporary destruction by headward propagating, fluvially-driven escarpments. We deduce that a duel between glacial buzzcutting and fluvially-driven scarp propagation has been ongoing throughout the Pleistocene in these places, and that the preservation potential of tropical glacial landscapes is low. To this end, we have identified possible remnants of glacial landscapes in the final stages of scarp consumption, and use 3He surface exposure age dating of boulders and bedrock surfaces in two of these landscapes to constrain major geomorphic activity to before the onset of the Last Glacial Maximum. Our work points to a profound climatic influence on the evolution of these warm, tectonically active

Glacial lakes in the Indian Himalayas--from an area-wide glacial lake inventory to on-site and modeling based risk assessment of critical glacial lakes.

PubMed

Worni, Raphael; Huggel, Christian; Stoffel, Markus

2013-12-01

Glacial lake hazards and glacial lake distributions are investigated in many glaciated regions of the world, but comparably little attention has been given to these topics in the Indian Himalayas. In this study we present a first area-wide glacial lake inventory, including a qualitative classification at 251 glacial lakes >0.01 km(2). Lakes were detected in the five states spanning the Indian Himalayas, and lake distribution pattern and lake characteristics were found to differ significantly between regions. Three glacial lakes, from different geographic and climatic regions within the Indian Himalayas were then selected for a detailed risk assessment. Lake outburst probability, potential outburst magnitudes and associated damage were evaluated on the basis of high-resolution satellite imagery, field assessments and through the use of a dynamic model. The glacial lakes analyzed in the states of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh were found to present moderate risks to downstream villages, whereas the lake in Sikkim severely threatens downstream locations. At the study site in Sikkim, a dam breach could trigger drainage of ca. 16×10(6)m(3) water and generate maximum lake discharge of nearly 7000 m(3) s(-). The identification of critical glacial lakes in the Indian Himalayas and the detailed risk assessments at three specific sites allow prioritizing further investigations and help in the definition of risk reduction actions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pathogenic and enzyme activities of the entomopathogenic fungus Tolypocladium cylindrosporum (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.

PubMed

Scorsetti, Ana C; Elíades, Lorena A; Stenglein, Sebastián A; Cabello, Marta N; Pelizza, Sebastián A; Saparrat, Mario C N

2012-06-01

Tolypocladium cylindrosporum is an entomopathogenic fungi that has been studied as a biological control agent against insects of several orders. The fungus has been isolated from the soil as well as from insects of the orders Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera and Hymenoptera. In this study, we analyzed the ability of a strain of T cylindrosporum, isolated from soil samples taken in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, to produce hydrolytic enzymes, and to study the relationship of those activities to the fungus pathogenicity against pest aphids. We have made the traditional and molecular characterization of this strain of T cylindrosporum. The expression of hydrolase activity in the fungal strain was estimated at three incubation temperatures (4 degreeC, 12 degreeC and 24 degreeC), on different agar media supplemented with the following specific substrates: chitin azure, Tween 20, casein, and urea for chitinase, lipase, protease, and urease activity, respectively. The hydrolytic-enzyme activity was estimated qualitatively according to the presence of a halo of clarification through hydrolase action, besides was expressed semi-quantitatively as the ratio between the hydrolytic-halo and colony diameters. The pathogenicity of the fungus was tested on adults of the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi at three temperatures of incubation (4 degree C, 12 degree C and 24 degree C). The suspension was adjusted to a concentration of 1x10(7) conidia/ml. In pathogenicity assays at seven days post-inoculation, the fungus caused the mortality of adults of Ropalosiphum padi at different temperatures also showed a broad ability to grow on several agar-culture media, supplemented with different carbon sources at the three incubation temperatures tested. Although, the growth was greater with higher incubation temperatures (with maximum levels at 24 degreeC), the fungus reached similar colony diameters after 15 days of incubation on the medium supplemented with Tween 20 at the lower two incubation

Glacial flour in lacustrine sediments: Records of alpine glaciation in the western U.S.A. during the last glacial interval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenbaum, J. G.; Reynolds, R. L.

2010-12-01

Sediments in Bear Lake (UT/ID) and Upper Klamath Lake (OR) contain glacial flour derived during the last glacial interval from the Uinta Mountains and the southern Cascade Range, respectively. Magnetic properties provide measures of glacial-flour content and, in concert with elemental and grain-size analyses, yield high-resolution records of glacial growth and decay. Creation and preservation of such records requires that (1) properties of glacial flour contrast with those of other sedimentary components and (2) magnetic minerals are neither formed nor destroyed after deposition. In the Bear Lake watershed, glaciers were confined to a small headwater area of the Bear River underlain by hematite-rich rocks of the Uinta Mountain Group (UMG), which are not exposed elsewhere in the catchment. Because UMG detritus is abundant only in Bear Lake sediments of glacial age, hard isothermal remanent magnetization (a measure of hematite content) provides a proxy for glacial flour. In contrast, the entire Upper Klamath Lake catchment, which lies to the east of the Cascade Range in southern Oregon, is underlain largely by basalt and basaltic andesite. Magnetic properties of fresh titanomagnetite-rich rock flour from glaciers on a composite volcano contrast sharply with those of detritus from unglaciated areas in which weathering destroyed some of the titanomagnetite. Ideally, well-dated records of the flux of glacial flour can be compared to ages of glacial features (e.g., moraines). For Upper Klamath Lake, quantitative measures of rock-flour content (from magnetic properties) and excellent chronology allow accurate calculation of flux. However, ages of glacial features are lacking and mafic volcanic rocks, which weather rapidly in this environment, are not well suited for cosmogenic exposure dating. At Bear Lake, estimates of glacial-flour content are less quantitative and chronology within the glacial interval must be interpolated from radiocarbon ages above and below the

Relative timing of last glacial maximum and late-glacial events in the central tropical Andes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bromley, Gordon R. M.; Schaefer, Joerg M.; Winckler, Gisela; Hall, Brenda L.; Todd, Claire E.; Rademaker, Kurt M.

2009-11-01

Whether or not tropical climate fluctuated in synchrony with global events during the Late Pleistocene is a key problem in climate research. However, the timing of past climate changes in the tropics remains controversial, with a number of recent studies reporting that tropical ice age climate is out of phase with global events. Here, we present geomorphic evidence and an in-situ cosmogenic 3He surface-exposure chronology from Nevado Coropuna, southern Peru, showing that glaciers underwent at least two significant advances during the Late Pleistocene prior to Holocene warming. Comparison of our glacial-geomorphic map at Nevado Coropuna to mid-latitude reconstructions yields a striking similarity between Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and Late-Glacial sequences in tropical and temperate regions. Exposure ages constraining the maximum and end of the older advance at Nevado Coropuna range between 24.5 and 25.3 ka, and between 16.7 and 21.1 ka, respectively, depending on the cosmogenic production rate scaling model used. Similarly, the mean age of the younger event ranges from 10 to 13 ka. This implies that (1) the LGM and the onset of deglaciation in southern Peru occurred no earlier than at higher latitudes and (2) that a significant Late-Glacial event occurred, most likely prior to the Holocene, coherent with the glacial record from mid and high latitudes. The time elapsed between the end of the LGM and the Late-Glacial event at Nevado Coropuna is independent of scaling model and matches the period between the LGM termination and Late-Glacial reversal in classic mid-latitude records, suggesting that these events in both tropical and temperate regions were in phase.

Geomorphical and Geochronological Constrains of the Last Glacial Period in Southern Patagonia, Southern South America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García, J.; Hall, B. L.; Kaplan, M. R.; Vega, R. M.; Binnie, S. A.; Hein, A.; Gómez, G. N.; Ferrada, J. J.

2013-12-01

Despite the outer limits of the former Patagonian ice sheet (PIS, ~38-55S) having been extensively mapped, it remains unknown if the Patagonian glaciers fluctuated synchronously or asynchronously during the last glacial period. Previous work has revealed asynchronous spatiotemporal ice dynamics along the eastern and western ice-margins at the end of the last glaciation but it is not well understood if the northern and southern parts of the PIS reached concurrent maximum glaciation during the last glacial cycle. The Patagonian Andes is the only landmass involving the southern westerly wind belt latitudinal range, which is thought to have played a key role in past glacial and climate changes. Therefore, reconstructing southern Andes glacier history constitutes a key element for understanding the cause of glaciations in Patagonia and the role of the westerlies in climate change. Here, we discuss paleoglaciological and paleoclimatological implications of new 10Be and 14C data obtained from moraines and strategically selected mires in two contiguous glacially molded basins of south Patagonia (48-55S): Torres del Paine (51S) and Última Esperanza (52S). In this region, we focused our 10Be cosmogenic-dating efforts in the previously undated outer moraines deposited (supposedly) during the last glacial cycle. In order to crosscheck cosmogenic data we collected boulders embedded in moraines and cobbles from the main glaciofluvial plains grading from the outermost moraines. Geomorphic and cosmogenic dating affords evidence for glacial maximum conditions occurring between 40-50 ka (ka = thousand of years before present) in southern Patagonia, which is different from other chronologies within southern South America. We obtained 14C basal ages from sites located within moraine depressions and on former paleolake shorelines and thus these may provide key data on deglaciation and debated regional paleolake history.

Contrasting scaling properties of interglacial and glacial climates

PubMed Central

Shao, Zhi-Gang; Ditlevsen, Peter D.

2016-01-01

Understanding natural climate variability is essential for assessments of climate change. This is reflected in the scaling properties of climate records. The scaling exponents of the interglacial and the glacial climates are fundamentally different. The Holocene record is monofractal, with a scaling exponent H∼0.7. On the contrary, the glacial record is multifractal, with a significantly higher scaling exponent H∼1.2, indicating a longer persistence time and stronger nonlinearities in the glacial climate. The glacial climate is dominated by the strong multi-millennial Dansgaard–Oeschger (DO) events influencing the long-time correlation. However, by separately analysing the last glacial maximum lacking DO events, here we find the same scaling for that period as for the full glacial period. The unbroken scaling thus indicates that the DO events are part of the natural variability and not externally triggered. At glacial time scales, there is a scale break to a trivial scaling, contrasting the DO events from the similarly saw-tooth-shaped glacial cycles. PMID:26980084

Resolving Large Pre-glacial Valleys Buried by Glacial Sediment Using Electric Resistivity Imaging (ERI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitt, D. R.; Welz, M.; Rokosh, C. D.; Pontbriand, M.-C.; Smith, D. G.

2004-05-01

Two-dimensional electric resistivity imaging (ERI) is the most exciting and promising geological tool in geomorphology and stratigraphy since development of ground-penetrating radar. Recent innovations in 2-D ERI provides a non-intrusive mean of efficiently resolving complex shallow subsurface structures under a number of different geological scenarios. In this paper, we test the capacity of ERI to image two large pre-late Wisconsinan-aged valley-fills in central Alberta and north-central Montana. Valley-fills record the history of pre-glacial and glacial sedimentary deposits. These fills are of considerable economical value as groundwater aquifers, aggregate resources (sand and gravel), placers (gold, diamond) and sometime gas reservoirs in Alberta. Although the approximate locations of pre-glacial valley-fills have been mapped, the scarcity of borehole (well log) information and sediment exposures make accurate reconstruction of their stratigraphy and cross-section profiles difficult. When coupled with borehole information, ERI successfully imaged three large pre-glacial valley-fills representing three contrasting geological settings. The Sand Coulee segment of the ancestral Missouri River, which has never been glaciated, is filled by electrically conductive pro-glacial lacustrine deposits over resistive sandstone bedrock. By comparison, the Big Sandy segment of the ancestral Missouri River valley has a complex valley-fill composed of till units interbedded with glaciofluvial gravel and varved clays over conductive shale. The fill is capped by floodplain, paludal and low alluvial fan deposits. The pre-glacial Onoway Valley (the ancestral North Saskatchewan River valley) is filled with thick, resistive fluvial gravel over conductive shale and capped with conductive till. The cross-sectional profile of each surveyed pre-glacial valley exhibits discrete benches (terraces) connected by steep drops, features that are hard to map using only boreholes. Best quality ERI

La Enseñanza/Aprendizaje del Modelo Sol-Tierra Análisis de la Situación Actual y Propuesta de Mejora Para la Formación de los Futuros Profesores de Primaria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martínez Sebastià, Bernat

2004-12-01

This work is an extened summary of the autor's PhD thesis. It deals with the teaching of astronomy (day/night, seasons) in primary school. At first, students teachers' undestanding of astronomical concepts related to Sun-Earth system have been analysed. Taking into account the results of the previous analysis and using a socio-constructivist approach a teaching sequence has been designed. This sequence has been tested with different groups of students teachers showing an improvement in their undestanding of elementary astronomical concepts. El trabajo que presentamos es un resumen extenso de la tesis doctoral del autor. El enfoque utilizado ha sido tratar de ligar la investigación sobre las ideas, razonamientos y obstáculos de los profesores de primaria con la planificación de la enseñanza del modelo Sol-Tierra que permite explicar el ciclo día/noche y las estaciones. En primer lugar, se ha procedido a realizar un análisis crítico de los resultados que se obtienen en el aprendizaje de los contenidos astronómicos en la enseñanza habitual. En segundo lugar se ha diseñado un curriculum potencialmente superador de esta situación desde una orientación que concibe la enseñanza y el aprendizaje como un proceso de construcción de conocimientos en una estructura problematizada. Finalmente, esta secuencia didáctica ha sido experimentada con diferentes grupos de estudiantes de magisterio, mostrando una mejora relevante en la comprensión de los conceptos astronómicos fundamentales.

Contrasting scaling properties of interglacial and glacial climates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ditlevsen, Peter; Shao, Zhi-Gang

2017-04-01

Understanding natural climate variability is essential for assessments of climate change. This is reflected in the scaling properties of climate records. The scaling exponents of the interglacial and the glacial climates are fundamentally different. The Holocene record is monofractal, with a scaling exponent H˜0.7. On the contrary, the glacial record is multifractal, with a significantly higher scaling exponent H˜1.2, indicating a longer persistence time and stronger nonlinearities in the glacial climate. The glacial climate is dominated by the strong multi-millennial Dansgaard-Oeschger (DO) events influencing the long-time correlation. However, by separately analysing the last glacial maximum lacking DO events, here we find the same scaling for that period as for the full glacial period. The unbroken scaling thus indicates that the DO events are part of the natural variability and not externally triggered. At glacial time scales, there is a scale break to a trivial scaling, contrasting the DO events from the similarly saw-tooth-shaped glacial cycles. Ref: Zhi-Gang Shao and Peter Ditlevsen, Nature Comm. 7, 10951, 2016

Light attenuation characteristics of glacially-fed lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rose, Kevin C.; Hamilton, David P.; Williamson, Craig E.; McBride, Chris G.; Fischer, Janet M.; Olson, Mark H.; Saros, Jasmine E.; Allan, Mathew G.; Cabrol, Nathalie

2014-07-01

Transparency is a fundamental characteristic of aquatic ecosystems and is highly responsive to changes in climate and land use. The transparency of glacially-fed lakes may be a particularly sensitive sentinel characteristic of these changes. However, little is known about the relative contributions of glacial flour versus other factors affecting light attenuation in these lakes. We sampled 18 glacially-fed lakes in Chile, New Zealand, and the U.S. and Canadian Rocky Mountains to characterize how dissolved absorption, algal biomass (approximated by chlorophyll a), water, and glacial flour contributed to attenuation of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400-700 nm). Variation in attenuation across lakes was related to turbidity, which we used as a proxy for the concentration of glacial flour. Turbidity-specific diffuse attenuation coefficients increased with decreasing wavelength and distance from glaciers. Regional differences in turbidity-specific diffuse attenuation coefficients were observed in short UVR wavelengths (305 and 320 nm) but not at longer UVR wavelengths (380 nm) or PAR. Dissolved absorption coefficients, which are closely correlated with diffuse attenuation coefficients in most non-glacially-fed lakes, represented only about one quarter of diffuse attenuation coefficients in study lakes here, whereas glacial flour contributed about two thirds across UVR and PAR. Understanding the optical characteristics of substances that regulate light attenuation in glacially-fed lakes will help elucidate the signals that these systems provide of broader environmental changes and forecast the effects of climate change on these aquatic ecosystems.

An improved active contour model for glacial lake extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, H.; Chen, F.; Zhang, M.

2017-12-01

Active contour model is a widely used method in visual tracking and image segmentation. Under the driven of objective function, the initial curve defined in active contour model will evolve to a stable condition - a desired result in given image. As a typical region-based active contour model, C-V model has a good effect on weak boundaries detection and anti noise ability which shows great potential in glacial lake extraction. Glacial lake is a sensitive indicator for reflecting global climate change, therefore accurate delineate glacial lake boundaries is essential to evaluate hydrologic environment and living environment. However, the current method in glacial lake extraction mainly contains water index method and recognition classification method are diffcult to directly applied in large scale glacial lake extraction due to the diversity of glacial lakes and masses impacted factors in the image, such as image noise, shadows, snow and ice, etc. Regarding the abovementioned advantanges of C-V model and diffcults in glacial lake extraction, we introduce the signed pressure force function to improve the C-V model for adapting to processing of glacial lake extraction. To inspect the effect of glacial lake extraction results, three typical glacial lake development sites were selected, include Altai mountains, Centre Himalayas, South-eastern Tibet, and Landsat8 OLI imagery was conducted as experiment data source, Google earth imagery as reference data for varifying the results. The experiment consequence suggests that improved active contour model we proposed can effectively discriminate the glacial lakes from complex backgound with a higher Kappa Coefficient - 0.895, especially in some small glacial lakes which belongs to weak information in the image. Our finding provide a new approach to improved accuracy under the condition of large proportion of small glacial lakes and the possibility for automated glacial lake mapping in large-scale area.

Regional and Local Glacial-Earthquake Patterns in Greenland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olsen, K.; Nettles, M.

2016-12-01

Icebergs calved from marine-terminating glaciers currently account for up to half of the 400 Gt of ice lost annually from the Greenland ice sheet (Enderlin et al., 2014). When large capsizing icebergs ( 1 Gt of ice) calve, they produce elastic waves that propagate through the solid earth and are observed as teleseismically detectable MSW 5 glacial earthquakes (e.g., Ekström et al., 2003; Nettles & Ekström, 2010 Tsai & Ekström, 2007; Veitch & Nettles, 2012). The annual number of these events has increased dramatically over the past two decades. We analyze glacial earthquakes from 2011-2013, which expands the glacial-earthquake catalog by 50%. The number of glacial-earthquake solutions now available allows us to investigate regional patterns across Greenland and link earthquake characteristics to changes in ice dynamics at individual glaciers. During the years of our study Greenland's west coast dominated glacial-earthquake production. Kong Oscar Glacier, Upernavik Isstrøm, and Jakobshavn Isbræ all produced more glacial earthquakes during this time than in preceding years. We link patterns in glacial-earthquake production and cessation to the presence or absence of floating ice tongues at glaciers on both coasts of Greenland. The calving model predicts glacial-earthquake force azimuths oriented perpendicular to the calving front, and comparisons between seismic data and satellite imagery confirm this in most instances. At two glaciers we document force azimuths that have recently changed orientation and confirm that similar changes have occurred in the calving-front geometry. We also document glacial earthquakes at one previously quiescent glacier. Consistent with previous work, we model the glacial-earthquake force-time function as a boxcar with horizontal and vertical force components that vary synchronously. We investigate limitations of this approach and explore improvements that could lead to a more accurate representation of the glacial earthquake source.

Glaciers, Glacial lakes and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in the Koshi Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrestha, F.; Gao, X.; Khanal, N. R.; Maharjan, S. B.; Bajracharya, S. R.; Shrestha, R. B.; Lizong, W.; Mool, P. K.

2016-12-01

Glacier is a vital water resources for mountain communities. Recession in glacier area either increased the glacial lake size or develop a new lake. The consequences of these changes in lake has become one of the major issue in the management of GLOF risk. This paper presents the distribution of, and changes in, glaciers, glacial lakes in the Koshi basin and also looks at past GLOF events that have occurred in the basin and their distance of impact. Data on the number of glaciers and glacial lakes and their areas were generated for the years 1977, 1990, 2000, and 2010 using Landsat images. The study revealed that there were a total of 845 glaciers (Nepal side) and 2,168 glacial lakes (Nepal and China side) with a total area of 1,103 km2 and 127.608 km2 in 2010. The number of glacier increased by 15% (109) and area decreased by 26% (396 km2) over 33 years. In case of glacier lakes, the number and area increased from 1,160 to 2,168 and from 94.444 km2 to 127.608 km2 during 33 years with an overall growth rates of 86.9% and 35.1%. A large number of glacial lakes are small in size (≤ 0.1 km2). End moraine dammed lakes with area ≥ 0.1 km2 were selected to analyse the change characteristics of glacial lakes. The results show that there were 134 lakes ≥ 0.1 km2 in 2010; these lakes had a total area of 43.06 km2 in 1997, increased to 64.35 km2 in 2010. The distribution of lakes on the north side of the Himalayas (in China) was three times higher than on the south side of the Himalayas (in Nepal). Comparing the mean growth rate in area and length for the 33 years, the growth rate on the north side was found to be a little slower than that on the south side. This relationship did not hold true for length change in the different periods. The study identified 42 rapidly growing large lakes that are dangerous in terms of GLOF risk. In the past, 18 GLOF events have been reported. The downstream distance impacted by those events was up to 90 km. Among them, 13 GLOF events

Sources of glacial moisture in Mesoamerica

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bradbury, J.P.

1997-01-01

Paleoclimatic records from Mesoamerica document the interplay between Atlantic and Pacific sources of precipitation during the last glacial stage and Holocene. Today, and throughout much of the Holocene, the entire region receives its principal moisture in the summer from an interaction of easterly trade winds with the equatorial calms. Glacial records from sites east of 95?? W in Guatemala, Florida, northern Venezuela and Colombia record dry conditions before 12 ka, however. West of 95?? W, glacial conditions were moister than in the Holocene. For example, pollen and diatom data show that Lake Pa??tzcuaro in the central Mexican highlands was cool, deep and fresh during this time and fossil pinyon needles in packrat middens in Chihuahua, Sonora, Arizona, and Texas indicate cooler glacial climates with increased winter precipitation. Cold Gulf of Mexico sea-surface temperatures and reduced strength of the equatorial calms can explain arid full and late glacial environments east of 95?? W whereas an intensified pattern of winter, westerly air flow dominated hydrologic balances as far south as 20?? N. Overall cooler temperatures may have increased effective moisture levels during dry summer months in both areas. ?? 1997 INQUA/ Elsevier Science Ltd.

Glacial lakes of the Central and Patagonian Andes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Ryan; Glasser, Neil F.; Reynolds, John M.; Harrison, Stephan; Anacona, Pablo Iribarren; Schaefer, Marius; Shannon, Sarah

2018-03-01

The prevalence and increased frequency of high-magnitude Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in the Chilean and Argentinean Andes suggests this region will be prone to similar events in the future as glaciers continue to retreat and thin under a warming climate. Despite this situation, monitoring of glacial lake development in this region has been limited, with past investigations only covering relatively small regions of Patagonia. This study presents new glacial lake inventories for 1986, 2000 and 2016, covering the Central Andes, Northern Patagonia and Southern Patagonia. Our aim was to characterise the physical attributes, spatial distribution and temporal development of glacial lakes in these three sub-regions using Landsat satellite imagery and image datasets available in Google Earth and Bing Maps. Glacial lake water volume was also estimated using an empirical area-volume scaling approach. Results reveal that glacial lakes across the study area have increased in number (43%) and areal extent (7%) between 1986 and 2016. Such changes equate to a glacial lake water volume increase of 65 km3 during the 30-year observation period. However, glacial lake growth and emergence was shown to vary sub-regionally according to localised topography, meteorology, climate change, rate of glacier change and the availability of low gradient ice areas. These and other factors are likely to influence the occurrence of GLOFs in the future. This analysis represents the first large-scale census of glacial lakes in Chile and Argentina and will allow for a better understanding of lake development in this region, as well as, providing a basis for future GLOF risk assessments.

Sub-glacial volcanic eruptions

USGS Publications Warehouse

White, Donald Edward

1956-01-01

The literature on sub-glacial volcanic eruptions and the related flood phenomena has been reviewed as a minor part of the larger problem of convective and conductive heat transfer from intrusive magma. (See Lovering, 1955, for a review of the extensive literature on this subject.) This summary of data on sub-glacial eruptions is part of a program that the U.S. Geological Survey is conducting in connection with its Investigations of Geologic Processes project on behalf of the Division of Research, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.

Late Ordovician (Ashgillian) glacial deposits in southern Jordan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turner, Brian R.; Makhlouf, Issa M.; Armstrong, Howard A.

2005-11-01

The Late Ordovician (Ashgillian) glacial deposits in southern Jordan, comprise a lower and upper glacially incised palaeovalley system, occupying reactivated basement and Pan-African fault-controlled depressions. The lower palaeovalley, incised into shoreface sandstones of the pre-glacial Tubeiliyat Formation, is filled with thin glaciofluvial sandstones at the base, overlain by up to 50 m of shoreface sandstone. A prominent glaciated surface near the top of this palaeovalley-fill contains intersecting glacial striations aligned E-W and NW-SE. The upper palaeovalley-fill comprises glaciofluvial and marine sandstones, incised into the lower palaeovalley or, where this is absent, into the Tubeiliyat Formation. Southern Jordan lay close to the margin of a Late Ordovician terrestrial ice sheet in Northwest Saudi Arabia, characterised by two major ice advances. These are correlated with the lower and upper palaeovalleys in southern Jordan, interrupted by two subsidiary glacial advances during late stage filling of the lower palaeovalley when ice advanced from the west and northwest. Thus, four ice advances are now recorded from the Late Ordovician glacial record of southern Jordan. Disturbed and deformed green sandstones beneath the upper palaeovalley-fill in the Jebel Ammar area, are confined to the margins of the Hutayya graben, and have been interpreted as structureless glacial loessite or glacial rock flour. Petrographic and textural analyses of the deformed sandstones, their mapped lateral transition into undeformed Tubeiliyat marine sandstones away from the fault zone, and the presence of similar sedimentary structures to those in the pre-glacial marine Tubeiliyat Formation suggest that they are a locally deformed facies equivalent of the Tubeiliyat, not part of the younger glacial deposits. Deformation is attributed to glacially induced crustal stresses and seismic reactivation of pre-existing faults, previously weakened by epeirogenesis, triggering sediment

Geodesy: Modeling Earth's Post-Glacial Rebound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spada, Giorgio; Antonioli, Andrea; Boschi, Lapo; Brandi, Valter; Cianetti, Spina; Galvani, Gabriele; Giunchi, Carlo; Perniola, Bruna; Agostinetti, Nicola Piana; Piersanti, Antonio; Stocchi, Paolo

2004-02-01

Efforts to mathematically model the Earth's post-glacial rebound, or, in general, long-term planetary-scale viscoelastic deformations, have been ongoing for several decades. Unfortunately, research in the post-glacial rebound community has not been characterized by much exchange of knowledge. Groups around the world have developed their code independently, sometimes with profoundly different approaches, occasionally leading to inconsistent results [e.g., Boschi et al., 1999]. Postglacial Rebound Calculator (TABOO) is a post-glacial rebound software that is being made freely available (through Samizdat Press at http://samizdat.mines.edu/taboo/)in the hope that it might become a common reference for all post-glacial rebound researchers. TABOO is portable and has been tested on Unix, Linux, and Windows systems; all it requires is a Fortran90 compiler supporting quadruple precision. The software is easy to use. It comes with a detailed guide that can work as a quick reference cookbook, and it is also accompanied by a textbook, The Theory Behind TABOO, collecting the most significant theoretical results from post-glacial rebound literature. TABOO is not a ``black-box,'' although it may easily be used as such. The entire source code is provided and should be easy to understand for intermediate-level Fortran programmers.

Climatic vs. tectonic control on glacial relief

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasicek, Günther; Herman, Frederic; Robl, Jörg

2017-04-01

The limiting effect of a climatically-induced glacial buzz-saw on the height of mountain ranges has been extensively discussed in the geosciences. The buzz-saw concept assumes that solely climate controls the amount of topography present above the equilibrium line altitude (ELA), while the rock uplift rate plays no relevant role. This view is supported by analyses of hypsometric patterns in orogens worldwide. Furthermore, numerical landscape evolution models show that glacial erosion modifies the hypsometry and reduces the overall relief of mountain landscapes. However, such models often do not incorporate tectonic uplift and can only simulate glacial erosion over a limited amount of time, typically one or several glacial cycles. Constraints on glacial end-member landscapes from analytical, time-independent models are widely lacking. Here we present a steady-state solution for a glacier equilibrium profile in an active orogen modified from the mathematical conception presented by Headley et al. (2012). Our approach combines a glacial erosion law with the shallow ice approximation, specifically the formulations of ice sliding and deformation velocities and ice flux, to calculate ice surface and bed topography from prescribed specific mass balance and rock uplift rate. This solution allows the application of both linear and non-linear erosion laws and can be iteratively fitted to a predefined gradient of specific mass balance with elevation. We tested the influence of climate (fixed rock uplift rate, different ELAs) and tectonic forcing (fixed ELA, different rock uplift rates) on steady-state relief. Our results show that, similar to fluvial orogens, both climate and rock uplift rate exert a strong influence on glacial relief and that the relation among rock uplift rate and relief is governed by the glacial erosion law. This finding can provide an explanation for the presence of high relief in high latitudes. Headley, R.M., Roe, G., Hallet, B., 2012. Glacier

Glacial Buzzcutting and Scarp Encroachment Limit the Height of Tropical Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunningham, M.; Stark, C. P.; Kaplan, M. R.; Schaefer, J. M.; Winckler, G.

2016-12-01

In many mountain ranges hypsometric maxima occur between the glacial equilibrium line altitude (ELA) of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and that of today. A common interpretation of this large-scale observation is that a "glacial buzzsaw" acting throughout the Pleistocene concentrated area within the altitudinal band of ELA fluctuation. This hypothesis remains controversial, however, as there are many examples of uplifted relict surfaces in heavily glaciated areas that occur near the ELA by coincidence. We have focused on the role of glacial erosion in the tropics, where it is spatially restricted to high elevations and temporally limited to global glacial maxima, but appears to have nevertheless truncated vertical orogen growth. Evidence of glacial buzzcutting in some of these ranges has been obscured by post-glacial destruction of glacial valleys by expanding fluvial catchments. We deduce that a duel between glacial buzzcuting and fluvially-driven scarp encroachment has proceeded throughout the Pleistocene in these places. In Costa Rica, we use 10Be and 3He surface-exposure age dating and topographic analysis to confirm that substantial glacial denudation took place at high elevations during the LGM, and employ topographic metrics there and in the Central Range of Taiwan to reveal shrinkage of glacially buzzcut surfaces driven by post-glacial scarp encroachment. These data cast new light on the buzzsaw hypothesis by showing that glacial erosion works with remarkable efficiency in the tropics, precisely where it is likely to be least effective. Our work also draws attention to landscapes with ambiguous signs of glacial erosion, as there are apparent instances of heavily modified, pre-LGM buzzcut surfaces in several tropical ranges. These perched, possibly pre-LGM landscapes may offer a window into previous phases of buzzcutting, and place speed limits on the rate of post-glacial scarp encroachment.

Glacial conditions in the Red Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohling, Eelco J.

1994-10-01

In this paper, results from previous studies on planktonic foraminifera, δ18O, and global sea level are combined to discuss climatic conditions in the Red Sea during the last glacial maximum (18,000 B.P.). First, the influence of 120-m sea level lowering on the exchange transport through the strait of Bab-el-Mandab is considered. This strait is the only natural connection of the Red Sea to the open ocean. Next, glacial Red Sea outflow salinity is estimated (about 48 parts per thousand) from the foraminiferal record. Combined, these results yield an estimate of the glacial net water deficit, which appears to have been quite similar to the present (about 2 m yr-1). Finally, budget calculation of δ18O fluxes suggests that the glacial δ18O value of evaporation was about 50% of the present value. This is considered to have resulted from substantially increased mean wind speeds over the glacial Red Sea, which would have caused a rapid drop in the kinematic fractionation factor for 18O. The sensitivity of the calculated values for water deficit and isotopic fractionation to the various assumptions and estimates is evaluated in the discussion. Improvents are to be expected especially through research on the glacial salinity contrast between the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. It is argued, however, that such future improvement will likely result in a worsening of the isotopic discrepancy, thus increasing the need for an additional mechanism that influenced fractionation (such as mean wind speed). This study demonstrates the need for caution when calculating paleosalinities from δ18O records under the assumption that the modern S∶δ18O relation has remained constant through time. Previously overlooked factors, such as mean wind speed, may have significantly altered that relation in the past.

Automatic Temporal Tracking of Supra-Glacial Lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Y.; Lv, Q.; Gallaher, D. W.; Fanning, D.

2010-12-01

During the recent years, supra-glacial lakes in Greenland have attracted extensive global attention as they potentially play an important role in glacier movement, sea level rise, and climate change. Previous works focused on classification methods and individual cloud-free satellite images, which have limited capabilities in terms of tracking changes of lakes over time. The challenges of tracking supra-glacial lakes automatically include (1) massive amount of satellite images with diverse qualities and frequent cloud coverage, and (2) diversity and dynamics of large number of supra-glacial lakes on the Greenland ice sheet. In this study, we develop an innovative method to automatically track supra-glacial lakes temporally using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) time-series data. The method works for both cloudy and cloud-free data and is unsupervised, i.e., no manual identification is required. After selecting the highest-quality image within each time interval, our method automatically detects supra-glacial lakes in individual images, using adaptive thresholding to handle diverse image qualities. We then track lakes across time series of images as lakes appear, change in size, and disappear. Using multi-year MODIS data during melting season, we demonstrate that this new method can detect and track supra-glacial lakes in both space and time with 95% accuracy. Attached figure shows an example of the current result. Detailed analysis of the temporal variation of detected lakes will be presented. (a) One of our experimental data. The Investigated region is centered at Jakobshavn Isbrae glacier in west Greenland. (b) Enlarged view of part of ice sheet. It is partially cloudy and with supra-glacial lakes on it. Lakes are shown as dark spots. (c) Current result. Red spots are detected lakes.

Last Glacial loess in the conterminous USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bettis, E. Arthur; Muhs, Daniel R.; Roberts, Helen M.; Wintle, Ann G.

2003-01-01

The conterminous United States contains an extensive and generally well-studied record of Last Glacial loess. The loess occurs in diverse physiographic provinces, and under a wide range of climatic and ecological conditions. Both glacial and non-glacia lloess sources are present, and many properties of the loess vary systematically with distance from loess sources. United States' mid-continent Last Glacial loess is probably the thickest in the world, and our calculated mass accumulation rates (MARs) are as high as 17,500 g/m2/yr at the Bignell Hill locality in Nebraska, and many near-source localities have MARs greater than 1500 g/m2/yr. These MARs are high relative to rates calculated in other loess provinces around the world. Recent models of LastGlacial dust sources fail to predict the extent and magnitude of dust flux from the mid-continent of the United States. A better understanding of linkages between climate, ice sheet behaviour, routing of glacial meltwater, land surface processes beyond the ice margin, and vegetation is needed to improve the predictive capabilities of models simulating dust flux from this region.

Glacial Lake Lind, Wisconsin and Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, M.D.; Addis, K.L.; Ferber, L.R.; Hemstad, C.B.; Meyer, G.N.; Komai, L.T.

1999-01-01

Glacial Lake Lind developed in the pre-late Wisconsinan St. Croix River valley, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and lasted more than 1000 yr during the retreat of the Superior lobe at the end of the Wisconsinan glaciation. Lake Lind sediment consists primarily of red varved silt and clay, but also includes mud-flow deposits, nearshore silt (penecontemporaneously deformed in places), nearshore rippled sand, and deltaic sand. Lake Lind varved red clay is not part of glacial Lake Grantsburg, as suggested by earlier authors, because the red varves are separated from overlying glacial Lake Grantsburg silt and clay by a unit of deltaic and fluvial sand. Furthermore, varve correlations indicate that the base of the red varves is younger to the north, showing that the basin expanded as the Superior lobe retreated and was not a lake basin dammed to the southwest by the advancing Grantsburg sublobe. Varve correlations indicate that the Superior lobe retreated at a rate of about 200 m/yr. Uniform winter-clay thickness throughout most of the varve couplets suggests thermal stratification in the lake with clay trapped in the epilimnion; some clay would exit the lake at the outlet prior to winter freeze. Zones of thicker winter-clay layers, in places associated with mud-flow layers, indicate outlet incision, lake-level fall, and shoreline erosion and resuspension of lake clay. The most likely outlet for glacial Lake Lind was in the southwest part of the lake near the present site of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Nearshore sediment indicates that the lake level of glacial Lake Lind was around 280 m. The elevation of the base of the Lake Lind sediments indicates water depth was 20 to 55 m. Evidence in the southern part of the lake basin suggests that the Superior lobe readvanced at least once during the early stages of glacial Lake Lind. Lake Lind ended not by drainage but by being filled in by prograding deltas and outwash plains composed of sand derived from the retreating Superior lobe. It

Short-term expansion of glacial lakes in the Himalayas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagai, H.; Tadono, T.

2017-12-01

A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is a serious mountainous hazard that is related to glacial shrinkage. Despite technical developments in satellite-based lake expansion monitoring, small glacial lakes were collapsed in Bhutan in June 2015 and in Nepal in May 2017. Relatively heavy rainfall was reported downstream just before the floods. Does a large amount of short-term precipitation have a possibility of triggering a GLOF? To answer this question, the temporal change in the glacial lake area is assessed by means of satellite-based synthetic aperture radar, coupled with satellite-derived spatial and temporal distribution of precipitation to evaluate the contribution of rainfall in glacial lake expansion. The Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar-2 (PALSAR-2) observed the Mande Chu river basin in central Bhutan on Aug 11, 2016. Glacial lakes were manually delineated from the orthorectified backscatter amplitude image. They were compared with those delineated from the old satellite images of ALOS ( 2011), PALSAR-2 (2014-2016), and Landsat-8 (2016). The temporal and spatial distributions of precipitation (2010-2016) are obtained from the Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP) data (10-km spatial / 60-min. temporal resolutions), calibrated by in situ rain gauges (GSMap_RNL/MVL). The outlines of 11 glacial lakes in the study site were successfully traced from 2011 to 2016; rapid expansion was recorded especially in the period between March and July 2016. In this period, exceeding 500 mm of the total amount of precipitation is recorded by GSMaP, whereas the mean precipitation amount is 300-400 mm in the previous years. This implies that relatively larger precipitation occurred in 2016, which is related to the short-term expansion of the glacial lakes. The rapid expansion of smaller lakes can be explained by their relatively shallow depths, which is sensitive to the increase in inflow water volume. This study highlights the importance of high

Phylogeographic insights into cryptic glacial refugia.

PubMed

Provan, Jim; Bennett, K D

2008-10-01

The glacial episodes of the Quaternary (2.6 million years ago-present) were a major factor in shaping the present-day distributions of extant flora and fauna, with expansions and contractions of the ice sheets rendering large areas uninhabitable for most species. Fossil records suggest that many species survived glacial maxima by retreating to refugia, usually at lower latitudes. Recently, phylogeographic studies have given support to the existence of previously unknown, or cryptic, refugia. Here we summarise many of these insights into the glacial histories of species in cryptic refugia gained through phylogeographic approaches. Understanding such refugia might be important as the Earth heads into another period of climate change, in terms of predicting the effects on species distribution and survival.

Glacial influences on solar radiation in a subarctic sea.

PubMed

Barron, Mace G; Barron, Kyle J

2005-01-01

Understanding macroscale processes controlling solar radiation in marine systems will be important in interpreting the potential effects of global change from increasing ultraviolet radiation (UV) and glacial retreat. This study provides the first quantitative assessment of UV in the water column of Prince William Sound, a subarctic, semienclosed sea surrounded by mountains, glaciers, rivers, bays and fjords in south central Alaska. Glacial influences on diffuse attenuation coefficients (Kd) were determined along an approximate 120 km transect running NE (61 degrees 07'43''N, 146 degrees 17'1''W) to SW (60 degrees 27'25''N, 148 degrees 05'27'' W). Glacial meltwater and flour caused a 10-fold increase in Kd for visible light, UV-A and UV-B, whereas high optical clarity was present in a diversity of areas away from glacial influences. Transition areas and locations affected by calving of a tidewater glacier had intermediate Kd values. Depths at 99% attenuation ranged from less than 0.2 m near glacial streams to greater than 5 m in bays and open ocean distant from sources of glacial sediments. These results suggest that potential global change from increasing UV and glacial retreat may have heterogeneous effects on subarctic marine systems.

Glacial Earthquakes: Monitoring Greenland's Glaciers Using Broadband Seismic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olsen, K.; Nettles, M.

2017-12-01

The Greenland ice sheet currently loses 400 Gt of ice per year, and up to half of that mass loss comes from icebergs calving from marine-terminating glaciers (Enderlin et al., 2014). Some of the largest icebergs produced by Greenland's glaciers generate magnitude 5 seismic signals when they calve. These glacial earthquakes are recorded by seismic stations around the world. Full-waveform inversion and analysis of glacial earthquakes provides a low-cost tool to identify where and when gigaton-sized icebergs calve, and to track this important mass-loss mechanism in near-real-time. Fifteen glaciers in Greenland are known to have produced glacial earthquakes, and the annual number of these events has increased by a factor of six over the past two decades (e.g., Ekström et al., 2006; Olsen and Nettles, 2017). Since 2000, the number of glacial earthquakes on Greenland's west coast has increased dramatically. Our analysis of three recent years of data shows that more glacial earthquakes occurred on Greenland's west coast from 2011 - 2013 than ever before. In some cases, glacial-earthquake force orientations allow us to identify which section of a glacier terminus produced the iceberg associated with a particular event. We are able to track the timing of major changes in calving-front orientation at several glaciers around Greenland, as well as progressive failure along a single calving front over the course of hours to days. Additionally, the presence of glacial earthquakes resolves a glacier's grounded state, as glacial earthquakes occur only when a glacier terminates close to its grounding line.

The glacial iron cycle from source to export

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hawkings, J.; Wadham, J. L.; Tranter, M.; Raiswell, R.; Benning, L. G.; Statham, P. J.; Tedstone, A. J.; Nienow, P. W.; Telling, J.; Bagshaw, E.; Simmons, S. L.

2014-12-01

Nutrient availability limits primary production in large sectors of the world's oceans. Iron is the major limiting nutrient in around one third of the oceanic euphotic zone, most significantly in the Southern Ocean proximal to Antarctica. In these areas the availability of bioavailable iron can influence the amount of primary production, and thus the strength of the biological pump and associated carbon drawdown from the atmosphere. Despite experiencing widespread iron limitation, the Polar oceans are among the most productive on Earth. Due to the extreme cold, remoteness and their perceived "stasis", ice sheets have previously been though of as insignificant in global biogeochemical cycles. However, large marine algal blooms have been observed in iron-limited areas where glacial influence is large, and it is possible that these areas are stimulated by glacial bioavailable iron input. Here we discuss the importance of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets in the global iron cycle. Using field collected trace element data, bulk meltwater chemistry and mineralogical analysis, including photomicrographs, EELS and XANES, we present, for the first time, a conceptual model of the glacial iron cycle from source to export. Using this data we discuss the sources of iron in glacial meltwater, transportation and alteration through the glacial system, and subsequent export to downstream environments. Data collected in 2012 and 2013 from two different Greenlandic glacial catchments are shown, with the most detailed breakdown of iron speciation and concentrations in glacial areas yet reported. Furthermore, the first data from Greenlandic icebergs is presented, allowing meltwater-derived and iceberg-derived iron export to be compared, and the influence of both in marine productivity to be estimated. Using our conceptual model and flux estimates from our dataset, glacial iron delivery in both the northern and southern hemisphere is discussed. Finally, we compare our flux

Volcanic CO2 Emissions and Glacial Cycles: Coupled Oscillations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burley, J. M.; Huybers, P. J.; Katz, R. F.

2016-12-01

Following the mid-Pleistocene transition, the dominant period of glacial cycles changed from 40 ka to 100 ka. It is broadly accepted that the 40 ka glacial cycles were driven by cyclical changes in obliquity. However, this forcing does not explain the 100 ka glacial cycles. Mechanisms proposed for 100 ka cycles include isostatic bed depression and proglacial lakes destabilising the Laurentide ice sheet, non-linear responses to orbital eccentricity, and Antarctic ice sheets influencing deep-ocean stratification. None of these are universally accepted. Here we investigate the hypothesis that variations in volcanic CO2 emissions can cause 100 ka glacial cycles. Any proposed mechanism for 100 ka glacial cycles must give the Earth's climate system a memory of 10^4 - 10^5years. This timescale is difficult to achieve for surface processes, however it is possible for the solid Earth. Recent work suggests volcanic CO2 emissions change in response to glacial cycles [1] and that there could be a 50 ka delay in that response [2]. Such a lagged response could drive glacial cycles from 40 ka cycles to an integer multiple of the forcing period. Under what conditions could the climate system admit such a response? To address this, we use a simplified climate model modified from Huybers and Tziperman [3]. Our version comprises three component models for energy balance, ice sheet growth and atmospheric CO2 concentration. The model is driven by insolation alone with other components varying according to a system of coupled, differential equations. The model is run for 500 ka to produce several glacial cycles and the resulting changes in global ice volume and atmospheric CO2 concentration.We obtain a switch from 40 ka to 100 ka cycles as the volcanic CO2 response to glacial cycles is increased. These 100 ka cycles are phase-locked to obliquity, lasting 80 or 120 ka. Whilst the MOR response required (in this model) is larger than plausible estimates based on [2], it illustrates the

Extensive MIS 3 glaciation in southernmost Patagonia revealed by cosmogenic nuclide dating of outwash sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darvill, Christopher M.; Bentley, Michael J.; Stokes, Chris R.; Hein, Andrew S.; Rodés, Ángel

2015-11-01

The timing and extent of former glacial advances can demonstrate leads and lags during periods of climatic change and their forcing, but this requires robust glacial chronologies. In parts of southernmost Patagonia, dating pre-global Last Glacial Maximum (gLGM) ice limits has proven difficult due to post-deposition processes affecting the build-up of cosmogenic nuclides in moraine boulders. Here we provide ages for the Río Cullen and San Sebastián glacial limits of the former Bahía Inútil-San Sebastián (BI-SSb) ice lobe on Tierra del Fuego (53-54°S), previously hypothesised to represent advances during Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 12 and 10, respectively. Our approach uses cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al exposure dating, but targets glacial outwash associated with these limits and uses depth-profiles and surface cobble samples, thereby accounting for surface deflation and inheritance. The data reveal that the limits formed more recently than previously thought, giving ages of 45.6 ka (+139.9/-14.3) for the Río Cullen, and 30.1 ka (+45.6/-23.1) for the San Sebastián limits. These dates indicate extensive glaciation in southern Patagonia during MIS 3, prior to the well-constrained, but much less extensive MIS 2 (gLGM) limit. This suggests the pattern of ice advances in the region was different to northern Patagonia, with the terrestrial limits relating to the last glacial cycle, rather than progressively less extensive glaciations over hundreds of thousands of years. However, the dates are consistent with MIS 3 glaciation elsewhere in the southern mid-latitudes, and the combination of cooler summers and warmer winters with increased precipitation, may have caused extensive glaciation prior to the gLGM.

North Atlantic Deep Water Production during the Last Glacial Maximum

PubMed Central

Howe, Jacob N. W.; Piotrowski, Alexander M.; Noble, Taryn L.; Mulitza, Stefan; Chiessi, Cristiano M.; Bayon, Germain

2016-01-01

Changes in deep ocean ventilation are commonly invoked as the primary cause of lower glacial atmospheric CO2. The water mass structure of the glacial deep Atlantic Ocean and the mechanism by which it may have sequestered carbon remain elusive. Here we present neodymium isotope measurements from cores throughout the Atlantic that reveal glacial–interglacial changes in water mass distributions. These results demonstrate the sustained production of North Atlantic Deep Water under glacial conditions, indicating that southern-sourced waters were not as spatially extensive during the Last Glacial Maximum as previously believed. We demonstrate that the depleted glacial δ13C values in the deep Atlantic Ocean cannot be explained solely by water mass source changes. A greater amount of respired carbon, therefore, must have been stored in the abyssal Atlantic during the Last Glacial Maximum. We infer that this was achieved by a sluggish deep overturning cell, comprised of well-mixed northern- and southern-sourced waters. PMID:27256826

A fresh look at glacial foods

USGS Publications Warehouse

Colman, Steven M.

2002-01-01

Over the last 20 years, it has become clear that ice ages are characterized by glacial as well as climatic instability on millennial time scales. In his Perspective, Colman highlights two recent papers investigating the role of glacial meltwater and continental drainage in this instability. The results suggest a fundamental instability feedback between ocean circulation and ice sheet dynamics and provides an explanation for why instability was greatest at times of intermediate ice volume.

Pleistocene refugia and polytopic replacement of diploids by tetraploids in the Patagonian and Subantarctic plant Hypochaeris incana (Asteraceae, Cichorieae).

PubMed

Tremetsberger, Karin; Urtubey, Estrella; Terrab, Anass; Baeza, Carlos M; Ortiz, María Angeles; Talavera, María; König, Christiane; Temsch, Eva M; Kohl, Gudrun; Talavera, Salvador; Stuessy, Tod F

2009-09-01

We report the phylogeographic pattern of the Patagonian and Subantarctic plant Hypochaeris incana endemic to southeastern South America. We applied amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) analysis to 28 and 32 populations, respectively, throughout its distributional range and assessed ploidy levels using flow cytometry. While cpDNA data suggest repeated or simultaneous parallel colonization of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego by several haplotypes and/or hybridization, AFLPs reveal three clusters corresponding to geographic regions. The central and northern Patagonian clusters (approximately 38-51 degrees S), which are closer to the outgroup, contain mainly tetraploid, isolated and highly differentiated populations with low genetic diversity. To the contrary, the southern Patagonian and Fuegian cluster (approximately 51-55 degrees S) contains mainly diploid populations with high genetic diversity and connected by high levels of gene flow. The data suggest that H. incana originated at the diploid level in central or northern Patagonia, from where it migrated south. All three areas, northern, central and southern, have similar levels of rare and private AFLP bands, suggesting that all three served as refugia for H. incana during glacial times. In southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, the species seems to have expanded its populational system in postglacial times, when the climate became warmer and more humid. In central and northern Patagonia, the populations seem to have become restricted to favourable sites with increasing temperature and decreasing moisture and there was a parallel replacement of diploids by tetraploids in local populations.

Excitation of the earth's rotational axis by recent glacial discharges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gasperini, P.; Sabadini, R.; Yuen, D. A.

1986-01-01

The effects of present-day glacial discharges and the growth of the Antarctic ice sheet on exciting the earth's rotational axis are studied. Glacial forcing could cause a maximum change in J2 of about one-third of the observed amount, for the Maxwell rheology and for Burgers' body models with a long-term, lower-mantle viscosity greater than about 10 to the 23rd P. For transient rheologies the amount of excitation due to glacial melting decreases. Polar wander is not much excited by recent glacial melting for the various types of rheologies examined.

Massive Freshwater discharges: an example from Glacial Lake Missoula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopes, C.; Mix, A. C.

2016-12-01

Massive inputs of freshwater into the ocean are known to disrupt climate. This has been fairly studied in the North Atlantic with freshwater inputs from the Laurentide ice sheet and glacial Lake Agassiz. The association of these discharges with global warming has lead us to look for such prints in marine sediments. Here we show the records of Glacial Lake Missoula outbursts during the warming singe the Last Glacial Maximum in two marine cores off Oregon and California that show the presence of freshwater diatoms that are linked to massive discharges of freshwater from the glacial lake Missoula. The dynamics and timing of these north Pacific mega-flood events are fairly constrained by terrestrial records, however, the consequences of such discharges of freshwater in the northeast Pacific regional circulation remains unknown. Nevertheless we were able to estimate a salinity decrease of almost 6.0 PSU more than 400 km to the south (off northern California) during the last glacial interval (from 16-31 calendar (cal) k.y. B.P.). Anomalously high abundances of freshwater diatoms in marine sediments from the region precede generally accepted dates for the existence of glacial Lake Missoula, implying that large flooding events were also common during the advance of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet.

TIERRAS: A package to simulate high energy cosmic ray showers underground, underwater and under-ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tueros, Matías; Sciutto, Sergio

2010-02-01

In this paper we present TIERRAS, a Monte Carlo simulation program based on the well-known AIRES air shower simulations system that enables the propagation of particle cascades underground, providing a tool to study particles arriving underground from a primary cosmic ray on the atmosphere or to initiate cascades directly underground and propagate them, exiting into the atmosphere if necessary. We show several cross-checks of its results against CORSIKA, FLUKA, GEANT and ZHS simulations and we make some considerations regarding its possible use and limitations. The first results of full underground shower simulations are presented, as an example of the package capabilities. Program summaryProgram title: TIERRAS for AIRES Catalogue identifier: AEFO_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEFO_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 36 489 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 3 261 669 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: Fortran 77 and C Computer: PC, Alpha, IBM, HP, Silicon Graphics and Sun workstations Operating system: Linux, DEC Unix, AIX, SunOS, Unix System V RAM: 22 Mb bytes Classification: 1.1 External routines: TIERRAS requires AIRES 2.8.4 to be installed on the system. AIRES 2.8.4 can be downloaded from http://www.fisica.unlp.edu.ar/auger/aires/eg_AiresDownload.html. Nature of problem: Simulation of high and ultra high energy underground particle showers. Solution method: Modification of the AIRES 2.8.4 code to accommodate underground conditions. Restrictions: In AIRES some processes that are not statistically significant on the atmosphere are not simulated. In particular, it does not include muon photonuclear processes. This imposes a limitation on the application of this package to a depth of

Southern westerly winds: a pacemaker of Holocene glacial fluctuations in Patagonia?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagredo, E. A.; Reynhout, S.; Kaplan, M. R.; Patricio, M. I.; Aravena, J. C.; Martini, M. A.; Schaefer, J. M.

2017-12-01

A well-resolved glacial chronology is crucial to compare sequences of glacial/climate events within and between regions, and thus, to unravel mechanisms underlying past climate changes. Important efforts have been made towards understanding the Holocene climate evolution of the Southern Andes; however, the timing, patterns and causes of glacial fluctuations during this period still remain elusive. Recent advances in terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure dating, together with the establishment of a Patagonian 10Be production rate, have opened new possibilities for establishing high-resolution glacial chronologies at centennial/decadal scale. Here we present a 10Be surface exposure chronology of fluctuations of a small, climate-sensitive mountain glacier at Mt. Fitz Roy area (49.3°S), spanning from the last glacial termination to the present. Thirty new 10Be ages show glacial advances and moraine building events at 17.1±0.9 ka, 13.5±0.5 ka, 10.2±0.7 ka or 9.9±0.5 ka, 6.9±0.2 ka, 6.1±0.3 ka, 4.5±0.2 ka and 0.5±0.1 ka. Similar to the pattern observed in New Zealand, this sequence features progressively less extensive glacial advances during the late-glacial and early Holocene, followed by advances of roughly similar extent during the mid- to late-Holocene. We suggest that while the magnitude of Holocene glacial fluctuations in Patagonia is modulated by SH summer insolation ("modulator"), the specific timing of these glacial events is influenced by centennial-scale shifts of the Southern Westerly Winds ("pacemaker").

Cosmogenic Surface-Exposure Dating of Boulders on Last-Glacial and Late-Glacial Moraines, Lago Buenos Aires, Argentina: Interpretive Strategies and Paleoclimate Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Douglass, D. C.; Singer, B. S.; Kaplan, M. R.; Mickelson, D. M.; Caffee, M.

2005-12-01

The most substantial and least quantifiable source of uncertainty in cosmogenic surface-exposure datasets is the variable exposure histories of boulders from the same landform. The development of precise and accurate chronologies requires distinguishing boulders that best reflect the age of the landform from those which are outliers. We use the Mean Square of Weighted Deviates statistic and cumulative frequency plots to identify groups of samples that have statistically similar ages based on the number of samples and the uncertainty associated with the analyses. This group of samples most likely represents the best estimate of the landform age. We use these tools to interpret 49 surface-exposure ages from six last-glacial and late-glacial moraines at Lago Buenos Aires, Argentina (LBA; 71.0W, 46.5S). Seven of the orty-nine samples are identified as anomalously young, and are interpreted to have been exhumed after moraine deposition. The remaining samples indicate that glacial advances or still-stands of the ice margin occurred at 22.7±0.9, 21.4±1.9, 19.8±1.1, 17.0±0.8, 15.7±0.6, and 14.4±0.9 ka (±2 σ). This maximum ice extent is roughly synchronous with maximum global ice volume and several of the re-advances are contemporaneous with Heinrich events and other Northern Hemisphere cold periods. The late-glacial readvance at ca. 14.4 ka is contemporaneous with the Antarctic Cold Reversal (ACR), and precedes the Younger Dryas Chronozone (YD). No evidence for a Younger Dryas glacial advance has been found in the Lago Buenos Aires basin. This precise glacial chronology indicates there were significant and important differences in climate across southern South America. The timing of maximum ice extent and onset of deglaciation at LBA occur ~4000 years later than in the Chilean Lake District (41S). Fossil pollen from the CLD area indicates cooler conditions between ca. 14.2 and 11.2, and increased silt in a nearby lake core provides indirect evidence for glacial

Late glacial aridity in southern Rocky Mountains

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davis, O K; Pitblado, B L

While the slopes of the present-day Colorado Rocky Mountains are characterized by large stands of subalpine and montane conifers, the Rockies of the late glacial looked dramatically different. Specifically, pollen records suggest that during the late glacial, Artemisia and Gramineae predominated throughout the mountains of Colorado. At some point between 11,000 and 10,000 B.P., however, both Artemisia and grasses underwent a dramatic decline, which can be identified in virtually every pollen diagram produced for Colorado mountain sites, including Como Lake (Sangre de Cristo Mountains), Copley Lake and Splains; Gulch (near Crested Butte), Molas Lake (San Juan Mountains), and Redrock Lakemore » (Boulder County). Moreover, the same pattern seems to hold for pollen spectra derived for areas adjacent to Colorado, including at sites in the Chuska Mountains of New Mexico and in eastern Wyoming. The implications of this consistent finding are compelling. The closest modem analogues to the Artemisia- and Gramineae-dominated late-glacial Colorado Rockies are found in the relatively arid northern Great Basin, which suggests that annual precipitation was much lower in the late-glacial southern Rocky Mountains than it was throughout the Holocene.« less

Somma-Vesuvius ground deformation over the last glacial cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marturano, Aldo; Aiello, Giuseppe; Barra, Diana

2013-04-01

Vertical ground movements at Somma-Vesuvius during the last glacial cycle have been inferred from micropalaeontological and petrochemical analyses of rock samples from boreholes drilled at the archaeological sites of Herculaneum and Pompeii as well as on the apron of the volcano and the adjacent Sebeto and Sarno Valleys. Opposing movements occurred during the periods preceding and following the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The uplift began 20 ka ago with marine deposits rising several tens of metres up to 25 m a.s.l., recovering previous subsidence which occurred during the Late glacial period, suggesting a strict connection between volcano-tectonic and glacial cycles. Here we present the analysis of deposits predating the LGM, which confirms subsidence of the Campanian Plain where Mt. Somma-Vesuvius is located, shows variable surface loading effects and highlights the volcano-tectonic stages experienced by the volcano. The self-balancing mechanism of the volcanic system, evolving towards an explosive, subaerial activity 60 ka ago, is testified to by a large ground oscillation in phase with sea level change during the last glacial cycle.

Trace elements deposition in the Tierra del Fuego region (south Patagonia) by using lichen transplants after the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle (north Patagonia) volcanic eruption in 2011.

PubMed

Conti, Marcelo Enrique; Jasan, Raquel; Finoia, Maria Grazia; Iavicoli, Ivo; Plá, Rita

2016-04-01

Lichen Usnea barbata transplants were tested as a biomonitor of atmospheric deposition in an apparently pristine environment that is Tierra del Fuego region (Patagonia, Argentina). The present survey is connected with the volcanic eruption that started in north Patagonia on June 4, 2011 from the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcano, Chile (north Patagonia, at 1700 km of distance of our sampling sites). Lichens were collected in September 2011 (one month of exposure) and September 2012 (1 year of exposure) in 27 sites covering the northern region of the province where trees are not present. The atmospheric deposition of 27 elements by using Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) was determined in the collected samples. The first aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of the volcanic eruption on the regional atmospheric deposition comparing our results with baseline data we determined in U. barbata in 2006 in the same sites. The second aim was to test possible patterns of bioaccumulation between the two sampling campaigns after the volcanic eruption. With respect to 2006 baseline levels, we found significant higher levels for As, Ba, Co, Cr, Cs, Na, Sb and U in lichens collected after 1 month of exposure (first sampling campaign--2011). Between the two sampling campaigns (2011-2012) after the eruption, lichens reflected the natural contamination by volcanic ashes with significantly higher median levels of Br, Cr, Fe, K, Na, Sc, and Se. Results confirmed the very good aptitude of U. barbata to reflect the levels of elements in the environment at global scale and to reflect the volcanic emissions at distant places. Volcanic eruptions cause the emission in the atmosphere of elevated levels of particulate matter. In this regard, our findings demonstrate the importance to evaluate the metal composition of the particles to avoid possible health effects.

The timing and cause of glacial activity during the last glacial in central Tibet based on 10Be surface exposure dating east of Mount Jaggang, the Xainza range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Guocheng; Zhou, Weijian; Yi, Chaolu; Fu, Yunchong; Zhang, Li; Li, Ming

2018-04-01

Mountain glaciers are sensitive to climate change, and can provide valuable information for inferring former climates on the Tibetan Plateau (TP). The increasing glacial chronologies indicate that the timing of the local Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) recorded across the TP is asynchronous, implying different local influences of the mid-latitude westerlies and Asian Summer Monsoon in triggering glacier advances. However, the well-dated sites are still too few, especially in the transition zone between regions controlled by the two climate systems. Here we present detailed last glacial chronologies for the Mount Jaggang area, in the Xainza range, central Tibet, with forty-three apparent 10Be exposure-ages ranging from 12.4 ± 0.8 ka to 61.9 ± 3.8 ka. These exposure-ages indicate that at least seven glacial episodes occurred during the last glacial cycle east of Mount Jaggang. These include: a local LGM that occurred at ∼61.9 ± 3.8 ka, possibly corresponding to Marine Isotope Stage 4 (MIS 4); subsequent glacial advances at ∼43.2 ± 2.6 ka and ∼35.1 ± 2.1 ka during MIS 3; one glacial re-advance/standstill at MIS3/2 transition (∼29.8 ± 1.8 ka); and three glacial re-advances/standstills that occurred following MIS 3 at ∼27.9 ± 1.7 ka, ∼21.8 ± 1.3 ka, and ∼15.1 ± 0.9 ka. The timing of these glacial activities is roughly in agreement with North Atlantic millennial-scale climate oscillations (Heinrich events), suggesting the potential correlations between these abrupt climate changes and glacial fluctuations in the Mount Jaggang area. The successively reduced glacial extent might have resulted from an overall decrease in Asian Summer Monsoon intensity over this timeframe.

In and out of glacial extremes by way of dust-climate feedbacks.

PubMed

Shaffer, Gary; Lambert, Fabrice

2018-02-27

Mineral dust aerosols cool Earth directly by scattering incoming solar radiation and indirectly by affecting clouds and biogeochemical cycles. Recent Earth history has featured quasi-100,000-y, glacial-interglacial climate cycles with lower/higher temperatures and greenhouse gas concentrations during glacials/interglacials. Global average, glacial maxima dust levels were more than 3 times higher than during interglacials, thereby contributing to glacial cooling. However, the timing, strength, and overall role of dust-climate feedbacks over these cycles remain unclear. Here we use dust deposition data and temperature reconstructions from ice sheet, ocean sediment, and land archives to construct dust-climate relationships. Although absolute dust deposition rates vary greatly among these archives, they all exhibit striking, nonlinear increases toward coldest glacial conditions. From these relationships and reconstructed temperature time series, we diagnose glacial-interglacial time series of dust radiative forcing and iron fertilization of ocean biota, and use these time series to force Earth system model simulations. The results of these simulations show that dust-climate feedbacks, perhaps set off by orbital forcing, push the system in and out of extreme cold conditions such as glacial maxima. Without these dust effects, glacial temperature and atmospheric CO 2 concentrations would have been much more stable at higher, intermediate glacial levels. The structure of residual anomalies over the glacial-interglacial climate cycles after subtraction of dust effects provides constraints for the strength and timing of other processes governing these cycles. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

Circulation and oxygenation of the glacial South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dawei; Chiang, Tzu-Ling; Kao, Shuh-Ji; Hsin, Yi-Chia; Zheng, Li-Wei; Yang, Jin-Yu Terence; Hsu, Shih-Chieh; Wu, Chau-Ron; Dai, Minhan

2017-05-01

Degree of oxygenation in intermediate water modulates the downward transferring efficiency of primary productivity (PP) from surface water to deep water for carbon sequestration, consequently, the storage of nutrients versus the delivery and sedimentary burial fluxes of organic matter and associated biomarkers. To better decipher the PP history of the South China Sea (SCS), appreciation about the glacial-interglacial variation of the Luzon Strait (LS) throughflow, which determines the mean residence time and oxygenation of water mass in the SCS interior, is required. Based on a well-established physical model, we conducted a 3-D modeling exercise to quantify the effects of sea level drop and monsoon wind intensity on glacial circulation pattern, thus, to evaluate effects of productivity and circulation-induced oxygenation on the burial of organic matter. Under modern climatology wind conditions, a 135 m sea-level drop results in a greater basin closeness and a ∼24% of reduction in the LS intermediate westward throughflow, consequently, an increase in the mean water residence time (from 19.0 to 23.0 years). However, when the wind intensity was doubled during glacial low sea-level conditon, the throughflow restored largely to reach a similar residence time (18.4 years) as today regardless its closeness. Comparing with present day SCS, surface circulation pattern in glacial model exhibits (1) stronger upwelling at the west off Luzon Island, and (2) an intensified southwestward jet current along the western boundary of the SCS basin. Superimposed hypothetically by stronger monsoon wind, the glacial SCS conditions facilitate greater primary productivity in the northern part. Manganese, a redox sensitive indicator, in IMAGES core MD972142 at southeastern SCS revealed a relatively reducing environment in glacial periods. Considering the similarity in the mean water residence time between modern and glacial cases, the reducing environment of the glacial southeastern SCS

Glacial modification of granite tors in the Cairngorms, Scotland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hall, A.M.; Phillips, W.M.

2006-01-01

A range of evidence indicates that many granite tors in the Cairngorms have been modified by the flow of glacier ice during the Pleistocene. Comparisons with SW England and the use of a space-time transformation across 38 tor groups in the Cairngorms allow a model to be developed for progressive glacial modification. Tors with deeply etched surfaces and no, or limited, block removal imply an absence of significant glacial modification. The removal of superstructure and blocks, locally forming boulder trains, and the progressive reduction of tors to stumps and basal slabs represent the more advanced stages of modification. Recognition of some slabs as tor stumps from which glacial erosion has removed all superstructure allows the original distribution of tors to be reconstructed for large areas of the Cairngorms. Unmodified tors require covers of non-erosive, cold-based ice during all of the cold stages of the Middle and Late Pleistocene. Deformation beneath cold-based glacier ice is capable of the removal of blocks but advanced glacial modification requires former wet-based glacier ice. The depth of glacial erosion at former tor sites remains limited largely to the partial or total elimination of the upstanding tor form. Cosmogenic nuclide exposure ages (Phillips et al., 2006) together with data from weathering pit depths (Hall and Phillips, 2006), from the surfaces of tors and large erratic blocks require that the glacial entrainment of blocks from tors occurred in Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 4-2, 6 and, probably, at least one earlier phase. The occurrence of glacially modified tors on or close to, the main summits of the Cairngorms requires full ice cover over the mountains during these Stages. Evidence from the Cairngorms indicates that tor morphology can be regarded as an important indicator of former ice cover in many formerly glaciated areas, particularly where other evidence of ice cover is sparse. Recognition of the glacial modification of tors is important

Late Pleistocene glacial fluctuations in Cordillera Oriental, subtropical Andes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martini, Mateo A.; Kaplan, Michael R.; Strelin, Jorge A.; Astini, Ricardo A.; Schaefer, Joerg M.; Caffee, Marc W.; Schwartz, Roseanne

2017-09-01

The behavior of subtropical glaciers during Middle to Late Pleistocene global glacial maxima and abrupt climate change events, specifically in Earth's most arid low-latitude regions, remains an outstanding problem in paleoclimatology. The present-day climate of Cordillera Oriental, in arid northwestern Argentina, is influenced by shifts in subtropical climate systems, including the South American Summer Monsoon. To understand better past glacier-subtropical climates during the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 26.5-19 ka) and other time periods, we combined geomorphic features with forty-two precise 10Be ages on moraine boulders and reconstructed paleo-equilibrium line altitudes (ELA) at Nevado de Chañi (24°S) in the arid subtropical Andes. We found a major glacial expansion at ∼23 ± 1.6 ka, that is, during the global LGM. Additional glacial expansions are observed before the global LGM (at ∼52-39 ka), and after, at 15 ± 0.5 and 12 ± 0.6 ka. The ∼15 ka glacial event was found on both sides of Chañi and the ∼12 ka event is only recorded on the east side. Reconstructed ELAs of the former glaciers exhibit a rise from east to west that resembles the present subtropical climate trajectory from the Atlantic side of the continent; hence, we infer that this climate pattern must have been present in the past. Based on comparison with other low-latitude paleoclimate records, such as those from lakes and caves, we infer that both temperature and precipitation influenced past glacial occurrence in this sector of the arid Andes. Our findings also imply that abrupt deglacial climate events associated with the North Atlantic, specifically curtailed meridional overturning circulation and regional cooling, may have had attendant impacts on low subtropical Southern Hemisphere latitudes, including the climate systems that affect glacial activity around Nevado de Chañi.

The Southern Glacial Maximum 65,000 years ago and its Unfinished Termination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaefer, Joerg M.; Putnam, Aaron E.; Denton, George H.; Kaplan, Michael R.; Birkel, Sean; Doughty, Alice M.; Kelley, Sam; Barrell, David J. A.; Finkel, Robert C.; Winckler, Gisela; Anderson, Robert F.; Ninneman, Ulysses S.; Barker, Stephen; Schwartz, Roseanne; Andersen, Bjorn G.; Schluechter, Christian

2015-04-01

Glacial maxima and their terminations provide key insights into inter-hemispheric climate dynamics and the coupling of atmosphere, surface and deep ocean, hydrology, and cryosphere, which is fundamental for evaluating the robustness of earth's climate in view of ongoing climate change. The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, ∼26-19 ka ago) is widely seen as the global cold peak during the last glacial cycle, and its transition to the Holocene interglacial, dubbed 'Termination 1 (T1)', as the most dramatic climate reorganization during this interval. Climate records show that over the last 800 ka, ice ages peaked and terminated on average every 100 ka ('100 ka world'). However, the mechanisms pacing glacial-interglacial transitions remain controversial and in particular the hemispheric manifestations and underlying orbital to regional driving forces of glacial maxima and subsequent terminations remain poorly understood. Here we show evidence for a full glacial maximum in the Southern Hemisphere 65.1 ± 2.7 ka ago and its 'Unfinished Termination'. Our 10Be chronology combined with a model simulation demonstrates that New Zealand's glaciers reached their maximum position of the last glacial cycle during Marine Isotope Stage-4 (MIS-4). Southern ocean and greenhouse gas records indicate coeval peak glacial conditions, making the case for the Southern Glacial Maximum about halfway through the last glacial cycle and only 15 ka after the last warm period (MIS-5a). We present the hypothesis that subsequently, driven by boreal summer insolation forcing, a termination began but remained unfinished, possibly because the northern ice sheets were only moderately large and could not supply enough meltwater to the North Atlantic through Heinrich Stadial 6 to drive a full termination. Yet the Unfinished Termination left behind substantial ice on the northern continents (about 50% of the full LGM ice volume) and after another 45 ka of cooling and ice sheet growth the earth was at inter

High-frequency seismic signals associated with glacial earthquakes in Greenland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olsen, K.; Nettles, M.

2017-12-01

Glacial earthquakes are magnitude 5 seismic events generated by iceberg calving at marine-terminating glaciers. They are characterized by teleseismically detectable signals at 35-150 seconds period that arise from the rotation and capsize of gigaton-sized icebergs (e.g., Ekström et al., 2003; Murray et al., 2015). Questions persist regarding the details of this calving process, including whether there are characteristic precursory events such as ice slumps or pervasive crevasse opening before an iceberg rotates away from the glacier. We investigate the high-frequency seismic signals produced before, during, and after glacial earthquakes. We analyze a set of 94 glacial earthquakes that occurred at three of Greenland's major glaciers, Jakobshavn Isbræ, Helheim Glacier, and Kangerdlugssuaq Glacier, from 2001 - 2013. We employ data from the GLISN network of broadband seismometers around Greenland and from short-term seismic deployments located close to the glaciers. These data are bandpass filtered to 3 - 10 Hz and trimmed to one-hour windows surrounding known glacial earthquakes. We observe elevated amplitudes of the 3 - 10 Hz signal for 500 - 1500 seconds spanning the time of each glacial earthquake. These durations are long compared to the 60 second glacial-earthquake source. In the majority of cases we observe an increase in the amplitude of the 3 - 10 Hz signal 200 - 600 seconds before the centroid time of the glacial earthquake and sustained high amplitudes for up to 800 seconds after. In some cases, high-amplitude energy in the 3 - 10 Hz band precedes elevated amplitudes in the 35 - 150 s band by 300 seconds. We explore possible causes for these high-frequency signals, and discuss implications for improving understanding of the glacial-earthquake source.

Oceanographic gradients and seabird prey community dynamics in glacial fjords

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arimitsu, Mayumi L.; Piatt, John F.; Madison, Erica N.; Conaway, Jeffrey S.; Hillgruber, N.

2012-01-01

Glacial fjord habitats are undergoing rapid change as a result of contemporary global warming, yet little is known about how glaciers influence marine ecosystems. These ecosystems provide important feeding, breeding and rearing grounds for a wide variety of marine organisms, including seabirds of management concern. To characterize ocean conditions and marine food webs near tidewater glaciers, we conducted monthly surveys of oceanographic variables, plankton, fish and seabirds in Kenai Fjords, Alaska, from June to August of 2007 and 2008. We also measured tidal current velocities near glacial features. We found high sediment load from glacial river runoff played a major role in structuring the fjord marine ecosystem. Submerged moraines (sills) isolated cool, fresh, stratified and silt-laden inner fjord habitats from oceanic influence. Near tidewater glaciers, surface layers of turbid glacial runoff limited availability of light to phytoplankton, but macrozooplankton were abundant in surface waters, perhaps due to the absence of a photic cue for diel migration. Fish and zooplankton community structure varied along an increasing temperature gradient throughout the summer. Acoustic measurements indicated that low density patches of fish and zooplankton were available in the surface waters near glacial river outflows. This is the foraging habitat occupied most by Kittlitz's murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris), a rare seabird that appears to be specialized for life in glacially influenced environments. Kittlitz's murrelets were associated with floating glacial ice, and they were more likely to occur near glaciers, in deeper water, and in areas with high acoustic backscatter. Kittlitz's murrelet at-sea distribution was limited to areas influenced by turbid glacial outflows, and where prey was concentrated near the surface in waters with low light penetration. Tidewater glaciers impart unique hydrographic characteristics that influence marine plankton and fish

Glacial melting: an overlooked threat to Antarctic krill.

PubMed

Fuentes, Verónica; Alurralde, Gastón; Meyer, Bettina; Aguirre, Gastón E; Canepa, Antonio; Wölfl, Anne-Cathrin; Hass, H Christian; Williams, Gabriela N; Schloss, Irene R

2016-06-02

Strandings of marine animals are relatively common in marine systems. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We observed mass strandings of krill in Antarctica that appeared to be linked to the presence of glacial meltwater. Climate-induced glacial meltwater leads to an increased occurrence of suspended particles in the sea, which is known to affect the physiology of aquatic organisms. Here, we study the effect of suspended inorganic particles on krill in relation to krill mortality events observed in Potter Cove, Antarctica, between 2003 and 2012. The experimental results showed that large quantities of lithogenic particles affected krill feeding, absorption capacity and performance after only 24 h of exposure. Negative effects were related to both the threshold concentrations and the size of the suspended particles. Analysis of the stomach contents of stranded krill showed large quantities of large particles ( > 10(6 )μm(3)), which were most likely mobilized by glacial meltwater. Ongoing climate-induced glacial melting may impact the coastal ecosystems of Antarctica that rely on krill.

Glacial melting: an overlooked threat to Antarctic krill

PubMed Central

Fuentes, Verónica; Alurralde, Gastón; Meyer, Bettina; Aguirre, Gastón E.; Canepa, Antonio; Wölfl, Anne-Cathrin; Hass, H. Christian; Williams, Gabriela N.; Schloss, Irene R.

2016-01-01

Strandings of marine animals are relatively common in marine systems. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We observed mass strandings of krill in Antarctica that appeared to be linked to the presence of glacial meltwater. Climate-induced glacial meltwater leads to an increased occurrence of suspended particles in the sea, which is known to affect the physiology of aquatic organisms. Here, we study the effect of suspended inorganic particles on krill in relation to krill mortality events observed in Potter Cove, Antarctica, between 2003 and 2012. The experimental results showed that large quantities of lithogenic particles affected krill feeding, absorption capacity and performance after only 24 h of exposure. Negative effects were related to both the threshold concentrations and the size of the suspended particles. Analysis of the stomach contents of stranded krill showed large quantities of large particles ( > 106 μm3), which were most likely mobilized by glacial meltwater. Ongoing climate-induced glacial melting may impact the coastal ecosystems of Antarctica that rely on krill. PMID:27250339

Glacial lake evolution in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau and the cause of rapid expansion of proglacial lakes linked to glacial-hydrogeomorphic processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Chunqiao; Sheng, Yongwei; Ke, Linghong; Nie, Yong; Wang, Jida

2016-09-01

Glacial lakes, as an important component of the cryosphere in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau (SETP) in response to climate change, pose significant threats to the downstream lives and properties of people, engineering construction, and ecological environment via outburst floods, yet we currently have limited knowledge of their distribution, evolution, and the driving mechanism of rapid expansions due to the low accessibility and harsh natural conditions. By integrating optical imagery, satellite altimetry and digital elevation model (DEM), this study presents a regional-scale investigation of glacial lake dynamics across two river basins of the SETP during 1988-2013 and further explores the glacial-hydrogeomorphic process of rapidly expanding lakes. In total 1278 and 1396 glacial lakes were inventoried in 1988 and 2013, respectively. Approximately 92.4% of the lakes in 2013 are not in contact with modern glaciers, and the remaining 7.6% includes 27 (1.9%) debris-contact lakes (in contact with debris-covered ice) and 80 (5.7%) cirque lakes. In categorizing lake variations, we found that debris-contact proglacial lakes experienced much more rapid expansions (∼75%) than cirque lakes (∼7%) and non-glacier-contact lakes (∼3%). To explore the cause of rapid expansion for these debris-contact lakes, we further investigated the mass balance of parent glaciers and elevation changes in lake surfaces and debris-covered glacier tongues using time-series Landsat images, ICESat altimetry, and DEM. Results reveal that the upstream expansion of debris-contact proglacial lakes was not directly associated with rising water levels but with a geomorphological alternation of upstream lake basins caused by melting-induced debris subsidence at glacier termini. This suggests that the hydrogeomorphic process of glacier thinning and retreat, in comparison with direct glacial meltwater alone, may have played a dominant role in the recent glacial lake expansion observed across the

Deglaciation and post-glacial environmental evolution in the Western Massif of Picos de Europa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruiz-Fernández, Jesús; Oliva, Marc; García, Cristina; López-Sáez, José Antonio; Gallinar, David; Geraldes, Miguel

2014-05-01

This study examines the process of deglaciation of the Western Massif of Picos de Europa through field work, geomorphological mapping, sedimentary records and absolute datings of 14C. This massif has several peaks over 2,400 m a.s.l. (Peña Santa de Castilla, 2,596 m; Torre Santa María, 2,486 m; Torre del Mediu, 2,467 m). It is composed mainly by Carboniferous limestones. This area has been intensively affected by karstic dissolution, Quaternary glaciers and fluvio-torrential processes (Miotke, 1968; Moreno et al, 2010; Ruiz-Fernández et al, 2009; Ruiz-Fernández, 2013). At present day, periglacial processes are active at the highest elevations (Ruiz-Fernández, 2013). We have identified four main glacial stages regarding the deglaciation of the massif: (i) maximum advance corresponding to the Last Glaciation, (ii) retreat and stabilization after the maximum advance, (iii) Late Glacial, and (iv) Little Ice Age. Sedimentological studies also contribute data to the understanding of the chronological framework of these environmental changes. The datings of the bottom sediments in two long sequences (8 and 5.4 m) provided a minimum age of 18,075 ± 425 cal BP for the maximum advance stage and 11,150 ± 900 cal BP for retreat and stabilization in the phase following the maximum advance. The ongoing analyses of these sequences at very high resolution will provide new knowledge about the environmental conditions prevailing since the deglaciation of the massif. References Miotke, F.D. (1968). Karstmorphologische studien in der glazial-überformten Höhenstufe der Picos de Europa, Nordspanien. Hannover, Selbtverlag der Geografischen Gessellschaft, 161 pp. Moreno, A., Valero, B.L., Jiménez, M., Domínguez, M.J., Mata, M.P., Navas, A., González, P., Stoll, H., Farias, P., Morellón, M., Corella, J.P. & Rico, M. (2010). The last deglaciation in the Picos de Europa National Park (Cantabrian Mountains, Northern Spain). Journal of Quaternary Science, 25 (7), 1076-1091. Ruiz

Paleoclimate: A fresh look at glacial floods

USGS Publications Warehouse

Colman, S. M.

2002-01-01

Over the last 20 years, it has become clear that ice ages are characterized by glacial as well as climatic instability on millennial time scales. In his Perspective, Colman highlights two recent papers investigating the role of glacial meltwater and continental drainage in this instability. The results suggest a fundamental instability feedback between ocean circulation and ice sheet dynamics and provides an explanation for why instability was greatest at times of intermediate ice volume.

Breakup of last glacial deep stratification in the South Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basak, Chandranath; Fröllje, Henning; Lamy, Frank; Gersonde, Rainer; Benz, Verena; Anderson, Robert F.; Molina-Kescher, Mario; Pahnke, Katharina

2018-02-01

Stratification of the deep Southern Ocean during the Last Glacial Maximum is thought to have facilitated carbon storage and subsequent release during the deglaciation as stratification broke down, contributing to atmospheric CO2 rise. Here, we present neodymium isotope evidence from deep to abyssal waters in the South Pacific that confirms stratification of the deepwater column during the Last Glacial Maximum. The results indicate a glacial northward expansion of Ross Sea Bottom Water and a Southern Hemisphere climate trigger for the deglacial breakup of deep stratification. It highlights the important role of abyssal waters in sustaining a deep glacial carbon reservoir and Southern Hemisphere climate change as a prerequisite for the destabilization of the water column and hence the deglacial release of sequestered CO2 through upwelling.

Magnetic Signature of Glacial Flour in Sediments From Bear Lake, Utah/Idaho

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenbaum, J. G.; Dean, W. E.; Colman, S. M.; Reynolds, R. L.

2002-12-01

Variations in magnetic properties within an interval of Bear Lake sediments correlative with oxygen isotope stage 2 (OIS 2) and OIS 3 provide a record of glacial flour production for the Uinta Mountains. Like sediments of the same age from Upper Klamath Lake (OR), these Bear Lake sediments have high magnetic susceptibilities (MS) relative to non-glacial-age sediments and contain well-defined millennial-scale variations in magnetic properties. In contrast to glacial flour derived from volcanic rocks surrounding Upper Klamath Lake, glacial flour derived from the Uinta Mountains and deposited in Bear Lake by the Bear River has low magnetite content but high hematite content. The relatively low MS values of younger and older non-glacial-age sediments are due entirely to dilution by non-magnetic endogenic carbonate and to the effects of sulfidic alteration of detrital Fe-oxides. Analysis of samples from streams entering Bear Lake and from along the course of the Bear River demonstrates that, in comparison to other areas of the catchment, sediment derived from the Uinta Mountains is rich in hematite (high HIRM) and aluminum, and poor in magnetite (low MS) and titanium. Within the glacial-age lake sediments, there are strong positive correlations among HIRM, Al/Ti, and fine sediment grain size. MS varies inversely with theses three variables. These relations indicate that the observed millennial-scale variations in magnetic and chemical properties arise from varying proportions of two detrital components: (1) very fine-grained glacial flour derived from Proterozoic metasedimentary rocks in the Uinta Mountains and characterized by high HIRM and low MS, and (2) somewhat coarser material, characterized by higher MS and lower HIRM, derived from widespread sedimentary rocks along the course of the Bear River and around Bear Lake. Measurement of glacial flour incorporated in lake sediments can provide a continuous history of alpine glaciation, because the rate of accumulation

Comparison of glacial and non-glacial-fed streams to evaluate the loading of persistent organic pollutants through seasonal snow/ice melt.

PubMed

Bizzotto, E C; Villa, S; Vaj, C; Vighi, M

2009-02-01

The release of persistent organic pollutants (PCBs, HCB, HCHs and DDTs) accumulated in Alpine glaciers, was studied during spring-summer 2006 on the Frodolfo glacial-fed stream (Italian Alps). Samples were also taken on a non-glacial stream in the same valley, to compare POP contribution from different water sources (glacier ice, recent snow and spring). In late spring and early summer (May, June) recent snow melting is the most important process. POP contamination is more affected by local emissions and transport, and comparable levels have been measured in both streams for all studied compounds. In late summer and autumn (July-October), the contribution of ice melting strongly increases. In the glacial-fed stream the concentration of chlorinated pesticides (HCHs and DDTs) is about one order of magnitude higher than in the non-glacial-fed. A different behaviour was observed for PCBs, characterised by a peak in June showing, in both streams, concentrations three orders of magnitude higher than the background levels measured in May and in October. This result should be attributed to local emissions rather than long range atmospheric transport (LRAT). This hypothesis is supported by the PCB congener profile in June strictly comparable to the most commonly used Aroclor technical mixtures. The different seasonal behaviour observed for the different groups of chemicals indicates the POP loading in glacial streams is a combined role of long range atmospheric transport and local emission.

Glacial lake expansion in the central Himalayas by Landsat images, 1990-2010.

PubMed

Nie, Yong; Liu, Qiao; Liu, Shiyin

2013-01-01

Glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is a serious hazard in high, mountainous regions. In the Himalayas, catastrophic risks of GLOFs have increased in recent years because most Himalayan glaciers have experienced remarkable downwasting under a warming climate. However, current knowledge about the distribution and recent changes in glacial lakes within the central Himalaya mountain range is still limited. Here, we conducted a systematic investigation of the glacial lakes within the entire central Himalaya range by using an object-oriented image processing method based on the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) or Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM) images from 1990 to 2010. We extracted the lake boundaries for four time points (1990, 2000, 2005 and 2010) and used a time series inspection method combined with a consistent spatial resolution of Landsat images that consistently revealed lake expansion. Our results show that the glacial lakes expanded rapidly by 17.11% from 1990 to 2010. The pre-existing, larger glacial lakes, rather than the newly formed lakes, contributed most to the areal expansion. The greatest expansions occurred at the altitudinal zones between 4800 m and 5600 m at the north side of the main Himalayan range and between 4500 m and 5600 m at the south side, respectively. Based on the expansion rate, area and type of glacial lakes, we identified 67 rapidly expanding glacial lakes in the central Himalayan region that need to be closely monitored in the future. The warming and increasing amounts of light-absorbing constituents of snow and ice could have accelerated the melting that directly affected the glacial lake expansion. Across the main central Himalayas, glacial lakes at the north side show more remarkable expansion than those at the south side. An effective monitoring and warning system for critical glacial lakes is urgently needed.

Glacial Lake Expansion in the Central Himalayas By Landsat Images, 1990-2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nie, Y.; Liu, Q.; Liu, S.

2014-12-01

Glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is a serious hazard in high, mountainous regions. In the Himalayas, catastrophic risks of GLOFs have increased in recent years because most Himalayan glaciers have experienced remarkable downwasting under a warming climate. However, current knowledge about the distribution and recent changes in glacial lakes within the central Himalaya mountain range is still limited. Here, we conducted a systematic investigation of the glacial lakes within the entire central Himalaya range by using an object-oriented image processing method based on the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) or Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM) images from 1990 to 2010. We extracted the lake boundaries for four time points (1990, 2000, 2005 and 2010) and used a time series inspection method combined with a consistent spatial resolution of Landsat images that consistently revealed lake expansion. Our results show that the glacial lakes expanded rapidly by 17.11% from 1990 to 2010. The pre-existing, larger glacial lakes, rather than the newly formed lakes, contributed most to the areal expansion. The greatest expansions occurred at the altitudinal zones between 4800 m and 5600 m at the north side of the main Himalayan range and between 4500 m and 5600 m at the south side, respectively. Based on the expansion rate, area and type of glacial lakes, we identified 67 rapidly expanding glacial lakes in the central Himalayan region that need to be closely monitored in the future. The warming and increasing amounts of light-absorbing constituents of snow and ice could have accelerated the melting that directly affected the glacial lake expansion. Across the main central Himalayas, glacial lakes at the north side show more remarkable expansion than those at the south side. An effective monitoring and warning system for critical glacial lakes is urgently needed.

Thriving in the Cold: Glacial Expansion and Post-Glacial Contraction of a Temperate Terrestrial Salamander (Plethodon serratus)

PubMed Central

Newman, Catherine E.; Austin, Christopher C.

2015-01-01

The dynamic geologic history of the southeastern United States has played a major role in shaping the geographic distributions of amphibians in the region. In the phylogeographic literature, the predominant pattern of distribution shifts through time of temperate species is one of contraction during glacial maxima and persistence in refugia. However, the diverse biology and ecology of amphibian species suggest that a “one-size-fits-all” model may be inappropriate. Nearly 10% of amphibian species in the region have a current distribution comprised of multiple disjunct, restricted areas that resemble the shape of Pleistocene refugia identified for other temperate taxa in the literature. Here, we apply genetics and spatially explicit climate analyses to test the hypothesis that the disjunct regions of these species ranges are climatic refugia for species that were more broadly distributed during glacial maxima. We use the salamander Plethodon serratus as a model, as its range consists of four disjunct regions in the Southeast. Phylogenetic results show that P. serratus is comprised of multiple genetic lineages, and the four regions are not reciprocally monophyletic. The Appalachian salamanders form a clade sister to all other P. serratus. Niche and paleodistribution modeling results suggest that P. serratus expanded from the Appalachians during the cooler Last Glacial Maximum and has since been restricted to its current disjunct distribution by a warming climate. These data reject the universal applicability of the glacial contraction model to temperate taxa and reiterate the importance of considering the natural history of individual species. PMID:26132077

Glacial Cycles Influence Marine Methane Hydrate Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malinverno, A.; Cook, A. E.; Daigle, H.; Oryan, B.

2018-01-01

Methane hydrates in fine-grained continental slope sediments often occupy isolated depth intervals surrounded by hydrate-free sediments. As they are not connected to deep gas sources, these hydrate deposits have been interpreted as sourced by in situ microbial methane. We investigate here the hypothesis that these isolated hydrate accumulations form preferentially in sediments deposited during Pleistocene glacial lowstands that contain relatively large amounts of labile particulate organic carbon, leading to enhanced microbial methanogenesis. To test this hypothesis, we apply an advection-diffusion-reaction model with a time-dependent organic carbon deposition controlled by glacioeustatic sea level variations. In the model, hydrate forms in sediments with greater organic carbon content deposited during the penultimate glacial cycle ( 120-240 ka). The model predictions match hydrate-bearing intervals detected in three sites drilled on the northern Gulf of Mexico continental slope, supporting the hypothesis of hydrate formation driven by enhanced organic carbon burial during glacial lowstands.

Glacial cycles influence marine methane hydrate formation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malinverno, A.; Cook, A. E.; Daigle, H.

Methane hydrates in fine-grained continental slope sediments often occupy isolated depth intervals surrounded by hydrate-free sediments. As they are not connected to deep gas sources, these hydrate deposits have been interpreted as sourced by in situ microbial methane. We investigate here the hypothesis that these isolated hydrate accumulations form preferentially in sediments deposited during Pleistocene glacial lowstands that contain relatively large amounts of labile particulate organic carbon, leading to enhanced microbial methanogenesis. To test this hypothesis, we apply an advection-diffusion-reaction model with a time-dependent organic carbon deposition controlled by glacioeustatic sea level variations. In the model, hydrate forms in sedimentsmore » with greater organic carbon content deposited during the penultimate glacial cycle (~120-240 ka). As a result, the model predictions match hydrate-bearing intervals detected in three sites drilled on the northern Gulf of Mexico continental slope, supporting the hypothesis of hydrate formation driven by enhanced organic carbon burial during glacial lowstands.« less

Glacial cycles influence marine methane hydrate formation

DOE PAGES

Malinverno, A.; Cook, A. E.; Daigle, H.; ...

2018-01-12

Methane hydrates in fine-grained continental slope sediments often occupy isolated depth intervals surrounded by hydrate-free sediments. As they are not connected to deep gas sources, these hydrate deposits have been interpreted as sourced by in situ microbial methane. We investigate here the hypothesis that these isolated hydrate accumulations form preferentially in sediments deposited during Pleistocene glacial lowstands that contain relatively large amounts of labile particulate organic carbon, leading to enhanced microbial methanogenesis. To test this hypothesis, we apply an advection-diffusion-reaction model with a time-dependent organic carbon deposition controlled by glacioeustatic sea level variations. In the model, hydrate forms in sedimentsmore » with greater organic carbon content deposited during the penultimate glacial cycle (~120-240 ka). As a result, the model predictions match hydrate-bearing intervals detected in three sites drilled on the northern Gulf of Mexico continental slope, supporting the hypothesis of hydrate formation driven by enhanced organic carbon burial during glacial lowstands.« less

Glacial Meltwater Contirbutions to the Bow River, Alberta, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bash, E. A.; Marshall, S. J.; White, E. C.

2009-12-01

Assessment of glacial melt is critical for water resource management in areas which rely on glacier-fed rivers for agricultural and municipal uses. Changes in precipitation patterns coupled with current glacial retreat are altering the glacial contribution to river flow in areas such as the Andes of South America and the high ranges of Asia, as well as the Rockies of Western Canada. Alberta’s Bow River has its headwaters in the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies and contributes to the Nelson drainage system feeding into Hudson Bay. The Bow River basin contains several population centers, including the City of Calgary, and is heavily taxed for agricultural use. The combined effects of rapid glacial retreat in the Canadian Rockies, higher drought frequency, and increased demand are likely to heighten water stress in Southern Alberta. However, there has been little focus to date on the extent and importance of glacial meltwater in the Bow River. The Bow River contains 74.5 km2 of glacier ice, which amounts to only 0.29% of the basin. While this number is not high compared to some glacierized areas, Hopkinson and Young (1998) report that in dry years, glacier melt can provide up to 50% of late summer flows at a station in the upper reaches of the river system. We extend this work with an assessment of monthly and annual glacial contributions to the Bow River farther downstream in Calgary. Our analysis is based on mass balance, meteorological, and hydrological data that has been collected at the Haig Glacier since 2001. This data is used in conjunction with glacier coverage and hypsometric data for the remainder of the basin to estimate seasonal snow and glacial meltwater contributions to the Bow River from the glacierized fraction of the catchment. The results of this study show the percentage of total flow attributed to glacial melt to be highly variable. Glacier runoff contributes up to an order of magnitude more water to the Bow River per unit area of

Glacial Geology of Wisconsin.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madison Public Schools, WI.

This publication is a teacher's resource and guidebook for the presentation of the three filmstrips in the "Glacial Geology of Wisconsin" series. The first filmstrip is subtitled, "Evidence of the Glaciers," the second "How the Glaciers Reshaped the Landscape," and the third "Fossils of the Ice Age."…

Impact of the Agulhas Return Current on the glacial Subantarctic region in the South Indian Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikehara, M.; Crosta, X.; Manoj, M. C.

2017-12-01

The Southern Ocean has played an important role in the evolution of the global climate system. The Southern Ocean circulation is dominated by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), the world's longest and largest current system. Sea ice coverage on sea surface strongly affects the climate of the Southern Hemisphere through its impacts on the energy and gas budget, on the atmospheric circulation, on the hydrological cycle, and on the biological productivity. The Agulhas Return Current (ARC) originates from the Agulhas Current, the major western boundary current in the Indian Ocean, and transports heat from subtropical to subantarctic region. It's thought that the Agulhas leakage from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic was reduced for the last glacial due to a northward shift of the westerlies and ACC, however, there are still unknown yet how the ARC was responded to the reduced Agulhas leakage. A piston core DCR-1PC was collected from the Del Caño Rise (46°S, 44°E, 2632m), Indian sector of the Southern Ocean. Core site located in the Subantarctic region between the Subtropical Front (STF) and Subantarctic Front (SAF). Age model of the core was established by radiocarbon dating of planktic foraminifer Globorotalia bulloides and oxygen isotope stratigraphy of benthic foraminifers Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi and Melonis bareelanus. Sediment of DCR-1PC show the cyclic changes of diatom/carbonate ooze sedimentation corresponding to Southern Ocean fronts' migrations on glacial-interglacial timescales. Records of ice-rafted debris (IRD) and oxygen isotope in planktic foraminfer G. bulloides suggest that the melting of sea ice was significantly increased during the last glacial maximum (LGM) in the Subantarctic surface water. Diatom assemblage based summer SST also shows the relative warmer condition in the Subantarctic during the LGM. These results might be explained by the strong influence of the Agulhas Return Current during the LGM in the Subantarctic. The reduced

Un asteroide proveniente de la Luna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tancredi, G.

El descubrimiento de un débil objeto en movimiento por el telescopio Spacewatch (un instrumento dedicado a la búsqueda de Asteroides Cercanos a la Tierra) en 1991, ha generado una gran controversia en la comunidad planetaria. El objeto, denominado 1991 VG, tiene elementos orbitales llamativamente similares a los de la Tierra, lo que ha llevado a B. G. Marsden a aventurar:``El objeto podría ser una nave espacial en retorno (IAUC 5387)". Luego de analizar las características dinámicas de 1991 VG y las diferentes hipótesis sobre su origen, favorecemos la alternativa de que el objeto es un gran fragmento de material eyectado de la Luna durante un reciente impacto (en las últimas decenas de miles de años). El hallazgo en 1983 en la Antártida de meteoritos con composición tipo lunar, confirma la posibilidad de que material de la superficie del satélite puede ser eyectado a velocidades superiores a la de escape del sistema Tierra-Luna y alcance órbitas heliocéntricas. Los elementos orbitales de 1991 VG corresponden a los valores alcanzados por partículas que apenas escapan de la gravedad lunar y entran en órbitas heliocéntricas a través del punto Lagrangiano exterior del sistema Tierra-Sol.

ESR Dating Research of Glacial Tills in Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bi, W.; Yi, C.

2016-12-01

In recent years, Quaternary Glacial-chronology has been made remarkable progress in the Tibetan Platean(TP) with the development of several numeric dating techniques, such as cosmogenic nuclides(NC), optically stimulated luminescence(OSL) and 14C. In constrast, the dating of Quaternary glacial tills in 100,000 years even more than million-year has been a challenge, just because the techniques has defects themselves and the sediments were stransformed during the geological and geomorphology progress later. Electron Spin Resonance(ESR) has been becoming one of the key methods of Quaternary Glacial-chronology with wide range of dating, expecially for the sample older than 100,000 years up to million-year scale. The accurate measurement of equivalent dose significantly impacts on accuracy and reliability of ESR dating method. Therefore, the study of the mechanisms of resetting processes is fundamental for accurate and reliable ESR dating. To understand the mechanism and characteristics of quartz ESR signal resetting of different samples, a series of laboratory simulation and field observation studies were carried out, which made lots of important breakthrough. But the research in quartz ESR signal of moraines is less and the test of ESR dating method is still in the qualitative investigation. Therefor, we use ESR dating and study on the mechanism and characteristics of quartz ESR signals in tills in the Tibetan Platean. In the adjust method of Modern, the quartz ESR signals in Modern glacial tills represent residual values which can be adjusted signals in the older glacial tills. As a consequence, ESR dating of the quartz in moraines needs to be explored in deep with building models to adjust ages which are measured by ESR dating. Therefore, ESR dating will become the trusted one of the cross dating methods in Quaternary Glacial-chronology with the adjust mothod improving the accuracy of ESR dating ages.

Interannual physiological and growth responses of glacial Juniperus to changes in atmospheric [CO2] since the Last Glacial Maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerhart, L. M.; Harris, J. M.; Ward, J. K.

2011-12-01

During the Last Glacial Maximum, atmospheric [CO2] was as low as 180 ppm and has currently risen to a modern value of 393 ppm as a result of fossil fuel combustion and deforestation. In order to understand how changing [CO2] influenced trees over the last 50,000 years, we analyzed carbon isotope ratios and width of individual tree rings from glacial Juniperus specimens preserved in the Rancho La Brea tar pits in southern California (aged 14-49 kyr BP). Modern trees were also analyzed to compare effects of changing precipitation, temperature and atmospheric [CO2] on physiology and growth. To assess physiological responses, we calculated ci/ca (intercellular [CO2]/atmospheric [CO2]) for each annual ring of each tree. This ratio incorporates numerous aspects of plant physiology, including stomatal conductance and photosynthetic capacity. In addition, we measured ring widths for each sample, and standardized these measurements into indices in order to compare across individuals. Mean ci/ca values remained constant throughout 50,000 years despite major environmental changes, indicating a long-term physiological set point for ci/ca in this group. Constant ci/ca ratios would be maintained through offsetting changes in stomatal conductance and photosynthetic capacity. Glacial Juniperus never experienced ci values below 90 ppm, suggesting a survival compensation point for Juniperus. In addition, glacial trees showed significantly reduced interannual variation in ci/ca, even though interannual climatic variability was as high during the LGM in this region as it is today. A lack of variability in ci/ca of glacial trees suggests that tree physiology was dominated by low [CO2], which shows low interannual variation. Modern trees showed high interannual variation in ci/ca, since water availability dominates current physiological responses and varies greatly from year to year. Interestingly, interannual variation in ring width index did not show significant differences between

Biolabile ferrous iron bearing nanoparticles in glacial sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hawkings, Jon R.; Benning, Liane G.; Raiswell, Rob; Kaulich, Burkhard; Araki, Tohru; Abyaneh, Majid; Stockdale, Anthony; Koch-Müller, Monika; Wadham, Jemma L.; Tranter, Martyn

2018-07-01

Glaciers and ice sheets are a significant source of nanoparticulate Fe, which is potentially important in sustaining the high productivity observed in the near-coastal regions proximal to terrestrial ice cover. However, the bioavailability of particulate iron is poorly understood, despite its importance in the ocean Fe inventory. We combined high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy to investigate the abundance, morphology and valence state of particulate iron in glacial sediments. Our results document the widespread occurrence of amorphous and Fe(II)-rich and Fe(II)-bearing nanoparticles in Arctic glacial meltwaters and iceberg debris, compared to Fe(III)-rich dominated particulates in an aeolian dust sample. Fe(II) is thought to be highly biolabile in marine environments. Our work shows that glacially derived Fe is more labile than previously assumed, and consequently that glaciers and ice sheets are therefore able to export potentially bioavailable Fe(II)-containing nanoparticulate material to downstream ecosystems, including those in a marine setting. Our findings provide further evidence that Greenland Ice Sheet meltwaters may provide biolabile particulate Fe that may fuel the large summer phytoplankton bloom in the Labrador Sea, and that Fe(II)-rich particulates from a region of very high productivity downstream of a polar ice sheet may be glacial in origin.

Glacial geology of the Hellas region on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kargel, Jeffrey S.; Strom, Robert G.; Johnson, Natasha

1991-01-01

A glacial geologic interpretation was recently presented for Argyre, which is herein extended to Hellas. This glacial event is believed to constitute an important link in a global cryohydric epoch of Middle Amazonian age. At glacial maximum, ice apparently extended far beyond the regions of Argyre and Hellas, and formed what is termed as the Austral Ice Sheet, an agglomeration of several ice domes and lobes including the Hellas Lobe. It is concluded that Hellas was apparently heavily glaciated. Also glaciation was young by Martian standards (Middle Amazonian), and ancient by terrestrial standards. Glaciation appears to have occurred during the same period that other areas on Mars were experiencing glaciation and periglacial activity. Glaciation seems to have occurred as a geological brief epoch of intense geomorphic activity in an era characterized by long periods of relative inactivity.

Glacial Lake Expansion in the Central Himalayas by Landsat Images, 1990–2010

PubMed Central

Nie, Yong; Liu, Qiao; Liu, Shiyin

2013-01-01

Glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is a serious hazard in high, mountainous regions. In the Himalayas, catastrophic risks of GLOFs have increased in recent years because most Himalayan glaciers have experienced remarkable downwasting under a warming climate. However, current knowledge about the distribution and recent changes in glacial lakes within the central Himalaya mountain range is still limited. Here, we conducted a systematic investigation of the glacial lakes within the entire central Himalaya range by using an object-oriented image processing method based on the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) or Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM) images from 1990 to 2010. We extracted the lake boundaries for four time points (1990, 2000, 2005 and 2010) and used a time series inspection method combined with a consistent spatial resolution of Landsat images that consistently revealed lake expansion. Our results show that the glacial lakes expanded rapidly by 17.11% from 1990 to 2010. The pre-existing, larger glacial lakes, rather than the newly formed lakes, contributed most to the areal expansion. The greatest expansions occurred at the altitudinal zones between 4800 m and 5600 m at the north side of the main Himalayan range and between 4500 m and 5600 m at the south side, respectively. Based on the expansion rate, area and type of glacial lakes, we identified 67 rapidly expanding glacial lakes in the central Himalayan region that need to be closely monitored in the future. The warming and increasing amounts of light-absorbing constituents of snow and ice could have accelerated the melting that directly affected the glacial lake expansion. Across the main central Himalayas, glacial lakes at the north side show more remarkable expansion than those at the south side. An effective monitoring and warning system for critical glacial lakes is urgently needed. PMID:24376778

The early rise and late demise of New Zealand's last glacial maximum.

PubMed

Rother, Henrik; Fink, David; Shulmeister, James; Mifsud, Charles; Evans, Michael; Pugh, Jeremy

2014-08-12

Recent debate on records of southern midlatitude glaciation has focused on reconstructing glacier dynamics during the last glacial termination, with different results supporting both in-phase and out-of-phase correlations with Northern Hemisphere glacial signals. A continuing major weakness in this debate is the lack of robust data, particularly from the early and maximum phase of southern midlatitude glaciation (∼30-20 ka), to verify the competing models. Here we present a suite of 58 cosmogenic exposure ages from 17 last-glacial ice limits in the Rangitata Valley of New Zealand, capturing an extensive record of glacial oscillations between 28-16 ka. The sequence shows that the local last glacial maximum in this region occurred shortly before 28 ka, followed by several successively less extensive ice readvances between 26-19 ka. The onset of Termination 1 and the ensuing glacial retreat is preserved in exceptional detail through numerous recessional moraines, indicating that ice retreat between 19-16 ka was very gradual. Extensive valley glaciers survived in the Rangitata catchment until at least 15.8 ka. These findings preclude the previously inferred rapid climate-driven ice retreat in the Southern Alps after the onset of Termination 1. Our record documents an early last glacial maximum, an overall trend of diminishing ice volume in New Zealand between 28-20 ka, and gradual deglaciation until at least 15 ka.

76 FR 50476 - Application To Export Electric Energy; Glacial Energy of Texas, Inc.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-15

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY [OE Docket No. EA-382] Application To Export Electric Energy; Glacial Energy of Texas, Inc. AGENCY: Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, DOE. ACTION: Notice of Application. SUMMARY: Glacial Energy of Texas, Inc. (Glacial) has applied for authority to transmit electric...

Glacial ocean circulation and stratification explained by reduced atmospheric temperature.

PubMed

Jansen, Malte F

2017-01-03

Earth's climate has undergone dramatic shifts between glacial and interglacial time periods, with high-latitude temperature changes on the order of 5-10 °C. These climatic shifts have been associated with major rearrangements in the deep ocean circulation and stratification, which have likely played an important role in the observed atmospheric carbon dioxide swings by affecting the partitioning of carbon between the atmosphere and the ocean. The mechanisms by which the deep ocean circulation changed, however, are still unclear and represent a major challenge to our understanding of glacial climates. This study shows that various inferred changes in the deep ocean circulation and stratification between glacial and interglacial climates can be interpreted as a direct consequence of atmospheric temperature differences. Colder atmospheric temperatures lead to increased sea ice cover and formation rate around Antarctica. The associated enhanced brine rejection leads to a strongly increased deep ocean stratification, consistent with high abyssal salinities inferred for the last glacial maximum. The increased stratification goes together with a weakening and shoaling of the interhemispheric overturning circulation, again consistent with proxy evidence for the last glacial. The shallower interhemispheric overturning circulation makes room for slowly moving water of Antarctic origin, which explains the observed middepth radiocarbon age maximum and may play an important role in ocean carbon storage.

Inventory and recently increasing GLOF susceptibility of glacial lakes in Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aggarwal, Suruchi; Rai, S. C.; Thakur, P. K.; Emmer, Adam

2017-10-01

Climatic changes alter the climate system, leading to a decrease of glacier mass volumes and swelling glacial lakes. This study provides a new inventory of glacial and high-altitude lakes for Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya, and evaluates the susceptibility of lakes to Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF). By using satellite data of high spatial resolution (5 m), we obtain 1104 glacial and high-altitude lakes with total area 30.498 km2, of which 472 have an area > 0.01 km2. Applying pre-defined GLOF susceptibility criteria on these 472 lakes yields 21 lakes susceptible to GLOF, which all increased in area from 1972-2015. Using Analytic Hierarchy Processes (AHP), the pairwise comparison matrix further reveals that 5 of these glacial lakes have low, 14 have medium and 2 have high GLOF susceptibility. Especially these 16 glacial lakes with high and medium GLOF susceptibility may threaten downstream communities and infrastructure and need further attention.

Strong and deep Atlantic meridional overturning circulation during the last glacial cycle.

PubMed

Böhm, E; Lippold, J; Gutjahr, M; Frank, M; Blaser, P; Antz, B; Fohlmeister, J; Frank, N; Andersen, M B; Deininger, M

2015-01-01

Extreme, abrupt Northern Hemisphere climate oscillations during the last glacial cycle (140,000 years ago to present) were modulated by changes in ocean circulation and atmospheric forcing. However, the variability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), which has a role in controlling heat transport from low to high latitudes and in ocean CO2 storage, is still poorly constrained beyond the Last Glacial Maximum. Here we show that a deep and vigorous overturning circulation mode has persisted for most of the last glacial cycle, dominating ocean circulation in the Atlantic, whereas a shallower glacial mode with southern-sourced waters filling the deep western North Atlantic prevailed during glacial maxima. Our results are based on a reconstruction of both the strength and the direction of the AMOC during the last glacial cycle from a highly resolved marine sedimentary record in the deep western North Atlantic. Parallel measurements of two independent chemical water tracers (the isotope ratios of (231)Pa/(230)Th and (143)Nd/(144)Nd), which are not directly affected by changes in the global cycle, reveal consistent responses of the AMOC during the last two glacial terminations. Any significant deviations from this configuration, resulting in slowdowns of the AMOC, were restricted to centennial-scale excursions during catastrophic iceberg discharges of the Heinrich stadials. Severe and multicentennial weakening of North Atlantic Deep Water formation occurred only during Heinrich stadials close to glacial maxima with increased ice coverage, probably as a result of increased fresh-water input. In contrast, the AMOC was relatively insensitive to submillennial meltwater pulses during warmer climate states, and an active AMOC prevailed during Dansgaard-Oeschger interstadials (Greenland warm periods).

A glacial record of the last termination in the southern tropical Andes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bromley, G. R.; Schaefer, J. M.; Winckler, G.; Hall, B. L.; Todd, C. E.; Rademaker, K.

2012-12-01

The last glacial termination represents the highest-magnitude climate change of the last hundred thousand years. Accurate resolution of events during the termination is vital to our understanding of how - and why - the global climate system transitions from a full glacial to interglacial state, as well as the causes of abrupt climate change during the late-glacial period. Palaeoclimate data from low latitudes, though relatively sparse, are particularly valuable, since the tropical ocean and atmosphere likely play a crucial role in Quaternary climate variability on all timescales. We present a detailed glacier record from the Andes of southern Peru (15°S), resolved with 3He surface-exposure dating and spanning the last glacial maximum and termination. Our dataset reveals that glaciers in this part of the Southern Hemisphere maintained their Late Pleistocene maxima for several millennia and that the onset of the termination may have occurred relatively late. Deglaciation was punctuated by two major advances during the late-glacial period. Following the glacial-interglacial transition, our preliminary chronologic and morphologic data suggest that, in contrast to the Northern Hemisphere, glaciers in the southern tropical Andes have experienced overall shrinkage during the Holocene.

Glacial inception during the late Holocene without carbon emissions from early agriculture: lessons from the stage-19 glacial inception

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, F.; Vavrus, S. J.; Kutzbach, J. E.; Ruddiman, W. F.; Tzedakis, P. C.

2013-12-01

Decreases in orbitally-forced summer insolation along with downward trends in greenhouse gases (GHG) have been precursors to incipient glaciation in the past. In the last several thousand years of the current interglacial, while summer insolation has decreased, there was a reversal of the downward trends in CH4 and CO2 concentration within the Holocene around 5,000 and 7,000 years ago. While the cause of this reversal remains unresolved, a leading hypothesis is Ruddiman's Early Anthropogenic Hypothesis that early agriculture, starting several thousand years ago, caused emissions of GHG large enough to reverse natural downward trends in CO2 and CH4 and kept Earth's climate anomalously warm, with the corollary that this may have prevented incipient glaciation during the late Holocene. Here we use the 1-degree, fully coupled Community Climate System Model version 4 (CCSM4) with climate forcings (orbital parameters and GHG) of a previous glacial inception to investigate whether glacial inception should have occurred prior to the industrial revolution if the concentrations of CH4 and CO2 had followed their natural downward trends throughout the Holocene. Tzedakis et al. [2012] show that for the previous eight interglacials, Stage 11 and Stage 19 are the best analogs of the Holocene because of their low eccentricities, and Stage 19 is a better analog than Stage 11 for the Holocene due to the in-phase relationship between obliquity and precession. Furthermore, their study suggests that 777 ka BP (777,000 years before present) is the timing of glacial inception for Stage 19, based on the occurrence of the earliest bipolar seesaw event associated with glacial melting. Not only do the orbital parameters at 777 ka BP resemble pre-industrial conditions, but the concentrations of CO2 at that time were essentially the same as their expected 'natural' pre-industrial values in the absence of anthropogenic greenhouse emissions. Our multi-millennial coupled CCSM4 simulations show

Breakup of last glacial deep stratification in the South Pacific.

PubMed

Basak, Chandranath; Fröllje, Henning; Lamy, Frank; Gersonde, Rainer; Benz, Verena; Anderson, Robert F; Molina-Kescher, Mario; Pahnke, Katharina

2018-02-23

Stratification of the deep Southern Ocean during the Last Glacial Maximum is thought to have facilitated carbon storage and subsequent release during the deglaciation as stratification broke down, contributing to atmospheric CO 2 rise. Here, we present neodymium isotope evidence from deep to abyssal waters in the South Pacific that confirms stratification of the deepwater column during the Last Glacial Maximum. The results indicate a glacial northward expansion of Ross Sea Bottom Water and a Southern Hemisphere climate trigger for the deglacial breakup of deep stratification. It highlights the important role of abyssal waters in sustaining a deep glacial carbon reservoir and Southern Hemisphere climate change as a prerequisite for the destabilization of the water column and hence the deglacial release of sequestered CO 2 through upwelling. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Linking glacial erosion and low-relief landscapes in tropical orogens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunningham, M.; Stark, C. P.; Kaplan, M. R.; Schaefer, J. M.; Galewsky, J.; Yoo, J.

2015-12-01

One significant way that climate influences orogenic evolution is by modulating glacial erosion. At mid-latitudes it is hypothesized that this climate-tectonic interplay is so strong that a "glacial buzzsaw" acting throughout the Quaternary outpaced tectonic uplift in most mountain belts and concentrated topography in a zone defined by the bounds of ELA fluctuation. Less attention has been paid to how the buzzsaw might manifest itself at low latitudes, where many mountain belts are just high enough to have been glaciated at the LGM but today sit well below the ELA. We have focused on the glacial history of Costa Rica and Taiwan, where we find evidence of ice cap erosion coincident with low-relief landscapes near the LGM ELA. Previous attempts to understand the formation of these perched, low-relief landscapes has mostly concerned interactions between fluvial erosion and geodynamics. Our work aims instead to describe the role that glacial erosion played in the evolution of these landscapes, and how they fit in the buzzsaw paradigm. At Cerro Chirripó in Costa Rica we use 10-Be surface exposure age dating of moraine boulders and scoured bedrock, field mapping, and remote sensing to constrain the timing, areal extent, and pattern of glacial erosion. We made similar observations of ice extent at Nanhudashan in Taiwan, where surface exposure age dating has previously been applied to glacial landforms (e.g. Hebenstreit et al., 2011; Siame et al., 2007). In Costa Rica, our 10-Be dates from scoured bedrock near the highest peak and terminal/lateral moraines show signs of ice-cap erosion until 22 ka. Similar arguments for LGM ice cap erosion have been made for Nanhudashan. Regional climate simulations (WRF) further constrain the timing and spatial extent of glaciation in these places, and the combination of field data and climate modeling will inform estimates of the magnitude of glacial erosion on perched landscapes.

In and out of glacial extremes by way of dust‑climate feedbacks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaffer, Gary; Lambert, Fabrice

2018-03-01

Mineral dust aerosols cool Earth directly by scattering incoming solar radiation and indirectly by affecting clouds and biogeochemical cycles. Recent Earth history has featured quasi-100,000-y, glacial‑interglacial climate cycles with lower/higher temperatures and greenhouse gas concentrations during glacials/interglacials. Global average, glacial maxima dust levels were more than 3 times higher than during interglacials, thereby contributing to glacial cooling. However, the timing, strength, and overall role of dust‑climate feedbacks over these cycles remain unclear. Here we use dust deposition data and temperature reconstructions from ice sheet, ocean sediment, and land archives to construct dust‑climate relationships. Although absolute dust deposition rates vary greatly among these archives, they all exhibit striking, nonlinear increases toward coldest glacial conditions. From these relationships and reconstructed temperature time series, we diagnose glacial‑interglacial time series of dust radiative forcing and iron fertilization of ocean biota, and use these time series to force Earth system model simulations. The results of these simulations show that dust‑climate feedbacks, perhaps set off by orbital forcing, push the system in and out of extreme cold conditions such as glacial maxima. Without these dust effects, glacial temperature and atmospheric CO2 concentrations would have been much more stable at higher, intermediate glacial levels. The structure of residual anomalies over the glacial‑interglacial climate cycles after subtraction of dust effects provides constraints for the strength and timing of other processes governing these cycles.

In and out of glacial extremes by way of dust−climate feedbacks

PubMed Central

Lambert, Fabrice

2018-01-01

Mineral dust aerosols cool Earth directly by scattering incoming solar radiation and indirectly by affecting clouds and biogeochemical cycles. Recent Earth history has featured quasi-100,000-y, glacial−interglacial climate cycles with lower/higher temperatures and greenhouse gas concentrations during glacials/interglacials. Global average, glacial maxima dust levels were more than 3 times higher than during interglacials, thereby contributing to glacial cooling. However, the timing, strength, and overall role of dust−climate feedbacks over these cycles remain unclear. Here we use dust deposition data and temperature reconstructions from ice sheet, ocean sediment, and land archives to construct dust−climate relationships. Although absolute dust deposition rates vary greatly among these archives, they all exhibit striking, nonlinear increases toward coldest glacial conditions. From these relationships and reconstructed temperature time series, we diagnose glacial−interglacial time series of dust radiative forcing and iron fertilization of ocean biota, and use these time series to force Earth system model simulations. The results of these simulations show that dust−climate feedbacks, perhaps set off by orbital forcing, push the system in and out of extreme cold conditions such as glacial maxima. Without these dust effects, glacial temperature and atmospheric CO2 concentrations would have been much more stable at higher, intermediate glacial levels. The structure of residual anomalies over the glacial−interglacial climate cycles after subtraction of dust effects provides constraints for the strength and timing of other processes governing these cycles. PMID:29440407

Abrupt glacial climate shifts controlled by ice sheet changes.

PubMed

Zhang, Xu; Lohmann, Gerrit; Knorr, Gregor; Purcell, Conor

2014-08-21

During glacial periods of the Late Pleistocene, an abundance of proxy data demonstrates the existence of large and repeated millennial-scale warming episodes, known as Dansgaard-Oeschger (DO) events. This ubiquitous feature of rapid glacial climate change can be extended back as far as 800,000 years before present (BP) in the ice core record, and has drawn broad attention within the science and policy-making communities alike. Many studies have been dedicated to investigating the underlying causes of these changes, but no coherent mechanism has yet been identified. Here we show, by using a comprehensive fully coupled model, that gradual changes in the height of the Northern Hemisphere ice sheets (NHISs) can alter the coupled atmosphere-ocean system and cause rapid glacial climate shifts closely resembling DO events. The simulated global climate responses--including abrupt warming in the North Atlantic, a northward shift of the tropical rainbelts, and Southern Hemisphere cooling related to the bipolar seesaw--are generally consistent with empirical evidence. As a result of the coexistence of two glacial ocean circulation states at intermediate heights of the ice sheets, minor changes in the height of the NHISs and the amount of atmospheric CO2 can trigger the rapid climate transitions via a local positive atmosphere-ocean-sea-ice feedback in the North Atlantic. Our results, although based on a single model, thus provide a coherent concept for understanding the recorded millennial-scale variability and abrupt climate changes in the coupled atmosphere-ocean system, as well as their linkages to the volume of the intermediate ice sheets during glacials.

20th-century glacial-marine sedimentation in Vitus Lake, Bering Glacier, Alaska, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Molnia, B.F.; Post, A.; Carlson, P.R.

1996-01-01

Vitus Lake, the ice-marginal basin at the southeastern edge of Bering Glacier, Alaska, U.S.A., is a site of modern, rapid, glacial-marine sedimentation. Rather than being a fresh-water lake, Vitus Lake is a tidally influenced, marine to brackish embayment connected to the Pacific Ocean by an inlet, the Seal River. Vitus Lake consists of five deep bedrock basins, separated by interbasinal highs. Glacial erosion has cut these basins as much as 250 m below sea level. High-resolution seismic reflection surveys conducted in 1991 and 1993 of four of Vitus Lake's basins reveal a complex, variable three-component acoustic stratigraphy. Although not fully sampled, the stratigraphy is inferred to be primarily glacial-marine units of (1) basal contorted and deformed glacial-marine and glacial sediments deposited by basal ice-contact processes and submarine mass-wasting; (2) acoustically well-stratified glacial-marine sediment, which unconformably overlies the basal unit and which grades upward into (3) acoustically transparent or nearly transparent glacial-marine sediment. Maximum thicknesses of conformable glacial-marine sediment exceed 100 m. All of the acoustically transparent and stratified deposits in Vitus Lake are modern in age, having accumulated between 1967 and 1993. The basins where these three-part sequences of "present-day" glacial-marine sediment are accumulating are themselves cut into older sequences of stratified glacial and glacial-marine deposits. These older units outcrop on the islands in Vitus Lake. In 1967, as the result of a major surge, glacier ice completely filled all five basins. Subsequent terminus retreat, which continued through August 1993, exposed these basins, providing new locations for glacial-marine sediment accumulation. A correlation of sediment thicknesses measured from seismic profiles at specific locations within the basins, with the year that each location became ice-free, shows that the sediment accumulation at some locations

Glacial and Quaternary geology of the northern Yellowstone area, Montana and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pierce, Kenneth L.; Licciardi, Joseph M.; Krause, Teresa R.; Whitlock, Cathy

2014-01-01

This field guide focuses on the glacial geology and paleoecology beginning in the Paradise Valley and progressing southward into northern Yellowstone National Park. During the last (Pinedale) glaciation, the northern Yellowstone outlet glacier flowed out of Yellowstone Park and down the Yellowstone River Valley into the Paradise Valley. The field trip will traverse the following Pinedale glacial sequence: (1) deposition of the Eightmile terminal moraines and outwash 16.5 ± 1.4 10Be ka in the Paradise Valley; (2) glacial recession of ~8 km and deposition of the Chico moraines and outwash 16.1 ± 1.7 10Be ka; (3) glacial recession of 45 km to near the northern Yellowstone boundary and moraine deposition during the Deckard Flats readjustment 14.2 ± 1.2 10Be ka; and (4) glacial recession of ~37 km and deposition of the Junction Butte moraines 15.2 ± 1.3 10Be ka (this age is a little too old based on the stratigraphic sequence). Yellowstone's northern range of sagebrush-grasslands and bison, elk, wolf, and bear inhabitants is founded on glacial moraines, sub-glacial till, and outwash deposited during the last glaciation. Floods released from glacially dammed lakes and a landslide-dammed lake punctuate this record. The glacial geologic reconstruction was evaluated by calculation of basal shear stress, and yielded the following values for flow pattern in plan view: strongly converging—1.21 ± 0.12 bars (n = 15); nearly uniform—1.04 ± 0.16 bars (n = 11); and strongly diverging—0.84 ± 0.14 bars (n = 16). Reconstructed mass balance yielded accumulation and ablation each of ~3 km3/yr, with glacial movement near the equilibrium line altitude dominated by basal sliding. Pollen and charcoal records from three lakes in northern Yellowstone provide information on the postglacial vegetation and fire history. Following glacial retreat, sparsely vegetated landscapes were colonized first by spruce parkland and then by closed subalpine forests. Regional fire activity

Glacial ocean circulation and stratification explained by reduced atmospheric temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jansen, Malte F.

2017-01-01

Earth’s climate has undergone dramatic shifts between glacial and interglacial time periods, with high-latitude temperature changes on the order of 5-10 °C. These climatic shifts have been associated with major rearrangements in the deep ocean circulation and stratification, which have likely played an important role in the observed atmospheric carbon dioxide swings by affecting the partitioning of carbon between the atmosphere and the ocean. The mechanisms by which the deep ocean circulation changed, however, are still unclear and represent a major challenge to our understanding of glacial climates. This study shows that various inferred changes in the deep ocean circulation and stratification between glacial and interglacial climates can be interpreted as a direct consequence of atmospheric temperature differences. Colder atmospheric temperatures lead to increased sea ice cover and formation rate around Antarctica. The associated enhanced brine rejection leads to a strongly increased deep ocean stratification, consistent with high abyssal salinities inferred for the last glacial maximum. The increased stratification goes together with a weakening and shoaling of the interhemispheric overturning circulation, again consistent with proxy evidence for the last glacial. The shallower interhemispheric overturning circulation makes room for slowly moving water of Antarctic origin, which explains the observed middepth radiocarbon age maximum and may play an important role in ocean carbon storage.

Glacial ocean circulation and stratification explained by reduced atmospheric temperature

PubMed Central

Jansen, Malte F.

2017-01-01

Earth’s climate has undergone dramatic shifts between glacial and interglacial time periods, with high-latitude temperature changes on the order of 5–10 °C. These climatic shifts have been associated with major rearrangements in the deep ocean circulation and stratification, which have likely played an important role in the observed atmospheric carbon dioxide swings by affecting the partitioning of carbon between the atmosphere and the ocean. The mechanisms by which the deep ocean circulation changed, however, are still unclear and represent a major challenge to our understanding of glacial climates. This study shows that various inferred changes in the deep ocean circulation and stratification between glacial and interglacial climates can be interpreted as a direct consequence of atmospheric temperature differences. Colder atmospheric temperatures lead to increased sea ice cover and formation rate around Antarctica. The associated enhanced brine rejection leads to a strongly increased deep ocean stratification, consistent with high abyssal salinities inferred for the last glacial maximum. The increased stratification goes together with a weakening and shoaling of the interhemispheric overturning circulation, again consistent with proxy evidence for the last glacial. The shallower interhemispheric overturning circulation makes room for slowly moving water of Antarctic origin, which explains the observed middepth radiocarbon age maximum and may play an important role in ocean carbon storage. PMID:27994158

Late-Glacial to Late-holocene Shifts in Global Precipitation Delta(sup 18)O

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jasechko, S.; Lechler, A.; Pausata, F.S.R.; Fawcett, P.J.; Gleeson, T.; Cendon, D.I.; Galewsky, J.; LeGrande, A. N.; Risi, C.; Sharp, Z. D.;

Earth's glacial record and its tectonic setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eyles, N.

1993-09-01

Glaciations have occurred episodically at different time intervals and for different durations in Earth's history. Ice covers have formed in a wide range of plate tectonic and structural settings but the bulk of Earth's glacial record can be shown to have been deposited and preserved in basins within extensional settings. In such basins, source area uplift and basin subsidence fulfill the tectonic preconditions for the initiation of glaciation and the accomodation and preservation of glaciclastic sediments. Tectonic setting, in particular subsidence rates, also dictates the type of glaciclastic facies and facies successions that are deposited. Many pre-Pleistocene glaciated basins commonly contain well-defined tectonostratigraphic successions recording the interplay of tectonics and sedimentation; traditional climatostratigraphic approaches involving interpretation in terms of either ice advance/retreat cycles or glacio-eustatic sea-level change require revision. The direct record of continental glaciation in Earth history, in the form of classically-recognised continental glacial landforms and "tillites", is meagre; it is probable that more than 95% of the volume of preserved "glacial" strata are glacially-influenced marine deposits that record delivery of large amounts of glaciclastic sediment to offshore basins. This flux has been partially or completely reworked by "normal" sedimentary processes such that the record of glaciation and climate change is recorded in marine successions and is difficult to decipher. The dominant "glacial" facies in the rock record are subaqueous debris flow diamictites and turbidites recording the selective preservation of poorly-sorted glaciclastic sediment deposited in deep water basins by sediment gravity flows. However, these facies are also typical of many non-glacial settings, especially volcanically-influenced environments; numerous Archean and Proterozoic diamictites, described in the older literature as tillites, have no

Quaternary Glacial Mapping in Western Wisconsin Using Soil Survey Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oehlke, Betsy M.; Dolliver, Holly A. S.

2011-01-01

The majority of soils in the western Wisconsin have developed from glacial sediments deposited during the Quaternary Period (2.6 million years before present). In many regions, multiple advances and retreats have left a complex landscape of diverse glacial sediments and landforms. The soils that have developed on these deposits reflect the nature…

Glacial lakes in Austria - Distribution and formation since the Little Ice Age

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buckel, J.; Otto, J. C.; Prasicek, G.; Keuschnig, M.

2018-05-01

Glacial lakes constitute a substantial part of the legacy of vanishing mountain glaciation and act as water storage, sediment traps and sources of both natural hazards and leisure activities. For these reasons, they receive growing attention by scientists and society. However, while the evolution of glacial lakes has been studied intensively over timescales tied to remote sensing-based approaches, the longer-term perspective has been omitted due a lack of suitable data sources. We mapped and analyzed the spatial distribution of glacial lakes in the Austrian Alps. We trace the development of number and area of glacial lakes in the Austrian Alps since the Little Ice Age (LIA) based on a unique combination of a lake inventory and an extensive record of glacier retreat. We find that bedrock-dammed lakes are the dominant lake type in the inventory. Bedrock- and moraine-dammed lakes populate the highest landscape domains located in cirques and hanging valleys. We observe lakes embedded in glacial deposits at lower locations on average below 2000 m a.s.l. In general, the distribution of glacial lakes over elevation reflects glacier erosional and depositional dynamics rather than the distribution of total area. The rate of formation of new glacial lakes (number, area) has continuously accelerated over time with present rates showing an eight-fold increase since LIA. At the same time the total glacier area decreased by two-thirds. This development coincides with a long-term trend of rising temperatures and a significant stepping up of this trend within the last 20 years in the Austrian Alps.

Peatlands through the Last Glacial Cycle: Evidence and Model Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleinen, T.; Treat, C. C.; Brovkin, V.

2017-12-01

The spatiotemporal distribution of peatlands prior to the last glacial maxium (LGM) is largely unknown. However, some evidence of non-extant peatlands is available in the form of buried organic-rich sediments. We have undertaken a synthesis of these "buried" peatlands from > 1000 detailed stratigraphic descriptions and combined it with data on extant peatlands to derive a first global synthesis of global peatland extent through the last glacial cycle. We present results of this synthesis in combination with modeling results where we determined peatland extents and carbon stocks from a transient simulation of the last glacial cycle with the CLIMBER2-LPJ model. We show that peat has existed in boreal latitudes at all times since the last interglacial, that evidence for tropical peatlands exists for the last 50,000 yrs, and that the model results in general agree well with the collected evidence of past peatlands, allowing a first estimate of peat carbon stock changes through the last glacial cycle. We discuss data and model limitations, with a focus on requirements for improving model-based peatland estimates.

A conceptual model for glacial cycles and the middle Pleistocene transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daruka, István; Ditlevsen, Peter D.

2016-01-01

Milankovitch's astronomical theory of glacial cycles, attributing ice age climate oscillations to orbital changes in Northern-Hemisphere insolation, is challenged by the paleoclimatic record. The climatic response to the variations in insolation is far from trivial. In general the glacial cycles are highly asymmetric in time, with slow cooling from the interglacials to the glacials (inceptions) and very rapid warming from the glacials to the interglacials (terminations). We shall refer to this fast-slow dynamics as the "saw-tooth" shape of the paleoclimatic record. This is non-linearly related to the time-symmetric variations in the orbital forcing. However, the most pronounced challenge to the Milankovitch theory is the middle Pleistocene transition (MPT) occurring about one million years ago. During that event, the prevailing 41 kyr glacial cycles, corresponding to the almost harmonic obliquity cycle were replaced by longer saw-tooth shaped cycles with a time-scale around 100 kyr. The MPT must have been driven by internal changes in climate response, since it does not correspond to any apparent changes in the orbital forcing. In order to identify possible mechanisms causing the observed changes in glacial dynamics, it is relevant to study simplified models with the capability of generating temporal behavior similar to the observed records. We present a simple oscillator type model approach, with two variables, a temperature anomaly and a climatic memory term. The generalization of the ice albedo feedback is included in terms of an effective multiplicative coupling between this latter climatic memory term (representing the internal degrees of freedom) and the external drive. The simple model reproduces the temporal asymmetry of the late Pleistocene glacial cycles and suggests that the MPT can be explained as a regime shift, aided by climatic noise, from a period 1 frequency locking to the obliquity cycle to a period 2-3 frequency locking to the same obliquity

Sink detection on tilted terrain for automated identification of glacial cirques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasicek, Günther; Robl, Jörg; Lang, Andreas

2016-04-01

Glacial cirques are morphologically distinct but complex landforms and represent a vital part of high mountain topography. Their distribution, elevation and relief are expected to hold information on (1) the extent of glacial occupation, (2) the mechanism of glacial cirque erosion, and (3) how glacial in concert with periglacial processes can limit peak altitude and mountain range height. While easily detectably for the expert's eye both in nature and on various representations of topography, their complicated nature makes them a nemesis for computer algorithms. Consequently, manual mapping of glacial cirques is commonplace in many mountain landscapes worldwide, but consistent datasets of cirque distribution and objectively mapped cirques and their morphometrical attributes are lacking. Among the biggest problems for algorithm development are the complexity in shape and the great variability of cirque size. For example, glacial cirques can be rather circular or longitudinal in extent, exist as individual and composite landforms, show prominent topographic depressions or can entirely be filled with water or sediment. For these reasons, attributes like circularity, size, drainage area and topology of landform elements (e.g. a flat floor surrounded by steep walls) have only a limited potential for automated cirque detection. Here we present a novel, geomorphometric method for automated identification of glacial cirques on digital elevation models that exploits their genetic bowl-like shape. First, we differentiate between glacial and fluvial terrain employing an algorithm based on a moving window approach and multi-scale curvature, which is also capable of fitting the analysis window to valley width. We then fit a plane to the valley stretch clipped by the analysis window and rotate the terrain around the center cell until the plane is level. Doing so, we produce sinks of considerable size if the clipped terrain represents a cirque, while no or only very small sinks

Potentially bioavailable ferrous iron nanoparticles in glacial sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hawkings, J.; Benning, L. G.; Raiswell, R.; Kaulich, B.; Araki, T.; Abyaneh, M.; Koch-Müller, M.; Stockdale, A.; Tranter, M.; Wadham, J.

2017-12-01

Iron (Fe) is an essential nutrient for marine phytoplankton, the primary producers of the ocean. Despite it being the fourth most abundant element in the Earth's crust, it is highly insoluble, due in part to its rapid oxidation from ferric (Fe2+) to ferrous phases (Fe3+), which often leads to the formation of nanoparticulate iron oxyhydroxide phases1. The insoluble nature of Fe in oxygenated waters means Fe limitation of primary producers is prevalent in 30-50% of the world's oceans, including areas of high biological productivity proximal to significant glacial activity (e.g., the Southern Ocean). Glaciers and ice sheets are a significant source of nanoparticulate Fe, which may be important in sustaining the high productivity observed in the near coastal regions proximal to glacial coverage. The reactivity of particulate iron is poorly understood, despite its importance in the ocean Fe inventory. Here we combined geochemical extractions, high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy to investigate the abundance, morphology and valence state of reactive iron in glacial sediments. Our results document the widespread occurrence of amorphous and Fe(II)-rich nanoparticles in glacial meltwaters and icebergs. Fe(II) is thought to be highly bioavailable in marine environments. We argue that glaciers and ice sheets are therefore able to supply potentially bioavailable Fe(II)-containing nanoparticulate material for downstream ecosystems, including those in a marine setting. The flux of bioavailable particulate iron from Arctic glaciers may increase as rising air temperatures lead to higher meltwater export.

Glacial isostatic stress shadowing by the Antarctic ice sheet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ivins, E. R.; James, T. S.; Klemann, V.

2005-01-01

Numerous examples of fault slip that offset late Quaternary glacial deposits and bedrock polish support the idea that the glacial loading cycle causes earthquakes in the upper crust. A semianalytical scheme is presented for quantifying glacial and postglacial lithospheric fault reactivation using contemporary rock fracture prediction methods. It extends previous studies by considering differential Mogi-von Mises stresses, in addition to those resulting from a Coulomb analysis. The approach utilizes gravitational viscoelastodynamic theory and explores the relationships between ice mass history and regional seismicity and faulting in a segment of East Antarctica containing the great Antarctic Plate (Balleny Island) earthquake of 25 March 1998 (Mw 8.1). Predictions of the failure stress fields within the seismogenic crust are generated for differing assumptions about background stress orientation, mantle viscosity, lithospheric thickness, and possible late Holocene deglaciation for the D91 Antarctic ice sheet history. Similar stress fracture fields are predicted by Mogi-von Mises and Coulomb theory, thus validating previous rebound Coulomb analysis. A thick lithosphere, of the order of 150-240 km, augments stress shadowing by a late melting (middle-late Holocene) coastal East Antarctic ice complex and could cause present-day earthquakes many hundreds of kilometers seaward of the former Last Glacial Maximum grounding line.

Conversation with Lara about the Earth and Land. (Spanish Title: Conversando con Lara sobre la Tierra y la Teirra.) Conversando com Lara sobre a Terra e a Terra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

da Conceição Barbosa-Lima, Maria

2010-12-01

The present article is the analysis of a conversation between the author and Lara, a four-yearold- girl, enrolled in nursery school, while she makes a drawing of the Earth. It took place outside school environment and without any other person around to avoid interference during the interview. According to Ferreira & Silva (2004), a researcher can only comprehend a child's drawing, or form, by listening to him/her while he/she is creating it. Lara presented the traditional flat drawing, picturing the sky parallel to the ground, as reported by Nardi & Carvalho (1996). However, when asked to draw the World - term used by Butterworth et al. (2002), in order to avoid unnecessary confusion - she represented it by a circle, with herself on the surface. Her drawings led to the conclusion that such girl does not know yet the World in which she lives is the Earth, and probably because of that, within her age and consequent maturity, she accurately differentiates the concepts of land and Earth. El presente artículo analiza una entrevista libre, mientras una niña de 4 años y 4 meses, matriculada en el pregrado, dibuja la Tierra. Esta entrevista se realizó fuera del ambiente escolar y sin otra persona alrededor que pudiera interferir. De acuerdo con Ferreira Silva (2004), para quien investiga es posible conocer realmente lo que un niño o una niña pone en el papel a través de grafismos y/o dibujos si se lo escucha durante el proceso de creación de la escritura con imágenes. La niña, en este caso, representa la Tierra con el tradicional dibujo plano y el "cielo" paralelo al suelo, conforme analizaron Nardi & Carvalho (1996). Pero, cuando se Le solicita dibujar el "Mundo" - palabra empleada en un trabajo de Butterworth et al. (2002), con intención de no provocar "confusiones" innecesarias a sus sujetos de investigación- lo representa de forma circular, poniéndose sobre su superficie. Sus dibujos llevan a concluir que esta niña aún no tiene conocimiento que el mundo

Central Equatorial Pacific Sea Surface Temperatures During the Last Glacial Maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monteagudo, M. M.; Lynch-Stieglitz, J.; Schmidt, M. W.

2017-12-01

The state of the tropical Pacific ocean-atmosphere system during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 19,000-23,000 years BP) remains an area of uncertainty. Spatial patterns of tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) offer insight into atmospheric circulation (i.e. Walker Circulation), however, few records exist for the Central Tropical Pacific (CTP). The few existing glacial CTP SST reconstructions indicate 1-2 °C of warming based on foraminiferal transfer functions (CLIMAP Project Members, 1976). In contrast, evidence from geochemical proxies (Mg/Ca, UK'37, TEX86) show 1-3.5 °C cooling in the eastern and western tropical Pacific (e.g. MARGO Project Members, 2009). In this study we present the first Mg/Ca estimates of glacial CTP SST from a meridional sediment core transect along the Line Islands Ridge (0-7°N, 156-162 °W). We use a time slice approach to establish the magnitude of glacial-interglacial SST change between the LGM (19,000-23,0000 years BP) and the Holocene (0-10,000 years BP) using Mg/Ca in the surface-dwelling foraminifera Globigerinoides ruber. Our results indicate cooling at all latitudes, ranging between 1.2-2.7 °C (Holocene-LGM SST). Northern cores (6.83-2.77 °N) exhibit a smaller glacial-interglacial SST difference than equatorial site 20BB at 1.27 °N. The data generated thus far suggest the glacial meridional SST gradient may have been steeper, possibly as a result of increased zonal winds, equatorial upwelling, or westward expansion of the Eastern Pacific Cold Tongue.

Glacial Hazards in Chile: Processes, Assessment, Mitigation and Risk Management Strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glasser, N. F.; Wilson, R.; Casassa, G., Sr.; Reynolds, J.; Harrison, S.; Shannon, S. R.; Schaefer, M.; Iribarran, P.

2017-12-01

Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) are capable of travelling considerable distances from their source and they represent one of the most important glacial hazards. In line with observations in other parts of the world, the frequency of GLOF events in Chile has increased in recent decades highlighting the need to quantify the flood risk posed to downstream areas. This poster presents the work of the `Glacial Hazards in Chile' project which aims to (1) better understand the processes that govern the development of GLOFs in Chile, (2) estimate the socio-economic effects of GLOFs in Chile, and (3) provide a GLOF risk assessment framework that can be applied to Chile and other lower income countries globally. As an initial step towards the completion of these aims, we have recently compiled the first glacial lake inventory for the central and Patagonian Andes, which details the temporal development of glacial lakes in this region over the past three decades. This analysis was used to identify two lakes of interest that were visited during a fieldwork expedition in February 2017. The first of these, Lago Chileno in Patagonia, has recently produced a large GLOF causing significant damage to the downstream floodplain, whilst the second was identified as one of the fastest growing lakes in the central Andes. Both these lakes were surveyed using aerial imagery acquired with a drone and a custom-built bathymetry boat, data from which will help to improve our understanding of the physical processes associated with glacial lake development and failure within the Chilean Andes.

New exposure ages for the Last Glacial Cycle in the Sanabria Lake region (northwestern Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Laura; Jiménez-Sánchez, Montserrat; Domínguez-Cuesta, María Jose; Rinterknecht, Vincent; Pallàs, Raimon; Braucher, Régis; Bourlès, Didier; Valero-Garcés, Blas

2013-04-01

., 2011. Last deglaciation in northwestern Spain: New chronological and geomorphologic evidence from the Sanabria region. Geomorphology 135, 48-65. Palacios, D., Andrés, N., Úbeda, J., Alcalá, J., Marcos, J., Vázquez-Selem, L., 2012. The importance of poligenic moraines in the paleoclimatic interpretation from cosmogenic dating. Geophysical Research Abstracts 14, EGU2012-3759-1. Pérez-Alberti, A., Valcárcel-Díaz, M., Martini, I.P., Pascucci, V., Andrucci, S., 2011. Upper Pleistocene glacial valley-junction sediments at Pias, Trevinca Mountains, NW Spain. In: Martini, I.P., French, H.M., Pérez-Alberti, A. (Eds.), Ice-Marginal and Periglacial Processes and Sediments. Geological Society (London) Special Publication 354, pp. 93-110. Research funded by the projects LIMNOCLIBER (REN2003-09130-C02-02), IBERLIMNO (CGL2005-20236-E/CLI), LIMNOCAL (CGL2006-13327-C04-01) and GRACCIE (CSD2007-00067) of the Spanish Inter-Ministry Commission of Science and Technology (CICYT). Additional funding was provided by the Fundación Patrimonio Natural de Castilla y León through the project "La investigacion en el Lago de Sanabria dentro del proyecto CALIBRE: perspectivas y posibilidades", and by the projects Consolider Ingenio 2006 (CSD2006-0041, Topo-Iberia), 2003 PIRA 00256, HF02.4, and RISKNAT (2009SGR520). L. Rodríguez-Rodríguez has developed her research under a Severo Ochoa Programme fellowship (FICYT- Asturias).

Are glacials "dry" - and in what sense?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheff, J.; Seager, R.; Coats, S.; Liu, H.

2016-12-01

Glacial maxima during the Pleistocene are generally thought to be arid on land, with a few regional exceptions. Recent work on future climate change, however, has found that different wetness-related variables have opposite-signed responses over large portions of the continents, belying simple ideas of local "drying" or "wetting" with global temperature change in models. Here, we show that this behavior extends to simulations of the Last Glacial Maximum as well: the continents are modeled to have generally wetter topsoils and higher values of standard climate-wetness metrics in the LGM than in the preindustrial, as well as generally lower precipitation and ubiquitously lower photosynthesis (likely driven by the low CO2), with the streamflow response falling in between. Is this model-derived view of the LGM an accurate one? Using a large community pollen and plant-fossil compilation, we confirm that LGM grasslands and open woodlands grew at many sites of present potential forest, seasonal or dry forests at many sites of present potential rain- or seasonal forests, and so forth, while changes in the opposite sense were extremely few and spatially confined. We show that this strongly resembles the simulated photosynthesis changes, but not the simulated streamflow or soil moisture changes. Meanwhile, published LGM lake-level estimates resemble the simulated streamflow changes, but not the photosynthesis changes. Thus, the last glacial does not appear to be systematically "dry" outside the high latitudes, but merely carbon-starved. Similarly, local findings of reduced or more open vegetation at the LGM (e.g. from pollen, carbon isotopes, or dustiness) do not indicate local "aridity" unless corroborating hydrological proxies are also found. Finally, this work suggests that glacial-era evidence of open vegetation with high lake levels (as in the eastern Mediterranean) is not odd or paradoxical, but entirely consistent with climate model output.

The early rise and late demise of New Zealand’s last glacial maximum

PubMed Central

Rother, Henrik; Fink, David; Shulmeister, James; Mifsud, Charles; Evans, Michael; Pugh, Jeremy

2014-01-01

Recent debate on records of southern midlatitude glaciation has focused on reconstructing glacier dynamics during the last glacial termination, with different results supporting both in-phase and out-of-phase correlations with Northern Hemisphere glacial signals. A continuing major weakness in this debate is the lack of robust data, particularly from the early and maximum phase of southern midlatitude glaciation (∼30–20 ka), to verify the competing models. Here we present a suite of 58 cosmogenic exposure ages from 17 last-glacial ice limits in the Rangitata Valley of New Zealand, capturing an extensive record of glacial oscillations between 28–16 ka. The sequence shows that the local last glacial maximum in this region occurred shortly before 28 ka, followed by several successively less extensive ice readvances between 26–19 ka. The onset of Termination 1 and the ensuing glacial retreat is preserved in exceptional detail through numerous recessional moraines, indicating that ice retreat between 19–16 ka was very gradual. Extensive valley glaciers survived in the Rangitata catchment until at least 15.8 ka. These findings preclude the previously inferred rapid climate-driven ice retreat in the Southern Alps after the onset of Termination 1. Our record documents an early last glacial maximum, an overall trend of diminishing ice volume in New Zealand between 28–20 ka, and gradual deglaciation until at least 15 ka. PMID:25071171

Simulated Last Glacial Maximum Δ14CATM and the Deep Glacial Ocean Reservoir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mariotti, V.; Paillard, D.; Roche, D. M.; Bouttes, N.; Bopp, L.

2012-12-01

Δ14Catm has been estimated at 420 ± 80‰ (INTCAL09) during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) compared to preindustrial times (0‰), but mechanisms explaining this difference are not yet resolved. Δ14Catm is a function of cosmogenic production in high atmosphere and of carbon cycling in the Earth system (through carbon exchange with the superficial reservoirs, ocean and continental biosphere). 10Be-based reconstructions show a contribution of the cosmogenic production term of only 200 ± 200‰ at the LGM. The remaining 220‰ of Δ14Catm variation between the LGM and preindustrial times have thus to be explained by changes in the carbon cycle. Recently, Bouttes et al. (2010) proposed to explain most of the difference in atmospheric pCO2 between glacial and interglacial times by brine-induced ocean stratification in the Southern Ocean. This mechanism involves the formation of very saline water masses that can store Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC) in the deep ocean. During glacial times, the sinking of brines is enhanced and more DIC is stored in the deep ocean, lowering atmospheric pCO2. Such an isolated ocean reservoir would be characterized by a low Δ14C signature. Evidence of such 14C-depleted deep waters during the LGM has recently been found in the Southern Ocean (Skinner et al., 2010). The degassing of this carbon with low Δ14C would then reduce Δ14Catm throughout the deglaciation. We have further developed the CLIMBER-2 model to include a cosmogenic production of 14C as well as an interactive atmospheric 14C reservoir. We investigate the role of both sinking of brines and cosmogenic production, alongside iron and vertical diffusion mechanisms to explain changes in Δ14Catm during the last deglaciation. In our simulations, not only the sinking of brine mechanism is consistent with past Δ14C data but also it explains most of the differences in atmospheric pCO2 and Δ14C between LGM and preindustrial times.

The Glacial BuzzSaw, Isostasy, and Global Crustal Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levander, A.; Oncken, O.; Niu, F.

2015-12-01

The glacial buzzsaw hypothesis predicts that maximum elevations in orogens at high latitudes are depressed relative to temperate latitudes, as maximum elevation and hypsography of glaciated orogens are functions of the glacial equilibrium line altitude (ELA) and the modern and last glacial maximum (LGM) snowlines. As a consequence crustal thickness, density, or both must change with increasing latitude to maintain isostatic balance. For Airy compensation crustal thickness should decrease toward polar latitudes, whereas for Pratt compensation crustal densities should increase. For similar convergence rates, higher latitude orogens should have higher grade, and presumably higher density rocks in the crustal column due to more efficient glacial erosion. We have examined a number of global and regional crustal models to see if these predictions appear in the models. Crustal thickness is straightforward to examine, crustal density less so. The different crustal models generally agree with one another, but do show some major differences. We used a standard tectonic classification scheme of the crust for data selection. The globally averaged orogens show crustal thicknesses that decrease toward high latitudes, almost reflecting topography, in both the individual crustal models and the models averaged together. The most convincing is the western hemisphere cordillera, where elevations and crustal thicknesses decrease toward the poles, and also toward lower latitudes (the equatorial minimum is at ~12oN). The elevation differences and Airy prediction of crustal thickness changes are in reasonable agreement in the North American Cordillera, but in South America the observed crustal thickness change is larger than the Airy prediction. The Alpine-Himalayan chain shows similar trends, however the strike of the chain makes interpretation ambiguous. We also examined cratons with ice sheets during the last glacial period to see if continental glaciation also thins the crust toward

A global perspective on Glacial- to Interglacial variability change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rehfeld, Kira; Münch, Thomas; Ho, Sze Ling; Laepple, Thomas

2017-04-01

Changes in climate variability are more important for society than changes in the mean state alone. While we will be facing a large-scale shift of the mean climate in the future, its implications for climate variability are not well constrained. Here we quantify changes in temperature variability as climate shifted from the Last Glacial cold to the Holocene warm period. Greenland ice core oxygen isotope records provide evidence of this climatic shift, and are used as reference datasets in many palaeoclimate studies worldwide. A striking feature in these records is pronounced millennial variability in the Glacial, and a distinct reduction in variance in the Holocene. We present quantitative estimates of the change in variability on 500- to 1500-year timescales based on a global compilation of high-resolution proxy records for temperature which span both the Glacial and the Holocene. The estimates are derived based on power spectral analysis, and corrected using estimates of the proxy signal-to-noise ratios. We show that, on a global scale, variability at the Glacial maximum is five times higher than during the Holocene, with a possible range of 3-10 times. The spatial pattern of the variability change is latitude-dependent. While the tropics show no changes in variability, mid-latitude changes are higher. A slight overall reduction in variability in the centennial to millennial range is found in Antarctica. The variability decrease in the Greenland ice core oxygen isotope records is larger than in any other proxy dataset. These results therefore contradict the view of a globally quiescent Holocene following the instable Glacial, and imply that, in terms of centennial to millennial temperature variability, the two states may be more similar than previously thought.

Development of a glacially dominated shelf-slope-fan system in tectonically active southeast Alaska: Results of IODP Expedition 341 core-log-seismic integrated studies at glacial cycle resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulick, Sean; Jaeger, John; Mix, Alan; Swartz, John; Worthington, Lindsay; Reece, Robert

2014-05-01

Collision of the Yakutat microplate with North American formed the St. Elias Mountains in coastal Gulf of Alaska. While the tectonic driver for orogenesis has been ongoing since the Miocene, results from the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 341 suggests that direct climatic perturbation of active orogenesis through glacial erosion is non-linear. Geophysical studies of the glaciated continental margin, slope, and adjacent deep-sea Surveyor Fan allow examination of the glaciated orogen from source to sink. Using high-resolution and crustal-scale seismic data and through comparison with other glaciated margins, we can identify key diagnostic seismic morphologies and facies indicative of glacial proximity and sediment routing. Expedition drilling results calibrated these images suggesting a timeline for initial advances of the Cordilleran ice sheet related glacial systems onto the shelf and a further timeline for the development of ice streams that reach the shelf edge. Comparisons can be made within this single margin between evolution of the tectonic-glacial system where erosion and sediment transport are occurring within a fold and thrust belt versus on a more stable shelf region. Onshore the Bering-Bagley glacial system in the west flows across the Yakataga fold and thrust belt, allowing examination of whether glacial erosion can cause tectonic feedbacks, whereas offshore the Bering-Bagley system interacts with the Pamplona Zone thrusts in a region of significant sediment accommodation. Results from Expedition 341 imply that timing of glacial advance to the shelf edge in this region may be driven by the necessity of filling up the accommodation through aggradation followed by progradation and thus is autogenic. In contrast the Malaspina-Hubbard glacial system to the east encountered significantly less accommodation and more directly responded to climatic forcing including showing outer shelf glacial occupation since the mid-Pleistocene transition-MPT to

Rock avalanche deposits in Alai Valley, Central Asia: misinterpretation of glacial record

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reznichenko, Natalya; Davies, Tim; Robinson, Tom; De Pascale, Gregory

2013-04-01

The reconstruction of Quaternary glaciations has been restricted by conventional approaches with resulting contradictions in interpretation of the regional glacial record, that recently have been subjected to critical re-evaluation. Along with uncertainties in dating techniques and their applicability to particular landforms (Kirkbride and Winkler, 2012), it has recently been demonstrated that the presence of rock avalanche debris in a landform can be unequivocally detected; this allows for the first time definitive identification of and distinction between glacial moraines and landslide deposits. It also identifies moraines that have formed due to rock avalanche deposition on glaciers, possibly with no associated climatic signal (Reznichenko et al., 2012). Confusion between landslide deposits and moraines is evident for ranges in Central Asia (e.g., Hewitt, 1999) where the least-studied glacial record is selectively correlated with established glacial chronologies in Alpine ranges, which in turn masks the actual glacial extent and their responses to climate change, tectonics and landsliding activity. We describe examples in the glaciated Alai Valley, large intermountain depression between the Zaalay Range of the Northern Pamir and the Alay Range of the Southern Tien-Shan, showing that some large Quaternary deposits classically interpreted as moraines are of rock avalanche origin. Sediment from these deposits has been tested for the presence of agglomerates that are only produced under high stress conditions during rock avalanche motion, and are absent from glacial sediments (Reznichenko et al., 2012). This reveals that morphologically-similar deposits have radically different geneses: rock avalanche origin for a deposit in the Komansu river catchment and glacial origin for deposits in the Ashiktash and Kyzylart catchments. The enormous Komansu rock avalanche deposit, probably triggered by a rupture of the Main Pamir thrust, currently covers about 100 km2 with a

Asymmetric Signature of Glacial Antarctic Intermediate Water in the Central South Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tapia, R.; Nuernberg, D.; Ho, S. L.; Lamy, F.; Ullermann, J.; Gersonde, R.; Tiedemann, R.

2017-12-01

Southern Ocean Intermediate Waters (SOIWs) play a key role in modulating the global climate on glacial-interglacial time scales as they connect the Southern Ocean and the tropics. Despite their importance, the past evolution of the SOIWs in the central South Pacific is largely unknown due to a dearth of sedimentary archives. Here we compare Mg/Ca-temperature, stable carbon and oxygen isotope records from surface-dwelling (G. bulloides) and deep-dwelling (G. inflata) planktic foraminifera at site PS75/059-2 (54°12.9' S, 125°25.53' W; recovery 13.98 m; 3.613 m water depth), located north of the modern Subantarctic Front. Our study focuses on the temperature and salinity variability controlled by SOIWs, which were subducted at the Subantarctic Front during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 29-17ka BP) and the Penultimate Glacial Maximum (PGM; 180-150ka BP). During both glacial periods conditions at the subsurface ocean were colder and fresher relative to the Holocene (<10ka) suggesting an enhanced presence of SOIWs. In spite of the comparable subsurface cooling during both glacial, the subsurface ocean during the PGM was saltier and 0.35‰ more depleted in δ13C in comparison to the LGM. Interestingly, the mean δ13C value of the PGM is comparable to the Carbon Isotope Minimum Events, which might suggests a larger contribution of "old" low δ13C deep waters to the study site during the PGM. A Latitudinal comparison of subsurface proxies suggests glacial asymmetries in the advection of SOIWs into the central Pacific, plausibly related to glacial changes in the convection depth of SOIWs at the South Antarctic Front area rather than changes in production of the SOIWs.

Rapid Expansion of Glacial Lakes Caused by Climate and Glacier Retreat in the Central Himalayas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, W.

2016-12-01

Glacial lake outburst floods are among the most serious natural hazards in the Himalayas. Such floods are of high scientific and political importance because they exert trans-boundary impacts on bordering countries. The preparation of an updated inventory of glacial lakes and the analysis of their evolution are an important first step in assessment of hazards from glacial lake outbursts. Here, we report the spatiotemporal developments of the glacial lakes in the Poiqu River basin, a trans-boundary basin in the Central Himalayas, from 1976 to 2010 based on multi-temporal Landsat images. Studied glacial lakes are classified as glacierfed lakes and non-glacier-fed lakes according to their hydrologic connection to glacial watersheds. A total of 119 glacial lakes larger than 0.01 km2 with an overall surface area of 20.22 km2 (±10.8%) were mapped in 2010, with glacier-fed lakes being predominant in both number (69, 58.0%) and area (16.22 km2, 80.2%). We found that lakes connected to glacial watersheds (glacier-fed lakes) significantly expanded (122.1%) from 1976 to 2010, whereas lakes not connected to glacial watersheds (non-glacier-fed lakes) remained stable (+2.8%) during the same period. This contrast can be attributed to the impact of glaciers. Retreating glaciers not only supply meltwater to lakes but also leave space for them to expand. Compared with other regions of the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH), the lake area per glacier area in the Poiqu River basin was the highest. This observation might be attributed to the different climate regimes and glacier status along the HKH. The results presented in this study confirm the significant role of glacier retreat on the evolution of glacial lakes.

Influence of glacial meltwater on global seawater δ234U

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arendt, Carli A.; Aciego, Sarah M.; Sims, Kenneth W. W.; Das, Sarah B.; Sheik, Cody; Stevenson, Emily I.

2018-03-01

We present the first published uranium-series measurements from modern Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) runoff and proximal seawater, and investigate the influence of glacial melt on global seawater δ234U over glacial-interglacial (g-ig) timescales. Climate reconstructions based on closed-system uranium-thorium (U/Th) dating of fossil corals assume U chemistry of seawater has remained stable over time despite notable fluctuations in major elemental compositions, concentrations, and isotopic compositions of global seawater on g-ig timescales. Deglacial processes increase weathering, significantly increasing U-series concentrations and changing the δ234U of glacial meltwater. Analyses of glacial discharge from GrIS outlet glaciers indicate that meltwater runoff has elevated U concentrations and differing 222Rn concentrations and δ234U compositions, likely due to variations in subglacial residence time. Locations with high δ234U have the potential to increase proximal seawater δ234U. To better understand the impact of bulk glacial melt on global seawater δ234U over time, we use a simple box model to scale these processes to periods of extreme deglaciation. We account for U fluxes from the GrIS, Antarctica, and large Northern Hemisphere Continental Ice Sheets, and assess sensitivity by varying melt volumes, duration and U flux input rates based on modern subglacial water U concentrations and compositions. All scenarios support the hypothesis that global seawater δ234U has varied by more than 1‰ through time as a function of predictable perturbations in continental U fluxes during g-ig periods.

Hazard and Risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in the Nepal Himalayas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rounce, David; McKinney, Daene

2016-04-01

As the climate changes and glaciers continue to melt, the number of glacial lakes and the size of these lakes is rapidly increasing. These glacial lakes are contained by terminal moraines composed of debris, soil, and sometimes ice, which are susceptible to fail catastrophically and cause a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). Understanding the hazard and risk associated with these lakes is important for downstream communities and other stakeholders, e.g., hydroelectric companies. Unfortunately, existing methods that are used to assess GLOF hazards yield conflicting classifications, which leads to confusion amongst the stakeholders who these studies are meant to assist. This study assesses existing methods on potentially dangerous glacial lakes in Nepal and uses these methods to develop an objective and holistic risk & action framework that may be used to assist and prioritize risk-mitigation actions.

Cosmogenic evidence for limited local LGM glacial expansion, Denton Hills, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joy, Kurt; Fink, David; Storey, Bryan; De Pascale, Gregory P.; Quigley, Mark; Fujioka, Toshiyuki

2017-12-01

The geomorphology of the Denton Hills provides insight into the timing and magnitude of glacial retreats in a region of Antarctica isolated from the influence of the East Antarctic ice sheet. We present 26 Beryllium-10 surface exposure ages from a variety of glacial and lacustrine features in the Garwood and Miers valleys to document the glacial history of the area from 10 to 286 ka. Our data show that the cold-based Miers, Joyce and Garwood glaciers retreated little since their maximum positions at 37.2 ± 6.9 (1σ n = 4), 35.1 ± 1.5 (1σ, n = 3) and 35.6 ± 10.1 (1σ, n = 6) ka respectively. The similar timing of advance of all three glaciers and the lack of a significant glacial expansion during the global LGM suggests a local LGM for the Denton Hills between ca. 26 and 51 ka, with a mean age of 36.0 ± 7.5 (1σ, n = 13) ka. A second cohort of exposure ages provides constraints to the behaviour of Glacial Lake Trowbridge that formerly occupied Miers Valley in the late Pleistocene. These data show active modification of the landscape from ∼20 ka until the withdrawal of ice from the valley mouths, and deposition of Ross Sea Drift, at 10-14 ka.

The Glacial-Interglacial Monsoon Recorded by Speleothems from Sulawesi, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kimbrough, A. K.; Gagan, M. K.; Dunbar, G. B.; Krause, C.; Hantoro, W. S.; Cheng, H.; Edwards, R. L.; Shen, C. C.; Sun, H.; Cai, B.; Hellstrom, J. C.; Rifai, H.

2015-12-01

The Indo-Pacific Warm Pool is a primary source of heat and moisture to the global atmosphere and a key player in tropical and global climate variability. There is mounting evidence that atmospheric convection and oceanic processes in the tropics can modulate global climate on orbital and sub-orbital timescales. Glacial-interglacial cycles represent the largest natural climate changes over the last 800 kyr with each cycle terminated by rapid global warming and sea level rise. Our understanding of the role and response of tropical atmospheric convection during these periods of dramatic warming is limited. We present the first speleothem paleomonsoon record for southwest Sulawesi (5ºS, 119ºE), spanning two glacial-interglacial cycles, including glacial termination IV (~340 kyr BP) and both phases of termination III (~248 and ~220 kyr BP). This unique record is constructed from multiple stalagmites from two separate caves and is based on a multi-proxy approach (δ18O, δ13C, Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca) that provides insight into the mechanisms controlling Australian-Indonesian summer monsoon variability. Speleothem δ18O and trace element data indicate a rapid increase in rainfall at glacial terminations and wet interglacials. Terminations IV, III, and I are each characterized by an abrupt 3‰ decrease in δ18O. Variability in δ18O leading-in to glacial terminations is also similar, and corresponds to October insolation. Prior to deglaciation, there is a distinct shift to higher δ18O that is synchronized with weak monsoon intervals in Chinese speleothem records. The remarkably consistent pattern among terminations implies that the response of tropical convection to changing background climates is well regulated. Furthermore, we find that speleothem δ13C leads δ18O by ~5 kyr during glacial terminations. The early decrease in speleothem δ13C may reflect the response of tropical vegetation to rising atmospheric CO2 and temperature, rather than regional changes in rainfall.

Pleistocene glacial evolution of Fuentes Carrionas (Cantabrian Range, NW Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pellitero, Ramon

2014-05-01

Fuentes Carrionas is a massif situated at the N of Spain, between Castilla y Leon and Cantabria regions. It is the second highest mountain massif of the Cantabrian Range after Picos de Europa, with peaks over 2500 m.a.s.l. and valleys well over 1000 m.a.s.l. Fuentes Carrionas was glaciated during Quaternary, and even during the Holocene and as far as Little Ice Age the presence of glaciers, or at least permafrost is controversial. Results from glacial geomorphology analysis of Fuentes Carrionas Massif are presented. Based on the interpretation of glacial landforms, glacial evolution since the Last Glacial Maximum until Pleistocene deglaciation is described. Four different glacial equilibrium phases are identified, the last one divided into two pulsations. Deglaciation process took place between 36 ka BP and 11 ka BP. Local Last Glacial Maximum is dated back to 36-38 ka. BP, therefore earlier than LGM. Glaciers reached 15 km. long and occupied valleys down to 1250 m.a.s.l. during this phase. By European LGM (20-18 ka.BP) glaciers had substantially retreated to fronts about 1700 m.a.s.l. A final stage with two marked pulsations shows only small glaciers located at cirques above 2000 m.a.s.l. and, finally, only small cirque glaciers at North and Northeast orientation above 2200 m.a.s.l. Both these phases have been correlated to Oldest and Younger Dryas, although no dates have been done yet. A palaeoenvironmental reconstruction is proposed, based on ELA (Equilibrium Line Altitude) rise. ELA has been calculated with the AAR method and 0.67 ratio. This reconstruction shows that temperatures ranged between 9°C and 10°C lower than present ones at the end of Pleistocene, depending on a precipitations variation between 30% higher and 20% lower than current ones. Further research will focus on these retreat phases, especially on Younger Dryas identification and reconstruction for this site and the rest of Cantabrian Range.

Beryllium-10 dating of the duration and retreat of the last pinedale glacial sequence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gosse, J.C.; Klein, J.; Evenson, E.B.

Accurate terrestrial glacial chronologies are needed for comparison with the marine record to establish the dynamics of global climate change during transitions from glacial to interglacial regimes. Cosmogenic beryllium-10 measurements in the Wind River Range indicate that the last glacial maximum (marine oxygen isotope stage 2) was achieved there by 21,700 {+-} 700 beryllium-10 years and lasted 5900 years. Ages of a sequence of recessional moraines and striated bedrock surfaces show that the initial deglaciation was rapid and that the entire glacial system retreated 33 kilometers to the cirque basin by 12,100 {+-} 500 beryllium-10 years.

Massive remobilization of permafrost carbon during post-glacial warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tesi, T.; Muschitiello, F.; Smittenberg, R. H.; Jakobsson, M.; Vonk, J. E.; Hill, P.; Andersson, A.; Kirchner, N.; Noormets, R.; Dudarev, O.; Semiletov, I.; Gustafsson, Ö.

2016-11-01

Recent hypotheses, based on atmospheric records and models, suggest that permafrost carbon (PF-C) accumulated during the last glaciation may have been an important source for the atmospheric CO2 rise during post-glacial warming. However, direct physical indications for such PF-C release have so far been absent. Here we use the Laptev Sea (Arctic Ocean) as an archive to investigate PF-C destabilization during the last glacial-interglacial period. Our results show evidence for massive supply of PF-C from Siberian soils as a result of severe active layer deepening in response to the warming. Thawing of PF-C must also have brought about an enhanced organic matter respiration and, thus, these findings suggest that PF-C may indeed have been an important source of CO2 across the extensive permafrost domain. The results challenge current paradigms on the post-glacial CO2 rise and, at the same time, serve as a harbinger for possible consequences of the present-day warming of PF-C soils.

Tectonic control on the persistence of glacially sculpted topography

PubMed Central

Prasicek, Günther; Larsen, Isaac J.; Montgomery, David R.

2015-01-01

One of the most fundamental insights for understanding how landscapes evolve is based on determining the extent to which topography was shaped by glaciers or by rivers. More than 104 years after the last major glaciation the topography of mountain ranges worldwide remains dominated by characteristic glacial landforms such as U-shaped valleys, but an understanding of the persistence of such landforms is lacking. Here we use digital topographic data to analyse valley shapes at sites worldwide to demonstrate that the persistence of U-shaped valleys is controlled by the erosional response to tectonic forcing. Our findings indicate that glacial topography in Earth's most rapidly uplifting mountain ranges is rapidly replaced by fluvial topography and hence valley forms do not reflect the cumulative action of multiple glacial periods, implying that the classic physiographic signature of glaciated landscapes is best expressed in, and indeed limited by, the extent of relatively low-uplift terrain. PMID:26271245

Sedimentological Characteristics and Classification of Depositional Processes and Deposits in the Glacial Environment,

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-12-01

I characteristics and classification of depositional processes and d,4, r -%sits in the glacial environment C",. 44k (1-I J For conversion of SI metric...Discussion with Dr. John Shaw, Dr. Geoffrey Boulton, Dr. David Croot and Dr. Ross Powell helped considerably in formulating ideas presented in this report...glacial or non- glacial origins of diamictites of Precambrian and COMPARISON OF MELT-OUT other ages (e.g., Schermerhorn 1974, Edwards AND SEDIMENT FLOW

Assessing glacial lake outburst flood risk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kougkoulos, Ioannis; Cook, Simon; Jomelli, Vincent; Clarke, Leon; Symeonakis, Elias

2017-04-01

Glaciers across the world are thinning and receding in response to atmospheric warming. Glaciers tend to erode subglacial basins and deposit eroded materials around their margins as lateral-frontal terminal moraines. Recession into these basins and behind impounding moraines causes meltwater to pond as proglacial and supraglacial lakes. Consequently, there has been a general trend of increasing number and size of these lakes associated with glacier melting in many mountainous regions around the globe, in the last 30 years. Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) then may occur where the glacial lake dam (ice, rock, moraine, or combination thereof) is breached, or overtopped, and thousands of people have lost their lives to such events in the last few decades, especially in the Andes and in the Himalaya. Given the ongoing and arguably increasing risk posed to downstream communities, and infrastructure, there has been a proliferation of GLOF studies, with many seeking to estimate GLOF hazard or risk in specific regions, or to identify 'potentially dangerous glacial lakes'. Given the increased scientific interest in GLOFs, it is timely to evaluate critically the ways in which GLOF risk has been assessed previously, and whether there are improvements that can be made to the ways in which risk assessment is achieved. We argue that, whilst existing GLOF hazard and risk assessments have been extremely valuable they often suffer from a number of key shortcomings that can be addressed by using different techniques as multi-criteria decision analysis and hydraulic modelling borrowed from disciplines like engineering, remote sensing and operations research.

Decadal-scale climate drivers for glacial dynamics in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pederson, G.T.; Fagre, D.B.; Gray, S.T.; Graumlich, L.J.

2004-01-01

Little Ice Age (14th-19th centuries A.D.) glacial maxima and 20th century retreat have been well documented in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. However, the influence of regional and Pacific Basin driven climate variability on these events is poorly understood. We use tree-ring reconstructions of North Pacific surface temperature anomalies and summer drought as proxies for winter glacial accumulation and summer ablation, respectively, over the past three centuries. These records show that the 1850's glacial maximum was likely produced by ???70 yrs of cool/wet summers coupled with high snowpack. Post 1850, glacial retreat coincides with an extended period (>50 yr) of summer drought and low snowpack culminating in the exceptional events of 1917 to 1941 when retreat rates for some glaciers exceeded 100 m/yr. This research highlights potential local and ocean-based drivers of glacial dynamics, and difficulties in separating the effects of global climate change from regional expressions of decadal-scale climate variability. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.

Pollen record of the penultimate glacial period in Yuchi Basin, Central Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Hsiao-Yin; Liew, Ping-Mei

2010-05-01

Pollen records of the penultimate glacial period are scare not only in Taiwan, but also in East Asia area. Hence, this study intends to provide a new pollen record from a site, Yuchi Basin, in central Taiwan, which may improve our knowledge of the penultimate glacial period. The sediment core, CTN6, was drilled in the northern part of Yuchi Basin. The core is 29.4 m in length and the sampling interval is 10 cm. In total, 86 samples are processed for pollen analysis. Three pollen zones (I,II and III) are determined according to the ratio of arboreal pollens (AP) and non-arboreal pollens (NAP). Because of the scarcity of dating data, pollen assemblages compared with previous pollen records at peripheral areas is utilized to estimate the ages of each pollen zone. AP dominate (60%) Zone I and III, which consist mainly of Cyclobalanopsis-Castanopsis. Thus, Zone I may mark the MIS 5 because of a Cyclobalanopsis-Castanopsis dominant condition. In Zone II, the increase in NAP and pollen of Taxodiaceae and decrease in pollens of Cyclobalanopsis-Castanopsis indicates the penultimate glacial period, i.e. MIS 6. In contrast to the evergreen broadleaved forest found there today, the herbs occupied the basin in Zone II, indicating a relatively dry climate condition than present. Furthermore, during the penultimate glacial period, the climate condition of early part is wetter, evidenced by a higher AP/NAP in Zone IIb. Finally, comparing with the last glacial period in Toushe, we suggest that the penultimate glacial period is drier due to the lower AP/NAP.

Role of Southern Ocean stratification in glacial atmospheric CO2 reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, H.; Oka, A.

2014-12-01

Paleoclimate proxy data at the glacial period shows high salinity of more than 37.0 psu in the deep South Atlantic. At the same time, data also indicate that the residence time of the water mass was more than 3000 years. These data implies that the stratification by salinity was stronger in the deep Southern Ocean (SO) in the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Previous studies using Ocean General Circulation Model (OGCM) fail to explain the low glacial atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration at LGM. The reproducibility of salinity and water mass age is considered insufficient in these OGCMs, which may in turn affect the reproducibility of the atmospheric CO2concentration. In coarse-resolution OGCMs, The deep water is formed by unrealistic open-ocean deep convection in the SO. Considering these facts, we guessed previous studies using OGCM underestimated the salinity and water mass age at LGM. This study investigate the role of the enhanced stratification in the glacial SO on the variation of atmospheric CO2 concentration by using OGCM. In order to reproduce the recorded salinity of the deep water, relaxation of salinity toward value of recorded data is introduced in our OGCM simulations. It was found that deep water formation in East Antarctica is required for explaining the high salinity in the South Atlantic. In contrast, it is difficult to explain the glacial water mass age, even if we assume the situation vertical mixing is very weak in the SO. Contrary to previous estimate, the high salinity of the deep SO resulted in increase of Antarctic Bottom water (AABW) flow and decrease the residence time of carbon in the deep ocean, which increased atmospheric CO2 concentration. On the other hand, the weakening of the vertical mixing in the SO contributed to increase the vertical gradient of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), which decreased atmospheric CO2 concentration. Adding the contribution of the enhanced stratification in the glacial SO, we obtained larger

Sediment core and glacial environment reconstruction - a method review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakke, Jostein; Paasche, Øyvind

2010-05-01

Alpine glaciers are often located in remote and high-altitude regions of the world, areas that only rarely are covered by instrumental records. Reconstructions of glaciers has therefore proven useful for understanding past climate dynamics on both shorter and longer time-scales. One major drawback with glacier reconstructions based solely on moraine chronologies - by far the most common -, is that due to selective preservation of moraine ridges such records do not exclude the possibility of multiple Holocene glacier advances. This problem is true regardless whether cosmogenic isotopes or lichenometry have been used to date the moraines, or also radiocarbon dating of mega-fossils buried in till or underneath the moraines themselves. To overcome this problem Karlén (1976) initially suggested that glacial erosion and the associated production of rock-flour deposited in downstream lakes could provide a continuous record of glacial fluctuations, hence overcoming the problem of incomplete reconstructions. We want to discuss the methods used to reconstruct past glacier activity based on sediments deposited in distal glacier-fed lakes. By quantifying physical properties of glacial and extra-glacial sediments deposited in catchments, and in downstream lakes and fjords, it is possible to isolate and identify past glacier activity - size and production rate - that subsequently can be used to reconstruct changing environmental shifts and trends. Changes in average sediment evacuation from alpine glaciers are mainly governed by glacier size and the mass turnover gradient, determining the deformation rate at any given time. The amount of solid precipitation (mainly winter accumulation) versus loss due to melting during the ablation-season (mainly summer temperature) determines the mass turnover gradient in either positive or negative direction. A prevailing positive net balance will lead to higher sedimentation rates and vice versa, which in turn can be recorded in downstream

Glacial/interglacial changes in subarctic north pacific stratification.

PubMed

Jaccard, S L; Haug, G H; Sigman, D M; Pedersen, T F; Thierstein, H R; Röhl, U

2005-05-13

Since the first evidence of low algal productivity during ice ages in the Antarctic Zone of the Southern Ocean was discovered, there has been debate as to whether it was associated with increased polar ocean stratification or with sea-ice cover, shortening the productive season. The sediment concentration of biogenic barium at Ocean Drilling Program site 882 indicates low algal productivity during ice ages in the Subarctic North Pacific as well. Site 882 is located southeast of the summer sea-ice extent even during glacial maxima, ruling out sea-ice-driven light limitation and supporting stratification as the explanation, with implications for the glacial cycles of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration.

Core-seismic investigation of Surveyor Channel tributaries: Glacial history of the southern Alaskan margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Somchat, K.; Reece, R.; Gulick, S. P. S.; Asahi, H.; Mix, A. C.

2016-12-01

The low angle subduction and collision of the Yakutat microplate with the North America Plate created, and continues to contribute to the uplift of the Chugach-St. Elias Range. This heavily glaciated, high topography proximal to the shoreline creates a unique source-to-sink system in which glacial sediment is transported and preserved offshore in a deep sea fan without much interruption. The product of this sediment is the Surveyor Fan and Channel system. Four tributary channels form the head of the Surveyor Channel complex and merge into the main channel trunk 200 km from the shelf edge. We integrate drill core and seismic reflection data to study the evolution of these tributaries in order to decipher glacial history of the southern Alaskan margin since the mid-Pleistocene (1.2 Ma). Updated age models from Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 341 Sites U1417 and U1418 provide a higher resolution chronology of sediment delivery to the Surveyor Fan than previous studies. We regionally extended the mapping of seismic subunits previously identified by Exp. 341 scientists at sites U1417 and U1418 and analyzed regional patterns of sediment deposition. Two-way travel time (isopach) maps of the three subunits show a trend of sediment depocenter shifting to the east since 1.2 Ma, where the Yakutat and Alsek tributaries have increasing sediment flux through time. Changes in sediment flux in each system represent the changes in locations and amplitudes of glacial ice over successive glacial intervals. Additionally, seismic analysis of channel geomorphology shows that each system contains distinct geomorphological evolutions. Since glacial erosion provides the sediment for the fan, the history of glacial ice onshore can be inferred from seismic geomorphology, where changes in glacial ice affect sediment supply and therefore shifts in depocenters and sedimentation pathways. This study shows an interaction between glacial activity onshore and deep sea fan sediment

Continuous proxy measurements reveal large mercury fluxes from glacial and forested watersheds in Alaska.

PubMed

Vermilyea, Andrew W; Nagorski, Sonia A; Lamborg, Carl H; Hood, Eran W; Scott, Durelle; Swarr, Gretchen J

2017-12-01

In this study, a stream from a glacially dominated watershed and one from a wetland, temperate forest dominated watershed in southeast Alaska were continuously monitored for turbidity and fluorescence from dissolved organic matter (FDOM) while grab samples for unfiltered (UTHg), particulate (PTHg), and filtered mercury (FTHg) where taken over three 4-day periods (May snowmelt, July glacial melt, and September rainy season) during 2010. Strong correlations were found between FDOM and UTHg concentrations in the wetland, temperate forest watershed (r 2 =0.81), while turbidity and UTHg were highly correlated in the glacially dominated watershed (r 2 =0.82). Both of these parameters (FDOM and turbidity) showed stronger correlations than concentration-discharge relationships for UTHg (r 2 =0.55 for glacial stream, r 2 =0.38 for wetland/forest stream), thus allowing for a more precise determination of temporal variability in UTHg concentrations and fluxes. The association of mercury with particles and dissolved organic matter (DOM) appears to depend on the watershed characteristics, such as physical weathering and biogeochemical processes regulating mercury transport. Thus employing watershed-specific proxies for UTHg (such as FDOM and turbidity) can be effective for quantifying mercury export from watersheds with variable landcover. The UTHg concentration in the forest/wetland stream was consistently higher than in the glacial stream, in which most of the mercury was associated with particles; however, due to the high specific discharge from the glacial stream during the melt season, the watershed area normalized flux of mercury from the glacial stream was 3-6 times greater than the wetland/forest stream for the three sampling campaigns. The annual specific flux for the glacial watershed was 19.9gUTHgkm -2 y -1 , which is higher than any non-mining impacted stream measured to date. This finding indicates that glacial watersheds of southeast Alaska may be important

Quaternary geology of the Boston area: Glacial events from Lake Charles to Lake Aberjona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stone, Byron D.; Lane, John W.

2014-01-01

The multiple-glacial and glaciomarine Quaternary history of the Boston, Massachusetts area has been known generally since the earliest studies of the then newly recognized glacial deposits described by Prof. Louis Agassiz in the late1840’s and fossil marine shells in the drift in the 1850’s. Attention then turned to possible glacial erosional effects on the preglacial bedrock physiography, as related to rock units and structure, and to the challenges of defining useful physical and lithic characteristics of the drift by Prof. W.O. Crosby and others, 1880-1900. The problems of deducing the relative stratigraphic order among such small, fossil-barren surficial sedimentary deposits, and extending knowledge gained from studies of postulated ancient glacial lakes to a regional understanding of the history of many lakes during the retreat of the ice sheet required field work and use of geologic maps. With the advent of modern topographic maps in the 1880’s, the early period of discovery included field studies of glacial lake deposits in local river basins in the Boston region, basins that drain northward, thereby creating glacial lake basins dammed by the ice margin as it retreated to the north. Guided by M.I.T. and Harvard professors W.O. Crosby, N.S. Shaler, J.B. Woodworth, W.M. Davis, and others in the 1880-1920 period, the first Quaternary glacial stratigraphers were students (e.g. Crosby and Grabau, 1896, Clapp, 1905, Fuller 1905, Goldthwaite 1906, Grabau, 1906, Taylor, Tight).

Monitoring the dynamics of glacial lakes in the High Mountain Asia region through time series Landsat images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, M.; Chen, F.

2017-12-01

Glacial lakes have been developing dramatically in the High Mountain Asia (HMA) region associated with human activities and persistent climatic warming. This leads to increased probability of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF), pose potential threats to the downstream lives and properties of people. However, comprehensive information is lacking about the annual distribution, evolution and the driving mechanism of glacial lakes in the entire HMA due to the low accessibility and harsh natural conditions, with most studies focused either on certain portion of this region or at most several time intervals effort at monitoring glacial lakes at coarse resolution remote sensing. In this research, we produce yearly map of glacial lake extents in HMA from 2008 to 2016 using Landsat series satellites images, and further study the formation, distribution and dynamics of glacial lakes. In total 6197 and 8256 glacial lakes were detected in 2008 and 2016, respectively, mainly located at altitudes between 4400 m and 5600 m. The annual expansion rate is approximately 4.68 % from 2008 to 2016. To explore the cause of rapid expansion for some typical glacial lakes, we investigated their changing patterns through long-term expansion rates measured from change in shoreline positions. The results show that glacial lake expansion rates at some points change substantially (> 30 m/yr) and the formation of proglacial lakes may be dominated by different orientation-driving forces from parent glacier. The accelerating rate of ice and snow melting from glacier caused by global warming are primary contributor to glacial lake growth. The results may provide information for understanding the mechanism of lake dynamics, which also facilitate the scientific recognition of the potential glacial lakes hazards in this region.

Effect of en-glacial water on ice sheet temperatures in a warming climate - a model approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, T. P.; Rajaram, H.; Steffen, K.

2009-12-01

Each summer, significant amount of melt is generated in the ablation zones of large glaciers and ice sheets. This melt does not run off on the surface of the glacier or ice sheet. In fact a significant fraction enters the glacier and flows through en-glacial and sub-glacial hydrologic systems. Correspondingly, the en-glacial and sub-glacial hydrologic systems are brought to a temperature close to the pressure melting point of ice. The thermal influence of these hydrologic processes is seldom incorporated in heat transfer models for glaciers and ice sheets. In a warming climate, as melt water generation is amplified, en-glacial and sub-glacial hydrologic processes can influence the thermal dynamics of an ice sheet significantly, a feedback which is missed in current models. Although the role of refreezing melt water in the firn of the accumulation zone is often accounted for to explain warmer near-surface temperatures, the role of melt water flow within a glacier is not considered in large ice sheet models. We propose a simple parameterization of the influence of en-glacial and sub-glacial hydrology on the thermal dynamics of ice sheets, in the form of a dual-column model. Our model basically modifies the classical Budd column model for temperature variations in ice sheets by introducing an interaction with an en-glacial column, where the temperature is brought to the melting point during the melt season, and winter-time refreezing is influenced by latent heat effects associated with water retained within the en-glacial and sub-glacial systems. A cryo-hydraulic heat exchange coefficient ς is defined, as a parameter that quantifies this interaction. The parameter ς is related to k/R^2, where R is the characteristic spacing between en-glacial passages. The general behavior of the dual-column model is influenced by the competition between cooling by horizontal advection and warming by cryo-hydraulic exchange. We present a dimensionless parameter to quantify this

Millennial Climatic Fluctuations Are Key to the Structure of Last Glacial Ecosystems

PubMed Central

Huntley, Brian; Allen, Judy R. M.; Collingham, Yvonne C.; Hickler, Thomas; Lister, Adrian M.; Singarayer, Joy; Stuart, Anthony J.; Sykes, Martin T.; Valdes, Paul J.

2013-01-01

Whereas fossil evidence indicates extensive treeless vegetation and diverse grazing megafauna in Europe and northern Asia during the last glacial, experiments combining vegetation models and climate models have to-date simulated widespread persistence of trees. Resolving this conflict is key to understanding both last glacial ecosystems and extinction of most of the mega-herbivores. Using a dynamic vegetation model (DVM) we explored the implications of the differing climatic conditions generated by a general circulation model (GCM) in “normal” and “hosing” experiments. Whilst the former approximate interstadial conditions, the latter, designed to mimic Heinrich Events, approximate stadial conditions. The “hosing” experiments gave simulated European vegetation much closer in composition to that inferred from fossil evidence than did the “normal” experiments. Given the short duration of interstadials, and the rate at which forest cover expanded during the late-glacial and early Holocene, our results demonstrate the importance of millennial variability in determining the character of last glacial ecosystems. PMID:23613985

Millennial climatic fluctuations are key to the structure of last glacial ecosystems.

PubMed

Huntley, Brian; Allen, Judy R M; Collingham, Yvonne C; Hickler, Thomas; Lister, Adrian M; Singarayer, Joy; Stuart, Anthony J; Sykes, Martin T; Valdes, Paul J

2013-01-01

Whereas fossil evidence indicates extensive treeless vegetation and diverse grazing megafauna in Europe and northern Asia during the last glacial, experiments combining vegetation models and climate models have to-date simulated widespread persistence of trees. Resolving this conflict is key to understanding both last glacial ecosystems and extinction of most of the mega-herbivores. Using a dynamic vegetation model (DVM) we explored the implications of the differing climatic conditions generated by a general circulation model (GCM) in "normal" and "hosing" experiments. Whilst the former approximate interstadial conditions, the latter, designed to mimic Heinrich Events, approximate stadial conditions. The "hosing" experiments gave simulated European vegetation much closer in composition to that inferred from fossil evidence than did the "normal" experiments. Given the short duration of interstadials, and the rate at which forest cover expanded during the late-glacial and early Holocene, our results demonstrate the importance of millennial variability in determining the character of last glacial ecosystems.

The seasonal sea-ice zone in the glacial Southern Ocean as a carbon sink.

PubMed

Abelmann, Andrea; Gersonde, Rainer; Knorr, Gregor; Zhang, Xu; Chapligin, Bernhard; Maier, Edith; Esper, Oliver; Friedrichsen, Hans; Lohmann, Gerrit; Meyer, Hanno; Tiedemann, Ralf

2015-09-18

Reduced surface-deep ocean exchange and enhanced nutrient consumption by phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean have been linked to lower glacial atmospheric CO2. However, identification of the biological and physical conditions involved and the related processes remains incomplete. Here we specify Southern Ocean surface-subsurface contrasts using a new tool, the combined oxygen and silicon isotope measurement of diatom and radiolarian opal, in combination with numerical simulations. Our data do not indicate a permanent glacial halocline related to melt water from icebergs. Corroborated by numerical simulations, we find that glacial surface stratification was variable and linked to seasonal sea-ice changes. During glacial spring-summer, the mixed layer was relatively shallow, while deeper mixing occurred during fall-winter, allowing for surface-ocean refueling with nutrients from the deep reservoir, which was potentially richer in nutrients than today. This generated specific carbon and opal export regimes turning the glacial seasonal sea-ice zone into a carbon sink.

The seasonal sea-ice zone in the glacial Southern Ocean as a carbon sink

PubMed Central

Abelmann, Andrea; Gersonde, Rainer; Knorr, Gregor; Zhang, Xu; Chapligin, Bernhard; Maier, Edith; Esper, Oliver; Friedrichsen, Hans; Lohmann, Gerrit; Meyer, Hanno; Tiedemann, Ralf

2015-01-01

Reduced surface–deep ocean exchange and enhanced nutrient consumption by phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean have been linked to lower glacial atmospheric CO2. However, identification of the biological and physical conditions involved and the related processes remains incomplete. Here we specify Southern Ocean surface–subsurface contrasts using a new tool, the combined oxygen and silicon isotope measurement of diatom and radiolarian opal, in combination with numerical simulations. Our data do not indicate a permanent glacial halocline related to melt water from icebergs. Corroborated by numerical simulations, we find that glacial surface stratification was variable and linked to seasonal sea-ice changes. During glacial spring–summer, the mixed layer was relatively shallow, while deeper mixing occurred during fall–winter, allowing for surface-ocean refueling with nutrients from the deep reservoir, which was potentially richer in nutrients than today. This generated specific carbon and opal export regimes turning the glacial seasonal sea-ice zone into a carbon sink. PMID:26382319

Surface exposure chronology of the Waimakariri glacial sequence in the Southern Alps of New Zealand: Implications for MIS-2 ice extent and LGM glacial mass balance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rother, Henrik; Shulmeister, James; Fink, David; Alexander, David; Bell, David

2015-11-01

During the late Quaternary, the Southern Alps of New Zealand experienced multiple episodes of glaciation with large piedmont glaciers reaching the coastal plains in the west and expanding into the eastern alpine forelands. Here, we present a new 10Be exposure age chronology for a moraine sequence in the Waimakariri Valley (N-Canterbury), which has long been used as a reference record for correlating glacial events across New Zealand and the wider Southern Hemisphere. Our data indicate that the Waimakariri glacier reached its maximum last glaciation extent prior to ∼26 ka well before the global last glaciation maximum (LGM). This was followed by a gradual reduction in ice volume and the abandonment of the innermost LGM moraines at about 17.5 ka. Significantly, we find that during its maximum extent, the Waimakariri glacier overflowed the Avoca Plateau, previously believed to represent a mid-Pleistocene glacial surface (i.e. MIS 8). At the same time, the glacier extended to a position downstream of the Waimakariri Gorge, some 15 km beyond the previously mapped LGM ice limit. We use a simple steady-state mass balance model to test the sensitivity of past glacial accumulation to various climatic parameters, and to evaluate possible climate scenarios capable of generating the ice volume required to reach the full local-LGM extent. Model outcomes indicate that under New Zealand's oceanic setting, a cooling of 5 °C, assuming modern precipitation levels, or a cooling of 6.5 °C, assuming a one third reduction in precipitation, would suffice to drive the Waimakariri glacier to the eastern alpine forelands (Canterbury Plains). Our findings demonstrate that the scale of LGM glaciation in the Waimakariri Valley and adjacent major catchments, both in terms of ice volume and downvalley ice extent, has been significantly underestimated. Our observation that high-lying glacial surfaces, so far believed to represent much older glacial episodes, were glaciated during the LGM

Critical insolation-CO2 relation for diagnosing past and future glacial inception.

PubMed

Ganopolski, A; Winkelmann, R; Schellnhuber, H J

2016-01-14

The past rapid growth of Northern Hemisphere continental ice sheets, which terminated warm and stable climate periods, is generally attributed to reduced summer insolation in boreal latitudes. Yet such summer insolation is near to its minimum at present, and there are no signs of a new ice age. This challenges our understanding of the mechanisms driving glacial cycles and our ability to predict the next glacial inception. Here we propose a critical functional relationship between boreal summer insolation and global carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, which explains the beginning of the past eight glacial cycles and might anticipate future periods of glacial inception. Using an ensemble of simulations generated by an Earth system model of intermediate complexity constrained by palaeoclimatic data, we suggest that glacial inception was narrowly missed before the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. The missed inception can be accounted for by the combined effect of relatively high late-Holocene CO2 concentrations and the low orbital eccentricity of the Earth. Additionally, our analysis suggests that even in the absence of human perturbations no substantial build-up of ice sheets would occur within the next several thousand years and that the current interglacial would probably last for another 50,000 years. However, moderate anthropogenic cumulative CO2 emissions of 1,000 to 1,500 gigatonnes of carbon will postpone the next glacial inception by at least 100,000 years. Our simulations demonstrate that under natural conditions alone the Earth system would be expected to remain in the present delicately balanced interglacial climate state, steering clear of both large-scale glaciation of the Northern Hemisphere and its complete deglaciation, for an unusually long time.

Deglaciation of the James Bay Lowlands and Northern Abitibi: Insights on Late-Glacial Ice Readvances and Drainage of Glacial Lake Ojibway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, M.; Veillette, J. J.; Dell'Oste, F.

2008-12-01

Deglaciation in the James Bay region was marked by the scission of the Laurentide ice sheet margin into the Hudson dome to the west and the New-Quebec dome to the east, which subsequently retreated northward, in contact with the waters of glacial Lake Ojibway. Previous work based on air photo-interpretation and field observations indicate that ice retreat in the region was highly dynamic, with the occurrence of at least three ice readvances into the basin of Lake Objiway prior to the final deglaciation, and the incursion of the post- glacial Tyrrell Sea at ~8 ka (Hardy, 1976). Our investigations of stratigraphic sections exposed along the Harricana, Nottaway, Broadback, and Rupert rivers in the lowlands of Quebec indicate that only part of these events are preserved in these sedimentary sequences. The base of the late-glacial sequence generally consists of a carbonate-bearing clayey readvance till that lies on older tills of the last glacial cycle, or truncate Lake Ojibway glaciolacustrine sediments. None of the sections showed more than one till of the three (Cochrane I, Rupert, Cochrane II) readvances documented in the region. Nonetheless, an extensive Ojibway sequence located just south from the lowlands shows three intervals with significant increases in detrital carbonate and coarsening of the varve sequence that can be linked with these late-glacial surges. In the lowlands, the readvance till is commonly capped by a thick sequence of Ojibway varves. The contact between the glaciolacustrine sediments and the overlying Tyrrell Sea marine deposits is marked by a ~50 cm-thick horizon composed at the bottom of thinly laminated reddish and grey silt beds containing abundant rounded clay balls, overlain by coarser silts and fine sands with disseminated clasts. This horizon is here interpreted to reflect the abrupt drainage of Lake Ojibway. Recent radiocarbon dating of mollusks and foraminifers from the uppermost part of this horizon yielded ages of ~7.7 ka and ~8

Glacial morphology and depositional sequences of the Antarctic Continental Shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

ten Brink, Uri S.; Schneider, Christopher

1995-01-01

Proposes a simple model for the unusual depositional sequences and morphology of the Antarctic continental shelf. It considers the regional stratal geometry and the reversed morphology to be principally the results of time-integrated effects of glacial erosion and sedimentation related to the location of the ice grounding line. The model offers several guidelines for stratigraphic interpretation of the Antarctic shelf and a Northern Hemisphere shelf, both of which were subject to many glacial advances and retreats. -Authors

Differentiating Hydrothermal, Pedogenic, and Glacial Weathering in a Cold Volcanic Mars-Analog Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scudder, N. A.; Horgan, B.; Havig, J.; Rutledge, A.; Rampe, E. B.; Hamilton, T.

2016-01-01

Although the current cold, dry environment of Mars extends back through much of its history, its earliest periods experienced significant water- related surface activity. Both geomorphic features (e.g., paleolakes, deltas, and river valleys) and hydrous mineral detections (e.g., clays and salts) have historically been interpreted to imply a "warm and wet" early Mars climate. More recently, atmospheric modeling studies have struggled to produce early climate conditions with temperatures above 0degC, leading some studies to propose a "cold and icy" early Mars dominated by widespread glaciation with transient melting. However, the alteration mineralogy produced in subglacial environments is not well understood, so the extent to which cold climate glacial weathering can produce the diverse alteration mineralogy observed on Mars is unknown. This summer, we will be conducting a field campaign in a glacial weathering environment in the Cascade Range, OR in order to determine the types of minerals that these environments produce. However, we must first disentangle the effects of glacial weathering from other significant alteration processes. Here we attempt a first understanding of glacial weathering by differentiating rocks and sediments weathered by hydrothermal, pedogenic, and glacial weathering processes in the Cascades volcanic range.

Evidence of strong ocean heating during glacial periods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimov, S. A.; Zimov, N.

2013-12-01

Numerous hypotheses have addressed glacial-interglacial climatic dynamics, but none of them explain the sharp 25C temperature increase in Greenland in the last deglaciation (Cuffey et al. 1995; Dahl-Jensen et al. 1998). These robust data were obtained through analyzing the temperature profile in the Greenland ice sheet where cold from the last glaciation is preserved in the depth of the glacial sheet. We suggest that during glaciations the ocean accumulated energy: interior ocean water heated up to ~20-30C and during deglaciation this energy is released. In the analogy with reconstructing the ice sheet temperature profiles, the most reliable proof of ocean interior warming during the last glaciation is the heat flux profiles in the bottom sediments. In the final reports based on temperature measurements conducted during the DSDP (Deep Sea Drilling Project) it is stated that heat flux in the bottom sediments doesn't vary with depth and consequently there were no substantial temperature changes in the ocean interior during the last glacial cycle, and heat flux on the surface of the ocean bottom is the geothermal heat flux (Erickson et al., 1975, Hyndman et al., 1987). However, we have critically investigated data in all initial reports of all deep sea drilling projects and have noticed that all temperature data show that heat flow decreases strongly with depth (a minimum of 40 mW/m2), i.e. most of the heat flux detected on the surface of the ocean floor is not the geothermal heat flux but remaining heat that bottom sediments release. Sharp shifts in heat flow are seen within boreholes at depths crossing gas hydrate bottom. All this means that during the last glacial period interior water temperature was on 25-30C degrees warmer. Conversely, in isolated seas heat flow in the sediments shows little change with depth.

Towards an improved inventory of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in the Himalayas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veh, Georg; Walz, Ariane; Korup, Oliver; Roessner, Sigrid

2016-04-01

The retreat of glaciers in the Himalayas and the associated release of meltwater have prompted the formation and growth of thousands of glacial lakes in the last decades. More than 2,200 of these lakes have developed in unconsolidated moraine material. These lakes can drain in a single event, producing potentially destructive glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). Only 44 GLOFs in the Himalayas have been documented in more detail since the 1930s, and evidence for a change, let alone an increase, in the frequency of these flood events remains elusive. The rare occurrence of GLOFs is counterintuitive to our hypothesis that an increasing amount of glacial lakes has to be consistent with a rising amount of outburst floods. Censoring bias affects the GLOF record, such that mostly larger floods with commensurate impact have been registered. Existing glacial lake inventories are also of limited help for the identification of GLOFs, as they were created in irregular time steps using different methodological approach and covering different regional extents. We discuss the key requirements for generating a more continuous, close to yearly time series of glacial lake evolution for the Himalayan mountain range using remote sensing data. To this end, we use sudden changes in glacial lake areas as the key diagnostic of dam breaks and outburst floods, employing the full archive of cloud-free Landsat data (L5, L7 and L8) from 1988 to 2015. SRTM and ALOS World 3D topographic data further improve the automatic detection of glacial lakes in an alpine landscape that is often difficult to access otherwise. Our workflow comprises expert-based classification of water bodies using thresholds and masks from different spectral indices and band ratios. A first evaluation of our mapping approach suggests that GLOFs reported during the study period could be tracked independently by a significant reduction of lake size between two subsequent Landsat scenes. This finding supports the feasibility

Early warning method of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods based on temperature and rainfall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jingjing; Su, Pengcheng; Cheng, Zunlan

2017-04-01

Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) are serious disasters in glacial areas. At present, glaciers are retreating while glacial lake area and the outburst risk increases due to the global warming. Therefore, the research of early warning method of GLOFs is important to prevent and reduce the disasters. This paper provides an early warning method using the temperature and rainfall as indices. The daily growth rate of positive antecedent accumulative temperature and the antecedent thirty days accumulative precipitation are calculated for 21 events of GLOF before 2010, based on data from the 21 meteorological stations nearby. The result shows that all the events are above the curve, TV = -0.0193RDC + 3.0018, which can be taken as the early warning threshold curve. This has been verified by the GLOF events in the Ranzeaco glacial lake on 2013-07-05.

Glacial Age Correlations and Pedogenesis Rates at Long Valley, Costilla Masif, Northern New Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feldman, A. D.

2017-12-01

New Mexico represents the southernmost extent of glacial activity in the United States. As such an enhanced understanding of glacial climate cycles in the region as expressed through the relict landscapes they leave behind can enhance our understanding of the evolution of high altitude landscapes and soils throughout the Quaternary period. The Sangre De Cristo mountain range in northern New Mexico exhibits some of the southernmost expansion of glacial activity in the Southwest during the Quaternary; yet the range has had only limited correlation of its glacial chronology performed to date. In this study a detailed investigation into soil pedogenesis on relict moraine features is used to fit the Long Valley glacial sequence extending eastward from the Costilla Masif into the established Rocky Mountain glacial chronology. Analyzed soil development characteristics are particle size, organic carbon, and iron oxide distributions including total iron, ferric iron, ferrous iron, citrate dithionite, hydroxylamine for amorphous ferrihydrite, and pyrophosphate for organically bound iron. In addition, soils developement will be analyzed in situ for computation of a modified Harden soil profile development index. A secondary purpose of the study is to establish better constraints on the rates of soil pedogenesis in these high altitude glacial features. Soil profile developement and pedogenesis rates will be compared with previously published data from areas both further south in the Sangre De Cristo's as well as throughout the more northern sections of the Rocky Mountains to correlate moraine ages as well as to constrain how the particular climate of the Long Valley has affected soil development during the Quaternary.

Glacial loess or shoreface sands: a re-interpretation of the Upper Ordovician (Ashgillian) glacial Ammar Formation, Southern Jordan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turner, B. R.; Makhlouf, I. M.; Armstrong, H. A.

2003-04-01

Upper Ordovician (Ashgillian) glacial deposits of the Ammar Formation, Southern Jordan, comprise locally deformed, structureless fine sandstone, incised by glacial channels filled by braided outwash plain sandstones and transgressive marine mudstones. The structureless sandstones, previously interpreted as a glacial rock flour or loessite derived from the underlying undisturbed sandstones, differ significantly from typical loessite and contain hitherto unrecognised sedimentary structures, including hummocky cross-stratification. The sandstones, which grade laterally and vertically into stratigraphically equivalent undeformed marginal marine sandstones, are interpreted as a deformed facies of the underlying sandstones, deposited in a similar high energy shoreface environment. Although deformation of the shoreface sandstones was post-depositional, the origin of the deformation, and its confinement to the Jebel Ammar area is unknown. Deformation due to the weight of the overlying ice is unlikely as the glaciofluvial channels are now thought to have been cut by tunnel valley activity not ice. A more likely mechanism is post-glacial crustal tectonics. Melting of ice caps is commonly associated with intraplate seismicity and the development of an extensional crustal stress regime around the perimeter of ice caps; the interior is largely aseismic because the weight of the ice supresses seismic activity and faulting. Since southern Jordan lay close to the ice cap in Saudi Arabia it may have been subjected to postglacial seismicity and crustal stress, which induced ground shaking, reduced overburden pressure, increased hydrostatic pressure and possibly reactivation of existing tectonic faults. This resulted in liquefaction and extensive deformation of the sediments, which show many characteristics of seismites, generated by earthquake shocks. Since the glaciation was a very short-lived event (0.2-1 Ma), deglaciation and associated tectonism triggering deformation, lasted

Glacial weathering, sulfide oxidation, and global carbon cycle feedbacks.

PubMed

Torres, Mark A; Moosdorf, Nils; Hartmann, Jens; Adkins, Jess F; West, A Joshua

2017-08-15

Connections between glaciation, chemical weathering, and the global carbon cycle could steer the evolution of global climate over geologic time, but even the directionality of feedbacks in this system remain to be resolved. Here, we assemble a compilation of hydrochemical data from glacierized catchments, use this data to evaluate the dominant chemical reactions associated with glacial weathering, and explore the implications for long-term geochemical cycles. Weathering yields from catchments in our compilation are higher than the global average, which results, in part, from higher runoff in glaciated catchments. Our analysis supports the theory that glacial weathering is characterized predominantly by weathering of trace sulfide and carbonate minerals. To evaluate the effects of glacial weathering on atmospheric pCO 2 , we use a solute mixing model to predict the ratio of alkalinity to dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) generated by weathering reactions. Compared with nonglacial weathering, glacial weathering is more likely to yield alkalinity/DIC ratios less than 1, suggesting that enhanced sulfide oxidation as a result of glaciation may act as a source of CO 2 to the atmosphere. Back-of-the-envelope calculations indicate that oxidative fluxes could change ocean-atmosphere CO 2 equilibrium by 25 ppm or more over 10 ky. Over longer timescales, CO 2 release could act as a negative feedback, limiting progress of glaciation, dependent on lithology and the concentration of atmospheric O 2 Future work on glaciation-weathering-carbon cycle feedbacks should consider weathering of trace sulfide minerals in addition to silicate minerals.

Glacial weathering, sulfide oxidation, and global carbon cycle feedbacks

PubMed Central

Torres, Mark A.; Moosdorf, Nils; Hartmann, Jens; Adkins, Jess F.

2017-01-01

Connections between glaciation, chemical weathering, and the global carbon cycle could steer the evolution of global climate over geologic time, but even the directionality of feedbacks in this system remain to be resolved. Here, we assemble a compilation of hydrochemical data from glacierized catchments, use this data to evaluate the dominant chemical reactions associated with glacial weathering, and explore the implications for long-term geochemical cycles. Weathering yields from catchments in our compilation are higher than the global average, which results, in part, from higher runoff in glaciated catchments. Our analysis supports the theory that glacial weathering is characterized predominantly by weathering of trace sulfide and carbonate minerals. To evaluate the effects of glacial weathering on atmospheric pCO2, we use a solute mixing model to predict the ratio of alkalinity to dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) generated by weathering reactions. Compared with nonglacial weathering, glacial weathering is more likely to yield alkalinity/DIC ratios less than 1, suggesting that enhanced sulfide oxidation as a result of glaciation may act as a source of CO2 to the atmosphere. Back-of-the-envelope calculations indicate that oxidative fluxes could change ocean–atmosphere CO2 equilibrium by 25 ppm or more over 10 ky. Over longer timescales, CO2 release could act as a negative feedback, limiting progress of glaciation, dependent on lithology and the concentration of atmospheric O2. Future work on glaciation–weathering–carbon cycle feedbacks should consider weathering of trace sulfide minerals in addition to silicate minerals. PMID:28760954

Terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure dating of the oldest glacial successions in the Himalayan orogen: Ladakh Range, northern India

USGS Publications Warehouse

Owen, L.A.; Caffee, M.W.; Bovard, K.R.; Finkel, R.C.; Sharma, M.C.

2006-01-01

Terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure dating of moraine boulders and alluvial fan sediments define the timing of five glacial advances over at least the last five glacial cycles in the Ladakh Range of the Transhimalaya. The glacial stages that have been identified are: the Indus Valley glacial stage, dated at older than 430 ka; the Leh glacial stage occurring in the penultimate glacial cycle or older; the Karglacial stage, occurring during the early part of the last glacial cycle; the Bazgo glacial stage, at its maximum during the middle of the last glacial cycle; and the early Holocene Khalling glacial stage. The exposure ages of the Indus Valley moraines are the oldest observed to date throughout the Himalayan orogen. We observe a pattern of progressively more restricted glaciation during the last five glacial cycles, likely indicating a progressive reduction in the moisture supply necessary to sustain glaciation. A possible explanation is that uplift of Himalayan ranges to the south and/or of the Karakoram Mountains to the west of the region may have effectively blocked moisture supply by the south Asian summer monsoon and mid-latitude westerlies, respectively. Alternatively, this pattern of glaciation may reflect a trend of progressively less extensive glaciation in mountain regions that has been observed globally throughout the Pleistocene. ?? 2006 Geological Society of America.

Microbial genesis, life and death in glacial ice.

PubMed

Price, P Buford

2009-01-01

Arguments are given that terrestrial RNA and DNA may have originated in a frozen environment more than 4 billion years ago. Scenarios are developed for atmospheric transport of microbes onto glacial ice, their adaptation to subzero temperatures in the ice, and their incorporation into one of three habitats - liquid veins, mineral grain surfaces, or isolated inside 1 of the crystals that make up polycrystalline ice. The Arrhenius dependence of microbial metabolic rate on temperature is shown to match that required to repair damage owing to spontaneous DNA depurination and amino acid racemization. Even for the oldest glacial ice, microbial lifetime is shown not to be shortened by radiation damage from 238U, 232Th, or 40K in mineral dust in ice, by phage-induced lysis, or by penetrating cosmic radiation. Instead, death of those cells adapted to the hostile conditions in glacial ice is probably due to exhaustion of available nutrients. By contrast, in permafrost microbial death is more likely due to alpha-particle radiation damage from U and Th in the soil and rocks intermixed with ice. For residence times in ice longer than a million years, spore formers may be unable to compete in longevity with vegetative cells that are able to repair DNA damage via survival metabolism.

Glacial melt water in Greenland - A renewable resource for the future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alther, G. R.; Ruedisili, L. C.; Stauber, H.; Kollbrunner, C. F.

1981-06-01

Glacial melt water in Greenland can be used as a renewable resource for generating electricity (a yearly estimate of 60-115 GW), and it can serve as a supplementary source for drinking and irrigation, metallurgical processing, and the manufacturing of liquid hydrogen as fuel. Southern Greenland is particularly suited for this melt water hydropower project, having high precipitation and summer temperatures, large quantities of melt water, natural 'nunatak' dams, and coastal ranges with steep gradients. Transportation of the generated energy is proposed in the form of sea cables and overland transmission lines, hydrogen gas pipelines, and tankers for liquid hydrogen transport. A hypothetical glacial power station is schematically illustrated, and production costs are calculated. The glacial melt project would serve as an economical source of energy with minimal damage to the environment.

Geochemistry of glacial sediments in the area of the Bend massive sulfide deposit, north-central Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woodruff, L.G.; Attig, J.W.; Cannon, W.F.

2004-01-01

Geochemical exploration in northern Wisconsin has been problematic because of thick glacial overburden and complex stratigraphic record of glacial history. To assess till geochemical exploration in an area of thick glacial cover and complex stratigraphy samples of glacial materials were collected from cores from five rotasonic boreholes near a known massive sulfide deposit, the Bend deposit in north-central Wisconsin. Diamond drilling in the Bend area has defined a long, thin zone of mineralization at least partly intersected at the bedrock surface beneath 30-40 m of unconsolidated glacial sediments. The bedrock surface has remnant regolith and saprolite resulting from pre-Pleistocene weathering. Massive sulfide and mineralized rock collected from diamond drill core from the deposit contain high (10s to 10,000s ppm) concentrations of Ag, As, Au, Bi, Cu, Hg, Se, Te, and Tl. Geochemical properties of the glacial stratigraphic units helped clarify the sequence and source areas of several glacial ice advances preserved in the section. At least two till sheets are recognized. Over the zone of mineralization, saprolite and preglacial alluvial and lacustrine samples are preserved on the bedrock surface in a paleoriver valley. The overlying till sheet is a gray, silty carbonate till with a source hundreds of kilometers to the northwest of the study area. This gray till is overlain by red, sandy till with a source to the north in Proterozoic rocks of the Lake Superior area. The complex glacial stratigraphy confounds down-ice geochemical till exploration. The presence of remnant saprolite, preglacial sediment, and far-traveled carbonate till minimized glacial erosion of mineralized material. As a result, little evidence of down-ice glacial dispersion of lithologic or mineralogic indicators of Bend massive sulfide mineralization was found in the samples from the rotasonic cores. This study points out the importance of determining glacial stratigraphy and history, and

Weak overturning circulation and increased iron fertilization maximized carbon storage in the glacial ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muglia, J.; Skinner, L.; Schmittner, A.

2017-12-01

Circulation changes have been suggested to play an important role in the sequestration of atmospheric CO2 in the glacial ocean. However, previous studies have resulted in contradictory results regarding the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and three-dimensional, quantitative reconstructions of the glacial ocean constrained by multiple proxies remain lacking. Here we simulate the modern and glacial ocean using a coupled, global, three-dimensional, physical-biogeochemical model constrained simultaneously by d13C, radiocarbon, and d15N to explore the effects of AMOC differences and Southern Ocean iron fertilization on the distributions of these isotopes and ocean carbon storage. We show that d13C and radiocarbon data sparsely sampled at the locations of existing glacial sediment cores can be used to reconstruct the modern AMOC accurately. Applying this method to the glacial ocean we find that a surprisingly weak (6-9 Sv or about half of today's) and shallow AMOC maximizes carbon storage and best reproduces the sediment data. Increasing the atmospheric soluble iron flux in the model's Southern Ocean intensifies export production, carbon storage, and improves agreement with d13C and d15N reconstructions. Our best fitting model is a significant improvement compared with previous studies. It suggests that a weak and shallow AMOC and enhanced iron fertilization conspired to maximize carbon storage in the glacial ocean.

The Distribution and Magnitude of Glacial Erosion on 103-year Timescales at Engabreen, Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rand, C.; Goehring, B. M.

2017-12-01

We derive the magnitudes of glacial erosion integrated over 103-year timescales across a transect transverse to the direction of ice flow at Engabreen, Norway. Understanding the distribution of glacial erosion is important for several reasons, including sediment budgeting to fjord environments, development of robust landscape evolution models, and if a better understanding between erosion and ice-bed interface properties (e.g., sliding rate, basal water pressure) can be developed, we can use records of glacial erosion to infer glaciological properties that can ultimately benefit models of past and future glaciers. With few exceptions, measurements of glacial erosion are limited to the historical past and even then are rare owing to the difficulty of accessing the glacier bed. One method proven useful in estimating glacial erosion on 103-year timescales is to measure the remaining concentrations of cosmogenic nuclides that accumulate in exposed bedrock during periods of retracted glacier extent and are removed by glacial erosion and radioactive decay during ice cover. Here we will present measurements of 14C and 10Be measured in proglacial bedrock from Engabreen. Our transects are ca. 600 and 400 meters in front of the modern ice front, and based on historical imagery, was ice covered until the recent past. Initial 10Be results show an increase in concentrations of nearly an order of magnitude from the samples near the center of the glacial trough to those on the lateral margin, consistent with conceptual models of glacial erosion parameterized in terms of sliding velocity. Naïve exposure ages that assume no subglacial erosion range from 0.22 - 9.04 ka. More importantly, we can estimate erosion depths by assuming zero erosion of the highest concentration sample along the two transects and calculate the amount of material removed to yield the lower concentrations elsewhere along the two transects. Results indicate minimum erosion depths of 1-183 cm for most ice

Glacial heritage: knowledge, inventory and promotion in the Chablais area (France, Switzerland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perret, A.; Reynard, E.; Delannoy, J.-J.

2012-04-01

This study is part of an Interreg IVA project (www.123chablais.com) dealing with the promotion of different types of natural and cultural heritage in the Chablais area (French and Swiss Prealps) and is linked to the candidature of the French Chablais territory for the European Geoparks Network. The objective of the study is to develop a strategy for the promotion of the glacial heritage (landforms, deposits) in an area where the geomorphological features are highly influenced by glacial history and where key concepts in the Quaternary sciences were developed (e.g. the theory of multiple glaciations by Morlot in 1859), but that is now nearly completely deglaciated. The challenge is to find solutions to explain why the glacial heritage is so important for the regional economy and how it influences the life of inhabitants (e.g. Evian and Thonon mineral water, extraction industry, landscape and tourism), even if glaciers are not so impressive than in other parts of the Alps. The research is divided in three parts. (1) The first one aims to enhance knowledge on glacial landforms and deposits. The study area, that is quite large, has been intensively studied for more than two centuries; nevertheless, some parts have been only poorly studied. Intensive field survey was carried out to fill in the gaps of knowledge and some landforms, such as erratic boulders, have been dated in order to establish a chronology of deglaciation. All of these different elements have been included in a Geographic Information System with the aim of establishing maps of glacial stages in the Chablais area. (2) From this, an inventory of glacial geosites has been carried out, using the assessment method developed by Reynard et al. (2007). A specific focus has been on the assessment of the potential of the selected sites for educational purposes and geotourist promotion. (3) The last part has been the preparation of adapted educational and promotional supports. In particular, an exhibition will be

Extraterrestrial accretion and glacial cycles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Muller, R. A.

1994-01-01

We propose that the approx. 100-k.y. cycle seen in terrestrial glaciation is due to changes in meteor flux that come from changes in the Earth's orbit. This model can explain a 70-k.y. 'anomalous' period in climate data and the apparent discrepancy between present extraterrestrial fluxes and those in oceanic sediments. It can be tested by measuring Ir densities in sediments and ice during glacials and interglacials.

Representations of Mexican American Migrant Childhood in Rivera's "...y no se lo trago la tierra" and Viramontes's "Under the Feet of Jesus"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beck, Scott A.; Rangel, Dolores E.

2009-01-01

This article gives an analysis of two books: Thomas Rivera's "...y no se lo trago la tierra" and Helena Maria Viramontes's "Under the Feet of Jesus". The two books are strong and important literary texts that stand in close relation to each other. Both texts treat the subject of migrant childhood by affirming central themes of Chicano literature.…

Use of glacial fronts by narwhals (Monodon monoceros) in West Greenland

PubMed Central

Moon, Twila; Hauser, Donna D. W.; McGovern, Richard; Heide-Jørgensen, Mads Peter; Dietz, Rune; Hudson, Ben

2016-01-01

Glacial fronts are important summer habitat for narwhals (Monodon monoceros); however, no studies have quantified which glacial properties attract whales. We investigated the importance of glacial habitats using telemetry data from n = 15 whales tagged in September of 1993, 1994, 2006 and 2007 in Melville Bay, West Greenland. For 41 marine-terminating glaciers, we estimated (i) narwhal presence/absence, (ii) number of 24 h periods spent at glaciers and (iii) the fraction of narwhals that visited each glacier (at 5, 7 and 10 km) in autumn. We also compiled data on glacier width, ice thickness, ice velocity, front advance/retreat, area and extent of iceberg discharge, bathymetry, subglacial freshwater run-off and sediment flux. Narwhal use of glacial habitats expanded in the 2000s probably due to reduced summer fast ice and later autumn freeze-up. Using a generalized multivariate framework, glacier ice front thickness (vertical height in the water column) was a significant covariate in all models. A negative relationship with glacier velocity was included in several models and glacier front width was a significant predictor in the 2000s. Results suggest narwhals prefer glaciers with potential for higher ambient freshwater melt over glaciers with silt-laden discharge. This may represent a preference for summer freshwater habitat, similar to other Arctic monodontids. PMID:27784729

Estuarine removal of glacial iron and implications for iron fluxes to the ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schroth, Andrew W.; Crusius, John; Hoyer, Ian; Campbell, Robert

2014-01-01

While recent work demonstrates that glacial meltwater provides a substantial and relatively labile flux of the micronutrient iron to oceans, the role of high-latitude estuary environments as a potential sink of glacial iron is unknown. Here we present the first quantitative description of iron removal in a meltwater-dominated estuary. We find that 85% of “dissolved” Fe is removed in the low-salinity region of the estuary along with 41% of “total dissolvable” iron associated with glacial flour. We couple these findings with hydrologic and geochemical data from Gulf of Alaska (GoA) glacierized catchments to calculate meltwater-derived fluxes of size and species partitioned Fe to the GoA. Iron flux data indicate that labile iron in the glacial flour and associated Fe minerals dominate the meltwater contribution to the Fe budget of the GoA. As such, GoA nutrient cycles and related ecosystems could be strongly influenced by continued ice loss in its watershed.

Palaeoceanography. Antarctic stratification and glacial CO2.

PubMed

Keeling, R F; Visbeck, M

2001-08-09

One way of accounting for lowered atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations during Pleistocene glacial periods is by invoking the Antarctic stratification hypothesis, which links the reduction in CO2 to greater stratification of ocean surface waters around Antarctica. As discussed by Sigman and Boyle, this hypothesis assumes that increased stratification in the Antarctic zone (Fig. 1) was associated with reduced upwelling of deep waters around Antarctica, thereby allowing CO2 outgassing to be suppressed by biological production while also allowing biological production to decline, which is consistent with Antarctic sediment records. We point out here, however, that the response of ocean eddies to increased Antarctic stratification can be expected to increase, rather than reduce, the upwelling rate of deep waters around Antarctica. The stratification hypothesis may have difficulty in accommodating eddy feedbacks on upwelling within the constraints imposed by reconstructions of winds and Antarctic-zone productivity in glacial periods.

Gigantic landslides versus glacial deposits: on origin of large hummock deposits in Alai Valley, Northern Pamir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reznichenko, Natalya

2015-04-01

As glaciers are sensitive to local climate, their moraines position and ages are used to infer past climates and glacier dynamics. These chronologies are only valid if all dated moraines are formed as the result of climatically driven advance and subsequent retreat. Hence, any accurate palaeoenvironmental reconstruction requires thorough identification of the landform genesis by complex approach including geomorphological, sedimentological and structural landform investigation. Here are presented the implication of such approach for the reconstruction of the mega-hummocky deposits formation both of glacial and landslide origin in the glaciated Alai Valley of the Northern Pamir with further discussion on these and similar deposits validity for palaeoclimatic reconstructions. The Tibetan Plateau valleys are the largest glaciated regions beyond the ice sheets with high potential to provide the best geological record of glacial chronologies and, however, with higher probabilities of the numerous rock avalanche deposits including those that were initially considered of glacial origin (Hewitt, 1999). The Alai Valley is the largest intermountain depression in the upper reaches of the Amudarja River basin that has captured numerous unidentified extensive hummocky deposits descending from the Zaalai Range of Northern Pamir, covering area in more than 800 km2. Such vast hummocky deposits are usually could be formed either: 1) glacially by rapid glacial retreat due to the climate signal or triggered a-climatically glacial changes, such as glacial surge or landslide impact, or 2) during the landslide emplacement. Combination of sediment tests on agglomerates forming only in rock avalanche material (Reznichenko et al., 2012) and detailed geomorphological and sedimentological descriptions of these deposits allowed reconstructing the glacial deposition in the Koman and Lenin glacial catchments with identification of two gigantic rock avalanches and their relation to this glacial

Invertebrate Metacommunity Structure and Dynamics in an Andean Glacial Stream Network Facing Climate Change

PubMed Central

Cauvy-Fraunié, Sophie; Espinosa, Rodrigo; Andino, Patricio; Jacobsen, Dean; Dangles, Olivier

2015-01-01

Under the ongoing climate change, understanding the mechanisms structuring the spatial distribution of aquatic species in glacial stream networks is of critical importance to predict the response of aquatic biodiversity in the face of glacier melting. In this study, we propose to use metacommunity theory as a conceptual framework to better understand how river network structure influences the spatial organization of aquatic communities in glacierized catchments. At 51 stream sites in an Andean glacierized catchment (Ecuador), we sampled benthic macroinvertebrates, measured physico-chemical and food resource conditions, and calculated geographical, altitudinal and glaciality distances among all sites. Using partial redundancy analysis, we partitioned community variation to evaluate the relative strength of environmental conditions (e.g., glaciality, food resource) vs. spatial processes (e.g., overland, watercourse, and downstream directional dispersal) in organizing the aquatic metacommunity. Results revealed that both environmental and spatial variables significantly explained community variation among sites. Among all environmental variables, the glacial influence component best explained community variation. Overland spatial variables based on geographical and altitudinal distances significantly affected community variation. Watercourse spatial variables based on glaciality distances had a unique significant effect on community variation. Within alpine catchment, glacial meltwater affects macroinvertebrate metacommunity structure in many ways. Indeed, the harsh environmental conditions characterizing glacial influence not only constitute the primary environmental filter but also, limit water-borne macroinvertebrate dispersal. Therefore, glacier runoff acts as an aquatic dispersal barrier, isolating species in headwater streams, and preventing non-adapted species to colonize throughout the entire stream network. Under a scenario of glacier runoff decrease, we

Enhanced East Pacific Rise hydrothermal activity during the last two glacial terminations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lund, D. C.; Asimow, P. D.; Farley, K. A.; Rooney, T. O.; Seeley, E.; Jackson, E. W.; Durham, Z. M.

2016-01-01

Mid-ocean ridge magmatism is driven by seafloor spreading and decompression melting of the upper mantle. Melt production is apparently modulated by glacial-interglacial changes in sea level, raising the possibility that magmatic flux acts as a negative feedback on ice-sheet size. The timing of melt variability is poorly constrained, however, precluding a clear link between ridge magmatism and Pleistocene climate transitions. Here we present well-dated sedimentary records from the East Pacific Rise that show evidence of enhanced hydrothermal activity during the last two glacial terminations. We suggest that glacial maxima and lowering of sea level caused anomalous melting in the upper mantle and that the subsequent magmatic anomalies promoted deglaciation through the release of mantle heat and carbon at mid-ocean ridges.

Early warming of tropical South America at the last glacial-interglacial transition.

PubMed

Seltzer, G O; Rodbell, D T; Baker, P A; Fritz, S C; Tapia, P M; Rowe, H D; Dunbar, R B

2002-05-31

Glaciation in the humid tropical Andes is a sensitive indicator of mean annual temperature. Here, we present sedimentological data from lakes beyond the glacial limit in the tropical Andes indicating that deglaciation from the Last Glacial Maximum led substantial warming at high northern latitudes. Deglaciation from glacial maximum positions at Lake Titicaca, Peru/Bolivia (16 degrees S), and Lake Junin, Peru (11 degrees S), occurred 22,000 to 19,500 calendar years before the present, several thousand years before the Bølling-Allerød warming of the Northern Hemisphere and deglaciation of the Sierra Nevada, United States (36.5 degrees to 38 degrees N). The tropical Andes deglaciated while climatic conditions remained regionally wet, which reflects the dominant control of mean annual temperature on tropical glaciation.

Comparing Terrestrial Organic Carbon Cycle Dynamics in Interglacial and Glacial Climates in the South American Tropics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fornace, K. L.; Galy, V.; Hughen, K. A.

2014-12-01

The application of compound-specific radiocarbon dating to molecular biomarkers has allowed for tracking of specific organic carbon pools as they move through the environment, providing insight into complex processes within the global carbon cycle. Here we use this technique to investigate links between glacial-interglacial climate change and terrestrial organic carbon cycling in the catchments of Cariaco Basin and Lake Titicaca, two tropical South American sites with well-characterized climate histories since the last glacial period. By comparing radiocarbon ages of terrestrial biomarkers (leaf wax compounds) with deposition ages in late glacial and Holocene sediments, we are able to gauge the storage time of these compounds in the catchments in soils, floodplains, etc. before transport to marine or lacustrine sediments. We are also able to probe the effects of temperature and hydrologic change individually by taking advantage of opposite hydrologic trends at the two sites: while both were colder during the last glacial period, precipitation at Titicaca decreased from the last glacial period to the Holocene, but the late glacial was marked by drier conditions at Cariaco. Preliminary data from both sites show a wide range of apparent ages of long-chain n-fatty acids (within error of 0 to >10,000 years older than sediment), with the majority showing ages on the order of several millennia at time of deposition and age generally increasing with chain length. While late glacial leaf waxes appear to be older relative to sediment than those deposited in the Holocene at both sites, at Cariaco we find a ~2-3 times larger glacial-interglacial age difference than at Titicaca. We hypothesize that at Titicaca the competing influences of wetter and colder conditions during the last glacial period, which respectively tend to increase and decrease the rate of organic carbon turnover on land, served to minimize the contrast between glacial and interglacial leaf wax storage time

Termination of the Last Glacial Maximum sea-level lowstand: The Sunda-Shelf data revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanebuth, T. J. J.; Stattegger, K.; Bojanowski, A.

2009-03-01

The sea-level history around the last glaciation is in the focus of recent, controversial debates. A profound understanding of sea-level changes during this time interval is, however, essential since sea level is a central parameter in the climate system as well as a major force on continental margin sedimentation. Here, we present a seismic record together with augmented data from the Sunda Shelf [Hanebuth, T.J.J., Stattegger, K., Saito, Y., 2002. The architecture of the central Sunda Shelf (SE Asia) recorded by shallow-seismic surveying. Geo-Marine Letters 22, 86-94.] and compare our results in a careful evaluation with the sparse existing data sets of global validity, i.e. the Bonaparte Gulf record [Yokoyama, Y., Lambeck, K., DeDeckker, P., Johnston, P., Fifield, L.K., 2000. Timing of the Last Glacial Maximum from observed sea-level minima. Nature 406, 713-716.; Yokoyama, Y., De Deckker, P., Lambeck, K., Johnston, P., Fifield, L.K., 2001. Sea-level at the Last Glacial Maximum: evidence from nortwestern Australia to constrain ice volumes for oxygen isotope stage 2. Paleogeography Paleoclimatology Paleoecology 165, 281-297.], the Barbados coral record [Fairbanks, R.G., 1989. A 17,000-year glacio-eustatic sea level record: influence of glacial melting dates on the Younger Dryas event and deep ocean circulation. Nature 342, 637-642.; Peltier, W.R., Fairbanks, R.G., 2006. Global glacial ice volume and Last Glacial Maximum duration from an extended Barbados sea level record. Quaternary Science Reviews 25 (23-24), 3322-3337.] and the latest numerical model of continental deglaciation [Peltier, W.R., Fairbanks, R.G., 2006. Global glacial ice volume and Last Glacial Maximum duration from an extended Barbados sea level record. Quaternary Science Reviews 25 (23-24), 3322-3337.]. Sea level seems to have been lower shortly prior to the conventional Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 21-19 cal kyr BP). The time interval around this glacial lowstand is not covered by ages from the

Assessing Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Hazard in the Nepal Himalayas using Satellite Imagery and Hydraulic Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rounce, D.; McKinney, D. C.

2015-12-01

The last half century has witnessed considerable glacier melt that has led to the formation of large glacial lakes. These glacial lakes typically form behind terminal moraines comprising loose boulders, debris, and soil, which are susceptible to fail and cause a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). These lakes also act as a heat sink that accelerates glacier melt and in many cases is accompanied by rapid areal expansion. As these glacial lakes continue to grow, their hazard also increases due to the increase in potential flood volume and the lakes' proximity to triggering events such as avalanches and landslides. Despite the large threat these lakes may pose to downstream communities, there are few detailed studies that combine satellite imagery with hydraulic models to present a holistic understanding of the GLOF hazard. The aim of this work is to assess the GLOF hazard of glacial lakes in Nepal using a holistic approach based on a combination of satellite imagery and hydraulic models. Imja Lake will be the primary focus of the modeling efforts, but the methods will be developed in a manner that is transferable to other potentially dangerous glacial lakes in Nepal.

Local Communities and Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Mitigation: Lessons from Peru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carey, Mark

2010-05-01

Discourse in recent years among scientists and non-scientists increasingly promotes the involvement of local people in hazard mitigation, including inhabitants of floodplains in valleys below moraine-dammed glacial lakes. Despite advances in understanding human vulnerability to glacial lake outburst floods, there has been much less research on how these vulnerable populations are involved (or ignored) in the actual outburst flood mitigation process. Which groups should be involved? Are they in fact participating? Is that involvement successful? Peru's Cordillera Blanca mountain range provides an ideal site to help answer these questions because its moraine-dammed glacial lakes have produced more than a dozen outburst floods since ~1860. After floods in 1941, 1945, and 1950 killed approximately 6,000, the national government created a state agency, which still exists today, to monitor glacial lakes and prevent future outburst floods. Using this region as a case study to answer the above questions, this paper has three components. First, it provides historical examples of local people's participation in disaster mitigation, but shows that the outcome of such local involvement frequently turned out differently than scientists, engineers, and planners anticipated. Second, it shows the challenges and difficulties of involving local groups. Recent efforts in workshops, aid projects, and government programs show only limited success in community participation in disaster mitigation agendas. Third, the paper suggests that in many cases local indigenous people, as icons of the Andean region but often not the most vulnerable group, are disproportionately victimized and tacitly invited into disaster mitigation discussions. Poor urban residents inhabiting floodplains are often neglected, even though they are the most vulnerable to outburst floods. As other world regions such as the Himalayas increasingly contend with potential glacial lake outburst floods, these lessons from

Laurentide glacial landscapes: the role of ice streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Patterson, C.J.

1998-01-01

Glacial landforms of the North American prairie can be divided into two suites that result from different styles of ice flow: 1) a lowland suite of level-to-streamlined till consistent with formation beneath ice streams, and 2) an upland and lobe-margin suite of thick, hummocky till and glacial thrust blocks consistent with formation at ice-stream and ice-lobe margins. Southern Laurentide ice lobes hypothetically functioned as outlets of ice streams. Broad branching lowlands bounded by escarpments mark the stable positions of the ice streams that fed the lobes. If the lobes and ice streams were similar to modern ice streams, their fast flow was facilitated by high subglacial water pressure. Favorable geology and topography in the midcontinent encouraged nonuniform ice flow and controlled the location of ice streams and outlet lobes.

Hydraulic properties of three types of glacial deposits in Ohio

USGS Publications Warehouse

Strobel, M.L.

1993-01-01

The effects of thickness, grain size, fractures, weathering, and atmosphericconditions on vertical ground-water flow in glacial deposits were studied at three sites that represent ground moraine, end moraine, and lacustrine depositional environments. Vertical hydraulic conductivities computed from pumped-well tests were 3.24 x 10-1 to 6.47 x 10-1 ft/d (feet per day) at the site representing end moraine and 1.17 ft/d at the site representing lacustrine deposits. Analysis of test data for the ground moraine site did not yield estimates of hydraulic conductivities, but did indicate that ground water flows through the total thickness of deposits in response to discharge from a lower gravel unit. Vertical hydraulic conductivities computed from pumped-well tests of nested wells and data from drill-core analyses indicate that fractures affect the migration of ground water downward through the glacial deposits at these sites. Flow through glacial deposits is complex; it is controlled by fractures, gram-size distribution, clay content, thickness, and degree of weathering, and atmospheric conditions.

Changing climatic response: a conceptual model for glacial cycles and the Mid-Pleistocene Transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daruka, I.; Ditlevsen, P. D.

2014-03-01

Milankovitch's astronomical theory of glacial cycles, attributing ice age climate oscillations to orbital changes in Northern Northern-Hemisphere insolation, is challenged by the paleoclimatic record. The climatic response to the variations in insolation is far from trivial. In general the glacial cycles are highly asymmetric in time, with slow cooling from the interglacials to the glacials (inceptions) and very rapid warming from the glacials to the interglacials (terminations). We shall refer to this fast-slow dynamics as the "saw-tooth" shape of the paleoclimatic record. This is non-linearly related to the time-symmetric variations in the orbital forcing. However, the most pronounced challenge to the Milankovitch theory is the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT) occurring about one million years ago. During that event, the prevailing 41 kyr glacial cycles, corresponding to the almost harmonic obliquity cycle were replaced by longer saw-tooth shaped cycles with a time scale around 100 kyr. The MPT must have been driven by internal changes in climate response, since it does not correspond to any apparent changes in the orbital forcing. In order to identify possible mechanisms causing the observed changes in glacial dynamics, it is relevant to study simplified models with the capability of generating temporal behavior similar to the observed records. We present a simple oscillator type model approach, with two variables, a temperature anomaly and an ice volume analogous, climatic memory term. The generalization of the ice albedo feedback is included in terms of an effective multiplicative coupling between this latter climatic memory term (representing the internal degrees of freedom) and the external drive. The simple model reproduces the temporal asymmetry of the late Pleistocene glacial cycles and suggests that the MPT can be explained as a regime shift, aided by climatic noise, from a period 1 frequency locking to the obliquity cycle to a period 2-3 frequency

Quantitative Morphometric Analysis of Terrestrial Glacial Valleys and the Application to Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allred, Kory

Although the current climate on Mars is very cold and dry, it is generally accepted that the past environments on the planet were very different. Paleo-environments may have been warm and wet with oceans and rivers. And there is abundant evidence of water ice and glaciers on the surface as well. However, much of that comes from visual interpretation of imagery and other remote sensing data. For example, some of the characteristics that have been utilized to distinguish glacial forms are the presence of landscape features that appear similar to terrestrial glacial landforms, constraining surrounding topography, evidence of flow, orientation, elevation and valley shape. The main purpose of this dissertation is to develop a model that uses quantitative variables extracted from elevation data that can accurately categorize a valley basin as either glacial or non-glacial. The application of this model will limit the inherent subjectivity of image analysis by human interpretation. The model developed uses hypsometric attributes (elevation-area relationship), a newly defined variable similar to the equilibrium line altitude for an alpine glacier, and two neighborhood search functions intended to describe the valley cross-sectional curvature, all based on a digital elevation model (DEM) of a region. The classification model uses data-mining techniques trained on several terrestrial mountain ranges in varied geologic and geographic settings. It was applied to a select set of previously catalogued locations on Mars that resemble terrestrial glaciers. The results suggest that the landforms do have a glacial origin, thus supporting much of the previous research that has identified the glacial landforms. This implies that the paleo-environment of Mars was at least episodically cold and wet, probably during a period of increased planetary obliquity. Furthermore, the results of this research and the implications thereof add to the body of knowledge for the current and past

Use of glacial fronts by narwhals (Monodon monoceros) in West Greenland.

PubMed

Laidre, Kristin L; Moon, Twila; Hauser, Donna D W; McGovern, Richard; Heide-Jørgensen, Mads Peter; Dietz, Rune; Hudson, Ben

2016-10-01

Glacial fronts are important summer habitat for narwhals (Monodon monoceros); however, no studies have quantified which glacial properties attract whales. We investigated the importance of glacial habitats using telemetry data from n = 15 whales tagged in September of 1993, 1994, 2006 and 2007 in Melville Bay, West Greenland. For 41 marine-terminating glaciers, we estimated (i) narwhal presence/absence, (ii) number of 24 h periods spent at glaciers and (iii) the fraction of narwhals that visited each glacier (at 5, 7 and 10 km) in autumn. We also compiled data on glacier width, ice thickness, ice velocity, front advance/retreat, area and extent of iceberg discharge, bathymetry, subglacial freshwater run-off and sediment flux. Narwhal use of glacial habitats expanded in the 2000s probably due to reduced summer fast ice and later autumn freeze-up. Using a generalized multivariate framework, glacier ice front thickness (vertical height in the water column) was a significant covariate in all models. A negative relationship with glacier velocity was included in several models and glacier front width was a significant predictor in the 2000s. Results suggest narwhals prefer glaciers with potential for higher ambient freshwater melt over glaciers with silt-laden discharge. This may represent a preference for summer freshwater habitat, similar to other Arctic monodontids. © 2016 The Author(s).

Glacial magnetite dissolution in abyssal NW Pacific sediments - evidence for carbon trapping?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korff, Lucia; von Dobeneck, Tilo; Frederichs, Thomas; Kasten, Sabine; Kuhn, Gerhard; Gersonde, Rainer; Diekmann, Bernhard

2016-04-01

The abyssal North Pacific Ocean's large volume, depth, and terminal position on the deep oceanic conveyor make it a candidate site for deep carbon trapping as postulated by climate theory to explain the massive glacial drawdown of atmospheric CO2. As the major basins of the North Pacific have depths of 5500-6500m, far below the modern and glacial Calcite Compensation Depths (CCD), these abyssal sediments are carbonate-free and therefore not suitable for carbonate-based paleoceanographic proxy reconstructions. Instead, paleo-, rock and environmental magnetic methods are generally well applicable to hololytic abyssal muds and clays. In 2009, the international paleoceanographic research cruise SO 202 INOPEX ('Innovative North Pacific Experiment') of the German RV SONNE collected two ocean-spanning EW sediment core transects of the North Pacific and Bering Sea recovering a total of 50 piston and gravity cores from 45 sites. Out of seven here considered abyssal Northwest Pacific piston cores collected at water depths of 5100 to 5700m with mostly coherent shipboard susceptibility logs, the 20.23m long SO202-39-3, retrieved from 5102 m water depth east of northern Shatsky Rise (38°00.70'N, 164°26.78'E), was rated as the stratigraphically most promising record of the entire core transect and selected for detailed paleo- and environmental magnetic, geochemical and sedimentological investigations. This core was dated by correlating its RPI and Ba/Ti records to well-dated reference records and obviously provides a continuous sequence of the past 940 kyrs. The most striking orck magnetic features are coherent magnetite-depleted zones corresponding to glacial periods. In the interglacial sections, detrital, volcanic and even submicron bacterial magnetite fractions are excellently preserved. These alternating magnetite preservation states seem to reflect dramatic oxygenation changes in the deep North Pacific Ocean and hint at large-scale benthic glacial carbon trapping

Paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic investigations on Isla de los Estados, Argentina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Björck, S.; Fernandez, M.; Hjort, C.; Ljung, K.; Martinez, O.; Möller, P.; Ponce, F.; Rabassa, J.; Roig, F.; Unkel, I.; Wohlfarth, B.

2007-05-01

The expedition in November-December 2005 to Isla de los Estados (Staten Island) off the southeastern tip of South America was a cooperative venture between Lund University (LU) and Stockholm University (SU) in Sweden and the CADIC-CONICET Institute in Ushuaia, Argentina. The aim of the expedition was threefold: (1) to extend the Swedish paleoclimatic "ATLANTIS"-project (Greenland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Azores, Grenada, Tristan da Cunha; PI S Björck) to the southern part of the South American continent, (2) to connect earlier glacial and climate history reconstructions from the Antarctic Peninsula to equivalents north of the Drake Passage in southernmost South America, and (3) to complement paleo-information available from the Tierra del Fuego mainland with information from Isla de los Estados. Focus was on two areas in the northern and north-western part of the island, Bahía Colnett and Bahia Crossley. Detailed geomorphologic and stratigraphic mapping of glacial deposits were combined with sampling sediments for OSL dating. To reconstruct the paleoclimatic development of Isla de los Estados since the last ice retreat, four main peat bog/lake sites were cored and sampled. In addition, living trees of Nothofagus and old logs preserved in the peat were sampled for dendrochronological and dendroclimatological studies. Preliminary results show that the deglaciation of the study area occurred before 16500 cal yr BP. Detailed multi- proxy analyses of the four sequences are under way and first results will be presented.

Friis Hills glacial history: an international collaboration to examine Miocene climate in Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halberstadt, A. R. W.; Kowalewski, D. E.

2016-12-01

The Friis Hills, Antarctica (western McMurdo Dry Valleys) contain unique, well-preserved records of Miocene climate. These terrestrial deposits hold geomorphic clues for deciphering the glacial history in a region directly adjacent to the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Stacked till sheets, interbedded with lake sediments and non-glacial deposits, reveal a complex history of ice flow and erosion throughout multiple glacial-interglacial cycles (Lewis and Ashworth, 2015). Fossiliferous beds containing Nothofagus, diatoms, algal cells, pollen, insects, and mosses provide past climatological constraints. The Friis Hills sustained multiple alpine glaciations as well as full ice-sheet development, recording glacial drainage reorganization and evidence of previous ice configurations that possibly overrode the Transantarctic Mountains (Lewis and Ashworth, 2015) exposing only scattered nunataks (i.e. a portion of Friis Hills). Lack of chronological control has previously hindered efforts to link the Friis Hills glacial history with regional context; a tephra deposit at the base of the glacial drifts currently provides a single age constraint within the drift deposits. To build upon previous studies, an international collaboration between the USAP, Antarctic New Zealand, and the Italian Antarctic community proposes to core a paleo-lake in the center of the Friis Hills in November 2016, thereby acquiring one of the oldest continuous sedimentological records within the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Here we report discoveries from this year's fieldwork, and reconstruct paleoenvironment at the periphery of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet for the mid-early Miocene, a critical time when marine isotopic records indicate dramatic ice fluctuations. Ash within the sediment core stratigraphy will provide a more robust chronology for the region, and will also suggest possible outcrop locations of corresponding ash deposits to pursue while in the field. We anticipate that the Friis Hills stratigraphy will

A long pollen record from lowland Amazonia: Forest and cooling in glacial times

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Colinvaux, P.A.; Moreno, J.E.; Bush, M.B.

A continuous pollen history of more than 40,000 years was obtained from a lake in the lowland Amazon rain forest. Pollen spectra demonstrate that tropical rain forest occupied the region continuously and that savannas or grasslands were not present during the last glacial maximum. The data suggest that the western Amazon forest was not fragmented into refugia in glacial times and that the lowlands were not a source of dust. Glacial age forests were comparable to modern forests but also included species now restricted to higher evaluations by temperature, suggesting a cooling of the order of 5{degrees} to 6{degrees}C. 23more » refs., 22 tabs.« less

Interlobate comparison of glacial-depositional style as evidenced by small-relief glacial landscape features in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, utilizing SIR-B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, W. H.; Bleuer, N. K.; Fraser, G. S.; Totten, S. M.

1984-01-01

The objectives and expected results of an investigation of the use of the Shuttle Imaging Radar-B (SIR-B) as a basic tool in the recognition and mapping of glacial landforms are discussed. The main goals are: (1) to evaluate the ability of SIR-B to delineate varying sizes, shapes, and relief of surface forms; (2) to compare and contrast SIR-B imagery with selected Seasat SAR imagery; (3) to utilize SIR-B imagery synergistically with available SEASAT SAR, LANDSAT RBV, and other imagery sources to identify and map suites of glacial landforms; and (4) eventually to interpret the suites in terms of ice dynamics and conditions of deglaciation, to relate them to the stratigraphic record, and to evaluate interactions of the major lobes and sublobes.

Origin of last-glacial loess in the western Yukon-Tanana Upland, central Alaska, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muhs, Daniel; Pigati, Jeffrey S.; Budahn, James R.; Skipp, Gary L.; Bettis, E. Arthur; Jensen, Britta

2018-01-01

Loess is widespread over Alaska, and its accumulation has traditionally been associated with glacial periods. Surprisingly, loess deposits securely dated to the last glacial period are rare in Alaska, and paleowind reconstructions for this time period are limited to inferences from dune orientations. We report a rare occurrence of loess deposits dating to the last glacial period, ~19 ka to ~12 ka, in the Yukon-Tanana Upland. Loess in this area is very coarse grained (abundant coarse silt), with decreases in particle size moving south of the Yukon River, implying that the drainage basin of this river was the main source. Geochemical data show, however, that the Tanana River valley to the south is also a likely distal source. The occurrence of last-glacial loess with sources to both the south and north is explained by both regional, synoptic-scale winds from the northeast and opposing katabatic winds that could have developed from expanded glaciers in both the Brooks Range to the north and the Alaska Range to the south. Based on a comparison with recent climate modeling for the last glacial period, seasonality of dust transport may also have played a role in bringing about contributions from both northern and southern sources.

Pennsylvanian tropical rain forests responded to glacial-interglacial rhythms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falcon-Lang, Howard J.

2004-08-01

Pennsylvanian tropical rain forests flourished during an icehouse climate mode. Although it is well established that Milankovitch-band glacial-interglacial rhythms caused marked synchronous changes in Pennsylvanian tropical climate and sea level, little is known of vegetation response to orbital forcing. This knowledge gap has now been addressed through sequence- stratigraphic analysis of megafloral and palynofloral assemblages within the Westphalian D Cantabrian Sydney Mines Formation of eastern Canada. This succession was deposited in a low- accommodation setting where sequences can be attributed confidently to glacio-eustasy. Results show that long-lived, low-diversity peat mires dominated by lycopsids were initiated during deglaciation events, but were mostly drowned by rising sea level at maximum interglacial conditions. Only upland coniferopsid forests survived flooding without significant disturbance. Mid- to late interglacial phases witnessed delta-plain progradation and establishment of high-diversity, mineral-substrate rain forests containing lycopsids, sphenopsids, pteridosperms, cordaites, and tree ferns. Renewed glaciation resulted in sea-level fall, paleovalley incision, and the onset of climatic aridity. Glacial vegetation was dominated by cordaites, pteridosperms, and tree ferns; hydrophilic lycopsids and sphenopsids survived in paleovalley refugia. Findings clearly demonstrate the dynamic nature of Pennsylvanian tropical ecosystems and are timely given current debates about the impact of Quaternary glacial-interglacial rhythms on the biogeography of tropical rain forest.

The influence of glacial meltwater on alpine aquatic ecosystems: a review.

PubMed

Slemmons, Krista E H; Saros, Jasmine E; Simon, Kevin

2013-10-01

The recent and rapid recession of alpine glaciers over the last 150 years has major implications for associated aquatic communities. Glacial meltwater shapes many of the physical features of high altitude lakes and streams, producing turbid environments with distinctive hydrology patterns relative to nival systems. Over the past decade, numerous studies have investigated the chemical and biological effects of glacial meltwater on freshwater ecosystems. Here, we review these studies across both lake and stream ecosystems. Focusing on alpine regions mainly in the Northern Hemisphere, we present examples of how glacial meltwater can affect habitat by altering physical and chemical features of aquatic ecosystems, and review the subsequent effects on the biological structure and function of lakes and streams. Collectively or separately, these factors can drive the overall distribution, diversity and behavior of primary producers, triggering cascading effects throughout the food web. We conclude by proposing areas for future research, particularly in regions where glaciers are soon projected to disappear.

Ice stream reorganization and glacial retreat on the northwest Greenland shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newton, A. M. W.; Knutz, P. C.; Huuse, M.; Gannon, P.; Brocklehurst, S. H.; Clausen, O. R.; Gong, Y.

2017-08-01

Understanding conditions at the grounding-line of marine-based ice sheets is essential for understanding ice sheet evolution. Offshore northwest Greenland, knowledge of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) ice sheet extent in Melville Bugt was previously based on sparse geological evidence. This study uses multibeam bathymetry, combined with 2-D and 3-D seismic reflection data, to present a detailed landform record from Melville Bugt. Seabed landforms include mega-scale glacial lineations, grounding-zone wedges, iceberg scours, and a lateral shear margin moraine, formed during the last glacial cycle. The geomorphology indicates that the LGM ice sheet reached the shelf edge before undergoing flow reorganization. After retreat of 80 km across the outer shelf, the margin stabilized in a mid-shelf position, possibly during the Younger Dryas (12.9-11.7 ka). The ice sheet then decoupled from the seafloor and retreated to a coast-proximal position. This landform record provides an important constraint on deglaciation history offshore northwest Greenland.

Multi-millennial-scale climate variability in Antarctica during the past seven glacial periods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawamura, K.

2009-12-01

Climate variability on 1,000- to 10,000 -year timescales and associated interhemispheric seesaw during the last glacial period have been documented in a variety of paleoclimatic records. However, the frequency, magnitude, cause and prerequisites for the older glacial periods are still uncertain. We here present a new 720,000-year ice core record from Dome Fuji, East Antarctica. The agreement between the Dome Fuji and Dome C isotopic temperature records indicates homogeneous climate variability across the East Antarctic plateau throughout the past 720 kyr. By combining the two temperature proxy records, we identified persistent multi-millennial-scale Antarctic events over the past seven glacial periods. With a fully coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model, it is suggested that the prerequisite for the bipolar seesaw is the combination of a cold background climate and freshwater input into the northern North Atlantic. With our identification criteria, the mean repetition period of the large Antarctic events increased from 6 kyr in the older three glacial periods to 8 kyr in the younger four glacial periods. Low frequency variations (repetition period of >10 kyr) occur in the early parts of the last four glacial periods (i.e. after Mid-Brunhes climatic shift), suggesting a role of insolation forcing on the large bipolar events in the recent glacial periods. Dome Fuji Ice Core Project members (listed in alphabetical order): Ayako Abe-Ouchi, Yutaka Ageta, Shuji Aoki, Nobuhiko Azuma, Yoshiyuki Fujii, Koji Fujita, Shuji Fujita, Kotaro Fukui, Teruo Furukawa, Atsushi Furusaki, Kumiko Goto-Azuma, Ralf Greve, Motohiro Hirabayashi, Takeo Hondoh, Akira Hori, Shinichiro Horikawa, Kazuho Horiuchi, Makoto Igarashi, Yoshinori Iizuka, Takao Kameda, Kokichi Kamiyama, Hiroshi Kanda, Kenji Kawamura, Mika Kohno, Takayuki Kuramoto, Yuki Matsushi, Morihiro Miyahara, Takayuki Miyake, Atsushi Miyamoto, Hideaki Motoyama, Yasuo Nagashima, Yoshiki Nakayama, Takakiyo Nakazawa, Fumio

Simulated Impact of Glacial Runoff on CO2 Uptake in the Gulf of Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilcher, Darren J.; Siedlecki, Samantha A.; Hermann, Albert J.; Coyle, Kenneth O.; Mathis, Jeremy T.; Evans, Wiley

2018-01-01

The Gulf of Alaska (GOA) receives substantial summer freshwater runoff from glacial meltwater. The alkalinity of this runoff is highly dependent on the glacial source and can modify the coastal carbon cycle. We use a regional ocean biogeochemical model to simulate CO2 uptake in the GOA under different alkalinity-loading scenarios. The GOA is identified as a current net sink of carbon, though low-alkalinity tidewater glacial runoff suppresses summer coastal carbon uptake. Our model shows that increasing the alkalinity generates an increase in annual CO2 uptake of 1.9-2.7 TgC/yr. This transition is comparable to a projected change in glacial runoff composition (i.e., from tidewater to land-terminating) due to continued climate warming. Our results demonstrate an important local carbon-climate feedback that can significantly increase coastal carbon uptake via enhanced air-sea exchange, with potential implications to the coastal ecosystems in glaciated areas around the world.

Glacial morphology in the Chinese Pamir: Connections among climate, erosion, topography, lithology and exhumation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schoenbohm, Lindsay M.; Chen, Jie; Stutz, Jamey; Sobel, Edward R.; Thiede, Rasmus C.; Kirby, Benjamin; Strecker, Manfred R.

2014-09-01

Modification of the landscape by glacial erosion reflects the dynamic interplay of climate through temperature, precipitation, and prevailing wind direction, and tectonics through rock uplift and exhumation rate, lithology, and range and fault geometry. We investigate these relationships in the northeast Pamir Mountains using mapping and dating of moraines and terraces to determine the glacial history. We analyze modern glacial morphology to determine glacier area, spacing, headwall relief, debris cover, and equilibrium line altitude (ELA) using the area x altitude balance ratio (AABR), toe-to-headwall altitude ratio (THAR) and toe-to-summit altitude method (TSAM) for 156 glaciers and compare this to lithologic, tectonic, and climatic data. We observe a pronounced asymmetry in glacial ELA, area, debris cover, and headwall relief that we interpret to reflect both structural and climatic control: glaciers on the downwind (eastern) side of the range are larger, more debris covered, have steeper headwalls, and tend to erode headward, truncating the smaller glaciers of the upwind, fault-controlled side of the range. We explain this by the transfer of moisture deep into the range as wind-blown or avalanched snow and by limitations imposed on glacial area on the upwind side of the range by the geometry of the Kongur extensional system (KES). The correspondence between rapid exhumation along the KES and maxima in glacier debris cover and headwall relief and minimums in all measures of ELA suggest that taller glacier headwalls develop in a response to more rapid exhumation rates. However, we find that glaciers in the Muji valley did not extend beyond the range front until at least 43 ka, in contrast to extensive glaciation since 300 ka in the south around the high peaks, a pattern which does not clearly reflect uplift rate. Instead, the difference in glacial history and the presence of large peaks (Muztagh Ata and Kongur Shan) with flanking glaciers likely reflects

Glacial Ice Deposits in Mid-Latitudes of Mars

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-03-02

NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has detected widespread deposits of glacial ice in the mid-latitudes of Mars. This map of a region known as Deuteronilus Mensae, in the northern hemisphere, shows locations of the detected ice deposits in blue.

Glacial seismology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aster, R. C.; Winberry, J. P.

2017-12-01

Seismic source and wave propagation studies contribute to understanding structure, transport, fracture mechanics, mass balance, and other processes within glaciers and surrounding environments. Glaciogenic seismic waves readily couple with the bulk Earth, and can be recorded by seismographs deployed at local to global ranges. Although the fracturing, ablating, melting, and/or highly irregular environment of active glaciers can be highly unstable and hazardous, informative seismic measurements can commonly be made at stable proximal ice or rock sites. Seismology also contributes more broadly to emerging studies of elastic and gravity wave coupling between the atmosphere, oceans, solid Earth, and cryosphere, and recent scientific and technical advances have produced glaciological/seismological collaborations across a broad range of scales and processes. This importantly includes improved insight into the responses of cryospheric systems to changing climate and other environmental conditions. Here, we review relevant fundamental physics and glaciology, and provide a broad review of the current state of glacial seismology and its rapidly evolving future directions.

Glacial seismology.

PubMed

Aster, R C; Winberry, J P

2017-12-01

Seismic source and wave propagation studies contribute to understanding structure, transport, fracture mechanics, mass balance, and other processes within glaciers and surrounding environments. Glaciogenic seismic waves readily couple with the bulk Earth, and can be recorded by seismographs deployed at local to global ranges. Although the fracturing, ablating, melting, and/or highly irregular environment of active glaciers can be highly unstable and hazardous, informative seismic measurements can commonly be made at stable proximal ice or rock sites. Seismology also contributes more broadly to emerging studies of elastic and gravity wave coupling between the atmosphere, oceans, solid Earth, and cryosphere, and recent scientific and technical advances have produced glaciological/seismological collaborations across a broad range of scales and processes. This importantly includes improved insight into the responses of cryospheric systems to changing climate and other environmental conditions. Here, we review relevant fundamental physics and glaciology, and provide a broad review of the current state of glacial seismology and its rapidly evolving future directions.

Feedbacks between subglacial dynamics and long-term glacial landscape evolution (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brædstrup, C. F.; Egholm, D. L.; Ugelvig, S. V.; Christensen, A. D.; Andersen, J. L.

2011-12-01

Several well-known glacial landforms (such as U-shaped troughs and cirques) are associated with characteristic length scales, indicating that the viscosity of the ice and the stress gradients associated with ice flow exert first-order controls on their formation. The evolution of these glacial landforms has so far mostly been explored using phenomenological models that simply link the subglacial erosion rate to sliding or ice discharge. In order to improve our understanding of the causal links between the glacial landforms and the physics of the subglacial environment, we have performed computational experiments with a higher-order ice sheet model (Egholm et al., 2009) capable of simulating the long-term evolution of subglacial dynamics at a high spatial resolution. The orientation and magnitude of subglacial stress components depend not only on ice thickness and ice surface gradients, but also on the details of the bed topography and the regional variations in ice flow velocity. As glaciers erode their beds and modify the morphology of glaciated valleys, the subglacial dynamics therefore change with important implications for the sliding patterns and the continued erosion rates. We focus this presentation on feedbacks between the evolving bed topography and the subglacial erosion patterns. We have performed our experiments with different sliding and erosion laws, including highly non-linear rules representing coulomb-type slip at the bed (Schoof, 2010) and a quarrying model associated to the level of cavitation (Iverson, 2012). The highly non-linear computational experiments are made possible by new and very efficient GPU-accelerated multigrid algorithms. The computational experiments show that higher-order stress effects associated with local changes to the bed gradient provide important stabilizing effects for example in overdeepenings and near topographic steps. The experiments also show how a narrow and meandering pre-glacial valley represents a much more

Feedbacks between subglacial dynamics and long-term glacial landscape evolution (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brædstrup, C. F.; Egholm, D. L.; Ugelvig, S. V.; Christensen, A. D.; Andersen, J. L.

2013-12-01

Several well-known glacial landforms (such as U-shaped troughs and cirques) are associated with characteristic length scales, indicating that the viscosity of the ice and the stress gradients associated with ice flow exert first-order controls on their formation. The evolution of these glacial landforms has so far mostly been explored using phenomenological models that simply link the subglacial erosion rate to sliding or ice discharge. In order to improve our understanding of the causal links between the glacial landforms and the physics of the subglacial environment, we have performed computational experiments with a higher-order ice sheet model (Egholm et al., 2009) capable of simulating the long-term evolution of subglacial dynamics at a high spatial resolution. The orientation and magnitude of subglacial stress components depend not only on ice thickness and ice surface gradients, but also on the details of the bed topography and the regional variations in ice flow velocity. As glaciers erode their beds and modify the morphology of glaciated valleys, the subglacial dynamics therefore change with important implications for the sliding patterns and the continued erosion rates. We focus this presentation on feedbacks between the evolving bed topography and the subglacial erosion patterns. We have performed our experiments with different sliding and erosion laws, including highly non-linear rules representing coulomb-type slip at the bed (Schoof, 2010) and a quarrying model associated to the level of cavitation (Iverson, 2012). The highly non-linear computational experiments are made possible by new and very efficient GPU-accelerated multigrid algorithms. The computational experiments show that higher-order stress effects associated with local changes to the bed gradient provide important stabilizing effects for example in overdeepenings and near topographic steps. The experiments also show how a narrow and meandering pre-glacial valley represents a much more

Paleolimnology of Lake Ontario: AN Assessment of Glacial Meltwater Influx

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hladyniuk, R.; Longstaffe, F. J.

2010-12-01

The timing and extent of glacial meltwater outbursts from the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) may provide insight into their potential role in initiating and/or sustaining the Younger Dryas (YD) cooling event. It has been previously proposed that meltwater from the LIS suppressed thermohaline circulation in the Atlantic Ocean, leading to an abrupt change in climate (Broecker et al. 1989). Several pathways for transport of glacial meltwater to the Atlantic Ocean have been suggested in the past, including eastern flow through the St. Lawrence River system and discharge into the Arctic Ocean via a northwestern outlet (Murton et al. 2010). Glacial meltwater contributions to Lake Ontario and its ancient equivalents during the last ~14,000 cal BP have been evaluated using the oxygen-isotope compositions of ostracode shells from three sediment cores in Lake Ontario. Glacial Lake Iroquois (~12,500 cal BP) δ18O values as low as -18‰ suggest significant contribution of glacial meltwater runoff from the LIS. This glacial sediment is characterized by occasional grains of sand and gravel. These ice-rafted particles indicate how far icebergs floated and suggest close proximity to the LIS. Early Lake Ontario sediment (~12,000 cal BP) exhibits thicker laminations, suggestive of increased winter ice cover and perhaps a colder climate, and is characterized by slightly lower δ18O values (-19.5‰). The end of glacial-dominated sedimentation at ~11,800 cal BP is demarcated by a significant increase in lakewater δ18O values (-12.0‰), reflecting mixing between regional precipitation in the watershed and upstream inflow into Lake Ontario. At ~10,800 cal BP, the δ18O value of Lake Ontario decreased to ~-15‰. This change reflects the main Algonquin highstand in Lake Huron, which flooded into Lake Ontario from both the Fenelon Falls and Port Huron outlets at this time. Shortly thereafter, the opening of the North Bay outlet and isostatic rebound at the Port Huron outlet limited

Glacial evolution of the Ampato Volcanic Complex (Peru)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alcalá, J.; Palacios, D.; Zamorano, J. J.; Vázquez, L.

2009-04-01

Ice masses on the Western range of the Central Andes are a main source of water resources and act as a geoindicator of variations in the climate of the tropics (Mark, 2008). The study of their evolution is of particular interest since they are situated in the transition zone between the tropical and mid-latitude circulation areas of the atmosphere (Zech et al., 2007). The function of this transition area is currently under debate, and understanding it is essential for the development of global climate models (Kull et al, 2008; Mark, 2008). However our understanding of the evolution of glaciers and their paleoclimatic factors for this sector of the Central Andes is still at a very basic level. This paper presents initial results of a study on the glacial evolution of the Ampato volcanic complex (15°24´- 15° 51´ S, 71° 51´ - 73° W; 6288 m a.s.l.) located in the Western Range of the Central Andes in Southern Peru, 70 km NW of the city of Arequipa. The main objectives are to identify the number of glacial phases the complex has undergone using geomorphological criteria to define a time frame for each phase, based on cosmogenic 36Cl dating of a sequence of moraine deposits; and to estimate the glacier Equilibrium Line Altitude (ELA) of each phase. The Ampato volcanic complex is formed by 3 great andesitic stratovolcanoes, the Nevados HualcaHualca-Sabancaya-Ampato, which started forming between the late Miocene and early Quaternary (Bulmer et al., 1999), aligned N-S and with summits covered with glaciers. The Sabancaya volcano is fully active, with its latest eruption occurring in 2001. Glacial landforms were identified and mapped using photointerpretation of vertical aerial photographs from 1955 (1:35,000 scale, National Geographic Institute of Peru), oblique photographs from 1943 (Aerophotographical Service of Peru), and a geo-referenced high-resolution Mrsid satellite image from 2000 (NASA). This cartography was corrected and improved through fieldwork. It was

Evolution of supra-glacial lakes across the Greenland Ice Sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sundal, A. V.; Shepherd, A.; Nienow, P.; Hanna, E.; Palmer, S.; Huybrechts, P.

2009-04-01

We have used 268 cloud-free Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images spanning the 2003 and 2005-2007 melt seasons to study the seasonal evolution of supra-glacial lakes in three different regions of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Lake area estimates were obtained by developing an automated classification method for their identification based on 250 m resolution MODIS surface reflectance observations. Widespread supra-glacial lake formation and drainage is observed across the ice sheet, with a 2-3 weeks delay in the evolution of total supra-glacial lake area in the northern areas compared to the south-west. The onset of lake growth varies by up to one month inter-annually, and lakes form and drain at progressively higher altitudes during the melt season. A correlation was found between the annual peak in total lake area and modelled annual runoff across all study areas. Our results indicate that, in a future warmer climate (Meehl et al., 2007), Greenland supra-glacial lakes can be expected to form at higher altitudes and over a longer time period than is presently the case, expanding the area and time period over which connections between the ice sheet surface and base may be established (Das et al., 2008) with potential consequences for ice sheet discharge (Zwally et al., 2002). Das, S., Joughin, M., Behn, M., Howat, I., King, M., Lizarralde, D., & Bhatia, M. (2008). Fracture propagation to the base of the Greenland Ice Sheet during supra-glacial lake drainage. Science, 5877, 778-781. Meehl, G.A., Stocker, T.F., Collins W.D., Friedlingstein, P., Gaye, A.T., Gregory, J.M., Kitoh, A., Knutti, R., Murphy, J.M., Noda, A., Raper, S.C.B., Watterson, I.G., Weaver, A.J. & Zhao, Z.C. (2007). Global Climate Projections. In: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor

Insolation-driven 100 kyr glacial cycles and millennial climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abe-Ouchi, A.; Saito, F.; Kawamura, K.; Raymo, M. E.; Okuno, J.; Takahashi, K.; Blatter, H.

2013-12-01

The waxing and waning of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets over the past one million years is dominated by an approximately 100-kyr periodicity and a sawtooth pattern (gradual growth and fast termination). Milankovitch theory proposes that summer insolation at high northern latitudes drives the glacial cycles, and statistical tests demonstrated that the glacial cycles are indeed linked to eccentricity, obliquity and precession cycles. However, insolation alone cannot explain the strong 100 kyr cycle which presumably arises through internal climatic feedbacks. Prior work with conceptual models, for example, showed that glacial terminations are associated with the build-up of Northern Hemisphere 'excess ice', but the physical mechanisms of 100-kyr cycle at work remain unclear. Here, using comprehensive climate and ice sheet models, we show that the ~100-kyr periodicity is explained by insolation and internal feedback amongst the climate, ice sheet and lithosphere/asthenosphere system (reference). We found that equilibrium states of ice sheets exhibit hysteresis responses to summer insolation, and that the shape and position of the hysteresis loop play a key role in determining the periodicities of glacial cycles. The hysteresis loop of the North American ice sheet is such that, after its inception, the ice sheet mass balance remains mostly positive or neutral through several precession cycles whose amplitude decreases towards an eccentricity minimum. The larger the ice sheet grows and extends towards lower latitudes, the smaller is the insolation required to turn the mass balance to negative. Therefore, once the large ice sheet is established, only a moderate increase in insolation can trigger a negative mass balance, leading to a complete retreat within several thousand years, due to the delayed isostatic rebound. The effect of ocean circulation and millennial scale climate change are not playing the dominant role for determing the 100kyr cycle, but are effective for

Climatic Instability and Regional Glacial Advances in the Late Ediacaran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hannah, J. L.; Stein, H. J.; Marolf, N.; Bingen, B.

2014-12-01

The Ediacaran Period closed out the environmentally raucous Neoproterozoic Era with the last of multiple glacial events and the first ephemeral glimmer of multicellular life. As such, evolution of Earth's biosphere and the marine environments that nurtured this nascent biota are of particular interest. Because the Ediacaran biota appear in the stratigraphic record just above tillites in many localities, inferences are naturally drawn to link glaciation to bioevolution. Here we review known controls on the timing and extent of the late Ediacaran Gaskier and Varanger glacial events, bolstered by new constraints on the Moelv tillite of South Norway. The elusive mid-Ediacaran glacial strata are poorly dated, patchy in distribution, and relatively limited in thickness. The type Gaskier glaciogenic units in Newfoundland are 582 to 584 Ma, based on U-Pb zircon ages from intercalated ash beds [1]. The Varanger glaciogenic deposits in northern Norway, in contrast, remain only roughly constrained to ca. 630 to 560 Ma. Post-Gaskier negative carbon isotope excursions (CIEs) have been reported from multiple localities in both China and SW United States, suggesting climatic instability in the late Ediacaran. Although most localities lack solid geochronology, paleontologic constraints place the Hongtiegou glacial diamictite and accompanying CIE in the Chaidam Basin, NW China, in the latest Ediacaran, ca. 555 Ma [2]. We previously suggested that the Moelv tillite in south Norway was roughly equivalent to the Gaskier, based on an imprecise Re-Os age of ~560 Ma [3] for the underlying Biri shale. Reanalysis of these data shows that the upper part of the shale section was disturbed by a redox front during the Caledonian orogeny. The undisturbed lower part of the section yields a more precise Model 1 isochron age of 559.5 ± 6.2 Ma, clearly post-dating the Gaskier event well outside analytical uncertainty. These new results bolster arguments that the Gaskier glaciation was not a global

Inherent characteristics of sawtooth cycles can explain different glacial periodicities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omta, Anne Willem; Kooi, Bob W.; van Voorn, George A. K.; Rickaby, Rosalind E. M.; Follows, Michael J.

2016-01-01

At the Mid-Pleistocene Transition about 1 Ma, the dominant periodicity of the glacial-interglacial cycles shifted from 40 to 100 kyr. Here, we use a previously developed mathematical model to investigate the possible dynamical origin of these different periodicities. The model has two variables, one of which exhibits sawtooth oscillations, resembling the glacial-interglacial cycles, whereas the other variable exhibits spikes at the rapid transitions. When applying a sinusoidal forcing with a fixed period, there emerges a rich variety of cycles with different periodicities, each being a multiple of the forcing period. Furthermore, the dominant periodicity of the system can change, while the forcing periodicity remains fixed, due to either random variations or different frequency components of the orbital forcing. Two key relationships stand out as predictions to be tested against observations: (1) the amplitude and the periodicity of the cycles are approximately linearly proportional to each other, a relationship that is also found in the δ ^{18}O temperature proxy. (2) The magnitude of the spikes increases with increasing periodicity and amplitude of the sawtooth. This prediction could be used to identify one or more currently hidden spiking variables driving the glacial-interglacial transitions. Essentially, the quest would be for any proxy record, concurrent with a dynamical model prediction, that exhibits deglacial spikes which increase at times when the amplitude/periodicity of the glacial cycles increases. In the specific context of our calcifier-alkalinity mechanism, the records of interest would be calcifier productivity and calcite accumulation. We believe that such a falsifiable hypothesis should provide a strong motivation for the collection of further records.

Role of Marine Biology in Glacial-Interglacial CO2 Cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohfeld, Karen E.; Le Quéré, Corinne; Harrison, Sandy P.; Anderson, Robert F.

2005-04-01

It has been hypothesized that changes in the marine biological pump caused a major portion of the glacial reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide by 80 to 100 parts per million through increased iron fertilization of marine plankton, increased ocean nutrient content or utilization, or shifts in dominant plankton types. We analyze sedimentary records of marine productivity at the peak and the middle of the last glacial cycle and show that neither changes in nutrient utilization in the Southern Ocean nor shifts in plankton dominance explain the CO2 drawdown. Iron fertilization and associated mechanisms can be responsible for no more than half the observed drawdown.

Vestiges of Glacial Action in Ostrava: Their Significance for and Application in Geotourism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duraj, Miloš; Niemiec, Dominik; Cheng, Xianfeng; Koleňák, Petr

2017-12-01

The territory of Northern Moravia and Silesia is outstanding from the geological point of view. The abundance of different mineral resources has largely contributed to the intense development of the territory, particularly in the 19th century. Mineral resources were discovered already in the pre-historic period, when pre-historic man found coal at the coal seam exposures in Ostrava-Landek. They also used some raw materials that had been transported there by glacial action of the last Saale glaciation. Flint fragments and other travelled material may be frequently found in many localities to date. Large pieces that are called glacial boulders have been removed and exhibited for more than a century in many towns of the region. These vestiges of glacial action represent one of the many stages the Earth has passed through its history. At present, such findings mainly have an aesthetic function. Particularly interesting specimens have been protected as national monuments. The geomorphology of Ostrava has been responsible for the findings of the largest glacial boulders within the Czech Republic. Many of the formations are fascinating specimens that enrich the list of numerous geomontane sights in the City of Ostrava.

Post-Glacial and Paleo-Environmental History of the West Coast of Vancouver Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dallimore, A.; Enkin, R. J.

2005-12-01

Annually laminated sediments in anoxic fjords are potentially ideal paleoclimate recorders, particularly once proxy measurements for atmospheric, oceanographic and sedimentological conditions have been calibrated. On the west coast of Canada, these sediments also record the changing environment as glaciers retreated from this area about 12 ka y BP. In Effingham Inlet, a 40 m core taken from the French ship the Marion Dufresne as part of the international IMAGES/PAGES program, gives evidence of an isolation basin at maximum glacial isostatic rebound and lowest paleo-sea level followed by eustatic sea level rise about 10 ka y BP. The Late Pleistocene record also marks dramatic changes in glacial sedimentary source and transport. Excellent chronological control is provided by complementary yet independent dating methods including radiocarbon dates on both plants and shells, identification of the Mazama Ash, varve counting and paleomagnetic, paleosecular variation correlations in the lower, pro-glacial section of the core which does not contain organic material. Paleoenvironmental evidence from this core provides information on immediate post-glacial conditions along the coast and rapid climatic changes throughout the Holocene, with implications for the possibility of early human migration routes and refugia.

Glacial geology of the Shingobee River headwaters area, north-central Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Melchior, Robert C.

2014-01-01

During middle and late Wisconsin time in the Shingobee River headwaters area, the Laurentide Wadena lobe, Hewitt and Itasca phases, produced terminal and ground moraine along with a variety of associated glacial features. The stratigraphic record is accessible and provides details of depositional mode as well as principal glacial events during the advance and retreat of middle and late Wisconsin ice tongues. Geomorphic features such as tunnel valleys, stream terraces, and postglacial stream cuts formed by erosional events persist to the present day. Middle Wisconsin Hewitt phase deposits are the oldest and include drumlins, ground moraine, boulder pavements, and outwash. Together, these deposits suggest a wet-based, periodically surging glacier in a subpolar thermal state. Regional permafrost and deposition from retreating ice are inferred between the end of the Hewitt phase and the advance of late Wisconsin Itasca phase ice. Itasca phase glaciation occurred as a contemporaneous pair of adjacent ice tongues whose contrasting moraine styles suggest independent flow modes. The western (Shingobee) portion of the Itasca moraine contains composite ridges, permafrost phenomena, hill-hole pairs, and debris flows. By contrast, eastern (Onigum) moraine deposits generally lack glaciotectonic features and consist almost exclusively of mud and debris flows. Near the end of the Itasca phase, large-scale hill-hole pairs developed in the Shingobee division, and debris flows from the Onigum division blocked the preexisting Shingobee tunnel valley to form glacial lake Willobee. Postglacial streams formed deep valleys as glacial lake Willobee catastrophically drained. Dates based on temperature trends in Greenland ice cores are proposed for prominent glacial events in the Shingobee area. This report proposes that Hewitt phase glaciation occurred between 27.2 and 23.6 kiloannum and Itasca phase glaciation between 22.8 and 14.7 kiloannum. Des Moines lobe (Younger Dryas) glaciation

The Effects of Salt Water on Mechanical Properties of Glacial Ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holt, R. A.; McCarthy, C.

2017-12-01

An improved understanding of the mechanical properties of glacial ice, including factors that may change them, is essential for understanding vulnerability of ice sheets to climate change. It is understood that the temperature of intruding subglacial seawater affects the melting of glacial ice and therefore destabilizes ice shelves, but we hypothesize that seawater bathing the bottom of the glacier may also influence mechanical properties such as friction and elastic modulus. We undertook experiments to determine how the presence of saline solution at grain boundaries of ice might lead to weaker behavior. We created an ice sample by finely grinding and sieving seed ice, pressing it into a rectangular mold, and flooding with a 3.5wt% saline solution. We then quickly brought it to subsolidus (-22°) to completely freeze. The bulk composition of the sample was determined by refractive index to be 0.28wt%. Microstructural characterization of the sample indicates that, above the solidus, the melt phase was located at grain triple junctions and along grain boundaries. To test the frictional behavior of ice with saline sliding against rock, we used a cryo-biaxial apparatus designed to simulate the basal sliding of glacial ice. The experiments were run in the double direct configuration at 100 KPa normal stress and at T=-5°. The results demonstrate that ice containing a liquid saline solution has lower steady state friction than pure ice at the same conditions, and therefore can slip at a faster velocity. In addition to the bi-axial experiment we determined the elastic properties using an ultrasonic velocity testing system. P waves velocities through the saline ice sample were consistent with published values (Spencer et al., 1968, JGR). We also used both measured and estimated values to calculate the Young's modulus. We found that ice containing salt water has a lower Young's modulus than that of pure ice. Salt water significantly changes the mechanical properties of

Climatic implications of correlated upper Pleistocene glacial and fluvial deposits on the Cinca and Gallego rivers, NE Spain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lewis, Claudia J; Mcdonald, Eric; Sancho, Carlos

We correlate Upper Pleistocene glacial and fluvial deposits of the Cinca and Gallego River valleys (south central Pyrenees and Ebro basin, Spain) using geomorphic position, luminescence dates, and time-related trends in soil development. The ages obtained from glacial deposits indicate glacial periods at 85 {+-} 5 ka, 64 {+-} 11 ka, and 36 {+-} 3 ka (from glacial till) and 20 {+-} 3 ka (from loess). The fluvial drainage system, fed by glaciers in the headwaters, developed extensive terrace systems in the Cinca River valley at 178 {+-} 21 ka, 97 {+-} 16 ka, 61 {+-} 4 ka, 47 {+-}more » 4 ka, and 11 {+-} 1 ka, and in the Gallego River valley at 151 {+-} 11 ka, 68 {+-} 7 ka, and 45 {+-} 3 ka. The times of maximum geomorphic activity related to cold phases coincide with Late Pleistocene marine isotope stages and heinrich events. The maximum extent of glaciers during the last glacial occurred at 64 {+-} 11 ka, and the terraces correlated with this glacial phase are the most extensive in both the Cinca (61 {+-} 4 ka) and Gallego (68 {+-} 7 ka) valleys, indicating a strong increase in fluvial discharge and availability of sediments related to the transition to deglaciation. The global Last Glacial Maximum is scarcely represented in the south central Pyrenees owing to dominantly dry conditions at that time. Precipitation must be controlled by the position of the Iberian Peninsula with respect to the North Atlantic atmospheric circulation system. The glacial systems and the associated fluvial dynamic seem sensitive to (1) global climate changes controlled by insolation, (2) North Atlantic thermohaline circulation influenced by freshwater pulses into the North Atlantic, and (3) anomalies in atmospheric circulation in the North Atlantic controlling precipitation on the Iberian peninsula. The model of glacial and fluvial evolution during the Late Pleistocene in northern Spain could be extrapolated to other glaciated mountainous areas in southern Europe.« less

Fingerprinting of glacial silt in lake sediments yields continuous records of alpine glaciation (35-15 ka), western USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenbaum, Joseph G.; Reynolds, Richard L.; Colman, Steven M.

2012-09-01

Fingerprinting glacial silt in last glacial-age sediments from Upper Klamath Lake (UKL) and Bear Lake (BL) provides continuous radiocarbon-dated records of glaciation for the southeastern Cascade Range and northwestern Uinta Mountains, respectively. Comparing of these records to cosmogenic exposure ages from moraines suggests that variations in glacial flour largely reflect glacial extent. The two areas are at similar latitudes and yield similar records of glacial growth and recession, even though UKL lies less than 200 km from the ocean and BL is in the continental interior. As sea level began to fall prior to the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), existing glaciers in the UKL area expanded. Near the beginning of the global LGM (26.5 ka), the BL record indicates onset of glaciation and UKL-area glaciers underwent further expansion. Both records indicate that local glaciers reached their maximum extents near the end of the global LGM, remained near their maxima for ~ 1000 yr, and underwent two stages of retreat separated by a short period of expansion.

Temporal evolution of mechanisms controlling ocean carbon uptake during the last glacial cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohfeld, Karen E.; Chase, Zanna

2017-08-01

Many mechanisms have been proposed to explain the ∼85-90 ppm decrease in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) during the last glacial cycle, between 127,000 and 18,000 yrs ago. When taken together, these mechanisms can, in some models, account for the full glacial-interglacial CO2 drawdown. Most proxy-based evaluations focus on the peak of the Last Glacial Maximum, 24,000-18,000 yrs ago, and little has been done to determine the sequential timing of processes affecting CO2 during the last glacial cycle. Here we use a new compilation of sea-surface temperature records together with time-sequenced records of carbon and Nd isotopes, and other proxies to determine when the most commonly proposed mechanisms could have been important for CO2 drawdown. We find that the initial major drawdown of 35 ppm 115,000 yrs ago was most likely a result of Antarctic sea ice expansion. Importantly, changes in deep ocean circulation and mixing did not play a major role until at least 30,000 yrs after the first CO2 drawdown. The second phase of CO2 drawdown occurred ∼70,000 yrs ago and was also coincident with the first significant influences of enhanced ocean productivity due to dust. Finally, minimum concentrations of atmospheric CO2 during the Last Glacial Maximum resulted from the combination of physical and biological factors, including the barrier effect of expanded Southern Ocean sea ice, slower ventilation of the deep sea, and ocean biological feedbacks.

The sensitivity of the Greenland Ice Sheet to glacial-interglacial oceanic forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabone, Ilaria; Blasco, Javier; Robinson, Alexander; Alvarez-Solas, Jorge; Montoya, Marisa

2018-04-01

Observations suggest that during the last decades the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) has experienced a gradually accelerating mass loss, in part due to the observed speed-up of several of Greenland's marine-terminating glaciers. Recent studies directly attribute this to warming North Atlantic temperatures, which have triggered melting of the outlet glaciers of the GrIS, grounding-line retreat and enhanced ice discharge into the ocean, contributing to an acceleration of sea-level rise. Reconstructions suggest that the influence of the ocean has been of primary importance in the past as well. This was the case not only in interglacial periods, when warmer climates led to a rapid retreat of the GrIS to land above sea level, but also in glacial periods, when the GrIS expanded as far as the continental shelf break and was thus more directly exposed to oceanic changes. However, the GrIS response to palaeo-oceanic variations has yet to be investigated in detail from a mechanistic modelling perspective. In this work, the evolution of the GrIS over the past two glacial cycles is studied using a three-dimensional hybrid ice-sheet-shelf model. We assess the effect of the variation of oceanic temperatures on the GrIS evolution on glacial-interglacial timescales through changes in submarine melting. The results show a very high sensitivity of the GrIS to changing oceanic conditions. Oceanic forcing is found to be a primary driver of GrIS expansion in glacial times and of retreat in interglacial periods. If switched off, palaeo-atmospheric variations alone are not able to yield a reliable glacial configuration of the GrIS. This work therefore suggests that considering the ocean as an active forcing should become standard practice in palaeo-ice-sheet modelling.

Reconstruction of the glacial maximum recorded in the central Cantabrian Mountains (N Iberia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Laura; Jiménez-Sánchez, Montserrat; José Domínguez-Cuesta, María

2014-05-01

The Cantabrian Mountains is a coastal range up to 2648 m altitude trending parallel to northern Iberian Peninsula edge at a maximum distance of 100 km inland (~43oN 5oW). Glacial sediments and landforms are generally well-preserved at altitudes higher than 1600 m, evidencing the occurrence of former glaciations. Previous research supports a regional glacial maximum prior to ca 38 cal ka BP and an advanced state of deglaciation by the time of the global Last Glacial Maximum (Jiménez-Sánchez et al., 2013). A geomorphological database has been produced in ArcGIS (1:25,000 scale) for an area about 800 km2 that partially covers the Redes Natural Reservation and Picos de Europa Regional Park. A reconstruction of the ice extent and flow pattern of the former glaciers is presented for this area, showing that an ice field was developed on the study area during the local glacial maximum. The maximum length of the ice tongues that drained this icefield was remarkably asymmetric between both slopes, recording 1 to 6 km-long in the northern slope and up to 19 km-long in southern one. The altitude difference between the glacier fronts of both mountain slopes was ca 100 m. This asymmetric character of the ice tongues is related to geologic and topo-climatic factors. Jiménez-Sánchez, M., Rodríguez-Rodríguez, L., García-Ruiz, J.M., Domínguez-Cuesta, M.J., Farias, P., Valero-Garcés, B., Moreno, A., Rico, M., Valcárcel, M., 2013. A review of glacial geomorphology and chronology in northern Spain: timing and regional variability during the last glacial cycle. Geomorphology 196, 50-64. Research funded by the CANDELA project (MINECO-CGL2012-31938). L. Rodríguez-Rodríguez is a PhD student with a grant from the Spanish national FPU Program (MECD).

Constraining Glacial Runoff Contributions to Water Resources in the Cordillera Real, Bolivia using Environmental Tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guido, Z.; McIntosh, J. C.; Papuga, S. A.

2013-12-01

Warming temperatures in recent decades have contributed to substantial reductions in glaciers in many mountain regions around the globe, including the South American Andes. Melting of these glaciers taps water resources accumulated in past climates, and the diminishing ice marks a decrease in a nonrenewable water source that begs the question: how will future water supplies be impacted by climate change. Water resource management and climate adaptation efforts can be informed by knowledge of the extent to which glaciers contribute to seasonal streamflows, but remote locations and scant monitoring often limit this quantification. In Bolivia, more than two million people draw water from watersheds fed, in part, by glaciers. The amount to which these glaciers contribute to the water supply, however, is not well constrained. We apply elemental and isotopic tracers in an end-member mixing model to quantify glacial runoff contributions to local water supplies. We present oxygen and deuterium isotopes and major anion concentrations (sulfate and chloride) of shallow groundwater, streams, reservoirs, small arroyos, and glacial runoff. Isotopic and anion mixing models suggest between 45-67% of the water measured in high altitude streams originated from within the glacial footprint during the 2011 wet season, while glacial runoff contributed about 42-53% of the water in reservoirs in the 2012 dry season. Data also show that shallow groundwater is connected to glacial-fed streams. Any future decrease in glacial runoff may contribute to a reduction in surface water supplies and lower groundwater levels downstream, perhaps below the depth of hand-dug wells common in rural communities.

Influence of glacial ice sheets on the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation through surface wind change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherriff-Tadano, Sam; Abe-Ouchi, Ayako; Yoshimori, Masakazu; Oka, Akira; Chan, Wing-Le

2018-04-01

Coupled modeling studies have recently shown that the existence of the glacial ice sheets intensifies the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). However, most models show a strong AMOC in their simulations of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), which is biased compared to reconstructions that indicate both a weaker and stronger AMOC during the LGM. Therefore, a detailed investigation of the mechanism behind this intensification of the AMOC is important for a better understanding of the glacial climate and the LGM AMOC. Here, various numerical simulations are conducted to focus on the effect of wind changes due to glacial ice sheets on the AMOC and the crucial region where the wind modifies the AMOC. First, from atmospheric general circulation model experiments, the effect of glacial ice sheets on the surface wind is evaluated. Second, from ocean general circulation model experiments, the influence of the wind stress change on the AMOC is evaluated by applying wind stress anomalies regionally or at different magnitudes as a boundary condition. These experiments demonstrate that glacial ice sheets intensify the AMOC through an increase in the wind stress at the North Atlantic mid-latitudes, which is induced by the North American ice sheet. This intensification of the AMOC is caused by the increased oceanic horizontal and vertical transport of salt, while the change in sea ice transport has an opposite, though minor, effect. Experiments further show that the Eurasian ice sheet intensifies the AMOC by directly affecting the deep-water formation in the Norwegian Sea.

Glacial Ordovician new evidence in the Pakhuis Formation, South Africa : sedimentological investigation and palaeo-environnemental reconstruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Portier, E.; Buoncristiani, Jf.; Deronzier, Jf.

2009-04-01

During the Late Ordovician (Hirnantian) an ice sheet covered a great part of the Gondwana. In Africa, several studies present the stratigraphy and the complexity of these glacial records. The different glacial landsystems correspond to several glacial cycles, related to rapid ice front oscillations and are grouped into two major ice-sheet advances, separated by a major ice sheet recession. The study was performed on three well outcropping Late Ordovician sections in South Africa. The Ordovician IV is described as the Pakhuis Rm, and is divided into three different lithological members (known as Sneekop, Oskop and Sternbras Mb) that could be related to two major glacial cycles. In the first cycle (pool the two first Mb), facies association indicate continental environment, with : massive sandy tillites with facetted and striated erratics, subaerial outwash plain to glaciolacustrine cross bedded sands and laminated silts. Near Clanwilliam, the outcrops exhibit a high lateral variability in facies and thickness, ranging from a few meters to several tens of meters. The second cycle is dominated by clear marine sedimentation and may be interpreted as a transgressive sequence, quite different from what occurred in North Gondwana. Typical facies define shoreface environment, and periglacial evidence such as dropstones at base are encountered, passing progressively to a clear offshore environment at top of the series, likely Silurian aged, and known as Cederberg fm. Two glacial pavements were also described. The most spectacular one was firstly described by Visser et al. 1974 and should be interpreted as an intra-formational glacial pavement, with striae indicating a flow from East to West. This pavement is overlying a newly discovered glacial floor which exhibits grooves, crescents marks, en echelon fractures, with the same E-W general orientation, and shaped as ‘roches moutonnées', which are typical evidences of glacial erosion on indurated substratum. Reconstructing

Quaternary glacial landforms and evolution in the Cantabrian Mountains (Northern Spain): a synthesis from current data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serrano, Enrique; José González-Trueba, Juan; Pellitero, Ramón; González-García, María; Gómez-Lende, Manuel

2014-05-01

In Northern Iberian Peninsula are located the Cantabrian Mountains, a mountain system of 450 km length, reaching 2648 m in the Picos de Europa. It is an Atlantic mountain in the North slope, with a Atlantic Mediterranean transitional climate in the South slope.More than thirty-five massifs developed glaciers during the Pleistocene. Studies on glacial morphology are known from the XIX century and they have focused mainly on the maximum extent of glaciers. Nowadays there are detailed geomorphological maps, morphostratigraphic surveys and estimation of Equilibrium Line Altitude in different massifs and on different stages. During the last decade studies on glacial evolution and glaciation phases have been made, and the first chronological data have been published. In this work we presents the reconstruction of the glacial evolution in the Cantabrian Mountains during the Pleistocene and Holocene, based on recent chronological data (30 dates made using OSL, AMS and C14) and morphostratigraphic correlations obtained by several research groups. The number of reconstructed glacial stages varies among the different massifs, form one to four different stages. The highest massifs located in the central portion of the Cantabrian Mountains have the most complex glacial features, with at least four different moraine complexes stepped between the 400 m a.s.l in the Northern slope and 800 m a.s.l. in the Southern slope for the lowest moraine complexes, and the highest and youngest, located above 2100 m a.s.l. An ancient glacial phase has been pointed to MIS 12 -more than 400 ka-, disconnected from the present day glacial morphology. During Upper Pleistocene three main stages have been identified. The first one, the local glacial maximum, could be prior to the LGM, as all dates refer to chronologies prior to 28-38 ka. Some authors locate this stage prior to 45 and 65 ka, during the 50-70 ka cold stage. It could be a wet stage, when the main fronts reached the Iberian Peninsula from

Methane release from the southern Brazilian margin during the last glacial.

PubMed

Portilho-Ramos, R C; Cruz, A P S; Barbosa, C F; Rathburn, A E; Mulitza, S; Venancio, I M; Schwenk, T; Rühlemann, C; Vidal, L; Chiessi, C M; Silveira, C S

2018-04-13

Seafloor methane release can significantly affect the global carbon cycle and climate. Appreciable quantities of methane are stored in continental margin sediments as shallow gas and hydrate deposits, and changes in pressure, temperature and/or bottom-currents can liberate significant amounts of this greenhouse gas. Understanding the spatial and temporal dynamics of marine methane deposits and their relationships to environmental change are critical for assessing past and future carbon cycle and climate change. Here we present foraminiferal stable carbon isotope and sediment mineralogy records suggesting for the first time that seafloor methane release occurred along the southern Brazilian margin during the last glacial period (40-20 cal ka BP). Our results show that shallow gas deposits on the southern Brazilian margin responded to glacial-interglacial paleoceanographic changes releasing methane due to the synergy of sea level lowstand, warmer bottom waters and vigorous bottom currents during the last glacial period. High sea level during the Holocene resulted in an upslope shift of the Brazil Current, cooling the bottom waters and reducing bottom current strength, reducing methane emissions from the southern Brazilian margin.

Negative consequences of glacial turbidity for the survival of freshwater planktonic heterotrophic flagellates.

PubMed

Sommaruga, Ruben; Kandolf, Georg

2014-02-17

Heterotrophic (phagotrophic) flagellates are key components of planktonic food webs in freshwater and marine ecosystems because they are the main consumers of bacteria. Although they are ubiquitous in aquatic ecosystems, they were numerically undetectable in turbid glacier-fed lakes. Here we show that glacial particles had negative effects on the survival and growth of heterotrophic flagellates. The effect of glacial particles was concentration-dependent and was caused by their interference with bacterial uptake rather than by physical damage. These results are the first to reveal why establishment of heterotrophic flagellates populations is hindered in very turbid glacial lakes. Because glaciers are vanishing around the world, recently formed turbid meltwater lakes represent an excellent opportunity to understand the environmental conditions that probably shaped the establishment of lake communities at the end of the last glaciation.

Falsifying the Sikussak-Oasis Hypothesis for the Tillite Group, East Greenland: Implications for Trezona-like Carbon Isotope Excursions Beneath Neoproterozoic Glacials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffman, P. F.; Domack, E. W.; Maloof, A. C.; Halverson, G. P.

2006-05-01

In Neoproterozoic time, East Greenland and East Svalbard (EGES) occupied landward and seaward positions, respectively, on the southern subtropical margin of Laurentia. In both areas, thick clastic-to-carbonate successions are overlain by two discrete glacial and/or periglacial formations, separated by fine basinal clastics. In Svalbard, the younger glacial has a characteristic Marinoan (basal Ediacaran) cap dolostone, but the older glacial is underlain by a 10-permil negative carbon isotope excursion that is indistinguishable from excursions observed exclusively beneath Marinoan glacials in Australia, Namibia and western Laurentia. This led us to propose (Basin Research 16, 297-324, 2004) that the paired glacials in EGES represent the onset and climax of a single, long-lived, Marinoan glaciation. The intervening fine clastics, which contain ikaite pseudomorphs, presumptively accumulated beneath permanent shorefast sea ice (sikussak), analogous to East Greenland fjords during the Younger Dryas and Little Ice Age. In this model, the top of the older glacial signals the start of Snowball Earth. We conducted a preliminary field test of the sikussak hypothesis in Strindberg Land (SL), Andrée Land (AL) and Ella O (EO), East Greenland. We confirmed the correlation of the paired glacials and the Marinoan cap dolostone (missing on EO). In SL, the older glacial (Ulveso Fm) is a thin diamictite overlain by conglomerate lag and a set of megavarves composed of alternating siltstone and ice-rafted debris. In AL and EO, the Ulveso is a sub-glacial diamictite overlain by aeolian and/or marine sandstone. In Bastion Bugt on EO, it is a transgressive shoreface sandstone. This proves that glacial recession occurred under open-water conditions and did not result from permanent sea-ice formation, as stipulated in the sikussak model. There is no evidence that the fine clastic sequence between the glacials formed under an ice cover, or for a single glacial period. This brings us back to

The INTIMATE event stratigraphy of the last glacial period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olander Rasmussen, Sune; Svensson, Anders

2015-04-01

The North Atlantic INTIMATE (INtegration of Ice-core, MArine and TErrestrial records) group has previously recommended an Event Stratigraphy approach for the synchronisation of records of the Last Termination using the Greenland ice core records as the regional stratotypes. A key element of these protocols has been the formal definition of numbered Greenland Stadials (GS) and Greenland Interstadials (GI) within the past glacial period as the Greenland expressions of the characteristic Dansgaard-Oeschger events that represent cold and warm phases of the North Atlantic region, respectively. Using a recent synchronization of the NGRIP, GRIP, and GISP2 ice cores that allows the parallel analysis of all three records on a common time scale, we here present an extension of the GS/GI stratigraphic template to the entire glacial period. In addition to the well-known sequence of Dansgaard-Oeschger events that were first defined and numbered in the ice core records more than two decades ago, a number of short-lived climatic oscillations have been identified in the three synchronized records. Some of these events have been observed in other studies, but we here propose a consistent scheme for discriminating and naming all the significant climatic events of the last glacial period that are represented in the Greenland ice cores. In addition to presenting the updated event stratigraphy, we make a series of recommendations on how to refer to these periods in a way that promotes unambiguous comparison and correlation between different proxy records, providing a more secure basis for investigating the dynamics and fundamental causes of these climatic perturbations. The work presented is a part of a newly published paper in an INTIMATE special issue of Quaternary Science Reviews: Rasmussen et al., 'A stratigraphic framework for abrupt climatic changes during the Last Glacial period based on three synchronized Greenland ice-core records: refining and extending the INTIMATE event

Unstable AMOC during glacial intervals and millennial variability: The role of mean sea ice extent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sévellec, Florian; Fedorov, Alexey V.

2015-11-01

A striking feature of paleoclimate records is the greater stability of the Holocene epoch relative to the preceding glacial interval, especially apparent in the North Atlantic region. In particular, strong irregular variability with an approximately 1500 yr period, known as the Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) events, punctuates the last glaciation, but is absent during the interglacial. Prevailing theories, modeling and data suggest that these events, seen as abrupt warming episodes in Greenland ice cores and sea surface temperature records in the North Atlantic, are linked to reorganizations of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). In this study, using a new low-order ocean model that reproduces a realistic power spectrum of millennial variability, we explore differences in the AMOC stability between glacial and interglacial intervals of the 100 kyr glacial cycle of the Late Pleistocene (1 kyr = 1000 yr). Previous modeling studies show that the edge of sea ice in the North Atlantic shifts southward during glacial intervals, moving the region of the North Atlantic Deep Water formation and the AMOC also southward. Here we demonstrate that, by shifting the AMOC with respect to the mean atmospheric precipitation field, such a displacement makes the system unstable, which explains chaotic millennial variability during the glacials and the persistence of stable ocean conditions during the interglacials.

Glacial - interglacial changes of northwest Pacific stratification, inferred from deep and shallow living radiolarians

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hays, J. D.

2009-12-01

Shallow (0-200m) and deep (200 to1000m) living radiolarian flux is used to measure past production from within discrete intervals of the ocean’s water column. Deep-living faunas can also be used as proxies for export production, for they remineralize it and respond geographically and temporally to varying export. Few members of the mesopelagic community leave a fossil record, but of those that do, radiolarians are the most abundant and diverse group. In northwest Pacific late Pleistocene (glacial) sediments, deep-living radiolarian flux dominates over shallow-living flux, but the reverse is true in Holocene sediments, with the dramatic dominance change occurring across the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary. Changing primary productivity can’t cause these flux changes, for shallow-living faunas have access to the same carbon flux as do deep-living faunas, but rather they signal a major reorganization of the radiolarian fauna within the water column and suggest greater glacial than Holocene carbon export. In the Holocene world-ocean, the only region where deep-living radiolarian flux dominates over shallow-living flux is in the Sea of Okhotsk, suggesting environmental similarities between this sea and the northwest Pacific. In winter, cold Siberian air chills the upper hundred meters of the Sea of Okhotsk, promoting the spread of vast sea ice fields. High productivity in a thin (10-15m) summer mixed layer depletes nutrients Between 15 and about 150m exists a layer of cold (-1 to 0 degrees C.) intermediate water, within which radiolarian concentrations are low, but these concentrations increase between 200 and 500m in warmer intermediate water (Nimmergut and Abelmann, 2002). This radiolarian stratification results in greater deep- than shallow-living radiolarian flux to the sea floor. A similar water structure in the glacial northwest Pacific is the probable cause of similar flux patterns between the glacial northwest Pacific and Holocene Sea of Okhotsk. If so then

Uncovering the glacial history of the Irish continental shelf (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunlop, P.; Benetti, S.; OCofaigh, C.

2013-12-01

In 1999 the Irish Government initiated a €32 million survey of its territorial waters known as the Irish National Seabed Survey (INSS). The INSS is amongst the largest marine mapping programmes ever undertaken anywhere in the world and provides high-resolution multibeam, backscatter and seismic data of the seabed around Ireland. These data have been used to provide the first clear evidence for extensive glaciation of the continental shelf west and northwest of Ireland. Streamlined drumlins on the mid to outer shelf record former offshore-directed ice flow towards the shelf edge and show that the ice sheet was grounded in a zone of confluence where ice flowing onto the shelf from northwest Ireland merged with ice flowing across the Malin Shelf from southwest Scotland. The major glacial features on the shelf are well developed nested arcuate moraine systems that mark the position of the ice sheet margin and confirm that the former British Irish Ice Sheet was grounded as far as the shelf edge around 100 km offshore of west Donegal at the last glacial maximum. Distal to the moraines, on the outermost shelf, prominent zones of iceberg plough marks give way to the Barra/Donegal fan and a well developed system of gullies and canyons which incise the continental slope. Since 2008 several scientific cruises have retrieved cores from the shelf and slope to help build a more detailed understanding of glacial events in this region. This presentation will provide an overview of the glacial history of the Irish shelf and will discuss ongoing research programmes that are building on the initial research findings to produce a better understanding of the nature and timing of ice sheet events in this region.

Neotropical forest expansion during the last glacial period challenges refuge hypothesis.

PubMed

Leite, Yuri L R; Costa, Leonora P; Loss, Ana Carolina; Rocha, Rita G; Batalha-Filho, Henrique; Bastos, Alex C; Quaresma, Valéria S; Fagundes, Valéria; Paresque, Roberta; Passamani, Marcelo; Pardini, Renata

2016-01-26

The forest refuge hypothesis (FRH) has long been a paradigm for explaining the extreme biological diversity of tropical forests. According to this hypothesis, forest retraction and fragmentation during glacial periods would have promoted reproductive isolation and consequently speciation in forest patches (ecological refuges) surrounded by open habitats. The recent use of paleoclimatic models of species and habitat distributions revitalized the FRH, not by considering refuges as the main drivers of allopatric speciation, but instead by suggesting that high contemporary diversity is associated with historically stable forest areas. However, the role of the emerged continental shelf on the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot of eastern South America during glacial periods has been ignored in the literature. Here, we combined results of species distribution models with coalescent simulations based on DNA sequences to explore the congruence between scenarios of forest dynamics through time and the genetic structure of mammal species cooccurring in the central region of the Atlantic Forest. Contrary to the FRH predictions, we found more fragmentation of suitable habitats during the last interglacial (LIG) and the present than in the last glacial maximum (LGM), probably due to topography. We also detected expansion of suitable climatic conditions onto the emerged continental shelf during the LGM, which would have allowed forests and forest-adapted species to expand. The interplay of sea level and land distribution must have been crucial in the biogeographic history of the Atlantic Forest, and forest refuges played only a minor role, if any, in this biodiversity hotspot during glacial periods.

Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition ice dynamics in the Wicklow Mountains, Ireland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knight, Lauren; Boston, Clare; Lovell, Harold; Pepin, Nick

2017-04-01

Understanding of the extent and dynamics of former ice masses in the Wicklow Mountains, Ireland, during the Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition (LGIT; 15-10 ka BP) is currently unresolved. Whilst it is acknowledged that the region hosted a local ice cap within the larger British-Irish Ice Sheet at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 27 ka BP), there has been little consideration of ice cap disintegration to a topographically constrained ice mass during the LGIT. This research has produced the first regional glacial geomorphological map, through remote sensing (aerial photograph and digital terrain model interrogation) and field mapping. This has allowed both the style and extent of mountain glaciation and ice recession dynamics during the LGIT to be established. This geomorphological mapping has highlighted that evidence for local glaciation in the Wicklow Mountains is more extensive than previously recognised, and that small icefields and associated outlet valley glaciers existed during the LGIT following disintegration of the Wicklow Ice Cap. A relative chronology based on morphostratigraphic principles is developed, which indicates complex patterns of ice mass oscillation characterised by periods of both sustained retreat and minor readvance. Variations in the pattern of recession across the Wicklow Mountains are evident and appear to be influenced, in part, by topographic controls (e.g. slope, aspect, glacier hypsometry). In summary, this research establishes a relative chronology of glacial events in the region during the LGIT and presents constraints on ice mass extent, dynamics and retreat patterns, offering an insight into small ice mass behaviour in a warming climate.

Glacial runoff strongly influences food webs in Gulf of Alaska fjords

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arimitsu, M.; Piatt, J. F.; Mueter, F. J.

2015-12-01

Melting glaciers contribute large volumes of freshwater to the Gulf of Alaska coast. Rates of glacier volume loss have increased markedly in recent decades, raising concern about the eventual loss of glaciers as a source of freshwater in coastal waters. To better understand the influence of glacier melt water on fjord ecosystems, we sampled oceanography, nutrients, zooplankton, forage fish, and seabirds within four fjords in the coastal Gulf of Alaska. We used generalized additive models and geostatistics to identify the range of influence of glacier runoff in fjords of varying estuarine and topographic complexity. We also modeled the responses of chlorophyll a concentration, copepod biomass, fish and seabird abundance to physical, nutrient and biotic predictor variables. Physical and nutrient signatures of glacial runoff extended 10-20 km into coastal fjords. Glacially modified physical gradients and among-fjord differences explained 66% of the variation in phytoplankton abundance, which drives ecosystem structure at higher trophic levels. Copepod, euphausiid, fish and seabird distribution and abundance were also related to environmental gradients that could be traced to glacial freshwater input. Seabird density was predicted by prey availability and silica concentrations, which may indicate upwelling areas where this nutrient is in excess. Similarities in ecosystem structure among fjords were due to influx of cold, fresh, sediment and nutrient laden water, while differences were due to fjord topography and the relative importance of estuarine vs. ocean influences. We anticipate continued changes in the volume and magnitude of glacial runoff will affect coastal marine food webs in the future.

Neotropical forest expansion during the last glacial period challenges refuge hypothesis

PubMed Central

Costa, Leonora P.; Loss, Ana Carolina; Rocha, Rita G.; Batalha-Filho, Henrique; Bastos, Alex C.; Quaresma, Valéria S.; Fagundes, Valéria; Paresque, Roberta; Passamani, Marcelo; Pardini, Renata

2016-01-01

The forest refuge hypothesis (FRH) has long been a paradigm for explaining the extreme biological diversity of tropical forests. According to this hypothesis, forest retraction and fragmentation during glacial periods would have promoted reproductive isolation and consequently speciation in forest patches (ecological refuges) surrounded by open habitats. The recent use of paleoclimatic models of species and habitat distributions revitalized the FRH, not by considering refuges as the main drivers of allopatric speciation, but instead by suggesting that high contemporary diversity is associated with historically stable forest areas. However, the role of the emerged continental shelf on the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot of eastern South America during glacial periods has been ignored in the literature. Here, we combined results of species distribution models with coalescent simulations based on DNA sequences to explore the congruence between scenarios of forest dynamics through time and the genetic structure of mammal species cooccurring in the central region of the Atlantic Forest. Contrary to the FRH predictions, we found more fragmentation of suitable habitats during the last interglacial (LIG) and the present than in the last glacial maximum (LGM), probably due to topography. We also detected expansion of suitable climatic conditions onto the emerged continental shelf during the LGM, which would have allowed forests and forest-adapted species to expand. The interplay of sea level and land distribution must have been crucial in the biogeographic history of the Atlantic Forest, and forest refuges played only a minor role, if any, in this biodiversity hotspot during glacial periods. PMID:26755597

Quantitative assessment of glacial fluctuations in the level of Lake Lisan, Dead Sea rift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohling, Eelco J.

2013-06-01

A quantitative understanding of climatic variations in the Levant during the last glacial cycle is needed to support archaeologists in assessing the drivers behind hominin migrations and cultural developments in this key region at the intersection between Africa and Europe. It will also foster a better understanding of the region's natural variability as context to projections of modern climate change. Detailed documentation of variations in the level of Lake Lisan - the lake that occupied the Dead Sea rift during the last glacial cycle - provides crucial climatic information for this region. Existing reconstructions suggest that Lake Lisan highstands during cold intervals of the last glacial cycle represent relatively humid conditions in the region, but these interpretations have remained predominantly qualitative. Here, I evaluate realistic ranges of the key climatological parameters that controlled lake level, based on the observed timing and amplitudes of lake-level variability. I infer that a mean precipitation rate over the wider catchment area of about 500 mm y-1, as proposed in the literature, would be consistent with observed lake levels if there was a concomitant 15-50% increase in wind speed during cold glacial stadials. This lends quantitative support to previous inferences of a notable increase in the intensity of Mediterranean (winter) storms during glacial periods, which tracked eastward into the Levant. In contrast to highstands during ‘regular’ stadials, lake level dropped during Heinrich Events. I demonstrate that this likely indicates a further intensification of the winds during those times.

Reconstruction of North American drainage basins and river discharge since the Last Glacial Maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wickert, Andrew D.

2016-11-01

Over the last glacial cycle, ice sheets and the resultant glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) rearranged river systems. As these riverine threads that tied the ice sheets to the sea were stretched, severed, and restructured, they also shrank and swelled with the pulse of meltwater inputs and time-varying drainage basin areas, and sometimes delivered enough meltwater to the oceans in the right places to influence global climate. Here I present a general method to compute past river flow paths, drainage basin geometries, and river discharges, by combining models of past ice sheets, glacial isostatic adjustment, and climate. The result is a time series of synthetic paleohydrographs and drainage basin maps from the Last Glacial Maximum to present for nine major drainage basins - the Mississippi, Rio Grande, Colorado, Columbia, Mackenzie, Hudson Bay, Saint Lawrence, Hudson, and Susquehanna/Chesapeake Bay. These are based on five published reconstructions of the North American ice sheets. I compare these maps with drainage reconstructions and discharge histories based on a review of observational evidence, including river deposits and terraces, isotopic records, mineral provenance markers, glacial moraine histories, and evidence of ice stream and tunnel valley flow directions. The sharp boundaries of the reconstructed past drainage basins complement the flexurally smoothed GIA signal that is more often used to validate ice-sheet reconstructions, and provide a complementary framework to reduce nonuniqueness in model reconstructions of the North American ice-sheet complex.

Mantle rheology and satellite signatures from present-day glacial forcings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sabadini, Roberto; Yuen, David A.; Gasperini, Paolo

1988-01-01

Changes in the long-wavelength region of the earth's gravity field resulting from both present-day glacial discharges and the possible growth of the Antarctic ice sheet are considered. Significant differences in the responses between the Maxell and Burger body rheologies are found for time spans of less than 100 years. The quantitative model for predicting the secular variations of the gravitational potential, and means for incorporating glacial forcings, are described. Results are given for the excitation of the degree two harmonics. It is suggested that detailed satellite monitoring of present-day ice movements in conjunction with geodetic satellite missions may provide a reasonable alternative for the esimation of deep mantle viscosity.

Glacial geomorphic evidence for a late climatic change on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kargel, J. S.; Strom, R. G.

1992-01-01

In a series of preliminary reports, we documented evidence of former glacial epochs on Mars. Apparent glacial landforms seemed to be concentrated primarily at middle to high southern latitudes. We now have additional evidence supporting the view that Martian glaciation appears to have been more extensive than previously recognized. The growth and collapse of ice sheets on Mars seems closely analogous to the growth and decline of Earth's great Pleistocene ice sheets. This implies that climate change was probably somewhat comparable on the two planets, although in the case of Mars the entire planet seems to have changed rapidly to a cold, dry present-day environment after the collapse of the ice sheets.

Reduced ventilation and enhanced magnitude of the deep Pacific carbon pool during the last glacial period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skinner, L.; McCave, I. N.; Carter, L.; Fallon, S.; Scrivner, A. E.; Primeau, F.

2015-02-01

It has been proposed that the ventilation of the deep Pacific carbon pool was not significantly reduced during the last glacial period, posing a problem for canonical theories of glacial-interglacial CO2 change. However, using radiocarbon dates of marine tephra deposited off New Zealand, we show that deep- (> 2000 m) and shallow sub-surface ocean-atmosphere 14C age offsets (i.e. "reservoir-" or "ventilation" ages) in the southwest Pacific increased by ˜1089 and 337 yrs respectively, reaching ˜2689 and ˜1037 yrs during the late glacial. A comparison with other radiocarbon data from the southern high-latitudes suggests that broadly similar changes were experienced right across the Southern Ocean. If, like today, the Southern Ocean was the main source of water to the glacial ocean interior, these observations would imply a significant change in the global radiocarbon inventory during the last glacial period, possibly equivalent to an increase in the average radiocarbon age > 2 km of ˜ 700 yrs. Simple mass balance arguments and numerical model sensitivity tests suggest that such a change in the ocean's mean radiocarbon age would have had a major impact on the marine carbon inventory and atmospheric CO2, possibly accounting for nearly half of the glacial-interglacial CO2 change. If confirmed, these findings would underline the special role of high latitude shallow sub-surface mixing and air-sea gas exchange in regulating atmospheric CO2 during the late Pleistocene.

Tropical ocean-atmospheric forcing of Late Glacial and Holocene glacier fluctuations in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stansell, Nathan D.; Licciardi, Joseph M.; Rodbell, Donald T.; Mark, Bryan G.

2017-05-01

Evaluating the timing and style of past glacier fluctuations in the tropical Andes is important for our scientific understanding of global environmental change. Terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide ages on moraine boulders combined with 14C-dated clastic sediment records from alpine lakes document glacial variability in the Cordillera Blanca of Peru during the last 16 ka. Late Glacial ice extents culminated at the start of the Antarctic Cold Reversal and began retracting prior to the Younger Dryas. Multiple moraine crests dating to the early Holocene mark brief readvances or stillstands that punctuated overall retreat of the Queshque Valley glacier terminus during this interval. Glaciers were less extensive during the middle Holocene before readvancing during the latest Holocene. These records suggest that tropical Atlantic and Pacific ocean-atmospheric processes exerted temporally variable forcing of Late Glacial and Holocene glacial changes in the Peruvian Andes.

Microbial formation of labile organic carbon in Antarctic glacial environments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, H.J.; Foster, R.; McKnight, D.M.; Lisle, John T.; Littmann, S.; Kuypers, M.M.M.; Foreman, C.M.

2017-01-01

Roughly six petagrams of organic carbon are stored within ice worldwide. This organic carbon is thought to be of old age and highly bioavailable. Along with storage of ancient and new atmospherically deposited organic carbon, microorganisms may contribute substantially to the glacial organic carbon pool. Models of glacial microbial carbon cycling vary from net respiration to net carbon fixation. Supraglacial streams have not been considered in models although they are amongst the largest ecosystems on most glaciers and are inhabited by diverse microbial communities. Here we investigate the biogeochemical sequence of organic carbon production and uptake in an Antarctic supraglacial stream in the McMurdo Dry Valleys using nanometre-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry, fluorescence spectroscopy, stable isotope analysis and incubation experiments. We find that heterotrophic production relies on highly labile organic carbon freshly derived from photosynthetic bacteria rather than legacy organic carbon. Exudates from primary production were utilized by heterotrophs within 24 h, and supported bacterial growth demands. The tight coupling of microbially released organic carbon and rapid uptake by heterotrophs suggests a dynamic local carbon cycle. Moreover, as temperatures increase there is the potential for positive feedback between glacial melt and microbial transformations of organic carbon.

Was millennial scale climate change during the Last Glacial triggered by explosive volcanism?

PubMed Central

Baldini, James U.L.; Brown, Richard J.; McElwaine, Jim N.

2015-01-01

The mechanisms responsible for millennial scale climate change within glacial time intervals are equivocal. Here we show that all eight known radiometrically-dated Tambora-sized or larger NH eruptions over the interval 30 to 80 ka BP are associated with abrupt Greenland cooling (>95% confidence). Additionally, previous research reported a strong statistical correlation between the timing of Southern Hemisphere volcanism and Dansgaard-Oeschger (DO) events (>99% confidence), but did not identify a causative mechanism. Volcanic aerosol-induced asymmetrical hemispheric cooling over the last few hundred years restructured atmospheric circulation in a similar fashion as that associated with Last Glacial millennial-scale shifts (albeit on a smaller scale). We hypothesise that following both recent and Last Glacial NH eruptions, volcanogenic sulphate injections into the stratosphere cooled the NH preferentially, inducing a hemispheric temperature asymmetry that shifted atmospheric circulation cells southward. This resulted in Greenland cooling, Antarctic warming, and a southward shifted ITCZ. However, during the Last Glacial, the initial eruption-induced climate response was prolonged by NH glacier and sea ice expansion, increased NH albedo, AMOC weakening, more NH cooling, and a consequent positive feedback. Conversely, preferential SH cooling following large SH eruptions shifted atmospheric circulation to the north, resulting in the characteristic features of DO events. PMID:26616338

Was millennial scale climate change during the Last Glacial triggered by explosive volcanism?

PubMed

Baldini, James U L; Brown, Richard J; McElwaine, Jim N

2015-11-30

The mechanisms responsible for millennial scale climate change within glacial time intervals are equivocal. Here we show that all eight known radiometrically-dated Tambora-sized or larger NH eruptions over the interval 30 to 80 ka BP are associated with abrupt Greenland cooling (>95% confidence). Additionally, previous research reported a strong statistical correlation between the timing of Southern Hemisphere volcanism and Dansgaard-Oeschger (DO) events (>99% confidence), but did not identify a causative mechanism. Volcanic aerosol-induced asymmetrical hemispheric cooling over the last few hundred years restructured atmospheric circulation in a similar fashion as that associated with Last Glacial millennial-scale shifts (albeit on a smaller scale). We hypothesise that following both recent and Last Glacial NH eruptions, volcanogenic sulphate injections into the stratosphere cooled the NH preferentially, inducing a hemispheric temperature asymmetry that shifted atmospheric circulation cells southward. This resulted in Greenland cooling, Antarctic warming, and a southward shifted ITCZ. However, during the Last Glacial, the initial eruption-induced climate response was prolonged by NH glacier and sea ice expansion, increased NH albedo, AMOC weakening, more NH cooling, and a consequent positive feedback. Conversely, preferential SH cooling following large SH eruptions shifted atmospheric circulation to the north, resulting in the characteristic features of DO events.

QUANTIFICATION OF GLACIAL EROSION IN THE ALPS USING VERY LOW-TEMPERATURE THERMOCHRONOLOGY (OSL & AHe)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Champagnac, J.; Herman, F.; Rhodes, E. J.; Fellin, M.; Jaiswal, M.; Schwenninger, J.; Reverman, R. L.

2009-12-01

The impact of glaciations on the topography of the Alps is still unclear: Long-term denudation rate determined by low-T thermochronology are in the range of 0.2 to 1 mm/yr, and increased during the Plio-Quaternary by 3 fold (Vernon et al., 2008). Such an increase is also documented by peri-alpine sediment budget (Kuhleman, 2000), with a similar increase in sediment yields since 5-3 Ma. This increase was considered as evidence of a climatically-driven surface process change, attributed to increased precipitation (Cederbom et al., 2004) and erosion by glacial processes (Champagnac et al., 2007). The timing of the onset of intense glacial erosion as well as its rates are still ambiguous. The glacial erosion seems to have accelerated around 0.9 Ma as suggested by the ten fold increase of incision rates of a valley in the Central Alps (Häuselmann et al., 2007), and by information about vegetation and sedimentologic changes (Muttoni et al., 2003). There is however no direct quantification of topographic change during the Plio-Quaternary. We present here how we use OSL-thermochronology, a new thermochronometer of exceptionally low closure temperature (about 30°-40°C) (Herman et al subm.), new {U-Th}/He on apatites data, and a glacial erosion model (Herman and Braun 2008) to estimate topographic changes in the Alps in response to glaciations. Because of their low closure temperature, OSL and AHe thermochronology enables quantification of events of less than 1 Ma at very small wavelength of the topography. We collected two vertical profiles, one in the Zermatt Valley (Valais) and one in Maurienne Valley (Savoy). We infer from these results changes in topography, date and quantify relief creation under glacial-interglacial cycles. Cederbom, C.E, et al., Climate induced rebound and exhumation of the European Alps. Geology 32, 709-712 (2000). Champagnac, J.-D., et al., Quaternary erosion-induced isostatic rebound in the western Alps. Geology 35, 195-198 (2007). Ha

Coupled European and Greenland last glacial dust activity driven by North Atlantic climate

PubMed Central

Stevens, Thomas; Molnár, Mihály; Demény, Attila; Lambert, Fabrice; Varga, György; Páll-Gergely, Barna; Buylaert, Jan-Pieter; Kovács, János

2017-01-01

Centennial-scale mineral dust peaks in last glacial Greenland ice cores match the timing of lowest Greenland temperatures, yet little is known of equivalent changes in dust-emitting regions, limiting our understanding of dust−climate interaction. Here, we present the most detailed and precise age model for European loess dust deposits to date, based on 125 accelerator mass spectrometry 14C ages from Dunaszekcső, Hungary. The record shows that variations in glacial dust deposition variability on centennial–millennial timescales in east central Europe and Greenland were synchronous within uncertainty. We suggest that precipitation and atmospheric circulation changes were likely the major influences on European glacial dust activity and propose that European dust emissions were modulated by dominant phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation, which had a major influence on vegetation and local climate of European dust source regions. PMID:29180406

Exposure dating and glacial reconstruction at Mt. Field, Tasmania, Australia, identifies MIS 3 and MIS 2 glacial advances and climatic variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackintosh, A. N.; Barrows, T. T.; Colhoun, E. A.; Fifield, L. K.

2006-05-01

Tasmania is important for understanding Quaternary climatic change because it is one of only three areas that experienced extensive mid-latitude Southern Hemisphere glaciation and it lies in a dominantly oceanic environment at a great distance from Northern Hemisphere ice sheet feedbacks. We applied exposure dating using 36Cl to an extensive sequence of moraines from the last glacial at Mt. Field, Tasmania. Glaciers advanced at 41-44 ka during Marine oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 and at 18 ka during MIS 2. Both advances occurred in response to an ELA lowering greater than 1100 m below the present-day mean summer freezing level, and a possible temperature reduction of 7-8°C. Deglaciation was rapid and complete by ca. 16 ka. The overall story emerging from studies of former Tasmanian glaciers is that the MIS 2 glaciation was of limited extent and that some glaciers were more extensive during earlier parts of the last glacial cycle. Copyright

Fingerprinting of glacial silt in lake sediments yields continuous records of alpine glaciation (35–15 ka), western USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosenbaum, Joseph G.; Reynolds, Richard L.; Colman, Steven M.

2012-01-01

Fingerprinting glacial silt in last glacial-age sediments from Upper Klamath Lake (UKL) and Bear Lake (BL) provides continuous radiocarbon-dated records of glaciation for the southeastern Cascade Range and northwestern Uinta Mountains, respectively. Comparing of these records to cosmogenic exposure ages from moraines suggests that variations in glacial flour largely reflect glacial extent. The two areas are at similar latitudes and yield similar records of glacial growth and recession, even though UKL lies less than 200 km from the ocean and BL is in the continental interior. As sea level began to fall prior to the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), existing glaciers in the UKL area expanded. Near the beginning of the global LGM (26.5 ka), the BL record indicates onset of glaciation and UKL-area glaciers underwent further expansion. Both records indicate that local glaciers reached their maximum extents near the end of the global LGM, remained near their maxima for ~1000 yr, and underwent two stages of retreat separated by a short period of expansion.

Unstable AMOC during glacial intervals and millennial variability: The role of mean sea ice extent

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sevellec, Florian; Fedorov, Alexey V.

A striking feature of paleoclimate records is the greater stability of the Holocene epoch relative to the preceding glacial interval, especially apparent in the North Atlantic region. In particular, strong irregular variability with an approximately 1500 yr period, known as the Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) events, punctuates the last glaciation, but is absent during the interglacial. Prevailing theories, modeling and data suggest that these events, seen as abrupt warming episodes in Greenland ice cores and sea surface temperature records in the North Atlantic, are linked to reorganizations of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). In this study, using a new low-order oceanmore » model that reproduces a realistic power spectrum of millennial variability, we explore differences in the AMOC stability between glacial and interglacial intervals of the 100 kyr glacial cycle of the Late Pleistocene (1 kyr = 1000 yr). Previous modeling studies show that the edge of sea ice in the North Atlantic shifts southward during glacial intervals, moving the region of the North Atlantic Deep Water formation and the AMOC also southward. Finally, here we demonstrate that, by shifting the AMOC with respect to the mean atmospheric precipitation field, such a displacement makes the system unstable, which explains chaotic millennial variability during the glacials and the persistence of stable ocean conditions during the interglacials.« less

Unstable AMOC during glacial intervals and millennial variability: The role of mean sea ice extent

DOE PAGES

Sevellec, Florian; Fedorov, Alexey V.

2015-11-01

A striking feature of paleoclimate records is the greater stability of the Holocene epoch relative to the preceding glacial interval, especially apparent in the North Atlantic region. In particular, strong irregular variability with an approximately 1500 yr period, known as the Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) events, punctuates the last glaciation, but is absent during the interglacial. Prevailing theories, modeling and data suggest that these events, seen as abrupt warming episodes in Greenland ice cores and sea surface temperature records in the North Atlantic, are linked to reorganizations of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). In this study, using a new low-order oceanmore » model that reproduces a realistic power spectrum of millennial variability, we explore differences in the AMOC stability between glacial and interglacial intervals of the 100 kyr glacial cycle of the Late Pleistocene (1 kyr = 1000 yr). Previous modeling studies show that the edge of sea ice in the North Atlantic shifts southward during glacial intervals, moving the region of the North Atlantic Deep Water formation and the AMOC also southward. Finally, here we demonstrate that, by shifting the AMOC with respect to the mean atmospheric precipitation field, such a displacement makes the system unstable, which explains chaotic millennial variability during the glacials and the persistence of stable ocean conditions during the interglacials.« less

A new remote hazard and risk assessment framework for glacial lakes in the Nepal Himalaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rounce, David R.; McKinney, Daene C.; Lala, Jonathan M.; Byers, Alton C.; Watson, C. Scott

2016-08-01

Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) pose a significant threat to downstream communities and infrastructure due to their potential to rapidly unleash stored lake water. The most common triggers of these GLOFs are mass movement entering the lake and/or the self-destruction of the terminal moraine due to hydrostatic pressures or a buried ice core. This study initially uses previous qualitative and quantitative assessments to understand the hazards associated with eight glacial lakes in the Nepal Himalaya that are widely considered to be highly dangerous. The previous assessments yield conflicting classifications with respect to each glacial lake, which spurred the development of a new holistic, reproducible, and objective approach based solely on remotely sensed data. This remote hazard assessment analyzes mass movement entering the lake, the stability of the moraine, and lake growth in conjunction with a geometric GLOF to determine the downstream impacts such that the present and future risk associated with each glacial lake may be quantified. The new approach is developed within a hazard, risk, and management action framework with the aim that this remote assessment may guide future field campaigns, modeling efforts, and ultimately risk-mitigation strategies. The remote assessment was found to provide valuable information regarding the hazards faced by each glacial lake and results were discussed within the context of the current state of knowledge to help guide future efforts.

Numerical simulations of the Cordilleran ice sheet through the last glacial cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seguinot, Julien; Rogozhina, Irina; Stroeven, Arjen P.; Margold, Martin; Kleman, Johan

2016-03-01

After more than a century of geological research, the Cordilleran ice sheet of North America remains among the least understood in terms of its former extent, volume, and dynamics. Because of the mountainous topography on which the ice sheet formed, geological studies have often had only local or regional relevance and shown such a complexity that ice-sheet-wide spatial reconstructions of advance and retreat patterns are lacking. Here we use a numerical ice sheet model calibrated against field-based evidence to attempt a quantitative reconstruction of the Cordilleran ice sheet history through the last glacial cycle. A series of simulations is driven by time-dependent temperature offsets from six proxy records located around the globe. Although this approach reveals large variations in model response to evolving climate forcing, all simulations produce two major glaciations during marine oxygen isotope stages 4 (62.2-56.9 ka) and 2 (23.2-16.9 ka). The timing of glaciation is better reproduced using temperature reconstructions from Greenland and Antarctic ice cores than from regional oceanic sediment cores. During most of the last glacial cycle, the modelled ice cover is discontinuous and restricted to high mountain areas. However, widespread precipitation over the Skeena Mountains favours the persistence of a central ice dome throughout the glacial cycle. It acts as a nucleation centre before the Last Glacial Maximum and hosts the last remains of Cordilleran ice until the middle Holocene (6.7 ka).

Frozen-bed Fennoscandian and Laurentide ice sheets during the Last Glacial Maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleman, Johan; Hättestrand, Clas

1999-11-01

The areal extents of the Laurentide and Fennoscandian ice sheets during the Last Glacial Maximum (about 20,000 years ago) are well known, but thickness estimates range widely, from high-domed to thin, with large implications for our reconstruction of the climate system regarding, for example, Northern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation and global sea levels. This uncertainty stems from difficulties in determining the basal temperatures of the ice sheets and the shear strength of subglacial materials, a knowledge of which would better constrain reconstructions of ice-sheet thickness. Here we show that, in the absence of direct data, the occurrence of ribbed moraines in modern landscapes can be used to determine the former spatial distribution of frozen- and thawed-bed conditions. We argue that ribbed moraines were formed by brittle fracture of subglacial sediments, induced by the excessive stress at the boundary between frozen- and thawed-bed conditions resulting from the across-boundary difference in basal ice velocity. Maps of glacial landforms from aerial photographs of Canada and Scandinavia reveal a concentration of ribbed moraines around the ice-sheet retreat centres of Quebec, Keewatin, Newfoundland and west-central Fennoscandia. Together with the evidence from relict landscapes that mark glacial areas with frozen-bed conditions, the distribution of ribbed moraines on both continents suggest that a large area of the Laurentide and Fennoscandian ice sheets was frozen-based-and therefore high-domed and stable-during the Last Glacial Maximum.

Quaternary glacial, lacustrine, and fluvial interactions in the western Noatak basin, Northwest Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hamilton, T.D.

2001-01-01

The 130 km long Noatak basin is surrounded by mountains of the western Brooks Range. Middle and late Pleistocene glaciers flowing southeast into the basin dammed a succession of proglacial lakes defined by shorelines, outlet channels and upper limits of wave erosion. More than 60 bluffs along the Noatak River and its principal tributaries expose glacial and glaciolacustrine sediments that exhibit cut-and-fill relationships with interglacial and interstadial river-channel and floodplain deposits. This report focuses on the western Noatak basin, where high bluffs created by deep postglacial erosion record four major glacial advances. During the Cutler advance, a floating ice tongue terminated in a large proglacial lake that filled the Noatak basin. The retreating glacier abandoned a trough along the valley center that subsequently filled with about 40m of sediment during several younger glaciations and probably two major interglacial episodes. Alluvium that formed near the beginning of the younger interglaciation contains the 140,000 yr old Old Crow tephra. The subsequent closely spaced Okak and Makpik advances are clearly younger than the maximum of the last interglaciation, but they preceded a middle Wisconsin (36-30 ka) nonglacial interval in the Noatak basin. The Okak advance terminated in an extensive lake, whereas glaciers of the Makpik and the subsequent Anisak advances flowed into much narrower lakes that filled only the basin center. The Anisak advance, bracketed by radiocarbon ages of about 35 and 13.6 ka, represents the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in the western Noatak basin. Correlations with the oldest and youngest glacial deposits of the central Brooks Range are clear, but relationships to events of intermediate age are more tenuous. Early Pleistocene and older glacial advances from the central Brooks Range must have filled the Noatak basin and overflowed northward through Howard Pass. A younger glacial advance, of inferred middle Pleistoscene

Neoproterozoic low- paleolatitude glacial successions on the Yangtze platform, South China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobrzinski, N.; Bahlburg, H.; Stauss, H.; Zhang, Q. R.

2003-04-01

Successions of glaciomarine sediments were deposited on the Yangtze platform (South China) during Neoproterozoic time (between c. 748 Ma and 599 Ma), although the platform was situated in low to intermediate paleolatitudes. Our study focuses on sedimentological and geochemical analyses and on paleoclimate interpretation of Sinian glacial successions on the Yangtze platform. This glacial succession comprises a lower glacial unit of diamictites (Dongshanfeng Fm.), followed by a unit of siliciclastic fine-grained and partly cross bedded sediments (Datangpo Fm.) and another unit of glacial diamictites (Nantuo Fm.). The upper diamictite unit is often covered by limestones (cap carbonates) and overlain by black shales and dolomites (Doushantuo Fm.). Geochemical proxies, e.g. the chemical index of alteration (CIA) and V/Cr, help to identify the environmental conditions, which are associated with climate changes. Finegrained siliciclastic sediments between two units of diamictite reflect interglacial conditions documented by sedimentological structures and our geochemical data (CIA values around 70). V/Cr ratios (begin{math}< 2) show oxic conditions during the time of deposition. Carbon isotope data of carbonate samples from the interglacial unit, the cap carbonate and the carbonates of the overlying Doushantuo Formation provide a temporal record of changes in the carbon isotopic composition of Neoproterozoic seawater. Interglacial carbonates display begin{math}δ13 C values between -2.6 and +1.1 per mill. begin{math}δ13C values between -4.8 and -1.9 per mill characterize the cap carbonate level. In the Doushantuo Formation, an evolution of the carbon isotopic composition from -3.3 to +6.5 per mill is discernible. The increase in begin{math}δ13C in the Doushantuo Formation could be due to an increase in the fractional burial of organic carbon. Recent geochemical work suggests that both continents and oceans were completely ice covered in Neoproterozoic time (the

Interhemispheric correlation of late pleistocene glacial events.

PubMed

Lowell, T V; Heusser, C J; Andersen, B G; Moreno, P I; Hauser, A; Heusser, L E; Schlüchter, C; Marchant, D R; Denton, G H

1995-09-15

A radiocarbon chronology shows that piedmont glacier lobes in the Chilean Andes achieved maxima during the last glaciation at 13,900 to 14,890, 21,000, 23,060, 26,940, 29,600, and >/=33,500 carbon-14 years before present ((14)C yr B.P.) in a cold and wet Subantarctic Parkland environment. The last glaciation ended with massive collapse of ice lobes close to 14,000(14)C yr B.P., accompanied by an influx of North Patagonian Rain Forest species. In the Southern Alps of New Zealand, additional glacial maxima are registered at 17,720(14)C yr B.P., and at the beginning of the Younger Dryas at 11,050 (14)C yr B. P. These glacial maxima in mid-latitude mountains rimming the South Pacific were coeval with ice-rafting pulses in the North Atlantic Ocean. Furthermore, the last termination began suddenly and simultaneously in both polar hemispheres before the resumption of the modern mode of deep-water production in the Nordic Seas. Such interhemispheric coupling implies a global atmospheric signal rather than regional climatic changes caused by North Atlantic thermohaline switches or Laurentide ice surges.

Earth Observations taken by Expedition 38 Crewmember

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-02-14

ISS038-E-047389 (14 Feb. 2014) --- This panoramic image, which shows parts of Chile and Argentina, and which was exposed with an 80mm lens from the International Space Station (ISS), captures Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn. Represented here is the southernmost tip of South America (left), with the Atlantic Ocean in the foreground and the Pacific Ocean across the top of the image. Crews on the orbital outpost seldom see Cape Horn in such clear weather. Shortly after this image was taken, the cloud mass approaching from the Pacific Ocean completely obscured the landscape from the station’s view. In this stormy part of the world, ships avoid the heavy seas around exposed Cape Horn and use the protected Strait of Magellan (lower right) on the inshore end of Tierra del Fuego. A small white ice field on the highest parts of Tierra del Fuego (center right) includes Mount Darwin, situated within Chile’s Agostini National Park. The ice field can be imagined as greatly expanded during the geologically recent ice ages, covering an area greater than the land area shown in this view. The heavily indented shape of the fiord coastline and the lake depressions (center and lower right) were carved by the downhill movement of these vanished glaciers, according to NASA scientists.

Maintenance of genetic diversity in an introduced island population of guanacos after seven decades and two severe demographic bottlenecks: implications for camelid conservation.

PubMed

González, Benito A; Orozco-Terwengel, Pablo; von Borries, Rainer; Johnson, Warren E; Franklin, William L; Marín, Juan C

2014-01-01

Fifteen guanacos were introduced to Staats Island in the Falklands/Malvinas archipelago from Patagonia in the 1930s. Twenty five years later, the population was culled from 300 to 10-20 individuals, but quickly rebounded to a population of almost 400 animals that today retain the genetic signature of the founding event and later bottleneck. The goals of this study were to (i) make a genetic assessment of this island population through comparisons with mainland populations and simulations, and (ii) assess the likely source-population of the introduced guanacos. Genetic variation was estimated from 513 bp of mitochondrial DNA sequence and 15 microsatellite loci among 154 guanacos collected from eight localities, including the adjacent mainland and the islands of Tierra del Fuego and Staats Island. Of the 23 haplotypes observed among our samples, the Staats Island population only contained three haplotypes, all of which were shared with the coastal Monte Leon population in southern Patagonia. Mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite variations on Staats Island were comparable to most mainland populations and greater than those observed on Tierra del Fuego. Patterns of genetic structure suggest that the Staats Island guanaco population was founded with animals from southern Patagonia (as opposed to northern Patagonia or Tierra del Fuego), but that effective reductions in population size lasted only a few generations and that surviving animals were a random sample of the pre-bottleneck genetic variation.

Simulation of Glacial Cycles Before and After the Mid-Pleistocene Transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganopolski, A.; Willeit, M.; Calov, R.

2017-12-01

In spite of significant progress achieved in understanding of glacial cycles, the cause of Mid-Pleistocene transition (MPT) is still not fully understood. To study possible mechanisms of the MPT we used the Earth system model of intermediate complexity CLIMBER-2 which incorporates all major components of the Earth system - atmosphere, ocean, land surface, northern hemisphere ice sheets, terrestrial biota and soil carbon, aeolian dust and marine biogeochemistry. We run the model through the entire Quaternary. The only prescribed forcing in these simulations is variations in Earth orbital parameters. In addition we prescribed gradually evolving in time terrestrial sediment cover and global volcanic outgassing. We found that gradual removal of terrestrial sediment from the Northern Hemisphere continent by glacial processes is sufficient to explain transition from 40-ka to 100-ka worlds around 1 million years ago. By starting the model at different times and using the same initial conditions we found that modeling results converge to the same solution which depends only on the orbital forcing and lower boundary conditions. Our results thus strongly suggest that Quaternary glacial cycles are externally forced and nearly deterministic.

Tracking Organic Carbon Transport From the Stordalen Mire to Glacial Lake Tornetrask, Abisko, Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beck, M. A.; Hamilton, B. T.; Spry, E.; Johnson, J. E.; Palace, M. W.; McCalley, C. K.; Varner, R. K.; Bothner, W. A.

2016-12-01

In subarctic regions, labile organic carbon from thawing permafrost and productivity of terrestrial and aquatic vegetation are sources of carbon to lake sediments. Methane is produced in lake sediments from the decomposition of organic carbon at rates affected by vegetation presence and type as well as sediment temperature. Recent research in the Stordalen Mire in northern Sweden has suggested that labile organic carbon sources in young, shallow lake sediments yield the highest in situ sediment methane concentrations. Ebullition (or bubbling) of this methane is predominantly controlled by seasonal warming. In this project we sampled stream, glacial and post-glacial lake sediments along a drainage transect through the Stordalen Mire into the large glacial Lake Torneträsk. Our results indicate that the highest methane and total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations were observed in lake and stream sediments in the upper 25 centimeters, consistent with previous studies. C/N ratios range from 8 to 32, and suggest that a mix of aquatic and terrestrial vegetation sources dominate the sedimentary record. Although water transport occurs throughout the mire, major depositional centers for sediments and organic carbon occur within the lakes and prohibit young, labile TOC from entering the larger glacial Lake Torneträsk. The lack of an observed sediment fan at the outlet of the Mire to the lake is consistent with this observation. Our results suggest that carbon produced in the mire stays in the mire, allowing methane production to be greater in the mire bound lakes and streams than in the larger adjacent glacial lake.

Effect of the Bering Strait on the AMOC hysteresis and glacial climate stability (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, A.; Meehl, G. A.; Han, W.; Timmermann, A.; Otto-Bliesner, B. L.; Liu, Z.; Abe-Ouchi, A.

2013-12-01

Abrupt climate transitions, such as Dansgaard-Oeschger and Heinrich events, occurred frequently during the last glacial period, especially from 80 - 11 thousand years before present, but were nearly absent during Holocene and the early stages of last glacial period. Here we show, with a fully coupled climate model, that closing the Bering Strait and preventing its throughflow between the Pacific and Arctic Oceans during the glacial period can lead to the emergence of stronger hysteresis behavior of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) to create conditions that are conducive to triggering abrupt climate transitions. Hence, it is argued that even for greenhouse warming, abrupt climate transitions similar to those in the last glacial time are unlikely to occur as the Bering Strait remains open. Qualitatively the same result is arrived in new simulations by employing the glacial background conditions using the same climate model. Theoretical and simulated AMOC hysteresis curves (a, b) and the associated changes of Greenland surface temperature and meridional heat transport at 65°N in the Atlantic (c, d). In panel a), 'S' is the bifurcation point beyond which AMOC collapses and the '+/-F' values indicate the freshwater forcing strength. In panels b), c), and d), the black/red (blue/green) lines are for the closed (open) BS simulation. The black/blue (red/green) lines represent the phase of freshwater forcing increase (decrease) in these simulations. Note that a change of the freshwater forcing by 0.1 Sv (Sv≡106m3s-1) in this figure takes place over 500 model years.

Carbon starvation in glacial trees recovered from the La Brea tar pits, southern California

Treesearch

Joy K. Ward; John M. Harris; Thure E. Cerling; Alex Wiedenhoeft; Michael J. Lott; Maria-Denise Dearing; Joan B. Coltrain; James R. Ehleringer

2005-01-01

The Rancho La Brea tar pit fossil collection includes Juniperus (C3) wood specimens that 14C date between 7.7 and 55 thousand years (kyr) B.P., providing a constrained record of plant response for southern California during the last glacial period. Atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]) ranged between 180 and 220 ppm during glacial periods, rose to 280 ppm before the...

Glacial Influences on Solar Radiation in a Subarctic Sea.

EPA Science Inventory

Understanding macroscale processes controlling solar radia­tion in marine systems will be important in interpreting the potential effects of global change from increasing ultraviolet radiation (UV) and glacial retreat. This study provides the first quantitative assessment of UV i...

Meltwater input to the southern ocean during the last glacial maximum

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shemesh, A.; Burckle, L.H.; Hays, J.D.

1994-12-02

Three records of oxygen isotopes in biogenic silica from deep-sea sediment cores from the Atlantic and Indian sectors of the Southern Ocean reveal the presence of isotopically depleted diatomaceous opal in sediment from the last glacial maximum. This depletion is attributed to the presence of lids of meltwater that mixed with surface water along certain trajectories in the Southern Ocean. An increase in the drainage from Antarctica or extensive northward transport of icebergs are among the main mechanisms that could have produced the increase in meltwater input to the glacial Southern Ocean. Similar isotopic trends were observed in older climaticmore » cycles at the same cores.« less

Quantifying periglacial erosion: Insights on a glacial sediment budget, Matanuska Glacier, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Farrell, C. R.; Heimsath, A.M.; Lawson, D.E.; Jorgensen, L.M.; Evenson, E.B.; Larson, G.; Denner, J.

2009-01-01

Glacial erosion rates are estimated to be among the highest in the world. Few studies have attempted, however, to quantify the flux of sediment from the periglacial landscape to a glacier. Here, erosion rates from the nonglacial landscape above the Matanuska Glacier, Alaska are presented and compare with an 8-yr record of proglacial suspended sediment yield. Non-glacial lowering rates range from 1??8 ?? 0??5 mm yr-1 to 8??5 ?? 3??4 mm yr-1 from estimates of rock fall and debris-flow fan volumes. An average erosion rate of 0??08 ?? 0??04 mm yr-1 from eight convex-up ridge crests was determined using in situ produced cosmogenic 10Be. Extrapolating these rates, based on landscape morphometry, to the Matanuska basin (58% ice-cover), it was found that nonglacial processes account for an annual sediment flux of 2??3 ?? 1??0 ?? 106 t. Suspended sediment data for 8 years and an assumed bedload to estimate the annual sediment yield at the Matanuska terminus to be 2??9 ?? 1??0 ?? 106 t, corresponding to an erosion rate of 1??8 ?? 0??6 mm yr-1: nonglacial sources therefore account for 80 ?? 45% of the proglacial yield. A similar set of analyses were used for a small tributary sub-basin (32% ice-cover) to determine an erosion rate of 12??1 ?? 6??9 mm yr-1, based on proglacial sediment yield, with the nonglacial sediment flux equal to 10 ?? 7% of the proglacial yield. It is suggested that erosion rates by nonglacial processes are similar to inferred subglacial rates, such that the ice-free regions of a glaciated landscape contribute significantly to the glacial sediment budget. The similar magnitude of nonglacial and glacial rates implies that partially glaciated landscapes will respond rapidly to changes in climate and base level through a rapid nonglacial response to glacially driven incision. ?? 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Patterns of glacial-interglacial vegetation and climate variability in eastern South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupont, Lydie; Caley, Thibaut; Malaizé, Bruno; Giraudeau, Jacques

2010-05-01

Vegetation is an integrated part of the earth system and our understanding needs records of its glacial-interglacial variability. Although the data coverage for South Africa is slightly better than for some other parts of Africa, there are only very few records that allow us a glimpse of the vegetation history and development through one or more late Quaternary climate cycles. The existing evidence is fragmentary and in some cases contradictory. Marine sediments can offer here continuous sequences that cover large periods of time and provide a record of a signal that integrates rather large continental regions. Core MD96-2048 has been cored off the Limpopo River mouth at 26°10'S 34°01'E in 660 m water depth. This area is under the double influence of continental discharge and Agulhas current water advection. The sedimentation is slow and continuous. The upper 5 meter (down till 250 ka) have been analysed for pollen and spores at millennial resolution. The terrestrial pollen assemblages indicate that during interglacials the vegetation of eastern South Africa and southern Mozambique largely consisted of evergreen and deciduous forests with an increase of dry deciduous forest and open woodland during interglacial optima. During glacials open mountainous shrubland extended. The pattern strongly suggests a shifting of altitudinal vegetation belts in the mountains primarily depending on temperature, although the decline of forested areas during glacial times might also be the effect of low atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. This pattern in eastern South Africa differs from that suggested for western South Africa, where extension of the winter rain climate seems likely, and corroborates findings of increased C4 vegetation during the Glacial of eastern South Africa. The spread of dry deciduous forest and open woodland suggests a hot and dry climate during interglacial optima. The vegetation and climate of eastern South Africa seems to follow a mid to high

Glacier fluctuations in the Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda, during the Last Glacial Maximum and Termination 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, M. A.; Jackson, M. S.; Russel, J.; Doughty, A. M.; Howley, J. A.; Cavagnaro, D. B.; Zimmerman, S. R. H.

2016-12-01

The tropics exert a profound influence on global climate; however, the role of the tropics in past climate change is uncertain. In particular, it is unclear whether the tropics may initiate abrupt climate changes or instead respond to high-latitude change. Determining the timing and spatial variability of past change in the tropics is a first step to addressing the role of the low-latitudes in both past and future climate changes. To investigate these questions, we present a cosmogenic 10Be chronology from a suite of moraines in the Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda. These results indicate that ice was most extensive early during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 26.0-19.5 kyr), prior to the global sea-level lowstand at 20.5 kyr. Low-magnitude, millennial-scale glacial oscillations occurred throughout the LGM. Retreat from the LGM position was underway by 21.5 kyr, though ice remained extensive in the Rwenzori until at least 18.5 ka. Similar chronologies from elsewhere in the tropics suggest that glaciers across the low-latitudes achieved their maxima in the earliest stages of the LGM, during a period of high (mean annual) equatorial insolation and decreasing Northern Hemisphere summer insolation. In addition, the larger-scale recession that occurred subsequent to 21.5 kyr predates the post-glacial rise in atmospheric CO2 at 18.1 kyr. Therefore, we suggest that something other than Northern Hemisphere or equatorial insolation or atmospheric CO2 may have influenced the millennial-scale glacial oscillations throughout the LGM as registered by Rwenzori moraines. The chronology of glacial fluctuations in the Rwenzori Mountains is similar to other glacial chronologies located outside the tropics in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, suggesting that glaciers across the globe may have responded to a common forcing throughout the LGM and Termination 1.

The movement of pre-adapted cool taxa in north-central Amazonia during the last glacial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Apolito, Carlos; Absy, Maria Lúcia; Latrubesse, Edgardo M.

2017-08-01

The effects of climate change on the lowland vegetation of Amazonia during the last glacial cycle are partially known for the middle and late Pleniglacial intervals (late MIS 3, 59-24 ka and MIS 2, 24-11 ka), but are still unclear for older stages of the last glacial and during the last interglacial. It is known that a more seasonal dry-wet climate caused marginal forest retraction and together with cooling rearranged forest composition to some extent. This is observed in pollen records across Amazonia depicting presence of taxa at glacial times in localities where they do not live presently. The understanding of taxa migration is hindered by the lack of continuous interglacial-glacial lowland records. We present new data from a known locality in NW Amazonia (Six Lakes Hill), showing a vegetation record that probably started during MIS 5 (130-71 ka) and lasted until the onset of the Holocene. The vegetation record unravels a novel pattern in tree taxa migration: (1) from the beginning of this cycle Podocarpus and Myrsine are recorded and (2) only later do Hedyosmum and Alnus appear. The latter group is largely restricted to montane biomes or more distant locations outside Amazonia, whereas the first is found in lowlands close to the study site on sandy soils. These findings imply that Podocarpus and Myrsine responded to environmental changes equally and this reflects their concomitant niche use in NW Amazonia. Temperature drop is not discarded as a trigger of internal forest composition change, but its effects are clearer later in the Pleniglacial rather than the Early Glacial. Therefore early climatic/environmental changes had a first order effect on vegetation that invoke alternative explanations. We claim last glacial climate-induced modifications on forest composition favoured the expansion of geomorphologic-soil related processes that initiated forest rearrangement.

Inland post-glacial dispersal in East Asia revealed by mitochondrial haplogroup M9a'b.

PubMed

Peng, Min-Sheng; Palanichamy, Malliya Gounder; Yao, Yong-Gang; Mitra, Bikash; Cheng, Yao-Ting; Zhao, Mian; Liu, Jia; Wang, Hua-Wei; Pan, Hui; Wang, Wen-Zhi; Zhang, A-Mei; Zhang, Wen; Wang, Dong; Zou, Yang; Yang, Yang; Chaudhuri, Tapas Kumar; Kong, Qing-Peng; Zhang, Ya-Ping

2011-01-10

Archaeological studies have revealed a series of cultural changes around the Last Glacial Maximum in East Asia; whether these changes left any signatures in the gene pool of East Asians remains poorly indicated. To achieve deeper insights into the demographic history of modern humans in East Asia around the Last Glacial Maximum, we extensively analyzed mitochondrial DNA haplogroup M9a'b, a specific haplogroup that was suggested to have some potential for tracing the migration around the Last Glacial Maximum in East Eurasia. A total of 837 M9a'b mitochondrial DNAs (583 from the literature, while the remaining 254 were newly collected in this study) pinpointed from over 28,000 subjects residing across East Eurasia were studied here. Fifty-nine representative samples were further selected for total mitochondrial DNA sequencing so we could better understand the phylogeny within M9a'b. Based on the updated phylogeny, an extensive phylogeographic analysis was carried out to reveal the differentiation of haplogroup M9a'b and to reconstruct the dispersal histories. Our results indicated that southern China and/or Southeast Asia likely served as the source of some post-Last Glacial Maximum dispersal(s). The detailed dissection of haplogroup M9a'b revealed the existence of an inland dispersal in mainland East Asia during the post-glacial period. It was this dispersal that expanded not only to western China but also to northeast India and the south Himalaya region. A similar phylogeographic distribution pattern was also observed for haplogroup F1c, thus substantiating our proposition. This inland post-glacial dispersal was in agreement with the spread of the Mesolithic culture originating in South China and northern Vietnam.

Use of surface and borehole geophysics to delineate the glacial-drift stratigraphy of northeastern St. Joseph County, Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bayless, E. Randall; Westjohn, David B.; Watson, Lee R.

1995-01-01

Inverse models of direct current electrical- resistivity sounding data and normal-resistivity and natural-gamma logs were used to assist delineation of the glacial-drift stratigraphy in a 580-square- kilometer area of northeastern St. Joseph County, Indiana. Unconsolidated deposits in the study area are composed of glacial-drift, including outwash, till, and lacustrine sediments; thicknesses range from about 15 to more than 70 meters. The glacial outwash deposits are mostly composed of sand and gravel and are the primary source of drinking water to northeastern St. Joseph County. The glacial till and glacio-lacustrine deposits contain a larger fraction of clay than the outwash deposits and may retard ground-water flow between shallow and deeper sand and gravel aquifers. Results of the geophysical measurements collected during this study indicate that glacial-drift deposits in the area north and east of the St. Joseph River are mostly composed of sand and gravel with inter-layered clay-rich deposits that are laterally discontinuous. In the area south of the St. Joseph River, the thickness of sand and gravel deposits diminishes, and clay-rich deposits dominate the stratigraphy. The presence of an electrically conductive bedrock, the Ellsworth Shale, beneath the glacial-drift deposits is identified in inverse models of direct current electrical-resistivity sounding data.

The Glacial and Relative Sea Level History of Southern Banks Island, NT, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaughan, Jessica Megan

The mapping and dating of surficial glacial landforms and sediments across southern Banks Island document glaciation by the northwest Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) during the last glacial maximum. Geomorphic landforms confirm the operation of an ice stream at least 1000 m thick in Amundsen Gulf that was coalescent with thin, cold-based ice crossing the island's interior, both advancing offshore onto the polar continental shelf. Raised marine shorelines across western and southern Banks Island are barren, recording early withdrawal of the Amundsen Gulf Ice Stream prior to the resubmergence of Bering Strait and the re-entry of Pacific molluscs ~13,750 cal yr BP. This withdrawal resulted in a loss of ~60,000 km2 of ice --triggering drawdown from the primary northwest LIS divide and instigating changes in subsequent ice flow. The Jesse moraine belt on eastern Banks Island records a lateglacial stillstand and/or readvance of Laurentide ice in Prince of Wales Strait (13,750 -- 12,750 cal yr BP). Fossiliferous raised marine sediments that onlap the Jesse moraine belt constrain final deglaciation to ~12,600 cal yr BP, a minimum age for the breakup of the Amundsen Gulf Ice Stream. The investigation of a 30 m thick and 6 km wide stratigraphic sequence at Worth Point, southwest Banks Island, identifies an advance of the ancestral LIS during the Mid-Pleistocene (sensu lato), substantially diversifying the glacial record on Banks Island. Glacial ice emplaced during this advance has persisted through at least two glacial-interglacial cycles, demonstrating the resilience of circumpolar permafrost. Pervasive deformation of the stratigraphic sequence also records a detailed history of glaciotectonism in proglacial and subglacial settings that can result from interactions between cold-based ice and permafrost terrain. This newly recognized history rejects the long-established paleoenvironmental model of Worth Point that assumed a simple 'layer-cake' stratigraphy.

Testing the "Mudball Earth" Hypothesis: Are Neoproterozoic Glacial Deposits Capped with Supraglacial Dust?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodman, J. C.; Alvim Lage, C.

2014-12-01

The Snowball Earth hypothesis has inspired several variants which may help to explain some of the great mysteries of the Neoproterozoic glaciations. One of these, the "Mudball Earth", proposes that as the Earth remained completely frozen for millions of years, a layer of dust accumulated on the ice surface. This dust layer would darken the planet, making it easier for the Earth to escape from the highly stable snowball climate state. This hypothesis is testable: after the ice melted at the end of a glacial era, this dust would sink to the bottom of the ocean, possibly forming a distinct clay, mud, or silt layer on the top of the glacial till deposits: this "clay drape" would then be covered by the cap carbonates that mark a return to warm climate. Sublimation and ice flow during the glacial episode should make this layer thicker at the equator and thinner or absent in the poles. Is this clay layer actually present in the rock record? Is it more prevalent at the paleoequator, as predicted? A clay drape has been noticed anecdotally, but no global survey has been done to date. We conducted a thorough literature review of all sites where Neoproterozoic glacial diamictites have been observed, identifying the type of rock that lies between the diamictite and the postglacial cap carbonate, when present, during both Sturtian and Marinoan glacial periods. Only a few publications identify a distinct clay/silt/mud layer that might represent weathered dust. These sites are not grouped by paleolatitude in any obvious way. With access only to published reports, we cannot determine whether such a layer is absent, went unreported, or was misinterpreted by us. With this work we hope to attract the attention of Neoproterozoic field geologists, inviting them to comment on the presence or absence of strata which could confirm or reject the "Mudball" hypothesis.

Postglacial trends of hillslope development in two glacially formed mountain valleys in western Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laute, K.; Beylich, A. A.

2012-04-01

Although rockfall talus slopes occur in all regions where rock weathering products accumulate beneath rock faces and cliffs, they are particularly common in glacially formed mountain landscapes. The retreat of glacier ice from glaciated valleys which have probably experienced oversteepening of rock slopes by glacial erosion causes paraglacial destabilization of the valley sidewalls related to stress-relief, unloading, frost weathering and / or degradation of mountain permafrost. Large areas of the Norwegian fjord landscapes are occupied by hillslopes which are owned by the influences of the glacial inheritance of the last glacial maximum (LGM). This study focuses on Postglacial trends of hillslope development in two glacially formed mountain valleys in western Norway (Erdalen and Bødalen). The research is part of a doctoral thesis, which is integrated in the Norwegian Research Council (NFR) funded SedyMONT-Norway project within the ESF TOPO-EUROPE SedyMONT (Timescales of sediment dynamics, climate and topographic change in mountain landscapes) Programme. The main aspects addressed in this study are: (i) the spatio-temporal variability of denudative slope processes over the Holocene and (ii) the Postglacial modification of the glacial relief. The applied process-based approach includes detailed geomorphological fieldmapping combined with terrestrial laser scans (LIDAR) of slope deposits in order to identify possible deposition processes and their spatial variability, relative dating techniques (tree rings and lichens) to analyze subrecent temporal variations, detailed surface mapping with additional geophysical subsurface investigations to estimated regolith thicknesses as well as CIR- and orthophoto delineation combined with GIS and DEM computing for calculating estimates of average valley-wide rockwall retreat rates. Results show Holocene rockwall retreat rates for the two valleys which are in a comparable range with other estimates of rockwall retreat rates in

Evidence for ephemeral middle Eocene to early Oligocene Greenland glacial ice and pan-Arctic sea ice.

PubMed

Tripati, Aradhna; Darby, Dennis

2018-03-12

Earth's modern climate is defined by the presence of ice at both poles, but that ice is now disappearing. Therefore understanding the origin and causes of polar ice stability is more critical than ever. Here we provide novel geochemical data that constrain past dynamics of glacial ice on Greenland and Arctic sea ice. Based on accurate source determinations of individual ice-rafted Fe-oxide grains, we find evidence for episodic glaciation of distinct source regions on Greenland as far-ranging as ~68°N and ~80°N synchronous with ice-rafting from circum-Arctic sources, beginning in the middle Eocene. Glacial intervals broadly coincide with reduced CO 2 , with a potential threshold for glacial ice stability near ~500 p.p.m.v. The middle Eocene represents the Cenozoic onset of a dynamic cryosphere, with ice in both hemispheres during transient glacials and substantial regional climate heterogeneity. A more stable cryosphere developed at the Eocene-Oligocene transition, and is now threatened by anthropogenic emissions.

A multi-decadal remote sensing study on glacial change in the North Patagonia Ice Field Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tetteh, Lucy Korlekwor

Glaciers in the North Patagonian Ice Fields are temperate glaciers and can be studied to understand the dynamics of climate change. However, the ice field has been neglected in mass balance studies. In this study, multi decadal study of glacial mass balance, glacier retreat and glacial lake expansion in the North Patagonia were studied. Landsat (TM, ETM+ and 8) and ASTER images were used. San Quintin glacier experienced the highest retreat. Demarcation of glacier lakes boundaries indicated an increase in glacial lake area an addition of 4 new glacial lakes. Nef glacier recorded the highest mass gain of 9.91 plus or minus 1.96 m.w.e.a.-1 and HPN-4 glacier recorded the highest mass loss of -8.9 plus or minus 1.96 m.w.e.a. -1. However, there is a high uncertainty in the elevation values in the DEM due to the rugged nature of the terrain and presence of the heavy snow cover.

The salinity, temperature, and delta18O of the glacial deep ocean.

PubMed

Adkins, Jess F; McIntyre, Katherine; Schrag, Daniel P

2002-11-29

We use pore fluid measurements of the chloride concentration and the oxygen isotopic composition from Ocean Drilling Program cores to reconstruct salinity and temperature of the deep ocean during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Our data show that the temperatures of the deep Pacific, Southern, and Atlantic oceans during the LGM were relatively homogeneous and within error of the freezing point of seawater at the ocean's surface. Our chloride data show that the glacial stratification was dominated by salinity variations, in contrast with the modern ocean, for which temperature plays a primary role. During the LGM the Southern Ocean contained the saltiest water in the deep ocean. This reversal of the modern salinity contrast between the North and South Atlantic implies that the freshwater budget at the poles must have been quite different. A strict conversion of mean salinity at the LGM to equivalent sea-level change yields a value in excess of 140 meters. However, the storage of fresh water in ice shelves and/or groundwater reserves implies that glacial salinity is a poor predictor of mean sea level.

Human population dynamics in Europe over the Last Glacial Maximum.

PubMed

Tallavaara, Miikka; Luoto, Miska; Korhonen, Natalia; Järvinen, Heikki; Seppä, Heikki

2015-07-07

The severe cooling and the expansion of the ice sheets during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), 27,000-19,000 y ago (27-19 ky ago) had a major impact on plant and animal populations, including humans. Changes in human population size and range have affected our genetic evolution, and recent modeling efforts have reaffirmed the importance of population dynamics in cultural and linguistic evolution, as well. However, in the absence of historical records, estimating past population levels has remained difficult. Here we show that it is possible to model spatially explicit human population dynamics from the pre-LGM at 30 ky ago through the LGM to the Late Glacial in Europe by using climate envelope modeling tools and modern ethnographic datasets to construct a population calibration model. The simulated range and size of the human population correspond significantly with spatiotemporal patterns in the archaeological data, suggesting that climate was a major driver of population dynamics 30-13 ky ago. The simulated population size declined from about 330,000 people at 30 ky ago to a minimum of 130,000 people at 23 ky ago. The Late Glacial population growth was fastest during Greenland interstadial 1, and by 13 ky ago, there were almost 410,000 people in Europe. Even during the coldest part of the LGM, the climatically suitable area for human habitation remained unfragmented and covered 36% of Europe.

Beyond the Seafloor: a Plio-Pleistocene Archive of Glacial Geomorphology from Basin-Wide 3D Seismic Reflection Data on the Mid-Norwegian Shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newton, A.; Huuse, M.

2015-12-01

Oil and gas exploration on the mid-Norwegian shelf has created an extensive geophysical and geological database. As such, this margin has become one of the most comprehensively studied formerly-glaciated continental margins in the world. Industrial operations have concentrated on the structure and geohazard potential of glacial sediments whilst academic work has looked at reconstructing environmental conditions during and since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). This has generally consisted of mapping seafloor glacial geomorphology and a limited number of shallow sediment cores. Despite the increasingly large volume of 3D seismic reflection data available across the majority of the shelf, only limited work has been carried out investigating the oldest glaciations. A Plio-Pleistocene archive of glacial-interglacial history is preserved offshore and represents a unique study site because of the availability of 100s of 3D seismic reflection datasets. This database allows numerous different glacial erosion events and glacial landforms to be imaged throughout the glacially-derived NAUST Formation. We present an inventory of glacial history for the mid-Norwegian shelf and review the implications for the glacial history of Northwest Europe. This record shows glacial landforms such as iceberg scours, mega-scale glacial lineations and grounding-zone wedges, each of which provides an insight into ice characteristics. Dating is limited to a few tentative dates based on side-wall core data but we infer a further dating chronology based on dated sediments from the Voring Plateau, fluctuations in the benthic δ18O derived global sea level record, interpretation of seismic facies and the overall architecture. Glacial evidence is present regularly throughout the stratigraphy with the earliest evidence for marine terminating ice found at the base of the NAUST Formation at ~2.8 Ma.

Causes of strong ocean heating during glacial periods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimov, N.; Zimov, S. A.

2013-12-01

During the last deglaciation period, the strongest climate changes occurred across the North Atlantic regions. Analyses of borehole temperatures from the Greenland ice sheet have yielded air temperature change estimates of 25°C over the deglaciation period (Dahl-Jensen et al. 1998). Such huge temperature changes cannot currently be explained in the frames of modern knowledge about climate. We propose that glacial-interglacial cycles are connected with gradual warming of ocean interior waters over the course of glaciations and quick transport of accumulated heat from ocean to the atmosphere during the deglaciation periods. Modern day ocean circulation is dominated by thermal convection with cold waters subsiding in the Northern Atlantic and filling up the ocean interior with cold and heavy water. However during the glaciation thermal circulation stopped and ocean circulation was driven by 'haline pumps' -Red and Mediterranean seas connected with ocean with only narrow but deep straights acts as evaporative basins, separating ocean water into fresh water which returns to the ocean surface (precipitation) and warm but salty, and therefore heavy, water which flows down to the ocean floor. This haline pump is stratifying the ocean, allowing warmer water locate under the colder water and thus stopping thermal convection in the ocean. Additional ocean interior warming is driven by geothermal heat flux and decomposition of organic rain. To test the hypothesis we present simple ocean box model that describes thermohaline circulation in the World Ocean. The first box is the Red and Mediterranean sea, the second is united high-latitude seas, the third is the ocean surface, and the fourth the ocean interior. The volume of these water masses and straight cross-sections are taken to be close to real values. We have accepted that the exchange of water between boxes is proportional to the difference in water density in these boxes, Sun energy inputs to the ocean and sea surface

Glacial refugia, recolonization patterns and diversification forces in Alpine-endemic Megabunus harvestmen.

PubMed

Wachter, Gregor A; Papadopoulou, Anna; Muster, Christoph; Arthofer, Wolfgang; Knowles, L Lacey; Steiner, Florian M; Schlick-Steiner, Birgit C

2016-06-01

The Pleistocene climatic fluctuations had a huge impact on all life forms, and various hypotheses regarding the survival of organisms during glacial periods have been postulated. In the European Alps, evidence has been found in support of refugia outside the ice shield (massifs de refuge) acting as sources for postglacial recolonization of inner-Alpine areas. In contrast, evidence for survival on nunataks, ice-free areas above the glacier, remains scarce. Here, we combine multivariate genetic analyses with ecological niche models (ENMs) through multiple timescales to elucidate the history of Alpine Megabunus harvestmen throughout the ice ages, a genus that comprises eight high-altitude endemics. ENMs suggest two types of refugia throughout the last glacial maximum, inner-Alpine survival on nunataks for four species and peripheral refugia for further four species. In some geographic regions, the patterns of genetic variation are consistent with long-distance dispersal out of massifs de refuge, repeatedly coupled with geographic parthenogenesis. In other regions, long-term persistence in nunataks may dominate the patterns of genetic divergence. Overall, our results suggest that glacial cycles contributed to allopatric diversification in Alpine Megabunus, both within and at the margins of the ice shield. These findings exemplify the power of ENM projections coupled with genetic analyses to identify hypotheses about the position and the number of glacial refugia and thus to evaluate the role of Pleistocene glaciations in driving species-specific responses of recolonization or persistence that may have contributed to observed patterns of biodiversity. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Glacial greenhouse-gas fluctuations controlled by ocean circulation changes.

PubMed

Schmittner, Andreas; Galbraith, Eric D

2008-11-20

Earth's climate and the concentrations of the atmospheric greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO(2)) and nitrous oxide (N(2)O) varied strongly on millennial timescales during past glacial periods. Large and rapid warming events in Greenland and the North Atlantic were followed by more gradual cooling, and are highly correlated with fluctuations of N(2)O as recorded in ice cores. Antarctic temperature variations, on the other hand, were smaller and more gradual, showed warming during the Greenland cold phase and cooling while the North Atlantic was warm, and were highly correlated with fluctuations in CO(2). Abrupt changes in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) have often been invoked to explain the physical characteristics of these Dansgaard-Oeschger climate oscillations, but the mechanisms for the greenhouse-gas variations and their linkage to the AMOC have remained unclear. Here we present simulations with a coupled model of glacial climate and biogeochemical cycles, forced only with changes in the AMOC. The model simultaneously reproduces characteristic features of the Dansgaard-Oeschger temperature, as well as CO(2) and N(2)O fluctuations. Despite significant changes in the land carbon inventory, CO(2) variations on millennial timescales are dominated by slow changes in the deep ocean inventory of biologically sequestered carbon and are correlated with Antarctic temperature and Southern Ocean stratification. In contrast, N(2)O co-varies more rapidly with Greenland temperatures owing to fast adjustments of the thermocline oxygen budget. These results suggest that ocean circulation changes were the primary mechanism that drove glacial CO(2) and N(2)O fluctuations on millennial timescales.

Antarctic Ocean Nutrient Conditions During the Last Two Glacial Cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Studer, A.; Sigman, D. M.; Martinez-Garcia, A.; Benz, V.; Winckler, G.; Kuhn, G.; Esper, O.; Lamy, F.; Jaccard, S.; Wacker, L.; Oleynik, S.; Gersonde, R.; Haug, G. H.

2014-12-01

The high concentration of the major nutrients nitrate and phosphate in the Antarctic Zone of the Southern Ocean dictates the nature of Southern Ocean ecosystems and permits these nutrients to be carried from the deep ocean into the nutrient-limited low latitudes. Incomplete nutrient consumption in the Antarctic also allows the leakage of deeply sequestered carbon dioxide (CO2) back to the atmosphere, and changes in this leakage may have driven glacial/interglacial cycles in atmospheric CO2. In a sediment core from the Pacific sector of the Antarctic Ocean, we report diatom-bound N isotope (δ15Ndb) records for total recoverable diatoms and two assemblages of diatom species. These data indicate tight coupling between the degree of nitrate consumption and Antarctic climate across the last two glacial cycles, with δ15Ndb (and thus the degree of nitrate consumption) increasing at each major Antarctic cooling event. Measurements in the same sediment core indicate that export production was reduced during ice ages, pointing to an ice age reduction in the supply of deep ocean-sourced nitrate to the Antarctic Ocean surface. The reduced export production of peak ice ages also implies a weaker winter-to-summer decline (i.e. reduced seasonality) in mixed layer nitrate concentration, providing a plausible explanation for an observed reduction in the inter-assemblage δ15Ndb difference during these coldest times. Despite the weak summertime productivity, the reduction in wintertime nitrate supply from deep waters left the Antarctic mixed layer with a low nitrate concentration, and this wintertime change also would have reduced the outgassing of CO2. Relief of light limitation fails to explain the intermediate degree of nitrate consumption that characterizes early glacial conditions, as improved light limitation coincident with reduced nitrate supply would drive nitrate consumption to completion. Thus, the data favor iron availability as the dominant control on annual Antarctic

Quaternary glacial geomorphosites from the Cantabrian Mountains (northern Iberian Peninsula): the Redes Natural Reservation and Picos de Europa Regional Park

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Laura; Jiménez-Sánchez, Montserrat; José Domínguez-Cuesta, María

2013-04-01

The Cantabrian Mountains is a mountain range 480 km-long and up to 2,648 m altitude (Torre Cerredo Peak) trending parallel to the Cantabrian Coastline between Pyrenees and the northwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula (~43oN 5oW). This mountain range is an outstanding area to research the climatic patterns across South Europe during the Quaternary glaciations since well-preserved glacial features evidence the occurrence of past mountain glaciations in a climatic environment marked by the transition from a maritime climate (Atlantic) to Mediterranean one across the mountain range. The available studies in the Cantabrian Mountains stand that the regional glacial maximum recorded here is prior to ca 38, and that glaciers were in some locations remarkably retreated by the time of the global Last Glacial Maximum (Jiménez-Sánchez et al., in press; Serrano et al., in press). This study is focused on an area about 800 km2 that includes 36 peaks over 2,000 m (Pico Mampodre; 2,192 m) and partially covers the Redes Natural Reservation and Picos de Europa Regional Park. A geomorphologic database in ArcGIS was produced for this area as a previous step to reconstruct in detail the extent, flow pattern and chronology of the former glaciers (PhD under progress). Here we present a selection of 18 glacial geomorphosites classified according to genetic criteria in sites that show: (i) a nicely preserved moraine sequence recording the transition from glacial to periglacial conditions; (ii) glacial erosion features; (iii) glacial and ice related deposits (like moraines, ice-dammed deposits, erratic boulders or fluvio-glacial deposits); (iv) slope instability related to glacial debuttressing (complex landslides and rock avalanches); and (v) the interaction between the landscape and human activity. The interest of the geomorphosites is supported by its good quality of preservation, allowing its use as a basis to reconstruct the glacial and paraglacial processes in this region during

Similar millennial climate variability on the Iberian margin during two early Pleistocene glacials and MIS 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birner, B.; Hodell, D. A.; Tzedakis, P. C.; Skinner, L. C.

2016-01-01

Although millennial-scale climate variability (<10 ka) has been well studied during the last glacial cycles, little is known about this important aspect of climate in the early Pleistocene, prior to the Middle Pleistocene Transition. Here we present an early Pleistocene climate record at centennial resolution for two representative glacials (marine isotope stages (MIS) 37-41 from approximately 1235 to 1320 ka) during the "41 ka world" at Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Site U1385 (the "Shackleton Site") on the southwest Iberian margin. Millennial-scale climate variability was suppressed during interglacial periods (MIS 37, MIS 39, and MIS 41) and activated during glacial inceptions when benthic δ18O exceeded 3.2‰. Millennial variability during glacials MIS 38 and MIS 40 closely resembled Dansgaard-Oeschger events from the last glacial (MIS 3) in amplitude, shape, and pacing. The phasing of oxygen and carbon isotope variability is consistent with an active oceanic thermal bipolar see-saw between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres during most of the prominent stadials. Surface cooling was associated with systematic decreases in benthic carbon isotopes, indicating concomitant changes in the meridional overturning circulation. A comparison to other North Atlantic records of ice rafting during the early Pleistocene suggests that freshwater forcing, as proposed for the late Pleistocene, was involved in triggering or amplifying perturbations of the North Atlantic circulation that elicited a bipolar see-saw response. Our findings support similarities in the operation of the climate system occurring on millennial time scales before and after the Middle Pleistocene Transition despite the increases in global ice volume and duration of the glacial cycles.

Global pulses of organic carbon burial in deep-sea sediments during glacial maxima

PubMed Central

Cartapanis, Olivier; Bianchi, Daniele; Jaccard, Samuel L.; Galbraith, Eric D.

2016-01-01

The burial of organic carbon in marine sediments removes carbon dioxide from the ocean–atmosphere pool, provides energy to the deep biosphere, and on geological timescales drives the oxygenation of the atmosphere. Here we quantify natural variations in the burial of organic carbon in deep-sea sediments over the last glacial cycle. Using a new data compilation of hundreds of sediment cores, we show that the accumulation rate of organic carbon in the deep sea was consistently higher (50%) during glacial maxima than during interglacials. The spatial pattern and temporal progression of the changes suggest that enhanced nutrient supply to parts of the surface ocean contributed to the glacial burial pulses, with likely additional contributions from more efficient transfer of organic matter to the deep sea and better preservation of organic matter due to reduced oxygen exposure. These results demonstrate a pronounced climate sensitivity for this global carbon cycle sink. PMID:26923945

Bibliography on ground water in glacial-aquifer systems in the Northeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wiltshire, Denise A.; Lyford, Forest P.; Cohen, A.J.

1986-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey established the Regional Aquifer-System Analysis (RASA) program to evaluate major interconnected aquifers or groups of aquifers that share similar characteristics within a region. One of the objectives of the Northeastern Glacial RASA is to provide information on the occurrence and quality of ground water in glacial deposits in ten States: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. To help meet the objectives of the RASA program, an automated bibliographic data base was developed. The data base contains references to ground-water resources of glacial-aquifer systems in the ten States listed above. This bibliography contains more than 700 ground-water related references that date from 1839 through 1984. The bibliography lists books, journal articles, conference proceedings, government and other technical reports, theses, and maps. Unpublished manuscripts, publications in press, newspaper articles, and book reviews are omitted from the bibliography.

Impacts of post-glacial lake drainage events and revised chronology of the Champlain Sea episode 13-9 ka

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cronin, T. M.; Manley, P.L.; Brachfeld, S.; Manley, T.O.; Willard, D.A.; Guilbault, J.-P.; Rayburn, J.A.; Thunell, R.; Berke, M.

2008-01-01

Lithologic, CHIRP (Compressed High Intensity Radar Pulse) sonar, paleomagnetic, stable isotopic and micropaleontological analyses of sediment cores from Lake Champlain (New York, Vermont) were used to determine the age of the post-glacial Champlain Sea marine episode, the timing of salinity changes and their relationship to freshwater discharge from mid-continent glacial lakes. Calibrated radiocarbon ages on plant material provide an improved post-glacial chronology overcoming problems from shell ages caused by carbon reservoir effects up to 1500 yr. The final drainage of glacial Lake Vermont and the inception of marine conditions occurred ∼ 13.1–12.8 ka (kiloannum, calendar years) and a sharp decrease in Champlain Sea salinity from ∼ 25 to 7–8 psu (practical salinity units) occurred approximately 11.4–11.2 ka. Reduced salinity was most likely caused by rapid freshwater inflow eastward from glacial Lake Algonquin into the Champlain Basin. The timing of inferred freshwater event coincides with the widespread climatic cooling called the Preboreal Oscillation.

Glacial history affected phenotypic differentiation in the alpine plant, Campanula thyrsoides.

PubMed

Scheepens, J F; Frei, Eva S; Stöcklin, Jürg

2013-01-01

Numerous widespread Alpine plant species show molecular differentiation among populations from distinct regions. This has been explained as the result of genetic drift during glacial survival in isolated refugia along the border of the European Alps. Since genetic drift may affect molecular markers and phenotypic traits alike, we asked whether phenotypic differentiation mirrors molecular patterns among Alpine plant populations from different regions. Phenotypic traits can be under selection, so we additionally investigated whether part of the phenotypic differentiation can be explained by past selection and/or current adaptation. Using the monocarpic Campanula thyrsoides as our study species, a common garden experiment with plants from 21 populations from four phylogeographic groups located in regions across the Alps and the Jura Mountains was performed to test for differentiation in morphological and phenological traits. Past selection was investigated by comparing phenotypic differentiation among and within regions with molecular differentiation among and within regions. The common garden results indicated regional differentiation among populations for all investigated phenotypic traits, particularly in phenology. Delayed flowering in plants from the South-eastern Alps suggested adaptation to long sub-mediterranean summers and contrasted with earlier flowering of plants experiencing shorter growing seasons in regions with higher elevation to the West. Comparisons between molecular and phenotypic differentiation revealed diversifying selection among regions in height and biomass, which is consistent with adaptation to environmental conditions in glacial refugia. Within regions, past selection acted against strong diversification for most phenotypic traits, causing restricted postglacial adaptation. Evidence consistent with post-glacial adaptation was also given by negative correlation coefficients between several phenotypic traits and elevation of the population

Glacial isostatic adjustment using GNSS permanent stations and GIA modelling tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kollo, Karin; Spada, Giorgio; Vermeer, Martin

2013-04-01

Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) affects the Earth's mantle in areas which were once ice covered and the process is still ongoing. In this contribution we focus on GIA processes in Fennoscandian and North American uplift regions. In this contribution we use horizontal and vertical uplift rates from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) permanent stations. For Fennoscandia the BIFROST dataset (Lidberg, 2010) and North America the dataset from Sella, 2007 were used respectively. We perform GIA modelling with the SELEN program (Spada and Stocchi, 2007) and we vary ice model parameters in space in order to find ice model which suits best with uplift values obtained from GNSS time series analysis. In the GIA modelling, the ice models ICE-5G (Peltier, 2004) and the ice model denoted as ANU05 ((Fleming and Lambeck, 2004) and references therein) were used. As reference, the velocity field from GNSS permanent station time series was used for both target areas. Firstly the sensitivity to the harmonic degree was tested in order to reduce the computation time. In the test, nominal viscosity values and pre-defined lithosphere thicknesses models were used, varying maximum harmonic degree values. Main criteria for choosing the suitable harmonic degree was chi-square fit - if the error measure does not differ more than 10%, then one might use as well lower harmonic degree value. From this test, maximum harmonic degree of 72 was chosen to perform calculations, as the larger value did not significantly modify the results obtained, as well the computational time for observations was kept reasonable. Secondly the GIA computations were performed to find the model, which could fit with highest probability to the GNSS-based velocity field in the target areas. In order to find best fitting Earth viscosity parameters, different viscosity profiles for the Earth models were tested and their impact on horizontal and vertical velocity rates from GIA modelling was studied. For every

Pollen record from Ka'au Crater, Oahu, Hawaii: Evidence for a dry glacial maximum

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hotchkiss, S.C.; Juvik, J.O.

Fossil pollen from a 3.5 m-long core from Ka'au Crater, Hawaii (elev. 460 m), yields a ca. 23,000-year record of regional vegetation history. Results indicate a full-glacial period drier and possibly cooler than present, a warmer and wetter early Holocene, and a somewhat drier late Holocene; this sequence agrees with earlier work by Selling (1948) on other islands. The oldest zone is donated by pollen of Chenopodium oahuense, Acacia koa, and Dodonaea viscosa; post-glacial pollen assemblages feature high percentages of Myrsine and Coprosma, followed by increases in Lycopodium cernuum Ilex anomala. Freycinetia arborea and Pritchardia. After about 8000 years ago,more » Chenopodium, Acacia, and Dodonaea increase, suggesting a return to drier conditions. Abundant pollen of Chenopodium oahuense, a plant of dry regions, during the last glacial maximum implies that neither the trade winds nor cyclonic storms were delivering as much moisture to the regional vegetation as they presently do. This suggests that the ocean surface temperature during the last glacial maximum may have been cooler than present, a finding contradictory to the reconstructions of the CLIMAP (1981) group, which show temperatures near Hawaii equal to or even warmer than present.« less

Chronology and provenance of last-glacial (Peoria) loess in western Iowa and paleoclimatic implications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muhs, Daniel R.; Bettis, E. Arthur; Roberts, Helen M.; Harlan, Stephen S.; Paces, James B.; Reynolds, Richard L.

2013-01-01

Geologic archives show that the Earth was dustier during the last glacial period. One model suggests that increased gustiness (stronger, more frequent winds) enhanced dustiness. We tested this at Loveland, Iowa, one of the thickest deposits of last-glacial-age (Peoria) loess in the world. Based on K/Rb and Ba/Rb, loess was derived not only from glaciogenic sources of the Missouri River, but also distal loess from non-glacial sources in Nebraska. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages provide the first detailed chronology of Peoria Loess at Loveland. Deposition began after ~ 27 ka and continued until ~ 17 ka. OSL ages also indicate that mass accumulation rates (MARs) of loess were not constant. MARs were highest and grain size was coarsest during the time of middle Peoria Loess accretion, ~ 23 ka, when ~ 10 m of loess accumulated in no more than ~ 2000 yr and possibly much less. The timing of coarsest grain size and highest MAR, indicating strongest winds, coincides with a summer-insolation minimum at high latitudes in North America and the maximum southward extent of the Laurentide ice sheet. These observations suggest that increased dustiness during the last glacial period was driven largely by enhanced gustiness, forced by a steepened meridional temperature gradient.

Glacial changes in warm pool climate dominated by shelf exposure and ice sheet albedo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Nezio, P. N.; Tierney, J. E.; Otto-Bliesner, B. L.; Timmermann, A.; Bhattacharya, T.; Brady, E. C.; Rosenbloom, N. A.

2017-12-01

The mechanisms driving glacial-interglacial changes in the climate of the Indo-Pacific warm pool (IPWP) are unclear. We addressed this issue combining model simulations and paleoclimate reconstructions of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Two drivers - the exposure of tropical shelves due to lower sea level and a monsoonal response to ice sheet albedo - explain the proxy-inferred patterns of hydroclimate change. Shelf exposure influences IPWP climate by weakening the ascending branch of the Walker circulation. This response is amplified by coupled interactions akin to the Bjerknes feedback involving a stronger sea-surface temperature (SST) gradient along the equatorial Indian Ocean (IO). Ice sheet albedo enhances the import of cold, dry air into the tropics, weakening the Afro-Asian monsoon system. This "ventilation" mechanism alters temperature contrasts between the Arabian Sea and surrounding land leading to further monsoon weakening. Additional simulations show that the altered SST patterns associated with these responses are essential for explaining the proxy-inferred changes. Together our results show that ice sheets are a first order driver of tropical climate on glacial-interglacial timescales. While glacial climates are not a straightforward analogue for the future, our finding of an active Bjerknes feedback deserves further attention in the context of future climate projections.

Impact of increasing antarctic glacial freshwater release on regional sea-ice cover in the Southern Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merino, Nacho; Jourdain, Nicolas C.; Le Sommer, Julien; Goosse, Hugues; Mathiot, Pierre; Durand, Gael

2018-01-01

The sensitivity of Antarctic sea-ice to increasing glacial freshwater release into the Southern Ocean is studied in a series of 31-year ocean/sea-ice/iceberg model simulations. Glaciological estimates of ice-shelf melting and iceberg calving are used to better constrain the spatial distribution and magnitude of freshwater forcing around Antarctica. Two scenarios of glacial freshwater forcing have been designed to account for a decadal perturbation in glacial freshwater release to the Southern Ocean. For the first time, this perturbation explicitly takes into consideration the spatial distribution of changes in the volume of Antarctic ice shelves, which is found to be a key component of changes in freshwater release. In addition, glacial freshwater-induced changes in sea ice are compared to typical changes induced by the decadal evolution of atmospheric states. Our results show that, in general, the increase in glacial freshwater release increases Antarctic sea ice extent. But the response is opposite in some regions like the coastal Amundsen Sea, implying that distinct physical mechanisms are involved in the response. We also show that changes in freshwater forcing may induce large changes in sea-ice thickness, explaining about one half of the total change due to the combination of atmospheric and freshwater changes. The regional contrasts in our results suggest a need for improving the representation of freshwater sources and their evolution in climate models.

Role of the Bering Strait on the hysteresis of the ocean conveyor belt circulation and glacial climate stability.

PubMed

Hu, Aixue; Meehl, Gerald A; Han, Weiqing; Timmermann, Axel; Otto-Bliesner, Bette; Liu, Zhengyu; Washington, Warren M; Large, William; Abe-Ouchi, Ayako; Kimoto, Masahide; Lambeck, Kurt; Wu, Bingyi

2012-04-24

Abrupt climate transitions, known as Dansgaard-Oeschger and Heinrich events, occurred frequently during the last glacial period, specifically from 80-11 thousand years before present, but were nearly absent during interglacial periods and the early stages of glacial periods, when major ice-sheets were still forming. Here we show, with a fully coupled state-of-the-art climate model, that closing the Bering Strait and preventing its throughflow between the Pacific and Arctic Oceans during the glacial period can lead to the emergence of stronger hysteresis behavior of the ocean conveyor belt circulation to create conditions that are conducive to triggering abrupt climate transitions. Hence, it is argued that even for greenhouse warming, abrupt climate transitions similar to those in the last glacial time are unlikely to occur as the Bering Strait remains open.

Occurrence of Uranium and 222Radon in Glacial and Bedrock Aquifers in the Northern United States, 1993-2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ayotte, Joseph D.; Flanagan, Sarah M.; Morrow, William S.

2007-01-01

Water-quality data collected from 1,426 wells during 1993-2003 as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program were evaluated to characterize the water quality in glacial and bedrock aquifers of the northern United States. One of the goals of the NAWQA program is to synthesize data from individual studies across the United States to gain regional- and national-scale information about the behavior of contaminants. This study focused on the regional occurrence and distribution of uranium and 222radon in ground water in the glacial aquifer system of the United States as well as in the Cambrian-Ordovician and the New York and New England crystalline aquifer systems that underlie the glacial aquifer system. The occurrence of uranium and 222radon in ground water has long been a concern throughout the United States. In the glacial aquifers, as well as the Cambrian-Ordovician and the New York and New England crystalline aquifer systems of the United States, concentrations of uranium and 222radon were highly variable. High concentrations of uranium and 222radon affect ground water used for drinking water and for agriculture. A combination of information or data on (1) national-scale ground-water regions, (2) regional-scale glacial depositional models, (3) regional-scale geology, and (4) national-scale terrestrial gamma-ray emissions were used to confirm and(or) refine the regions used in the analysis of the water-chemistry data. Significant differences in the occurrence of uranium and 222radon, based primarily on geologic information were observed and used in this report. In general, uranium was highest in the Columbia Plateau glacial, West-Central glacial, and the New York and New England crystalline aquifer groups (75th percentile concentrations of 22.3, 7.7, and 2.9 micrograms per liter (ug/L), respectively). In the Columbia Plateau glacial and the West-Central glacial aquifer groups, more than 10 percent of wells sampled had

Emerging Glacial Lakes in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru: A Case Study at Arteson Glacier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chisolm, R. E.; Mckinney, D. C.; Gomez, J.; Voss, K.

2012-12-01

Tropical glaciers are an essential component of the water resources systems in the mountainous regions where they are located, and a warming climate has resulted in the accelerated retreat of Andean glaciers in recent decades. The shrinkage of Andean glaciers influences the flood risk for communities living downstream as new glacial lakes have begun to form at the termini of some glaciers. As these lakes continue to grow in area and volume, they pose an increasing risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). Ice thickness measurements have been a key missing link in studying the tropical glaciers in Peru and how climate change is likely to impact glacial melt and the growth of glacial lakes. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) has rarely been applied to glaciers in Peru to measure ice thickness, and these measurements can tell us a lot about how a warming climate will affect glacier mass balance. This study presents GPR data taken in July 2012 at the Arteson glacier in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru. A new lake has begun to form at the terminus of the Arteson glacier, and this lake has key features, including overhanging ice and loose rock likely to create landslides, that could trigger a catastrophic GLOF if the lake continues to grow. This new lake is part of a series of three lakes that have formed below the Arteson glacier. The two lower lakes, Artesonraju and Paron, are much larger so that if there were an avalanche or landslide into the new lake below Arteson glacier, the impact could potentially be more catastrophic than a GLOF from one single lake. Estimates of how the lake mass balance is likely to evolve due to the retreating glacier are key to assessing the flood risk from this dynamic three-lake system. Because the glacier mass balance and lake mass balance are closely linked, the ice thickness measurements and measurements of the bed slope of the Arteson glacier and underlying bedrock give us a clue to how the lake is likely to evolve. GPR measurements of

Deglaciation and glacial erosion: a joint control on magma productivity by continental unloading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sternai, Pietro; Caricchi, Luca; Castelltort, Sebastien

2016-04-01

Glacial-interglacial cycles affect the processes through which water and rocks are redistributed across the Earth's surface, thereby linking solid-Earth and climate dynamics. Regional and global scale studies suggest that continental lithospheric unloading due to ice melting during the transition to interglacials leads to increased continental magmatic, volcanic and degassing activity. Such a climatic forcing on the melting of the Earth's interior, however, has always been evaluated without considering the additional continental unloading associated with erosion. Current datasets relating to the evolution of erosion rates are typically limited by temporal resolutions that are too low or span too short time intervals to allow for direct comparisons between the contributions from ice melting and erosion to continental unloading at the timescale of the late Pleistocene glacial cycles. Yet, they provide a fundamental observational basis on which to calibrate numerical predictions. Here, we present and discuss numerical results involving synthetic but realistic topographies, ice caps and glacial erosion rates suggesting that erosion may be as important as deglaciation in affecting continental unloading, sub-continental decompression melting and magma productivity. Thus, the timing and magnitude of deglaciation and erosion must be characterized if the forcing of climate change on the continental magmatic/volcanic activity is to be extracted from the remnants of eroded volcanic centers. Our study represents an additional step towards a more general understanding of the links between a changing climate, glacial processes and the melting of the solid Earth.

Chronology of the last glacial maximum in the upper Bear River Basin, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Laabs, B.J.C.; Munroe, Jeffrey S.; Rosenbaum, J.G.; Refsnider, K.A.; Mickelson, D.M.; Singer, B.S.; Caffee, M.W.

2007-01-01

The headwaters of the Bear River drainage were occupied during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) by outlet glaciers of the Western Uinta Ice Field, an extensive ice mass (???685 km2) that covered the western slope of the Uinta Mountains. A well-preserved sequence of latero-frontal moraines in the drainage indicates that outlet glaciers advanced beyond the mountain front and coalesced on the piedmont. Glacial deposits in the Bear River drainage provide a unique setting where both 10Be cosmogenic surface-exposure dating of moraine boulders and 14C dating of sediment in Bear Lake downstream of the glaciated area set age limits on the timing of glaciation. Limiting 14C ages of glacial flour in Bear Lake (corrected to calendar years using CALIB 5.0) indicate that ice advance began at 32 ka and culminated at about 24 ka. Based on a Bayesian statistical analysis of cosmogenic surface-exposure ages from two areas on the terminal moraine complex, the Bear River glacier began its final retreat at about 18.7 to 18.1 ka, approximately coincident with the start of deglaciation elsewhere in the central Rocky Mountains and many other alpine glacial localities worldwide. Unlike valleys of the southwestern Uinta Mountains, deglaciation of the Bear River drainage began prior to the hydrologie fall of Lake Bonneville from the Provo shoreline at about 16 ka. ?? 2007 Regents of the University of Colorado.

Tracing glacial refugia of Triturus newts based on mitochondrial DNA phylogeography and species distribution modeling

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Introduction The major climatic oscillations during the Quaternary Ice Age heavily influenced the distribution of species and left their mark on intraspecific genetic diversity. Past range shifts can be reconstructed with the aid of species distribution modeling and phylogeographical analyses. We test the responses of the different members of the genus Triturus (i.e. the marbled and crested newts) as the climate shifted from the previous glacial period (the Last Glacial Maximum, ~21 Ka) to the current interglacial. Results We present the results of a dense mitochondrial DNA phylogeography (visualizing genetic diversity within and divergence among populations) and species distribution modeling (using two different climate simulations) for the nine Triturus species on composite maps. Conclusions The combined use of species distribution modeling and mitochondrial phylogeography provides insight in the glacial contraction and postglacial expansion of Triturus. The combined use of the two independent techniques yields a more complete understanding of the historical biogeography of Triturus than both approaches would on their own. Triturus newts generally conform to the ‘southern richness and northern purity’ paradigm, but we also find more intricate patterns, such as the absence of genetic variation and suitable area at the Last Glacial Maximum (T. dobrogicus), an ‘extra-Mediterranean’ refugium in the Carpathian Basin (T. cristatus), and areas where species displaced one another postglacially (e.g. T. macedonicus and western T. karelinii). We provide a biogeographical scenario for Triturus, showing the positions of glacial refugia, the regions that were postglacially colonized and the areas where species displaced one another as they shifted their ranges. PMID:23514662

Tracing glacial refugia of Triturus newts based on mitochondrial DNA phylogeography and species distribution modeling.

PubMed

Wielstra, Ben; Crnobrnja-Isailović, Jelka; Litvinchuk, Spartak N; Reijnen, Bastian T; Skidmore, Andrew K; Sotiropoulos, Konstantinos; Toxopeus, Albertus G; Tzankov, Nikolay; Vukov, Tanja; Arntzen, Jan W

2013-03-20

The major climatic oscillations during the Quaternary Ice Age heavily influenced the distribution of species and left their mark on intraspecific genetic diversity. Past range shifts can be reconstructed with the aid of species distribution modeling and phylogeographical analyses. We test the responses of the different members of the genus Triturus (i.e. the marbled and crested newts) as the climate shifted from the previous glacial period (the Last Glacial Maximum, ~21 Ka) to the current interglacial. We present the results of a dense mitochondrial DNA phylogeography (visualizing genetic diversity within and divergence among populations) and species distribution modeling (using two different climate simulations) for the nine Triturus species on composite maps. The combined use of species distribution modeling and mitochondrial phylogeography provides insight in the glacial contraction and postglacial expansion of Triturus. The combined use of the two independent techniques yields a more complete understanding of the historical biogeography of Triturus than both approaches would on their own. Triturus newts generally conform to the 'southern richness and northern purity' paradigm, but we also find more intricate patterns, such as the absence of genetic variation and suitable area at the Last Glacial Maximum (T. dobrogicus), an 'extra-Mediterranean' refugium in the Carpathian Basin (T. cristatus), and areas where species displaced one another postglacially (e.g. T. macedonicus and western T. karelinii). We provide a biogeographical scenario for Triturus, showing the positions of glacial refugia, the regions that were postglacially colonized and the areas where species displaced one another as they shifted their ranges.

Quantifying the influence of the terrestrial biosphere on glacial-interglacial climate dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies-Barnard, Taraka; Ridgwell, Andy; Singarayer, Joy; Valdes, Paul

2017-10-01

The terrestrial biosphere is thought to be a key component in the climatic variability seen in the palaeo-record. It has a direct impact on surface temperature through changes in surface albedo and evapotranspiration (so-called biogeophysical effects) and, in addition, has an important indirect effect through changes in vegetation and soil carbon storage (biogeochemical effects) and hence modulates the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The biogeochemical and biogeophysical effects generally have opposite signs, meaning that the terrestrial biosphere could potentially have played only a very minor role in the dynamics of the glacial-interglacial cycles of the late Quaternary. Here we use a fully coupled dynamic atmosphere-ocean-vegetation general circulation model (GCM) to generate a set of 62 equilibrium simulations spanning the last 120 kyr. The analysis of these simulations elucidates the relative importance of the biogeophysical versus biogeochemical terrestrial biosphere interactions with climate. We find that the biogeophysical effects of vegetation account for up to an additional -0.91 °C global mean cooling, with regional cooling as large as -5 °C, but with considerable variability across the glacial-interglacial cycle. By comparison, while opposite in sign, our model estimates of the biogeochemical impacts are substantially smaller in magnitude. Offline simulations show a maximum of +0.33 °C warming due to an increase of 25 ppm above our (pre-industrial) baseline atmospheric CO2 mixing ratio. In contrast to shorter (century) timescale projections of future terrestrial biosphere response where direct and indirect responses may at times cancel out, we find that the biogeophysical effects consistently and strongly dominate the biogeochemical effect over the inter-glacial cycle. On average across the period, the terrestrial biosphere has a -0.26 °C effect on temperature, with -0.58 °C at the Last Glacial Maximum. Depending on

Greenland's glacial fjords and their role in regional biogeochemical dynamics.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crosby, J.; Arndt, S.

2017-12-01

Greenland's coastal fjords serve as important pathways that connect the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) and the surrounding oceans. They export seasonal glacial meltwater whilst being significant sites of primary production. These fjords are home to some of the most productive ecosystems in the world and possess high socio-economic value via fisheries. A growing number of studies have proposed the GrIS as an underappreciated yet significant source of nutrients to surrounding oceans. Acting as both transfer routes and sinks for glacial nutrient export, fjords have the potential to act as significant biogeochemical processors, yet remain underexplored. Critically, an understanding of the quantitative contribution of fjords to carbon and nutrient budgets is lacking, with large uncertainties associated with limited availability of field data and the lack of robust upscaling approaches. To close this knowledge gap we developed a coupled 2D physical-biogeochemical model of the Godthåbsfjord system, a sub-Arctic sill fjord in southwest Greenland, to quantitatively assess the impact of nutrients exported from the GrIS on fjord primary productivity and biogeochemical dynamics. Glacial meltwater is found to be a key driver of fjord-scale circulation patterns, whilst tracer simulations reveal the relative nutrient contributions from meltwater-driven upwelling and meltwater export from the GrIS. Hydrodynamic circulation patterns and freshwater transit times are explored to provide a first understanding of the glacier-fjord-ocean continuum, demonstrating the complex pattern of carbon and nutrient cycling at this critical land-ocean interface.

Human population dynamics in Europe over the Last Glacial Maximum

PubMed Central

Tallavaara, Miikka; Luoto, Miska; Korhonen, Natalia; Järvinen, Heikki; Seppä, Heikki

2015-01-01

The severe cooling and the expansion of the ice sheets during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), 27,000–19,000 y ago (27–19 ky ago) had a major impact on plant and animal populations, including humans. Changes in human population size and range have affected our genetic evolution, and recent modeling efforts have reaffirmed the importance of population dynamics in cultural and linguistic evolution, as well. However, in the absence of historical records, estimating past population levels has remained difficult. Here we show that it is possible to model spatially explicit human population dynamics from the pre-LGM at 30 ky ago through the LGM to the Late Glacial in Europe by using climate envelope modeling tools and modern ethnographic datasets to construct a population calibration model. The simulated range and size of the human population correspond significantly with spatiotemporal patterns in the archaeological data, suggesting that climate was a major driver of population dynamics 30–13 ky ago. The simulated population size declined from about 330,000 people at 30 ky ago to a minimum of 130,000 people at 23 ky ago. The Late Glacial population growth was fastest during Greenland interstadial 1, and by 13 ky ago, there were almost 410,000 people in Europe. Even during the coldest part of the LGM, the climatically suitable area for human habitation remained unfragmented and covered 36% of Europe. PMID:26100880

Glacial vs. Interglacial Period Contrasts in Midlatitude Fluvial Systems, with Examples from Western Europe and the Texas Coastal Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blum, M.

2001-12-01

Mixed bedrock-alluvial valleys are the conveyor belts for sediment delivery to passive continental margins. Mapping, stratigraphic and sedimentologic investigations, and development of geochronological frameworks for large midlatitude rivers of this type, in Western Europe and the Texas Coastal Plain, provide for evaluation of fluvial responses to climate change over the last glacial-interglacial period, and the foundations for future quantitative evaluation of long profile evolution, changes through time in flood magnitude, and changes in storage and flux of sediments. This paper focuses on two issues. First, glacial vs. interglacial period fluvial systems are fundamentally different in terms of channel geometry, depositional style, and patterns of sediment storage. Glacial-period systems were dominated by coarse-grained channel belts (braided channels in Europe, large-wavelength meandering in Texas), and lacked fine-grained flood-plain deposits, whereas Holocene units, especially those of late Holocene age, contain appreciable thicknesses of flood-plain facies. Hence, extreme overbank flooding was not significant during the long glacial period, most flood events were contained within bankfull channel perimeters, and fine sediments were bypassed through the system to marine basins. By contrast, extreme overbank floods have been increasingly important during the relatively short Holocene, and a significant volume of fine sediment is sequestered in flood-plain settings. Second, glacial vs. interglacial systems exhibit different amplitudes and frequencies of fluvial adjustment to climate change. High-amplitude but low-frequency adjustments characterized the long glacial period, with 2-3 extended periods of lateral migration and sediment storage puncuated by episodes of valley incision. Low-amplitude but high-frequency adjustments have been more typical of the short Holocene, when there has been little net valley incision or net changes in sediment storage, but

Effects of mantle rheologies on viscous heating induced by Glacial Isostatic Adjustment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, PingPing; Wu, Patrick; van der Wal, Wouter

2018-04-01

It has been argued that viscous dissipation from mantle flow in response to surface loading during glacial cycles can result in short-term heating and thus trigger transient volcanism or changes in mantle properties, which may in turn affect mantle dynamics. Furthermore, heating near the Earth's surface can also affect the stability of ice sheets. We have studied the magnitude and spatial-temporal distribution of viscous heating induced in the mantle by the realistic ice model ICE-6G and gravitationally consistent ocean loads. Three types of mantle rheologies, including linear, non-linear and composite rheologies are considered to see if non-linear creep can induce larger viscous heating than linear rheology. We used the Coupled-Laplace-Finite-Element model of Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) to compute the strain, stress and shear heating during a glacial cycle. We also investigated the upper bound of temperature change and surface heat flux change due to viscous heating. We found that maximum viscous heating occurs near the end of deglaciation near the edge of the ice sheet with amplitude as high as 120 times larger than that of the chondritic radioactive heating. The maximum heat flux due to viscous heating can reach 30 mW m-2, but the area with large heat flux is small and the timescale of heating is short. As a result, the upper bound of temperature change due to viscous heating is small. Even if 30 glacial cycles are included, the largest temperature change can be of the order of 0.3 °C. Thus, viscous heating induced by GIA cannot induce volcanism and cannot significantly affect mantle material properties, mantle dynamics nor ice-sheet stability.

Glacier protection laws: Potential conflicts in managing glacial hazards and adapting to climate change.

PubMed

Anacona, Pablo Iribarren; Kinney, Josie; Schaefer, Marius; Harrison, Stephan; Wilson, Ryan; Segovia, Alexis; Mazzorana, Bruno; Guerra, Felipe; Farías, David; Reynolds, John M; Glasser, Neil F

2018-03-13

The environmental, socioeconomic and cultural significance of glaciers has motivated several countries to regulate activities on glaciers and glacierized surroundings. However, laws written to specifically protect mountain glaciers have only recently been considered within national political agendas. Glacier Protection Laws (GPLs) originate in countries where mining has damaged glaciers and have been adopted with the aim of protecting the cryosphere from harmful activities. Here, we analyze GPLs in Argentina (approved) and Chile (under discussion) to identify potential environmental conflicts arising from law restrictions and omissions. We conclude that GPLs overlook the dynamics of glaciers and could prevent or delay actions needed to mitigate glacial hazards (e.g. artificial drainage of glacial lakes) thus placing populations at risk. Furthermore, GPL restrictions could hinder strategies (e.g. use of glacial lakes as reservoirs) to mitigate adverse impacts of climate change. Arguably, more flexible GPLs are needed to protect us from the changing cryosphere.

Dynamic Change in Glacial Dammed Lake Behavior of Suicide Basin, Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobs, A. B.; Moran, T.; Hood, E. W.

2016-12-01

Suicide Basin Jökulhlaups, since 2011, have resulted in moderate flooding on the Mendenhall Lake and River in Juneau, AK. At this time, the USGS recorded peak streamflow of 20,000 cfs in 2014, the highest flows officially reported by the USGS which was attributed to a Suicide Basin glacial-dammed lake release. However, the USGS estimated a peak flow of 27,000 cfs in 1961 and we suspect this event is partially the result of a glacial dammed lake release. From 2011 to 2015, data indicates that yearly outburst from Suicide Basin were the norm; however, in 2015 and 2016, multiple outbursts during the summer were observed suggesting a dynamic change in glacial behavior. For public safety and awareness, the University of Alaska Southeast and U.S. Geologic Survey began monitoring real-time Suicide Basin lake levels. A real-time model was developed by the National Weather Service Alaska-Pacific River Forecast Center capable of forecasting potential timing and magnitude of the flood-wave crest from this Suicide Basin release. However, the model now is being modified because data not previously available has become available and adapted to the change in state of glacial behavior. The importance of forecasting time and level of crest on the Mendenhall River system owing to these outbursts floods is an essential aid to emergency managers and the general public to provide impact decision support services (IDSS). The National Weather Service has been able to provide 36 to 24 hour forecasts for these large events, but with the change in glacial state on the Mendenhall Glacier, the success of forecasting these events is getting more challenging. We will show the success of the hydrologic model but at the same time show the challenges we have seen with the changing glacier dynamics.

Trans-pacific glacial response to the Antarctic Cold Reversal in the southern mid-latitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagredo, Esteban A.; Kaplan, Michael R.; Araya, Paola S.; Lowell, Thomas V.; Aravena, Juan C.; Moreno, Patricio I.; Kelly, Meredith A.; Schaefer, Joerg M.

2018-05-01

Elucidating the timing and regional extent of abrupt climate events during the last glacial-interglacial transition (∼18-11.5 ka) is critical for identifying spatial patterns and mechanisms responsible for large-magnitude climate events. The record of climate change in the Southern Hemisphere during this time period, however, remains scarce and unevenly distributed. We present new geomorphic, chronological, and equilibrium line altitude (ELA) data from a climatically sensitive mountain glacier at Monte San Lorenzo (47°S), Central Patagonia. Twenty-four new cosmogenic 10Be exposure ages from moraines provide a comprehensive glacial record in the mid-latitudes of South America, which constrain the timing, spatial extent and magnitude of glacial fluctuations during the Antarctic Cold Reversal (ACR, ∼14.5-12.9 ka). Río Tranquilo glacier advanced and reached a maximum extent at 13.9 ± 0.7 ka. Three additional inboard moraines afford statistically similar ages, indicating repeated glacier expansions or marginal fluctuations over the ACR. Our record represents the northernmost robust evidence of glacial fluctuations during the ACR in southern South America, documenting not only the timing of the ACR maximum, but also the sequence of glacier changes within this climate event. Based on ELA reconstructions, we estimate a cooling of >1.6-1.8 °C at the peak of the ACR. The Río Tranquilo record along with existing glacial reconstructions from New Zealand (43°S) and paleovegetation records from northwestern (41°S) and central-west (45°S) Patagonia, suggest an uniform trans-Pacific glacier-climate response to an ACR trigger across the southern mid-latitudes. We posit that the equatorial migration of the southern westerly winds provides an adequate mechanism to propagate a common ACR signal across the Southern Hemisphere.

Episodic methane release events from Last Glacial marginal sediments in the western North Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uchida, Masao; Shibata, Yasuyuki; Ohkushi, Ken'ichi; Ahagon, Naokazu; Hoshiba, Mayumi

2004-08-01

According to recent observations of anomalous bottom-simulating reflections (BSR), the northwest Pacific marginal sediments around Japan main islands bear large abundances of methane hydrate [, 2002]. During the Last Glacial, direct and indirect evidence accumulated from geochemical data suggests that methane episodically released from hydrate trapped in the seafloor sediments [, 1995; , 2003; , 2000]. Here we show that marginal sediments from the western North Pacific contain a hopanoid 17α(H), 21β(H)-hop-22(29)-ene (diploptene) derived from the activity of methanotrophic bacteria in water column and/or surface sediment during a warming period (Interstadial 3) in the Last Glacial. The carbon isotopic compositions of diploptene range between -41.0‰ and -27.9‰ (relative to PDB). In the horizon indicative of a contribution of methanotrophic bacteria, foraminiferal isotope signals were also found with highly depleted 13C compositions of planktonic foraminifera (˜-1.9‰, PDB) and benthic foraminifera (˜-0.8‰, PDB), suggesting indirect records of enhanced incorporation of 13C-depleted CO2 formed by methanotrophic process that use 12C-enriched methane as their main source of carbon. From combined isotopic data of molecular (diploptene) and foraminifera, the most prominent signal of methane release was detected in the sediments deposited around 25.4 cal. kyr BP (˜100 year time span), corresponding to the Interstadial 3. This is the first evidence of methane hydrate instability in the open western North Pacific during the Last Glacial. Considering the glacial-interglacial hydrographic conditions in this region, the instability of methane hydrate may be modulated by intermediate water warming and/or the lowering of sea level. Our results suggest that the western North Pacific marginal regions may be a profound effect on rapid global warming climate changes during the Last Glacial.

Mid-latitude trans-Pacific reconstructions and comparisons of coupled glacial/interglacial climate cycles based on soil stratigraphy of cover-beds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alloway, B. V.; Almond, P. C.; Moreno, P. I.; Sagredo, E.; Kaplan, M. R.; Kubik, P. W.; Tonkin, P. J.

2018-06-01

South Westland, New Zealand, and southern Chile, are two narrow continental corridors effectively confined between the Pacific Ocean in the west and high mountain ranges in the east which impart significant influence over regional climate, vegetation and soils. In both these southern mid-latitude regions, evidence for extensive and repeated glaciations during cold phases of the Quaternary is manifested by arrays of successively older glacial drift deposits with corresponding outwash plain remnants. In South Westland, these variably aged glacial landforms are mantled by layered (multisequal) soils characterised by slow loess accretion and pedogenesis in an extreme leaching and weathering environment. These cover-bed successions have undergone repeated coupled phases of topdown and upbuilding soil formation that have been related to fluctuating cycles of interglacial/warm and glacial/cold climate during the Quaternary. In this study, we recognise multisequal soils overlying glacial landforms in southern continental Chile but, unlike the spodic (podzolic) soil sequences of South Westland, these are of dominantly volcanigenic (andic) provenance and are very similar to multisequal soils of andic provenance that predominate in, and adjacent to, areas of rhyolitic to andesitic volcanism in North Island, New Zealand. Here we develop a soil-stratigraphic model to explain the observed occurrence of multisequal soils mantling dominantly glacial landforms of southern continental Chile. Based on proxy data from southern Chile, we propose that persistent vegetation cover and high precipitation on the western side of the Andes, during colder-than-present episodes tended to suppress the widespread production of glacially-derived loessial materials despite the pervasive occurrence of glacial and glacio-fluvial deposits that have frequently inundated large tracts of this landscape during the Quaternary. Given the lack of loess cover-beds that have traditionally assisted in the

Glacial-hydrogeomorphic process of proglacial lake expansion and exploring its amplification effect on glacier recession in the Himalayas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, C.; Sheng, Y.; Wang, J.; Ke, L.; Nie, Y.

2016-12-01

Glacial lakes, as a key component of the cryosphere in the Himalayas in response to climate change, pose significant threats to the downstream lives and properties and eco-environment via outburst floods, yet our understanding of their evolution and reaction mechanism with connected glaciers is limited. Here, a regional investigation of glacial lake evolution and glacial-hydrogeomorphic process was conducted by integrating optical imagery, satellite altimetry and DEM. A classification scheme was first used to group glacial lakes of similar glacial and geo-morphology. Our studies show that debris-contact proglacial lakes experienced much more rapid expansions than ice cliff-contact and non-glacier-contact lakes. We further estimate the mass balance of parent glaciers and elevation changes in lake surfaces and debris-covered glacier tongues. Results reveal that the upstream expansion of debris-contact proglacial lakes was not directly related to rising water levels but with a geomorphological alternation of upstream lake basins caused by ice melt-induced debris subsidence at glacier termini. It suggests that the hydrogeomorphic process of glacier thinning and retreat, in comparison with direct meltwater supply alone, may have governed primarily the recent glacial lake expansion across the Himalayas. The mechanism of proglacial lake expansion provides an indirect way to estimate the lowering rates of glacier terminus. The debris-covered glacier fronts show considerable ice melts, with the lowering rate ranging from 1.0 to 9.7 m/yr. The rates exhibit obvious correlations with contacted lake sizes, centerline length and area of glaciers, suggesting that the glacier termini thinning is the combined effect of interplays between glacial lakes and ice flux from parent glaciers. Our study implies that substantial mass loss occurred at lake-contact glacier fronts, which cannot be ignored in assessing the overall mass balance of Himalayan glaciers.

Insolation-driven 100,000-year glacial cycles and hysteresis of ice-sheet volume.

PubMed

Abe-Ouchi, Ayako; Saito, Fuyuki; Kawamura, Kenji; Raymo, Maureen E; Okuno, Jun'ichi; Takahashi, Kunio; Blatter, Heinz

2013-08-08

The growth and reduction of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets over the past million years is dominated by an approximately 100,000-year periodicity and a sawtooth pattern (gradual growth and fast termination). Milankovitch theory proposes that summer insolation at high northern latitudes drives the glacial cycles, and statistical tests have demonstrated that the glacial cycles are indeed linked to eccentricity, obliquity and precession cycles. Yet insolation alone cannot explain the strong 100,000-year cycle, suggesting that internal climatic feedbacks may also be at work. Earlier conceptual models, for example, showed that glacial terminations are associated with the build-up of Northern Hemisphere 'excess ice', but the physical mechanisms underpinning the 100,000-year cycle remain unclear. Here we show, using comprehensive climate and ice-sheet models, that insolation and internal feedbacks between the climate, the ice sheets and the lithosphere-asthenosphere system explain the 100,000-year periodicity. The responses of equilibrium states of ice sheets to summer insolation show hysteresis, with the shape and position of the hysteresis loop playing a key part in determining the periodicities of glacial cycles. The hysteresis loop of the North American ice sheet is such that after inception of the ice sheet, its mass balance remains mostly positive through several precession cycles, whose amplitudes decrease towards an eccentricity minimum. The larger the ice sheet grows and extends towards lower latitudes, the smaller is the insolation required to make the mass balance negative. Therefore, once a large ice sheet is established, a moderate increase in insolation is sufficient to trigger a negative mass balance, leading to an almost complete retreat of the ice sheet within several thousand years. This fast retreat is governed mainly by rapid ablation due to the lowered surface elevation resulting from delayed isostatic rebound, which is the lithosphere

Use of Glacial Fronts by Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) in West Greenland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laidre, K. L.

2015-12-01

Glacial fronts in Greenland are known to be important summer habitat for narwhals (Monodon monoceros), as freshwater runoff and sediment discharge may aggregate prey at the terminus. We investigated the importance of glacial habitat characteristics in determining narwhal visitation. Narwhals (n=18) were instrumented with satellite transmitters in September 1993-1994 and 2006-2007 in Melville Bay, West Greenland. Daily narwhal locations were interpolated using a correlated random walk based on observed filtered locations and associated positional error. We also compiled a database on physical features of 41 glaciers along the northwest Greenland coast. This covered the entire coastal region with narwhal activity. Parameters included glacier ice velocity (km/yr) from radar satellite data, glacier front advance and retreat, and glacier width (km) at the ice-ocean interface derived using front position data digitized from 20-100m resolution radar image mosaics and Landsat imagery. We also quantified relative volumes and extent of glacial ice discharge, thickness of the glacial ice at the terminus (m), and water depth at the terminus (m) from gravity and airborne radar data, sediment flux from satellite-based analysis, and freshwater runoff from a regional atmospheric climate model (RACMO2.3). We quantified whale visits to glaciers at three distances (5, 7, and 10 km) and conducted proximity analyses on annual and monthly time steps. We estimated 1) narwhal presence or absence, 2) the number of 24 h periods spent at glaciers, and 3) the fraction of study animals that visited each glacier. The use of glacial habitat by narwhals expanded to the north and south between the 1990s (n=9 unique glaciers visited) and the 2000s (n=30 visited), likely due to loss of summer fast ice and later fall freeze-up trends (3.5 weeks later since 1979). We used a generalized linear mixed effects framework to quantify the glacier and fjord habitat characteristics preferred by narwhals.

Climate Stability: Pathway to understand abrupt glacial climate shifts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, X.; Knorr, G.; Barker, S.; Lohmann, G.

2017-12-01

Glacial climate is marked by abrupt, millennial-scale climate changes known as Dansgaard-Oeschger (DO) cycles that have been linked to variations in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). The most pronounced stadial coolings, Heinrich Stadials (HSs), are associated with massive iceberg discharges to the North Atlantic. This motivates scientists to consider that the North Atlantic freshwater perturbations is a common trigger of the associated abrupt transitions between weak and strong AMOC states. However, recent studies suggest that the Heinrich ice-surging events are triggered by ocean subsurface warming associated with an AMOC slow-down. Furthermore, the duration of ice-rafting events does not systematically coincide with the beginning and end of the pronounced cold conditions during HSs. In this context, we show that both, changes in atmospheric CO2 and ice sheet configuration can provide important control on the stability of the AMOC, using a coupled atmosphere-ocean model. Our simulations reveal that gradual changes in Northern Hemisphere ice sheet height and atmospheric CO2 can act as a trigger of abrupt glacial/deglacial climate changes. The simulated global climate responses—including abrupt warming in the North Atlantic, a northward shift of the tropical rain belts, and Southern Hemisphere cooling related to the bipolar seesaw—are generally consistent with empirical evidence. We further find that under a delicate configuration of atmospheric CO2 and ice sheet height the AMOC can be characterized by a self-oscillation (resonance) feature (Hopf Bifucation) with a 1000-year cycle that is comparable with observed small DO events during the MIS 3. This provides an alternative explanation for millennial-scale DO variability during glacial periods.

Non-synchronous climate change along the western margin of North America during glacial terminations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herbert, T. D.; Liu, Z.; Barron, J.; Heusser, L.; Lyle, M.; Mix, A.; Ravelo, A. C.

2003-04-01

A regional set of cores now exists to study the evolution of ocean surface temperatures and other paleoclimatic signals along the west coast of North America. Core locations range from Vancouver Island to the north, to the tip of Baja California to the south. We report on the evolution of sea surface temperatures and marine productivity, as recorded by alkenones. Several sites also have pollen records, allowing us to compare marine and terrestrial responses. We find that surface climate signals covary tightly with global climate, as represented by benthic d18O, through 80% of a typical glacial-interglacial cycle. However, the associations during glacial maxima and terminations break into three regional patterns. North of Point Conception (heart of the California Current), SST patterns are very similar to benthic d18O and to Greenland ice core surface temperature data to at least 30 ka (ODP Site 1019). In the California borderland region, warmings begin during peak glacial conditions, and significantly precede the deglacial sea level rise. Off Baja California, SST follows benthic d18O, but without the high frequency oscillations of temperature observed in Greenland. These changes outline regional reorganizations of surface winds and currents during times of maximum ice volume. Our data suggests that the geographic extent and intensity of the California Current system was much reduced during glacial maxima in comparison to modern conditions.

Dominant factors controlling glacial and interglacial variations in the treeline elevation in tropical Africa

PubMed Central

Wu, Haibin; Guiot, Joël; Brewer, Simon; Guo, Zhengtang; Peng, Changhui

2007-01-01

The knowledge of tropical palaeoclimates is crucial for understanding global climate change, because it is a test bench for general circulation models that are ultimately used to predict future global warming. A longstanding issue concerning the last glacial maximum in the tropics is the discrepancy between the decrease in sea-surface temperatures reconstructed from marine proxies and the high-elevation decrease in land temperatures estimated from indicators of treeline elevation. In this study, an improved inverse vegetation modeling approach is used to quantitatively reconstruct palaeoclimate and to estimate the effects of different factors (temperature, precipitation, and atmospheric CO2 concentration) on changes in treeline elevation based on a set of pollen data covering an altitudinal range from 100 to 3,140 m above sea level in Africa. We show that lowering of the African treeline during the last glacial maximum was primarily triggered by regional drying, especially at upper elevations, and was amplified by decreases in atmospheric CO2 concentration and perhaps temperature. This contrasts with scenarios for the Holocene and future climates, in which the increase in treeline elevation will be dominated by temperature. Our results suggest that previous temperature changes inferred from tropical treeline shifts may have been overestimated for low-CO2 glacial periods, because the limiting factors that control changes in treeline elevation differ between glacial and interglacial periods. PMID:17535920

Dominant factors controlling glacial and interglacial variations in the treeline elevation in tropical Africa.

PubMed

Wu, Haibin; Guiot, Joël; Brewer, Simon; Guo, Zhengtang; Peng, Changhui

2007-06-05

The knowledge of tropical palaeoclimates is crucial for understanding global climate change, because it is a test bench for general circulation models that are ultimately used to predict future global warming. A longstanding issue concerning the last glacial maximum in the tropics is the discrepancy between the decrease in sea-surface temperatures reconstructed from marine proxies and the high-elevation decrease in land temperatures estimated from indicators of treeline elevation. In this study, an improved inverse vegetation modeling approach is used to quantitatively reconstruct palaeoclimate and to estimate the effects of different factors (temperature, precipitation, and atmospheric CO(2) concentration) on changes in treeline elevation based on a set of pollen data covering an altitudinal range from 100 to 3,140 m above sea level in Africa. We show that lowering of the African treeline during the last glacial maximum was primarily triggered by regional drying, especially at upper elevations, and was amplified by decreases in atmospheric CO(2) concentration and perhaps temperature. This contrasts with scenarios for the Holocene and future climates, in which the increase in treeline elevation will be dominated by temperature. Our results suggest that previous temperature changes inferred from tropical treeline shifts may have been overestimated for low-CO(2) glacial periods, because the limiting factors that control changes in treeline elevation differ between glacial and interglacial periods.

Results of geophysical surveys of glacial deposits near a former waste-disposal site, Nashua, New Hampshire

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ayotte, Joseph D.; Dorgan, Tracy H.

1995-01-01

Geophysical investigations were done near a former waste-disposal site in Nashua, New Hampshire to determine the thickness and infer hydraulic characteristics of the glacial sediments that underlie the area. Approximately 5 miles of ground- penetrating radar (GPR) data were collected in the study area by use of dual-80 Megahertz antennas. Three distinct radar-reflection signatures were evident from the data and are interpreted to represent (1) glacial lake-bottom sediments, (2) coarse sand and gravel and (or) sandy glacial till, and (3) bedrock. The GPR signal penetrated as much as 70 feet of sediment in coarse-grained areas, but penetration depth was generally less than 40 feet in extensive areas of fine-grained deposits. Geologic features were evident in many of the profiles. Glacial-lake-bottom sediments were the most common features identified. Other features include deltas deposited in glacial Lake Nashua and lobate fans of sediment deposited subaqueously at the distal end of deltaic sediments. Cross-bedded sands were often identifiable in the deltaic sediments. Seismic-refraction data were also collected at five of the GPR data sites. In most cases, depths to the water table and to the till and (or) bedrock surface indicated by the seismic-refraction data compared favorably with depths calculated from the GPR data. Test holes were drilled at three locations to determine the true depths to radar reflectors and to determine the types of geologic material represented by the various reflectors.

Glacial-Interglacial, Orbital and Millennial-Scale Climate Variability for the Last Glacial Cycle at Shackleton Site U1385 based on Dinoflagellate Cysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Datema, M.

2015-12-01

The Shackleton Site (IODP Expedition 339 Site U1385), located off the West-Portuguese Margin, preserves a continuous high-fidelity record of millennial-scale climate variability for the last several glacial cycles (~1.4 Myr) that can be correlated precisely to patterns observed in polar ice cores. In addition, rapid delivery of terrestrial material to the deep-sea environment allows the correlation of these marine records to European terrestrial climate records. This unique marine-ice-terrestrial linkage makes the Shackleton Site the ideal reference section for studying Quaternary abrupt climate change. The main objective of studying Site U1385 is to establish a marine reference section of Pleistocene climate change. We generated (sub)millennial-scale (~600 year interval) dinoflagellate cyst (dinocyst) assemblage records from Shackleton Site U1385 (IODP Expedition 339) to reconstruct sea surface temperature (SST) and productivity/upwelling over the last 152 kyrs. In addition, our approach allows for detailed land-sea correlations, because we also counted assemblages of pollen and spores from higher plants. Dinocyst SST and upwelling proxies, as well as warm/cold pollen proxies from Site U1385 show glacial-interglacial, orbital and stadial-interstadial climate variability and correlate very well to Uk'37, planktic foraminifer δ18O and Ca/Ti proxies of previously drilled Shackleton Sites and Greenland Ice Core δ18O. The palynological proxies capture (almost) all Dansgaard-Oeschger events of the last glacial cycle, also before ~70 ka, where millennial-scale variability is overprinted by precession. We compare the performance and results of the palynology of Site U1385 to proxies of previously drilled Shackleton Sites and conclude that palynology strengthens the potential of this site to form a multi-proxy reference section for millennial scale climate variability across the Pleistocene-Holocene. Finally, we will present a long-term paleoceanographic perspective down

Glacial marine sediments in the precambrian Gowganda formation at Whitefish Falls, Ontario (Canada)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lindsey, D.A.

1971-01-01

Study of a well-exposed section of the Gowganda Formation at Whitefish Falls, Ontario, suggests criteria for the recognition of glacial marine sediments. Thickness of hundreds of feet, lateral continuity, faint internal stratification, sorted lenses of sandstone and conglomerate, and dropstones characterize much of the tillite. Thickness of hundreds of feet, lateral continuity, and marked development of irregular and lenticular laminae instead of varve structure characterize much of the argillite. These characteristics, together with evidence for a nearshore, marine-to-deltaic environment for the overlying beds, suggest a glacial marine interpretation even though no fossil evidence is available. Massive tillite, tillite containing faint stratification and lenses of sorted conglomerate and sandstone, and dropstone-bearing argillite, all of which interfinger, suggest a glacial marine environment composed of: (1) a subglacial facies; (2) a periglacial facies; and (3) a facies of marine ice rafting, respectively. Separation of the two tillite-bearing members by as much as 700 ft. of argillite containing no dropstones suggests two distinct ice ages during Gowganda time. ?? 1971.

Glacial legacies on interglacial vegetation at the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition in NE Asia

PubMed Central

Herzschuh, Ulrike; Birks, H. John B.; Laepple, Thomas; Andreev, Andrei; Melles, Martin; Brigham-Grette, Julie

2016-01-01

Broad-scale climate control of vegetation is widely assumed. Vegetation-climate lags are generally thought to have lasted no more than a few centuries. Here our palaeoecological study challenges this concept over glacial–interglacial timescales. Through multivariate analyses of pollen assemblages from Lake El'gygytgyn, Russian Far East and other data we show that interglacial vegetation during the Plio-Pleistocene transition mainly reflects conditions of the preceding glacial instead of contemporary interglacial climate. Vegetation–climate disequilibrium may persist for several millennia, related to the combined effects of permafrost persistence, distant glacial refugia and fire. In contrast, no effects from the preceding interglacial on glacial vegetation are detected. We propose that disequilibrium was stronger during the Plio-Pleistocene transition than during the Mid-Pliocene Warm Period when, in addition to climate, herbivory was important. By analogy to the past, we suggest today's widespread larch ecosystem on permafrost is not in climate equilibrium. Vegetation-based reconstructions of interglacial climates used to assess atmospheric CO2–temperature relationships may thus yield misleading simulations of past global climate sensitivity. PMID:27338025

Maintenance of Genetic Diversity in an Introduced Island Population of Guanacos after Seven Decades and Two Severe Demographic Bottlenecks: Implications for Camelid Conservation

PubMed Central

von Borries, Rainer; Johnson, Warren E.; Franklin, William L.; Marín, Juan C.

2014-01-01

Fifteen guanacos were introduced to Staats Island in the Falklands/Malvinas archipelago from Patagonia in the 1930s. Twenty five years later, the population was culled from 300 to 10–20 individuals, but quickly rebounded to a population of almost 400 animals that today retain the genetic signature of the founding event and later bottleneck. The goals of this study were to (i) make a genetic assessment of this island population through comparisons with mainland populations and simulations, and (ii) assess the likely source-population of the introduced guanacos. Genetic variation was estimated from 513 bp of mitochondrial DNA sequence and 15 microsatellite loci among 154 guanacos collected from eight localities, including the adjacent mainland and the islands of Tierra del Fuego and Staats Island. Of the 23 haplotypes observed among our samples, the Staats Island population only contained three haplotypes, all of which were shared with the coastal Monte Leon population in southern Patagonia. Mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite variations on Staats Island were comparable to most mainland populations and greater than those observed on Tierra del Fuego. Patterns of genetic structure suggest that the Staats Island guanaco population was founded with animals from southern Patagonia (as opposed to northern Patagonia or Tierra del Fuego), but that effective reductions in population size lasted only a few generations and that surviving animals were a random sample of the pre-bottleneck genetic variation. PMID:24663026

Glacial hazards: communicating the science and managing the risk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reynolds, J. M.

2009-04-01

The recession of glaciers worldwide has received huge media coverage over the last few years in association with the issue of climate change. Young people at schools and colleges are increasingly aware of the environmental pressures due to ‘global warming'. Yet simultaneously, there appears to be an increasing move away from studying science both at pre-university and undergraduate levels. One of the oft cited reasons is that students cannot see the application of the subjects being taught them. Glacial hazards are one of the most obvious adverse effects of climate change, with many, often poor, communities in remote mountain areas being the most affected by frequently devastating Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). When students are exposed to examples of these hazards and the science behind them, many become enthused by the subject and want to study it further. There has been a huge increase in the number of students selecting projects on glacial hazards as well as a large increase in the number of institutions offering to teach modules on this subject. In an effort to provide a basic visualisation, Peter Kennett has taken the principle of GLOFs and developed a cheap but highly visual demonstration of the potentially devastating effect of melting ice within a moraine leading to subsidence and subsequent dam failure. This is available on www.earthlearningidea.com as ‘Dam burst danger - modelling the collapse of a natural dam in the mountains - and the disaster that might follow'. Furthermore, the methods by which glacial hazards are assessed provide excellent applications of geophysics, geology, geography (physical and Human), engineering, mathematics, and glaciology. By exploring the potential vulnerability of communities downstream, the applications can be extended to include sociology, economics, geopolitics and even psychology. Glacial hazards have been the subject of presentations to the Earth Science Teachers Association (ESTA) in the UK to demonstrate

Temporal patterns of glacial lake evolution in high-mountain environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mergili, Martin; Emmer, Adam; Viani, Cristina; Huggel, Christian

2017-04-01

Lakes forming at the front of retreating glaciers are characteristic features of high-mountain areas in a warming climate. Typically, lakes shift from the proglacial phase (lake is in direct contact with glacier) to a glacier-detached (no direct contact) and finally to a non-glacial phase (lake catchment is completely deglaciated) of lake evolution. Apart from changing glacier-lake interactions, each stage is characterized by particular features of lake growth, and by the lake's susceptibility to sudden drainage (lake outburst flood). While this concept appears to be valid globally, some mountain areas are rich in dynamically evolving proglacial lakes, while in others most lakes have already shifted to the glacier-detached or even non-glacial phase. In the present contribution we (i) explore and quantify the history of glacial lake formation and evolution over the past up to 70 years; (ii) assess the current situation of selected contrasting mountain areas (eastern and western European Alps, southern and northern Pamir, Cordillera Blanca); and (iii) link the patterns of lake evolution to the prevailing topographic and glaciological characteristics in order to improve the understanding of high-mountain geoenvironmental change. In the eastern Alps we identify only very few lakes in the proglacial stage. While many lakes appeared and dynamically evolved until the 1980s between 2550 m and 2800 m asl, most of them have lost glacier contact until the 2000s, whereas very few new proglacial lakes appeared at the same time. Even though a similar trend is observed in the higher western Alps, a more dynamic glacial lake evolution is observed there. The arid southern Pamir is characterized by a high number of proglacial lakes, mainly around 4500 m asl. There is strong evidence that glacial lake evolution is, after a highly dynamic phase between the 1970s and approx. 2000, decelerating. Few proglacial lakes exist in the higher and more humid, heavily glacierized northern Pamir

Glacial climate driven sedimentation overwhelms tectonics in the battle for control of margin architecture: Southeast Alaska, St. Elias Orogeny

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulick, S. P.; Jaeger, J. M.; Willems, B.; Powell, R. D.; Lowe, L. A.

2006-12-01

The interplay of tectonic and climatic processes is fundamental to the development of mountain belts and the ensuing patterns of deformation and erosion. Of equal significance is the interaction of tectonic and climatic processes in the development of orogenic sedimentary basins, or in the case of a coastal mountain belt, in the growth of a continental margin. The Chugach-St. Elias Orogeny, which is driven by the collision of the Yakutat microplate with North America in southeast Alaska, has generated the highest coastal relief in the world. The combined forces of tectonic uplift and glacial erosion have resulted in the accumulation of over 5 km of sediment to form the continental shelf and the creation of the Surveyor Fan that is over 2 km thick proximally. High-resolution GI-gun seismic data allow for detailed examination of the margin architecture off the Bering Glacier within the leading edge of the Yakutat block. The deformation and growth of the margin appears to have first undergone a tectonically dominated phase followed more recently by a glacially dominated phase. During the tectonically dominated period a broad anticline-syncline system helped create accommodation space and the margin both shallowed and widened to its current 50 km width. Based on ties with industry well cuttings, the dominance switched sometime between 0.75 and 1.25 Ma to being completely controlled by glacial advance-retreat patterns. The mappable glacial sequences are undeformed by the underlying anticlines and display several notable features: 1) erosional bases that can often be mapped across the entire shelf, terminating at the shelf edge, 2) little evidence for terminal or retreat moraines on the shelf suggesting very rapid and single phase retreat of the glacier, 3) incomplete glacial sequences due to erosion by later advances, and 4) minimal creation of accommodation space. We investigate the cause of the switch to glacial dominance, the mechanisms and causes of the potentially

A Holarctic Biogeographical Analysis of the Collembola (Arthropoda, Hexapoda) Unravels Recent Post-Glacial Colonization Patterns

PubMed Central

Ávila-Jiménez, María Luisa; Coulson, Stephen James

2011-01-01

We aimed to describe the main Arctic biogeographical patterns of the Collembola, and analyze historical factors and current climatic regimes determining Arctic collembolan species distribution. Furthermore, we aimed to identify possible dispersal routes, colonization sources and glacial refugia for Arctic collembola. We implemented a Gaussian Mixture Clustering method on species distribution ranges and applied a distance- based parametric bootstrap test on presence-absence collembolan species distribution data. Additionally, multivariate analysis was performed considering species distributions, biodiversity, cluster distribution and environmental factors (temperature and precipitation). No clear relation was found between current climatic regimes and species distribution in the Arctic. Gaussian Mixture Clustering found common elements within Siberian areas, Atlantic areas, the Canadian Arctic, a mid-Siberian cluster and specific Beringian elements, following the same pattern previously described, using a variety of molecular methods, for Arctic plants. Species distribution hence indicate the influence of recent glacial history, as LGM glacial refugia (mid-Siberia, and Beringia) and major dispersal routes to high Arctic island groups can be identified. Endemic species are found in the high Arctic, but no specific biogeographical pattern can be clearly identified as a sign of high Arctic glacial refugia. Ocean currents patterns are suggested as being an important factor shaping the distribution of Arctic Collembola, which is consistent with Antarctic studies in collembolan biogeography. The clear relations between cluster distribution and geographical areas considering their recent glacial history, lack of relationship of species distribution with current climatic regimes, and consistency with previously described Arctic patterns in a series of organisms inferred using a variety of methods, suggest that historical phenomena shaping contemporary collembolan

A Glacial Perspective on the Impact of Heinrich Stadials on North Atlantic Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bromley, G. R.; Putnam, A. E.; Rademaker, K. M.; Balter, A.; Hall, B. L.

2017-12-01

The British Isles contain a rich geologic record of Late Pleistocene ice sheet behaviour in the NE North Atlantic basin. We are using cosmogenic 10Be surface-exposure dating, in conjunction with detailed glacial-geomorphic mapping, to reconstruct the timing and nature of cryospheric change - and thus climate variability - in northern Scotland since the Last Glacial Maximum. Our specific focus is Heinrich Stadial 1 (18,300-14,700 years ago), arguably the most significant abrupt climate event of the last glacial cycle and a major feature in global palaeoclimate records. Such constraint is needed because of currently conflicting models of how these events impact terrestrial environments and a recent hypothesis attributing this disparity to enhanced seasonality in the North Atlantic basin. To date, we have measured 10Be in > 30 samples from glacial erratics located on moraines deposited by the British Ice Sheet as it retreated from the continental shelf to its highland source regions. Our preliminary results indicate that the stadial was characterised by widespread deglaciation driven by atmospheric warming, a pattern that is suggestive of pronounced seasonality. Additionally, we report new exposure ages from moraines deposited during a subsequent phase of alpine glaciation (known locally as the Loch Lomond Readvance) that has long been attributed to the Younger Dryas stadial. With the growing focus on the full expression of stadials, and the inherent vulnerability of Europe to shifts in North Atlantic climate, developing the extant record of terrestrial glaciation and comparing these data to marine records is a critical step towards understanding the drivers of abrupt climate change.

Glacial lake drainage in Patagonia (13-8 kyr) and response of the adjacent Pacific Ocean

PubMed Central

Glasser, Neil F.; Jansson, Krister N.; Duller, Geoffrey A. T.; Singarayer, Joy; Holloway, Max; Harrison, Stephan

2016-01-01

Large freshwater lakes formed in North America and Europe during deglaciation following the Last Glacial Maximum. Rapid drainage of these lakes into the Oceans resulted in abrupt perturbations in climate, including the Younger Dryas and 8.2 kyr cooling events. In the mid-latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere major glacial lakes also formed and drained during deglaciation but little is known about the magnitude, organization and timing of these drainage events and their effect on regional climate. We use 16 new single-grain optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates to define three stages of rapid glacial lake drainage in the Lago General Carrera/Lago Buenos Aires and Lago Cohrane/Pueyrredón basins of Patagonia and provide the first assessment of the effects of lake drainage on the Pacific Ocean. Lake drainage occurred between 13 and 8 kyr ago and was initially gradual eastward into the Atlantic, then subsequently reorganized westward into the Pacific as new drainage routes opened up during Patagonian Ice Sheet deglaciation. Coupled ocean-atmosphere model experiments using HadCM3 with an imposed freshwater surface “hosing” to simulate glacial lake drainage suggest that a negative salinity anomaly was advected south around Cape Horn, resulting in brief but significant impacts on coastal ocean vertical mixing and regional climate. PMID:26869235

A preliminary estimate of changing calcrete carbon storage on land since the Last Glacial Maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, J. M.; Post, W. M.

1999-05-01

The glacial-to-interglacial shift in land carbon storage is important in understanding the global carbon cycle and history of the climate system. While organic carbon storage on land appears to have been much less than present during the cold, dry glacial maximum, calcrete (soil carbonate) carbon storage would have been greater. Here we attempt a global estimation of this change; we use published figures for present soil carbonate by biome to estimate changing global soil carbonate storage, on the basis of reconstruction of vegetation areas for four timeslices since the Last Glacial Maximum. It appears that there would most likely have been around a 30-45% decrease in calcrete carbon on land accompanying the transition between glacial and interglacial conditions. This represents a change of about 500-400 GtC (outer error limits are estimated at 750-200 GtC) . In order to be weathered into dissolved bicarbonate, this would take up an additional 500-400 GtC (750-200 GtC) in CO 2 from ocean/atmosphere sources. An equivalent amount to the carbonate leaving the caliche reservoir on land may have accumulated in coral reefs and other calcareous marine sediments during the Holocene, liberating an equimolar quantity of CO 2 back into the ocean-atmosphere system as the bicarbonate ion breaks up.

Combining cosmogenic radionuclides and amino acid racemization to date late Pliocene glacial deposits exposed on Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Refsnider, K. A.; Miller, G. H.

2009-12-01

Sequences of glacial deposits spanning the Quaternary are valuable archives recording the effects of glaciation on landscapes through time, but determining the age of such deposits has long challenged geologists. The recent advances in cosmogenic radionuclide (CRN) measurement has made it possible to date some of these deposits, but dating buried glacial sediments in most settings remains problematic. Here we explore a new approach to date the oldest glacial deposits in the Plio-Pleistocene Clyde Foreland Formation of Baffin Island. This formation, approximately 40 m thick, includes interlayered shell-bearing marine, glaciomarine, and glacial sediments deposited along the northern margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet and earlier continental ice sheets. Previous work on foraminifera assemblages suggests that the deposits span the last ≥2 Ma. By combining CRN measurements (10Be and 26Al) from the glacial units and measurements of the D-alloisoleucine:L-isoleucine ratios (A/I) in valves of the mollusk Hiatella arctica in the marine units overlying a particular glacial deposit, we can calculate the age of the glacial deposit. Because the post-burial temperature history for the mollusks preserved in the Clyde Foreland Formation is poorly constrained, A/I ratios alone cannot be used to determine absolute ages. Instead, we use A/I ratios to identify sediment packages of discrete ages and define a step-wise burial history function for glacial units. A/I ratios of all packages (<0.3 for the total hydrolysate fraction) fall within the A/I interval characterized by linear racemization kinetics, so the age of each package in the burial history function can simply be defined as a fractional age with respect to the total burial age for the glacial deposit of interest. The long duration of burial (26Al/10Be as low as 1.6±0.6 at 2σ) and low initial CRN inventories require that post-burial muogenic production is accounted for using the burial history function. We apply a

Last Glacial vegetation and climate change in the southern Levant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miebach, Andrea; Chen, Chunzhu; Litt, Thomas

2015-04-01

Reconstructing past climatic and environmental conditions is a key task for understanding the history of modern mankind. The interaction between environmental change and migration processes of the modern Homo sapiens from its source area in Africa into Europe is still poorly understood. The principal corridor of the first human dispersal into Europe and also later migration dynamics crossed the Middle East. Therefore, the southern Levant is a key area to investigate the paleoenvironment during times of human migration. In this sense, the Last Glacial (MIS 4-2) is particularly interesting to investigate for two reasons. Firstly, secondary expansions of the modern Homo sapiens are expected to occur during this period. Secondly, there are ongoing discussions on the environmental conditions causing the prominent lake level high stand of Lake Lisan, the precursor of the Dead Sea. This high stand even culminated in the merging of Lake Lisan and Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). To provide an independent proxy for paleoenvironmental reconstructions in the southern Levant during the Last Glacial, we investigated pollen assemblages of the Dead Sea/Lake Lisan and Lake Kinneret. Located at the Dead Sea Transform, the freshwater Lake Kinneret is nowadays connected via the Jordan with the hypersaline Dead Sea, which occupies Earth's lowest elevation on land. The southern Levant is a transition area of three different vegetation types. Therefore, also small changes in the climate conditions effect the vegetation and can be registered in the pollen assemblage. In contrast to the Holocene, our preliminary results suggest another vegetation pattern during the Last Glacial. The vegetation belt of the fragile Mediterranean biome did no longer exist in the vicinity of Lake Kinneret. Moreover, the vegetation was rather similar in the whole study area. A steppe vegetation with dwarf shrubs, herbs, and grasses predominated. Thermophilous elements like oaks occurred in limited amounts. The

A synthesis of post-glacial diatom records from Lake Baikal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bradbury, J. Platt; Bezrukova, E.; Chernyaeva, G.; Colman, S.M.; Khursevich, G.; King, J.W.; Likoshway, Ye. V.

1994-01-01

The biostratigraphy of fossil diatoms contributes important chronologic, paleolimnologic, and paleoclimatic information from Lake Baikal in southeastern Siberia. Diatoms are the dominant and best preserved microfossils in the sediments, and distinctive assemblages and species provide inter-core correlations throughout the basin at millennial to centennial scales, in both high and low sedimentation-rate environments. Distributions of unique species, once dated by radiocarbon, allow diatoms to be used as dating tools for the Holocene history of the lake.Diatom, pollen, and organic geochemical records from site 305, at the foot of the Selenga Delta, provide a history of paleolimnologic and paleoclimatic changes from the late glacial (15 ka) through the Holocene. Before 14 ka diatoms were very rare, probably because excessive turbidity from glacial meltwater entering the lake impeded productivity. Between 14 and 12 ka, lake productivity increased, perhaps as strong winds promoted deep mixing and nutrient regeneration. Pollen evidence suggests a cold shrub — steppe landscape dominated the central Baikal depression at this time. As summer insolation increased, conifers replaced steppe taxa, but diatom productivity declined between 11 and 9 ka perhaps as a result of increased summer turbidity resulting from violent storm runoff entering the lake via short, steep drainages. After 8 ka, drier, but more continental climates prevailed, and the modern diatom flora of Lake Baikal came to prominence.On Academician Ridge, a site of slow sedimentation rates, Holocene diatom assemblages at the top of 10-m cores reappear at deeper levels suggesting that such cores record at least two previous interglacial (or interstadial?) periods. Nevertheless, distinctive species that developed prior to the last glacial period indicate that the dynamics of nutrient cycling in Baikal and the responsible regional climatic environments were not entirely analogous to Holocene conditions. During

Use of multi-criteria decision analysis to identify potentially dangerous glacial lakes.

PubMed

Kougkoulos, Ioannis; Cook, Simon J; Jomelli, Vincent; Clarke, Leon; Symeonakis, Elias; Dortch, Jason M; Edwards, Laura A; Merad, Myriam

2018-04-15

Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) represent a significant threat in deglaciating environments, necessitating the development of GLOF hazard and risk assessment procedures. Here, we outline a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) approach that can be used to rapidly identify potentially dangerous lakes in regions without existing tailored GLOF risk assessments, where a range of glacial lake types exist, and where field data are sparse or non-existent. Our MCDA model (1) is desk-based and uses freely and widely available data inputs and software, and (2) allows the relative risk posed by a range of glacial lake types to be assessed simultaneously within any region. A review of the factors that influence GLOF risk, combined with the strict rules of criteria selection inherent to MCDA, has allowed us to identify 13 exhaustive, non-redundant, and consistent risk criteria. We use our MCDA model to assess the risk of 16 extant glacial lakes and 6 lakes that have already generated GLOFs, and found that our results agree well with previous studies. For the first time in GLOF risk assessment, we employed sensitivity analyses to test the strength of our model results and assumptions, and to identify lakes that are sensitive to the criteria and risk thresholds used. A key benefit of the MCDA method is that sensitivity analyses are readily undertaken. Overall, these sensitivity analyses lend support to our model, although we suggest that further work is required to determine the relative importance of assessment criteria, and the thresholds that determine the level of risk for each criterion. As a case study, the tested method was then applied to 25 potentially dangerous lakes in the Bolivian Andes, where GLOF risk is poorly understood; 3 lakes are found to pose 'medium' or 'high' risk, and require further detailed investigation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Glacial CO2 Cycles: A Composite Scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broecker, W. S.

2015-12-01

There are three main contributors to the glacial drawdown of atmospheric CO2 content: starvation of the supply of carbon to the ocean-atmosphere reservoir, excess CO2 storage in the deep sea, and surface-ocean cooling. In this talk, I explore a scenario in which all three play significant roles. Key to this scenario is the assumption that deep ocean storage is related to the extent of nutrient stratification of the deep Atlantic. The stronger this stratification, the larger the storage of respiration CO2. Further, it is my contention that the link between Milankovitch insolation cycles and climate is reorganizations of the ocean's thermohaline circulation leading to changes in the deep ocean's CO2 storage. If this is the case, the deep Atlantic d13C record kept in benthic foraminifera shells tells us that deep ocean CO2 storage follows Northern Hemisphere summer insolation cycles and thus lacks the downward ramp so prominent in the records of sea level, benthic 18O and CO2. Rather, the ramp is created by the damping of planetary CO2 emissions during glacial time intervals. As it is premature to present a specific scenario, I provide an example as to how these three contributors might be combined. As their magnitudes and shapes remain largely unconstrained, the intent of this exercise is to provoke creative thinking.

Geothermal activity helps life survive glacial cycles

PubMed Central

Fraser, Ceridwen I.; Terauds, Aleks; Smellie, John; Convey, Peter; Chown, Steven L.

2014-01-01

Climate change has played a critical role in the evolution and structure of Earth’s biodiversity. Geothermal activity, which can maintain ice-free terrain in glaciated regions, provides a tantalizing solution to the question of how diverse life can survive glaciations. No comprehensive assessment of this “geothermal glacial refugia” hypothesis has yet been undertaken, but Antarctica provides a unique setting for doing so. The continent has experienced repeated glaciations that most models indicate blanketed the continent in ice, yet many Antarctic species appear to have evolved in almost total isolation for millions of years, and hence must have persisted in situ throughout. How could terrestrial species have survived extreme glaciation events on the continent? Under a hypothesis of geothermal glacial refugia and subsequent recolonization of nongeothermal regions, we would expect to find greater contemporary diversity close to geothermal sites than in nongeothermal regions, and significant nestedness by distance of this diversity. We used spatial modeling approaches and the most comprehensive, validated terrestrial biodiversity dataset yet created for Antarctica to assess spatial patterns of diversity on the continent. Models clearly support our hypothesis, indicating that geothermally active regions have played a key role in structuring biodiversity patterns in Antarctica. These results provide critical insights into the evolutionary importance of geothermal refugia and the history of Antarctic species. PMID:24616489

Glacier Sensitivity Across the Andes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagredo, E. A.; Lowell, T. V.; Rupper, S.

2010-12-01

temperatures, while glaciers located in the wet Patagonian Andes seem to exhibit an opposite behavior. In an intermediate position are those glaciers located in the Tropical Andes, and Tierra del Fuego, which even though still more sensitive to temperature, they can be affected by temperature changes as well. With this regional approach towards the comprehension of climate-glacial dynamic interaction, we expect to contribute to the understanding the causes and mechanism driving former episodes of glacial fluctuations, and in turn, to the development of future scenarios of climate change.

Ecological Structure of Recent and Last Glacial Mammalian Faunas in Northern Eurasia: The Case of Altai-Sayan Refugium

PubMed Central

Pavelková Řičánková, Věra; Robovský, Jan; Riegert, Jan

2014-01-01

Pleistocene mammalian communities display unique features which differ from present-day faunas. The paleocommunities were characterized by the extraordinarily large body size of herbivores and predators and by their unique structure consisting of species now inhabiting geographically and ecologically distinct natural zones. These features were probably the result of the unique environmental conditions of ice age ecosystems. To analyze the ecological structure of Last Glacial and Recent mammal communities we classified the species into biome and trophic-size categories, using Principal Component analysis. We found a marked similarity in ecological structure between Recent eastern Altai-Sayan mammalian assemblages and comparable Pleistocene faunas. The composition of Last Glacial and Recent eastern Altai-Sayan assemblages were characterized by the occurrence of large herbivore and predator species associated with steppe, desert and alpine biomes. These three modern biomes harbor most of the surviving Pleistocene mammals. None of the analyzed Palearctic Last Glacial faunas showed affinity to the temperate forest, taiga, or tundra biome. The Eastern part of the Altai-Sayan region could be considered a refugium of the Last Glacial-like mammalian assemblages. Glacial fauna seems to persist up to present in those areas where the forest belt does not separate alpine vegetation from the steppes and deserts. PMID:24454791

Modeling glacial flow on and onto Pluto's Sputnik Planitia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umurhan, O. M.; Howard, A. D.; Moore, J. M.; Earle, A. M.; White, O. L.; Schenk, P. M.; Binzel, R. P.; Stern, S. A.; Beyer, R. A.; Nimmo, F.; McKinnon, W. B.; Ennico, K.; Olkin, C. B.; Weaver, H. A.; Young, L. A.

2017-05-01

Observations of Pluto's surface made by the New Horizons spacecraft indicate present-day N2 ice glaciation in and around the basin informally known as Sputnik Planitia. Motivated by these observations, we have developed an evolutionary glacial flow model of solid N2 ice that takes into account its published thermophysical and rheological properties. This model assumes that glacial ice flows laminarly and has a low aspect ratio which permits a vertically integrated mathematical formulation. We assess the conditions for the validity of laminar N2 ice motion by revisiting the problem of the onset of solid-state buoyant convection of N2 ice for a variety of bottom thermal boundary conditions. Subject to uncertainties in N2 ice rheology, N2 ice layers are estimated to flow laminarly for thicknesses less than 400-1000 m. The resulting mass-flux formulation for when the N2 ice flows as a laminar dry glacier is characterized by an Arrhenius-Glen functional form. The flow model developed is used here to qualitatively answer some questions motivated by features we interpret to be a result of glacial flow found on Sputnik Planitia. We find that the wavy transverse dark features found along the northern shoreline of Sputnik Planitia may be a transitory imprint of shallow topography just beneath the ice surface suggesting the possibility that a major shoreward flow event happened relatively recently, within the last few hundred years. Model results also support the interpretation that the prominent darkened features resembling flow lobes observed along the eastern shoreline of the Sputnik Planitia basin may be the result of a basally wet N2 glacier flowing into the basin from the pitted highlands of eastern Tombaugh Regio.

Geomorphology of the Chippewa River delta of Glacial Lake Saginaw, central Lower Michigan, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connallon, Christopher B.; Schaetzl, Randall J.

2017-08-01

We introduce, characterize, and interpret the geomorphic history of a relict, Pleistocene-aged delta of the Chippewa River in central Lower Michigan. The broad, sandy Chippewa delta developed into various stages of Glacial Lake Saginaw, between ca. ≈ 17 and 15 ka·BP (calibrated ages). Although the delta was first identified in 1955 on a statewide glacial geology map, neither its extent nor its Pleistocene history had been previously determined. The delta is typically forested, owing to its wet, sandy soils, which stand out against the agricultural fields of the surrounding, loamy lake plain sediments. The delta heads near the city of Mt Pleasant and extends eastward onto the Saginaw Lowlands, i.e., the plain of Glacial Lake Saginaw. Data from 3285 water well logs, 180 hand augered sites, and 185 points randomly located in a GIS on two-storied (sand over loam) soils were used to determine the extent, textural properties, and thickness of the delta. The delta is ≈ 18 km wide and ≈ 38 km long and is sandy throughout. Deltaic sediments from neighboring rivers that also drained into Glacial Lake Saginaw merge with the lower Chippewa delta, obscuring its boundary there. The delta is thickest near the delta's head and in the center, but thins to 1-2 m or less on its eastern margins. Mean thicknesses are 2.3-2.9 m, suggestive of a thin sediment body, frequently impacted by the waves and fluctuating waters of the lakes. Although beach ridges are only weakly expressed across the delta because of the sandy sediment, the coarsest parts of the delta are generally coincident with some of these inferred former shorezones and have a broad, incised channel that formed while lake levels were low. The thick upper delta generally lies above the relict shorelines of Glacial Lakes Saginaw and Arkona (≈ 17.1 to ≈ 16 ka·BP), whereas most of the thin, distal delta is associated with Glacial Lake Warren (≈ 15 ka·BP). Together, these data suggest that the Chippewa delta formed

Asynchronous Glacial Chronologies in the Central Andes (15-40°S) and Paleoclimatic Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zech, R.; Kull, C.; Kubik, P. W.; Veit, H.

2006-12-01

We have established glacial chronologies along a N-S transect over the Central Andes using 10Be surface exposure dating. Our results show that maximum glacial advances occurred asynchronously and reflect the varying influence and shifts of the major atmospheric circulation systems during the Late Quaternary: the tropical circulation in the north and the westerlies in the south. In Bolivia (three research areas in the Cordillera Real and the Cordillera Cochabamba, ~15°S) glacial advances could be dated to ~20 and 12 ka BP. This is in good agreement with published exposure age data from moraines in Bolivia and Peru (provided that all ages are calculated following the same scaling system). Accordingly, the maximum glaciation there probably occurred roughly synchronous to the temperature minimum of the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the lateglacial cold reversals. Strict correlation with neither the Younger Dryas in the northern hemisphere, nor the Antarctic Cold Reversal is possible due to the current systematic exposure age uncertainties (~10%). Glacier-Climate-Modelling corroborates the sensitivity of the reconstructed glaciers to temperature changes, rather than precipitation. On the contrary, there is good evidence for the dominant role of precipitation changes on the glacial chronologies in the lee of the Cordillera Occidental, i.e. on the Altiplano and further south. The pronounced lateglacial wet phase, which is well documented in lake transgression phases as far south as 28°S (-> tropical moisture source), seems to have caused glacial advances even at ~30°S. In two research areas in Chile at that latitude, we were able to date several lateglacial moraines. Besides, the maximum datable glaciation there occurred at ~30 ka BP. That is significantly earlier than the LGM (sensu strictu) and points to favourable climate conditions for glaciation at that time (particularly increased precipitation). We conclude that the westerlies were more intensive or

Sensitivity of Photosynthetic Gas Exchange and Growth of Lodgepole Pine to Climate Variability Depends on the Age of Pleistocene Glacial Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osborn, B.; Chapple, W.; Ewers, B. E.; Williams, D. G.

2014-12-01

The interaction between soil conditions and climate variability plays a central role in the ecohydrological functions of montane conifer forests. Although soil moisture availability to trees is largely dependent on climate, the depth and texture of soil exerts a key secondary influence. Multiple Pleistocene glacial events have shaped the landscape of the central Rocky Mountains creating a patchwork of soils differing in age and textural classification. This mosaic of soil conditions impacts hydrological properties, and montane conifer forests potentially respond to climate variability quite differently depending on the age of glacial till and soil development. We hypothesized that the age of glacial till and associated soil textural changes exert strong control on growth and photosynthetic gas exchange of lodgepole pine. We examined physiological and growth responses of lodgepole pine to interannual variation in maximum annual snow water equivalence (SWEmax) of montane snowpack and growing season air temperature (Tair) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) across a chronosequence of Pleistocene glacial tills ranging in age from 700k to 12k years. Soil textural differences across the glacial tills illustrate the varying degrees of weathering with the most well developed soils with highest clay content on the oldest till surfaces. We show that sensitivity of growth and carbon isotope discrimination, an integrated measure of canopy gas exchange properties, to interannual variation SWEmax , Tair and VPD is greatest on young till surfaces, whereas trees on old glacial tills with well-developed soils are mostly insensitive to these interannual climate fluctuations. Tree-ring widths were most sensitive to changes in SWEmax on young glacial tills (p < 0.01), and less sensitive on the oldest till (p < 0.05). Tair correlates strongly with δ13C values on the oldest and youngest tills sites, but shows no significant relationship on the middle aged glacial till. It is clear that

Massive remobilization of permafrost carbon during post-glacial warming

PubMed Central

Tesi, T.; Muschitiello, F.; Smittenberg, R. H.; Jakobsson, M.; Vonk, J. E.; Hill, P.; Andersson, A.; Kirchner, N.; Noormets, R.; Dudarev, O.; Semiletov, I.; Gustafsson, Ö

2016-01-01

Recent hypotheses, based on atmospheric records and models, suggest that permafrost carbon (PF-C) accumulated during the last glaciation may have been an important source for the atmospheric CO2 rise during post-glacial warming. However, direct physical indications for such PF-C release have so far been absent. Here we use the Laptev Sea (Arctic Ocean) as an archive to investigate PF-C destabilization during the last glacial–interglacial period. Our results show evidence for massive supply of PF-C from Siberian soils as a result of severe active layer deepening in response to the warming. Thawing of PF-C must also have brought about an enhanced organic matter respiration and, thus, these findings suggest that PF-C may indeed have been an important source of CO2 across the extensive permafrost domain. The results challenge current paradigms on the post-glacial CO2 rise and, at the same time, serve as a harbinger for possible consequences of the present-day warming of PF-C soils. PMID:27897191

Magnetic Properties of Bermuda Rise Sediments Controlled by Glacial Cycles During the Late Pleistocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roud, S.

2015-12-01

Sediments from ODP site 1063 (Bermuda Rise, North Atlantic) contain a high-resolution record of geomagnetic field behavior during the Brunhes Chron. We present rock magnetic data of the upper 160 mcd (<900 ka) from hole 1063D that show magnetic properties vary in concert with glacial cycles. Magnetite appears to be the main magnetic carrier in the carbonate-dominated interglacial horizons, yet exhibits contrasting grain size distributions depending on the redox state of the horizons. Higher contributions of single domain magnetite exist above the present day sulfate reduction zone (ca. 44 mcd) with relatively higher multidomain magnetite components below that likely arise from the partial dissolution of SD magnetite in the deeper, anoxic horizons. Glacial horizons on the other hand, characterized by enhanced terrigenous deposition, show no evidence for diagenetic dissolution but do indicate the presence of authigenic greigite close to glacial maxima (acquisition of gyro-remanence, strong magnetostatic interactions and SD properties). Glacial horizons contain hematite (maxima in HIRM and S-Ratio consistent with a reddish hue) and exhibit higher ARM anisotropy and pronounced sedimentary fabrics. We infer that post depositional processes affected the magnetic grain size and mineralogy of Bermuda rise sediments deposited during the late Pleistocene. Hematite concentration is interpreted to reflect primary terrigenous input that is likely derived from the Canadian Maritime Provinces. A close correlation between HIRM and magnetic foliation suggests that changes in sediment composition (terrigenous vs. marine biogenic) were accompanied by changes in the depositional processes at the site.

Expansion of the North Pacific subpolar gyre during the Last Glacial Maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gray, W. R.; Rae, J. W. B.; Wills, R. C.; Burke, A.; Taylor, B.

2017-12-01

Due to the opposite sign of the wind-stress forcing in the Pacific subpolar and subtropical gyres, the two gyres are characterised by vastly different nutrient and temperature regimes; the subpolar gyre is cold and nutrient-rich, whereas the subtropical gyre is warm and nutrient poor. The relative extent of the gyres therefore exerts a first order control on biogeochemistry and meridional ocean heat transport in the North Pacific Ocean. Here, by compiling all previously published planktic foraminferal d18O and sea-surface temperature data from across the North Pacific, we show a striking and hitherto unknown feature of the Glacial North Pacific; the southward expansion of the subpolar gyre by 5 degrees. We show, in the PMIP3 ensemble of state-of-the-art climate models, that this expansion is associated with a strengthening of the westerly winds. The southward expansion of the subpolar gyre would have brought nutrient-rich waters further south, providing a solution to the long-standing question of why, while productivity decreased throughout the subpolar gyre during Last Glacial Maximum, it increased in the transition zone between the gyres. The expansion and contraction of the subpolar/subtropical gyres over glacial-interglacial cycles could provide a mechanism to modulate meridional ocean heat transport.

Submarine glacial landforms and interactions with volcanism around Sub-Antarctic Heard and McDonald Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Picard, K.; Watson, S. J.; Fox, J. M.; Post, A.; Whittaker, J. M.; Lucieer, V.; Carey, R.; Coffin, M. F.; Hodgson, D.; Hogan, K.; Graham, A. G. C.

2017-12-01

Unravelling the glacial history of Sub-Antarctic islands can provide clues to past climate and Antarctic ice sheet stability. The glacial history of many sub-Antarctic islands is poorly understood, including the Heard and McDonald Islands (HIMI) located on the Kerguelen Plateau in the southern Indian Ocean. The geomorphologic development of HIMI has involved a combination of construction via hotspot volcanism and mechanical erosion caused by waves, weather, and glaciers. Today, the 2.5 km2 McDonald Islands are not glacierised; in contrast, the 368 km2 Heard Island has 12 major glaciers, some extending from the summit of 2813 m to sea level. Historical accounts from Heard Island suggest that the glaciers were more extensive in the 1850s to 1870s, and have retreated at least 12% (33.89 km2) since 1997. However, surrounding bathymetry suggests a much more extensive previous glaciation of the HIMI region that encompassed 9,585 km2, likely dating back at least to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) ca. 26.5 -19 ka. We present analyses of multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data, acquired aboard RV Investigator in early 2016, that support the previous existence of an extensive icecap. These data reveal widespread ice-marginal and subglacial features including moraines, over-deepened troughs, drumlins and crag-and-tails. Glacial landforms suggest paleo-ice flow directions and a glacial extent that are consistent with previously documented broad scale morphological features. We identify >660 iceberg keel scours in water depths ranging from 150 - 530 m. The orientations of the iceberg keel scours reflect the predominantly east-flowing Antarctic Circumpolar Current and westerly winds in the region. 40Ar/39Ar dating of volcanic rocks from submarine volcanoes around McDonald Islands suggests that volcanism and glaciation coincided. The flat-topped morphology of these volcanoes may result from lava-ice interaction or erosion by glaciers post eruption during a time of extensive ice

Late Pliocene to Late Quaternary Apparent Exposure Ages from Glacial Deposits in Ak-Shyrak, Central Kyrgyz Tian Shan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blomdin, R.; Harbor, J.; Stroeven, A. P.; Petrakov, D. A.; Gribenski, N.; Heyman, J.; Ivanov, M.; Caffee, M. W.; Hättestrand, C.; Lifton, N. A.; Rogozhina, I.; Usubaliev, R.

2014-12-01

The Tian Shan in central Asia is one of the world's highest mountain ranges. The 2500 km-long WSW-ENE-trending arc of mountains extends from the western Kyrgyz Republic across northwestern China and almost to the border with Mongolia. Understanding the glacial history of this vast region is important because there is a general lack of paleoclimatic data from this highly continental location, at the confluence of major climate systems, and because glaciers are sensitive monitors of climate change. We examine the glacial history of the Ak-Shyrak massif and surrounding plateaus with average altitudes of ~3500 m a.s.l. To reconstruct the glacial history of this area we use a combined approach including geomorphological mapping, and cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure dating of erratic boulders on glacial landforms. We observe large site-specific scatter in our 10Be and 26Al exposure ages. Apparent minimum surface exposure ages range from ~2 ka to ~2.5 Ma, with early Quaternary- late Pliocene apparent exposure ages relating to some of the highest 10Be concentrations ever recorded for glacial deposits. Most dated boulders, however, fall in the apparent exposure age range of 100 ka to 300 ka. Consistent with previous results from the western and central Tian Shan, none of our boulders record a global last glacial maxima expansion of glaciers, and this contrasts to data from the eastern Kyrgyz Tian Shan. This spatial variation in glacier extent might be due to differences in paleoclimate. However, local physiographic conditions (e.g. altitude, slope, aspect) or external forcing factors other than climate (e.g., landslides) may cause local or regional differences in glacier response. We refrain from assigning mapped glacial advances to marine oxygen isotope stages because of the considerable age scatter. Finally we assess and discuss possible reasons for the observed age scatter and early Quaternary-late Pliocene apparent exposure ages in terms of prior and/or incomplete

Selected data on characteristics of glacial-deposit and carbonate-rock aquifers, midwestern basins and arches region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Joseph, R.L.; Eberts, S.M.

1994-01-01

In 1988, the Geological Survey (USGS) began study to examine the hydrogeologic framework, ground-water-flow systems, water chemistry, and withdrawal response of aquifers in glacial deposits and carbonate rock in the Midwestern Basins and Arches Region in western Ohio and eastern Indiana. As part of this study, data from pumped-well tests and instantaneous-rechange tests (slug tests) of wells completed in the glacial-deposit and carbonate-rock aquifers were compiled from reports and information on file with State agencies, environmental consulting firms, drilling firms, municipalities, universities, and the USGS. The data, from 73 counties in Ohio and Indiana, were entered into a computerized data base in a spreadsheet format and subsequently into a geographic information system (GIS). Aquifer-characteristics data from this compilation include the results of 105 pumped-well tests and 39 slug tests in wells completed in glacial deposits, 174 pumped-well tests in wells completed in the carbonate-rock aquifer, and 4 slug tests in wells completed in limestones and shales of Ordovician age. Transmissivities from the pumped-well tests in wells completed in glacial till and glacial-deposit aquifers (sands and gravels) range from 1.54 to 69,700 feet squared per day. Storage coefficients or specific yields range from 0.00002 to 0.38 at these wells. Horizontal-hydraulic conductivities from the slug tests in wells completed in glacial-deposit aquifers range from 0.33 to 1,000 feet per day. Transmissivities from the pumped-well tests in wells completed in the carbonate-rock aquifer range from 70 to 52,000 feet squared per day. Storage coefficient or specific yields at these wells range from 0.00001 to 0.05. Horizontal hydraulic conductivities from the slug tests in wells completed in limestones and shales of Ordovician age range from 0.0016 to 12 feet per day. These data are summarized in tables and figures within this report. The collection and compilation of selected aquifer

Generalized hydrogeologic framework and groundwater budget for a groundwater availability study for the glacial aquifer system of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reeves, Howard W.; Bayless, E. Randall; Dudley, Robert W.; Feinstein, Daniel T.; Fienen, Michael N.; Hoard, Christopher J.; Hodgkins, Glenn A.; Qi, Sharon L.; Roth, Jason L.; Trost, Jared J.

2017-12-14

The glacial aquifer system groundwater availability study seeks to quantify (1) the status of groundwater resources in the glacial aquifer system, (2) how these resources have changed over time, and (3) likely system response to future changes in anthropogenic and environmental conditions. The glacial aquifer system extends from Maine to Alaska, although the focus of this report is the part of the system in the conterminous United States east of the Rocky Mountains. The glacial sand and gravel principal aquifer is the largest source of public and self-supplied industrial supply for any principal aquifer and also is an important source for irrigation supply. Despite its importance for water supply, water levels in the glacial aquifer system are generally stable varying with climate and only locally from pumping. The hydrogeologic framework developed for this study includes the information from waterwell records and classification of material types from surficial geologic maps into likely aquifers dominated by sand and gravel deposits. Generalized groundwater budgets across the study area highlight the variation in recharge and discharge primarily driven by climate.

The vegetation history of the last glacial-interglacial cycle in eastern New South Wales, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, N. J.; Harle, K. J.; Gale, S. J.; Heijnis, H.

2006-10-01

We present a reconstruction of the vegetation history of the last glacial-interglacial cycle (ca. 75 k cal. yr BP-present) at Redhead Lagoon, an enclosed lake basin in coastal, eastern New South Wales, Australia. The sequence of vegetation change at the site is broadly comparable with the pattern of climatically induced changes observed in many other pollen records in southeast Australia. Open woodland-herbland and woodland-forest communities correspond with glacial and interglacial periods respectively, with an additional change towards a more open understorey vegetation assemblage over the last 40 000 yr. The driest conditions appear to have occurred during the height of the last glacial (some time between 30 and 20 k cal. yr BP). This is consistent with other records from southeast Australia, and provides support for a poleward shift in the subtropical anticyclone belt and, less certainly, for the thesis that the Southern Hemisphere westerlies intensified during this period. In marked contrast to most sites in southeast Australia, Casuarinaceae dominates the pollen record through the height of the last glacial period and into the Holocene. The postglacial climatic amelioration is accompanied by the general reappearance of tree pollen in the record, by the disappearance of several open and disturbed environment indicator taxa, by increases in organic sediment deposition and pollen taxon diversity, and by higher water balances. While climate appears to have been the major control on patterns of vegetation change at this site throughout most of the last glacial-interglacial cycle, changes in depositional environment and hydrology have also played a role. Significantly, substantial increases in the rate and magnitude of many indicators of environmental disturbance since European settlement suggest that humans are now the most important mechanism for environmental change. Copyright

The Labrador Sea during the Last Glacial Maximum: Calcite dissolution or low biogenic carbonate fluxes?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, Nicole; de Vernal, Anne; Mucci, Alfonso; Filippova, Alexandra; Kienast, Markus

2017-04-01

Low concentrations of biogenic carbonate characterize the sediments deposited in the Labrador Sea during the last glaciation. This may reflect poor calcite preservation and/or low biogenic carbonate productivity and fluxes. Regional bottom water ventilation was reduced during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), so the calcite lysocline might have been shallower than at present in the deep Labrador Sea making dissolution of calcite shells in the deep Labrador Sea possible. To address the issue, a multi-proxy approach based on micropaleontological counts (coccoliths, foraminifers, palynomorphs) and biogeochemical analyses (alkenones) was applied in the investigation of core HU2008-029-004-PC recovered in the northwestern Labrador Sea. Calcite dissolution indices based on the relative abundance benthic foraminifera shells to their organic linings as well as on fragmentation of planktonic foraminifera shells were used to evaluate changes in calcite dissolution/ preservation since the LGM. In addition, the ratio of the concentrations of coccoliths, specifically of the alkenone-producer Emiliania huxleyi, and alkenones (Emiliania huxleyi: alkenones) was explored as a potential new proxy of calcite dissolution. A sharp increase in coccoliths, foraminifers and organic linings from nearly none to substantial concentrations at 12 ka, reflect a jump to significantly greater biogenic fluxes at the glacial-interglacial transition. Furthermore, conventional dissolution indices (shells/linings of benthic foraminifera and fragmentation of planktic foraminifers) reveal that dissolution is not likely responsible for the lower glacial abundances of coccoliths and foraminifers. Only the low Emiliania huxleyi: alkenones ratios in glacial sediments could be interpreted as evidence of increased dissolution during the LGM. Given the evidence of allochthonous alkenone input into the glacial Labrador Sea, the latter observations must be treated with caution. Overall, the records indicate that

Groundwater quality in the glacial aquifer system, United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stackelberg, Paul E.

2017-12-07

Groundwater provides nearly 50 percent of the Nation’s drinking water. To help protect this vital resource, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project assesses groundwater quality in aquifers that are important sources of drinking water (Burow and Belitz, 2014). The glacial aquifer system constitutes one of the important areas being evaluated.

Glacial moulin formation triggered by rapid lake drainage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoffman, Matt

Scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory and collaborators are uncovering the mystery of how, where and when a glacial feature called a moulin can form on the Greenland Ice Sheet. Moulins, drain-like holes that form in glaciers, funnel meltwater from the ice surface to the ground beneath, and they are the alarmingly efficient conduits that allow surface water to reach deep and drive the ice to flow faster.

Sub-glacial Origin of the Hot Springs Bay Valley hydrothermal System, Akutan, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stelling, P. L.; Tobin, B.; Knapp, P.

2015-12-01

Exploration for geothermal energy in Hot Springs Bay Valley (HSBV) on Akutan Island, Alaska, has revealed a rich hydrothermal history, including what appears to be a stage of peak activity during a significant glacial period. Alteration mineralogy observed in 754 m of drill core recovered from the outflow zone is dominated by chlorite and includes minor smectite clays, a suite of zeolite species and several moderately high-temperature hydrothermal minerals (epidote/clinozoisite, prehnite, adularia and wairakite). The latter minerals each have minimum formation temperatures exceeding 200 oC, and fluid inclusion results in related calcite crystals indicate temperatures of formation to be as high as 275 oC, some 100 oC hotter than the modern boiling point with depth (BPD) curve at that depth (>62 m). In order to maintain liquid temperatures this high, the pressure during mineralization must have been substantially greater (~680 bar), a pressure change equivalent to erosion of ~280 m of rock (ρ=2.5 g/cm3). Although glacial erosion rates are too low (0.034 mm/yr; Bekele et al., 2003) for this amount of erosion to occur in a single glaciation, glacial melting and ablation are substantially more rapid (~100 mm/yr; Bekele et al., 2003; Person et al., 2012). Thus, a more probable scenario than pure erosion is that peak hydrothermal conditions occurred during a large glacial event, with the added pressure from the overlying ice allowing the high temperature minerals to form closer to the ground surface. Subsequent melting of the ice eroded upper tributary valleys and upper levels of the originally smectite-rich alteration assemblage, explaining the paucity of swelling clays in the region. We present mineralogical, fluid inclusion and geochronologic evidence to support these conclusions, and discuss the general implications of sub-glacial hydrothermal system formation and geothermal resource potential. References: Bekele, E., Rostron, B. and Person, M. (2003) Fluid pressure

Plan of study for the Ohio-Indiana carbonate-bedrock and glacial- aquifer system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bugliosi, E.F.

1990-01-01

The major aquifers of 35,000 sq mi area in western Ohio and eastern Indiana consist of Silurian and Devonian carbonate bedrock and Quaternary glacial deposits. These bedrock units and glacial deposits have been designated for study as part of the U.S. Geological Survey 's Regional Aquifer System Analysis program, a nationwide program to assess the regional hydrology, geology and water quality of the Nation 's most important aquifers. The purpose of the study is to define the hydrology, geochemistry, and geologic framework of the aquifer system within the Silurian and Devonian rocks and glacial deposits, with emphasis on describing the groundwater flow patterns and characterizing the water quality. The study, which began in 1988 , is expected to be completed in 1993. In 1980, the aquifers in the study area supplied more than 280 million gallons of water/day to industry, agriculture, and a population of more than 6.3 million people. With a projected future population growth to 7.1 million in 1990, and with intensified agricultural and industrial uses, water withdrawals from these bedrock and glacial aquifers are expected to be increased. The most significant groundwater problems in the study area result from the pronounced areal differences in availability and quality of the groundwater. These differences are related to the lateral discontinuity of many of the glacial deposits and to variations in secondary permeability of the bedrock aquifers associated with patterns of fracturing. Planned activities of the study include compilation of available geohydrologic and water quality data, such as groundwater levels, geohydrologic properties of aquifers, chemical analyses, land use and water use data, and ancillary data such as digital satellite images. Additional geohydrologic and water quality data may be collected from existing wells or wells that may be drilled for this study. A computerized, geographic information system will be used as a data base management tool and

Glacial influence and stream macroinvertebrate biodiversity under climate change: Lessons from the Southern Alps.

PubMed

Lencioni, Valeria

2018-05-01

The aim of this work was to highlight the main ecological predictors driving invertebrate distribution in eight glacier-fed streams in the Southern Alps. Thirty-five sites belonging to four stream types were sampled monthly during the ablation season of one, two or three years between 1996 and 2014. Taxa from glacial (kryal and glacio-rhithral) and non-glacial (kreno-rhithral and lake outlet) sites were separated by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) along a glacial influence gradient and a hydrological-altitudinal gradient. High glacial influence was associated mainly with low maximum water temperature (Tmax), high Glacial Index (calculated as a function of glacier area and distance from the glacier), and the abundance of Diamesa species (D. steinboecki, D. goetghebueri, D. zernyi, and D. latitarsis). Change-point analysis and Threshold Indicator Taxa Analysis confirmed the CCA results in identifying these Diamesa species as the taxa with the strongest preference for high percent glacier cover in the catchment (change point~30%) and low Tmax (change point~6°C). Temporal changes in community structure were highlighted in seven sites fed by glaciers under different retreat rates. Where the rate was faster and the remaining glacier smaller (≪1km 2 ), the most cold-stenothermal kryal inhabitant, D. steinboecki, almost disappeared or survived only as brachypterous populations, whereas other Diamesinae (Pseudokiefferiella parva), Orthocladiinae (e.g. Eukiefferiella, Orthocladius), Limoniidae, Baetidae, Nemouridae, and non-insect taxa (e.g. Oligochaeta, Hydracarina) became more abundant. Upstream migration was observed in Diamesa spp. which conquered new stream reaches left free by the retreating glacier, and euriecious taxa which colonized reaches with ameliorated environmental conditions, no longer the exclusive habitat of Diamesa spp. Co-occurrence of stochastic and deterministic assembly processes seem to drive spatio-temporal changes in these invertebrate

Investigation of temporal change in glacial extent of Chitral watershed using Landsat data.

PubMed

Naeem, Usman Ali; Shamim, Muhammad Ali; Ejaz, Naeem; Ur Rehman, Habib; Mustafa, Umer; Hashmi, Hashim Nisar; Ghumman, Abdul Razzaq

2016-01-01

Glaciers are also known as solid reservoirs, and in this regard, Pakistan is a blessed country to have enriched glaciers. The change in glacial extent becomes very crucial for rivers whose discharges are associated with glacier melt. Even a little change in the glacial extent may bring a significant change in the resulting river flows. Considering climate change scenarios, many researchers have predicted future flows in such catchments. But in almost all such studies, the reduction in the glaciers is not normally based on any rational. Therefore, research is needed in order to estimate how glaciers are actually behaving under the change of temperature and precipitations to better estimate the future flows. For this purpose, Chitral watershed was considered as the study area. The seasonal change in the snow extent was estimated by using MODIS data for various years that helped to identify the month with minimum glacial extent. With the help of remote sensing, unsupervised classification was performed to estimate the glacier area in Chitral watershed. The results show a definite receding trend with respect to time in the glaciers of the region for the past decade.

Climate Controls on Last Glacial Maximum to Early Holocene Glacier Extents in the Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda-Democratic Republic of Congo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, M. S.; Kelly, M. A.; Russell, J. M.; Baber, M.; Loomis, S. E.

2014-12-01

The climate controls on past and present tropical glacier fluctuations are unclear. Here we present a chronology of past glacial extents in the Rwenzori Mountains (~1ºN, 30ºE), on the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and compare this with local and regional paleoclimate records to infer the climate controls on glaciation. The Rwenzori Mountains host the most extensive glacial system in Africa and are composed of quartz-rich bedrock lithologies, enabling 10Be dating. Our dataset includes thirty 10Be ages of boulders on moraines estimated to have been deposited between the end of the last glacial period and early Holocene time. In the Mubuku Valley, eight 10Be ages of large (~50-150 m relief) lateral moraines that extend down to ~2000 m asl indicate that deposition occurred at ~23.4 ka (n=4) and ~20.1 ka (n=4), contemporaneously with the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Local and regional paleoclimate records document dry, cool conditions in East Africa during this time. Therefore, we suggest that cooler temperatures were a primary influence on the LGM glacial extents. Upvalley from these samples, six 10Be ages of boulders on moraines (between 3450 and 3720 m asl) document stillstands or readvances of glacier ice at ~14.3 ka (n=2), ~13.2 ka (n=2), and ~11.1 ka (n=2). In the nearby Nyagumasani Valley sixteen 10Be ages of boulders on moraines at similar elevations (3870-4020 m asl) indicate stillstands or readvances at ~11.5 ka (n=4), ~10.6 ka (n=4), and ~10.5 ka (n=4). Local and regional paleoclimate records indicate dry conditions during Younger Dryas time, wet conditions during early Holocene time, and no significant late-glacial temperature reversal. Thus, the relationship between glacier advance and climate conditions during late-glacial time remains enigmatic. We continue to develop the moraine chronology in order to improve our interpretations of climate controls on glacier fluctuations during late-glacial to early Holocene time.

Radiocarbon constraints on the glacial ocean circulation and its impact on atmospheric CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skinner, L. C.; Primeau, F.; Freeman, E.; de La Fuente, M.; Goodwin, P. A.; Gottschalk, J.; Huang, E.; McCave, I. N.; Noble, T. L.; Scrivner, A. E.

2017-07-01

While the ocean's large-scale overturning circulation is thought to have been significantly different under the climatic conditions of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the exact nature of the glacial circulation and its implications for global carbon cycling continue to be debated. Here we use a global array of ocean-atmosphere radiocarbon disequilibrium estimates to demonstrate a ~689+/-53 14C-yr increase in the average residence time of carbon in the deep ocean at the LGM. A predominantly southern-sourced abyssal overturning limb that was more isolated from its shallower northern counterparts is interpreted to have extended from the Southern Ocean, producing a widespread radiocarbon age maximum at mid-depths and depriving the deep ocean of a fast escape route for accumulating respired carbon. While the exact magnitude of the resulting carbon cycle impacts remains to be confirmed, the radiocarbon data suggest an increase in the efficiency of the biological carbon pump that could have accounted for as much as half of the glacial-interglacial CO2 change.

Framework for regional synthesis of water-quality data for the glacial aquifer system in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warner, Kelly L.; Arnold, Terri L.

2005-01-01

The glacial aquifer system is the largest principal aquifer in aerial extent and ground-water use for public supply in the United States. A principal aquifer is defined as a regionally extensive aquifer or aquifer system that has the potential to be used as a source of potable water (U.S. Geological Survey, 2003). Multiple aquifers often are grouped into large, extensive aquifer systems such as the glacial aquifer system. The glacial aquifer system is considered here to include all unconsolidated aquifers above bedrock north of the line of continental glaciation throughout the country (fig. 1). Total withdrawals from the glacial aquifer system were 3,560 million gallons per day in 2000, which constitutes almost 5 percent of total withdrawals from all aquifers in the United States (Maupin and Barber, 2005). Approximately 41 million people relied on the glacial aquifer for public supply and domestic use in 2000. The U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program began assessing the glacial aquifer system in 1991. The assessment of water-quality data on a regional scale, such as the glacial aquifer system, is coincident with the regional framework established by the Regional Aquifer-System Analysis Program (RASA) (Sun and others, 1997). From 1978 to 1995, the RASA Program systematically evaluated 25 of the Nation's most important groundwater systems including studies in the glacial aquifer system in the northeast, Midwest, and northern Midwest United States. The NAWQA Program is building on the work of the RASA Program to study the water quality of 16 of the most important ground-water systems (Lapham and others, 2005). Over 1,700 water-quality samples have been collected by the NAWQA Program from 1991 to 2004 to assess the glacial aquifer system. This large data set is unique in that the samples have been collected using a consistent sampling protocol, and multiple nested samples. The nested samples address the recently recharged shallow

Enhanced subarctic Pacific stratification and nutrient utilization during glacials over the last 1.2 Myr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knudson, Karla P.; Ravelo, Ana Christina

2015-11-01

The relationship between climate, biological productivity, and nutrient flux is of considerable interest in the subarctic Pacific, which represents an important high-nitrate, low-chlorophyll region. While previous studies suggest that changes in iron supply and/or physical ocean stratification could hypothetically explain orbital-scale fluctuations in subarctic Pacific nutrient utilization and productivity, previous records of nutrient utilization are too short to evaluate these relationships over many glacial-interglacial cycles. We present new, high-resolution records of sedimentary δ15N, which offer the first opportunity to evaluate systematic, orbital-scale variations in subarctic Pacific nitrate utilization from 1.2 Ma. Nitrate utilization was enhanced during all glacials, varied with orbital-scale periodicity since the mid-Pleistocene transition, was strongly correlated with enhanced aeolian dust and low atmospheric CO2, but was not correlated with productivity. These results suggest that glacial stratification, rather than iron fertilization, systematically exerted an important regional control on nutrient utilization and air-sea carbon flux.

Estimating the volume of Alpine glacial lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, S. J.; Quincey, D. J.

2015-09-01

Supraglacial, moraine-dammed and ice-dammed lakes represent a potential glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) threat to downstream communities in many mountain regions. This has motivated the development of empirical relationships to predict lake volume given a measurement of lake surface area obtained from satellite imagery. Such relationships are based on the notion that lake depth, area and volume scale predictably. We critically evaluate the performance of these existing empirical relationships by examining a global database of measured glacial lake depths, areas and volumes. Results show that lake area and depth are not always well correlated (r2 = 0.38), and that although lake volume and area are well correlated (r2 = 0.91), there are distinct outliers in the dataset. These outliers represent situations where it may not be appropriate to apply existing empirical relationships to predict lake volume, and include growing supraglacial lakes, glaciers that recede into basins with complex overdeepened morphologies or that have been deepened by intense erosion, and lakes formed where glaciers advance across and block a main trunk valley. We use the compiled dataset to develop a conceptual model of how the volumes of supraglacial ponds and lakes, moraine-dammed lakes and ice-dammed lakes should be expected to evolve with increasing area. Although a large amount of bathymetric data exist for moraine-dammed and ice-dammed lakes, we suggest that further measurements of growing supraglacial ponds and lakes are needed to better understand their development.

On the glacial and inter-glacial thermohaline circulation and the associated transports of heat and freshwater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballarotta, M.; Falahat, S.; Brodeau, L.; Döös, K.

2014-03-01

The change of the thermohaline circulation (THC) between the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, ≈ 21 kyr ago) and the present day climate are explored using an Ocean General Circulation Model and stream functions projected in various coordinates. Compared to the present day period, the LGM circulation is reorganised in the Atlantic Ocean, in the Southern Ocean and particularly in the abyssal ocean, mainly due to the different haline stratification. Due to stronger wind stress, the LGM tropical circulation is more vigorous than under modern conditions. Consequently, the maximum tropical transport of heat is slightly larger during the LGM. In the North Atlantic basin, the large sea-ice extent during the LGM constrains the Gulf Stream to propagate in a more zonal direction, reducing the transport of heat towards high latitudes and reorganising the freshwater transport. The LGM circulation is represented as a large intrusion of saline Antarctic Bottom Water into the Northern Hemisphere basins. As a result, the North Atlantic Deep Water is shallower in the LGM simulation. The stream functions in latitude-salinity coordinates and thermohaline coordinates point out the different haline regimes between the glacial and interglacial period, as well as a LGM Conveyor Belt circulation largely driven by enhanced salinity contrast between the Atlantic and the Pacific basin. The thermohaline structure in the LGM simulation is the result of an abyssal circulation that lifts and deviates the Conveyor Belt cell from the area of maximum volumetric distribution, resulting in a ventilated upper layer above a deep stagnant layer, and an Atlantic circulation more isolated from the Pacific. An estimation of the turnover times reveal a deep circulation almost sluggish during the LGM, and a Conveyor Belt cell more vigorous due to the combination of stronger wind stress and shortened circulation route.

Glacial-interglacial vegetation dynamics in South Eastern Africa coupled to sea surface temperature variations in the Western Indian Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupont, L. M.; Caley, T.; Kim, J.-H.; Castañeda, I.; Malaizé, B.; Giraudeau, J.

2011-11-01

Glacial-interglacial fluctuations in the vegetation of South Africa might elucidate the climate system at the edge of the tropics between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. However, vegetation records covering a full glacial cycle have only been published from the eastern South Atlantic. We present a pollen record of the marine core MD96-2048 retrieved by the Marion Dufresne from the Indian Ocean ∼120 km south of the Limpopo River mouth. The sedimentation at the site is slow and continuous. The upper 6 m (spanning the past 342 Ka) have been analysed for pollen and spores at millennial resolution. The terrestrial pollen assemblages indicate that during interglacials, the vegetation of eastern South Africa and southern Mozambique largely consisted of evergreen and deciduous forests. During glacials open mountainous scrubland dominated. Montane forest with Podocarpus extended during humid periods was favoured by strong local insolation. Correlation with the sea surface temperature record of the same core indicates that the extension of mountainous scrubland primarily depends on sea surface temperatures of the Agulhas Current. Our record corroborates terrestrial evidence of the extension of open mountainous scrubland (including fynbos-like species of the high-altitude Grassland biome) for the last glacial as well as for other glacial periods of the past 300 Ka.

Dendroclimatic trend and glacial fluctuations in the Central Italian Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelfini, M.; Santilli, M.; D Agata, C.; Diolaiuti, G.; Smiraglia, C.

2003-04-01

In the Alpine environment, one of the main limiting factors for tree growth is the thermal conditions of the vegetative season. The conifers at high altitude, if not subject to others disturbs, such as geomorphological processes or biological interferences, undergo a development, from which the width of annual rings depends. Five chronologies few centuries long, obtained for the species Larix decidua Mill. and Pinus cembra L. from different valleys of the Central Italian Alps (Alpisella, Valfurva, Gavia and Solda) in proximity of timberline (2000-2550 m of altitude), were analysed and their climatic signal gained; this last one was then related to the recent glacial fluctuations. The chronologies are the averages of many dendrochronological indicized curves obtained from dominant trees with regular growth and extended from 13th-17th century up to the present. The time intervals of the chronologies are the following ones: Pinus cembra: 1752-1999 for Valfurva; 1607-1999 for Gavia; 1593-1999 for Val Solda. With regard to Larix decidua: 1252-1998 for Val Solda; 1784-2001 for Alpisella. The good correspondence between the various chronologies allows to consider them representative of the climatic regional signal. In order to evidence climatic evolution, linear trends based on running mean with period of 11 years have been constructed. Those curves have been compared between them and then overlapped and mediated in order to obtain a climatic signal of regional value that excludes eventual local anomalies. Finally, the growth variations in the chronologies have been compared to known alpine climatic variations and glacial fluctuations. In particular time-distance curves (curves of cumulated frontal variations) of some glaciers from the Ortles-Cevedale Group were utilized. The periods of tree rings growth rate reduction appear well correlated to glacial advancing phases of the Little Ice Age and of the following phases. In particular, growth rate reductions are observable

Vigorous exchange between the Indian and Atlantic oceans at the end of the past five glacial periods.

PubMed

Peeters, Frank J C; Acheson, Ruth; Brummer, Geert-Jan A; De Ruijter, Wilhelmus P M; Schneider, Ralph R; Ganssen, Gerald M; Ufkes, Els; Kroon, Dick

2004-08-05

The magnitude of heat and salt transfer between the Indian and Atlantic oceans through 'Agulhas leakage' is considered important for balancing the global thermohaline circulation. Increases or reductions of this leakage lead to strengthening or weakening of the Atlantic meridional overturning and associated variation of North Atlantic Deep Water formation. Here we show that modern Agulhas waters, which migrate into the south Atlantic Ocean in the form of an Agulhas ring, contain a characteristic assemblage of planktic foraminifera. We use this assemblage as a modern analogue to investigate the Agulhas leakage history over the past 550,000 years from a sediment record in the Cape basin. Our reconstruction indicates that Indian-Atlantic water exchange was highly variable: enhanced during present and past interglacials and largely reduced during glacial intervals. Coherent variability of Agulhas leakage with northern summer insolation suggests a teleconnection to the monsoon system. The onset of increased Agulhas leakage during late glacial conditions took place when glacial ice volume was maximal, suggesting a crucial role for Agulhas leakage in glacial terminations, timing of interhemispheric climate change and the resulting resumption of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation.

10Be dating of late-glacial moraines near the Cordillera Vilcanota and the Quelccaya Ice Cap, Peru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, M. A.; Thompson, L. G.

2004-12-01

The surface exposure method, based on the measurement of cosmogenic 10Be produced in quartz, is applied to determine the age of deposition of glacial moraines near the Cordillera Vilcanota and the Quelccaya Ice Cap (about 13° S, 70° W) in southeastern Peru. These data are useful for examining the timing of past glaciation in the tropical Andes and for comparison with chronologies of glaciation at higher latitudes. The preliminary data set consists of more than ten surface exposure ages. Samples used for dating are from the surfaces of boulders on a set of prominent moraines about four kilometers away from the present ice margins. The age of the moraine set was previously bracketed by radiocarbon dating of peat associated with the glacial deposits. Based on radiocarbon ages, these moraines were formed during the late-glacial period, just prior to the last glacial-interglacial transition. The surface exposure dating method enables the direct dating of the moraines. Surface exposure dates are cross-checked with the previously existing radiocarbon dates and provide a means to improve the chronology of past glaciation in the tropical Andes.

Extraction and development of inset models in support of groundwater age calculations for glacial aquifers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Feinstein, Daniel T.; Kauffman, Leon J.; Haserodt, Megan J.; Clark, Brian R.; Juckem, Paul F.

2018-06-22

The U.S. Geological Survey developed a regional model of Lake Michigan Basin (LMB). This report describes the construction of five MODFLOW inset models extracted from the LMB regional model and their application using the particle-tracking code MODPATH to simulate the groundwater age distribution of discharge to wells pumping from glacial deposits. The five study areas of the inset model correspond to 8-digit hydrologic unit code (HUC8) basins. Two of the basins are tributary to Lake Michigan from the east, two are tributary to the lake from the west, and one is just west of the western boundary of the Lake Michigan topographic basin. The inset models inherited many of the inputs to the parent LMB model, including the hydrostratigraphy and layering scheme, the hydraulic conductivity assigned to bedrock layers, recharge distribution, and water use in the form of pumping rates from glacial and bedrock wells. The construction of the inset models entailed modifying some inputs, most notably the grid spacing (reduced from cells 5,000 feet on a side in the parent LMB model to 500 feet on a side in the inset models). The refined grid spacing allowed for more precise location of pumped wells and more detailed simulation of groundwater/surface-water interactions. The glacial hydraulic conductivity values, the top bedrock surface elevation, and the surface-water network input to the inset models also were modified. The inset models are solved using the MODFLOW–NWT code, which allows for more robust handling of conditions in unconfined aquifers than previous versions of MODFLOW. Comparison of the MODFLOW inset models reveals that they incorporate a range of hydrogeologic conditions relative to the glacial part of the flow system, demonstrated by visualization and analysis of model inputs and outputs and reflected in the range of ages generated by MODPATH for existing and hypothetical glacial wells. Certain inputs and outputs are judged to be candidate predictors that, if

Automatically detecting Himalayan Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in LANDSAT time series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veh, Georg; Korup, Oliver; Roessner, Sigrid; Walz, Ariane

2017-04-01

More than 5,000 meltwater lakes currently exist in the Himalayas, and some of them have grown rapidly in past decades due to glacial retreat. This trend might raise the risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), which have caused catastrophic damage and several hundred fatalities in historic time. Yet the growing number and size of Himalayan glacial lakes have no detectable counterpart in increasing GLOF frequency. Only 35 events are documented in detail since the 1950s, mostly in the Himalayas of Eastern Nepal and Bhutan. Observations are sparse in the far eastern and totally missing in the northwestern parts of the mountain belt. The GLOF record is prone to a censoring bias, such that mainly larger floods or flood impacts have been registered. Thus, establishing a more complete record and learning from past GLOFs is essential for hazard assessment and regional planning. To detect previously unreported GLOFs in the Himalayas, we developed an automated processing chain for generating GLOF related surface-cover time series from LANDSAT data. We downloaded more than 5,000 available LANDSAT TM, ETM+ and OLI images from 1987 to present. We trained a supervised machine-learning classifier with >4,000 randomly selected image pixels and topographic variables derived from digital topographic data (SRTM and ALOS DEMs), defining water, sediment, shadow, clouds, and ice as the five main classes. We hypothesize that GLOFs significantly decrease glacial lake area while increasing the amount of sediment cover in the channel network downstream simultaneously. Thus we excluded shadows, clouds, and lake ice from the analysis. We derived surface cover maps from the fitted model for each satellite image and compiled a pixelwise time-series stack. Customized rule sets were applied to systematically remove misclassifications and to check for a sediment fan in the flow path downstream of the former lake pixels. We verified our mapping approach on thirteen GLOFs documented in the

An Imaging System capable of monitoring en-glacial and sub-glacial processes of glaciers, streaming ice and ice margins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frearson, N.

2012-12-01

Columbia University in New York is developing a geophysical instrumentation package that is capable of monitoring dynamic en-glacial and sub-glacial processes. The instruments include a Riegl Scanning Laser for precise measurements of the ice surface elevation, Stereo photogrammetry from a high sensitivity (~20mK) Infra-Red camera and a high resolution Visible Imaging camera (2456 x 2058 pixels) to document fine scale ice temperature changes and surface features, near surface ice penetrating radar and an ice depth measuring radar that can be used to study interior and basal processes of ice shelves, glaciers, ice streams and ice-sheets. All instrument data sets will be time-tagged and geo-referenced using precision GPS satellite data. Aircraft orientation will be corrected using inertial measurement technology integrated into the pod. This instrumentation will be flown across some of the planets largest outlet glaciers in Antarctica and Greenland. However, a key aspect of the design is that at the conclusion of the program, the Pod, Deployment Arm, Data Acquisition and Power and Environmental Management system will become available for use by the science community at large to install their own instruments onto. It will also be possible to mount the Icepod onto other airframes. The sensor system will become part of a research facility operated for the science community, and data will be maintained at and made available through a Polar Data Center.

Late Quaternary geomorphic history of a glacial landscape - new sedimentary and chronological data from the Cordillera de Cochabamba (Bolivia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

May, J.-H.; Preusser, F.; Zech, R.; Ilgner, J.; Veit, H.

2009-04-01

Throughout the Central Andes, glacial landscapes have long been used for the reconstruction of Late Quaternary glaciations and landscape evolution. Much work has focused on the Andes in Peru, Chile and the Bolivian Altiplano, whereas relatively little data has been published on glaciation history in the eastern Andean ranges and slopes. Even less is known with regard to the postglacial evolution of these glacial landscapes. In the Cordillera de Cochabamba (Bolivia), local maximum advances probably peaked around 20-25 ka BP and were followed by significant readvances between ~12-16 ka BP. This generally points to temperature controlled maximum glacial advances along the humid eastern slopes of the Central Andes, which is supported by glacier-climate-modelling studies. However, most studies include only marginal information with regard to the complex geomorphic and sedimentary situation in the Cordillera de Cochabamba. Furthermore, the chronological results are afflicted with several methodological uncertainties inherent to surface exposure dating and call for application of alternative, independent age dating methods. Therefore this study aims at i) documenting and interpreting the complex glacial geomorphology of the Huara Loma valley in the Cordillera de Cochabamba (Bolivia), ii) analyzing the involved units of glacial sediments, and iii) improving the chronological framework by applying optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon dating (14C). For this purpose, geomorphic mapping was combined with field documentation of sedimentary profiles. The involved sediments were subject to geochemical and mineralogical analysis in order to deduce information on their erosional and weathering histories. In addition, the interpretation of OSL ages from glacial and proglacial sediments integrated several methodological procedures with regard to sample preparation and statistical analysis of the measurements in order to increase the degree of confidence. These

Transient post-glacial processes on Mars: Geomorphologic evidence for a paraglacial period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jawin, Erica R.; Head, James W.; Marchant, David R.

2018-07-01

On Earth a transitional phase between glacial and interglacial periods is referred to as the paraglacial period. This period immediately postdates glacial retreat and is characterized by ice removal, glacial unloading, and the exposure of steep slopes and large sediment stores. These responses led to the development of a suite of morphologic units (e.g., talus cones, gullies, sackungen, and polygons) which, when observed together, are indicative of the paraglacial period. A similar period of transitional climate and deglaciation is identified on Mars in the Late Amazonian, characterized by the association of features in a glaciated 10.6 km diameter mid-latitude crater. This crater contains concentric crater fill (CCF) formed by debris-covered glaciers, as well as a suite of stratigraphically younger geomorphic units (e.g., spatulate depressions, washboard terrain, gullies, and polygonal terrain) that are all indicative of the local environmental response to deglaciation. These features are interpreted to represent a geologically recent martian paraglacial period within this crater. The morphology and relative stratigraphic relationships among these paraglacial features are described in order to assess the processes operating during deglaciation and to document the recent history of glaciation on Mars: spatulate depressions formed by the differential sublimation of pure glacial ice near the base of the crater wall; subsequently, due to the loss of basal support and steepened slopes, remnant ice on the crater wall began to flow downhill, and formed transverse crevasses that created washboard terrain. Continuous thermal cycling of sediment-mantled ice on crater walls created fractures that formed polygonal terrain. During this time and after, gullies formed by the transport of sediment downslope from crater rim alcoves. Analyses of modeled obliquity variations suggest that the paraglacial period could have operated within the last ∼5 Myr and may still be ongoing

Mapping Post-Glacial expansions: The Peopling of Southwest Asia

PubMed Central

Platt, Daniel E.; Haber, Marc; Dagher-Kharrat, Magda Bou; Douaihy, Bouchra; Khazen, Georges; Ashrafian Bonab, Maziar; Salloum, Angélique; Mouzaya, Francis; Luiselli, Donata; Tyler-Smith, Chris; Renfrew, Colin; Matisoo-Smith, Elizabeth; Zalloua, Pierre A.

2017-01-01

Archaeological, palaeontological and geological evidence shows that post-glacial warming released human populations from their various climate-bound refugia. Yet specific connections between these refugia and the timing and routes of post-glacial migrations that ultimately established modern patterns of genetic variation remain elusive. Here, we use Y-chromosome markers combined with autosomal data to reconstruct population expansions from regional refugia in Southwest Asia. Populations from three regions in particular possess distinctive autosomal genetic signatures indicative of likely refugia: one, in the north, centered around the eastern coast of the Black Sea, the second, with a more Levantine focus, and the third in the southern Arabian Peninsula. Modern populations from these three regions carry the widest diversity and may indeed represent the most likely descendants of the populations responsible for the Neolithic cultures of Southwest Asia. We reveal the distinct and datable expansion routes of populations from these three refugia throughout Southwest Asia and into Europe and North Africa and discuss the possible correlations of these migrations to various cultural and climatic events evident in the archaeological record of the past 15,000 years. PMID:28059138

Iceberg capsize hydrodynamics and the source of glacial earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaluzienski, Lynn; Burton, Justin; Cathles, Mac

2014-03-01

Accelerated warming in the past few decades has led to an increase in dramatic, singular mass loss events from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, such as the catastrophic collapse of ice shelves on the western antarctic peninsula, and the calving and subsequent capsize of cubic-kilometer scale icebergs in Greenland's outlet glaciers. The latter has been identified as the source of long-period seismic events classified as glacial earthquakes, which occur most frequently in Greenland's summer months. The ability to partially monitor polar mass loss through the Global Seismographic Network is quite attractive, yet this goal necessitates an accurate model of a source mechanism for glacial earthquakes. In addition, the detailed relationship between iceberg mass, geometry, and the measured seismic signal is complicated by inherent difficulties in collecting field data from remote, ice-choked fjords. To address this, we use a laboratory scale model to measure aspects of the post-fracture calving process not observable in nature. Our results show that the combination of mechanical contact forces and hydrodynamic pressure forces generated by the capsize of an iceberg adjacent to a glacier's terminus produces a dipolar strain which is reminiscent of a single couple seismic source.

Evolution of high-Arctic glacial landforms during deglaciation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Midgley, N. G.; Tonkin, T. N.; Graham, D. J.; Cook, S. J.

2018-06-01

Glacial landsystems in the high-Arctic have been reported to undergo geomorphological transformation during deglaciation. This research evaluates moraine evolution over a decadal timescale at Midtre Lovénbreen, Svalbard. This work is of interest because glacial landforms developed in Svalbard have been used as an analogue for landforms developed during Pleistocene mid-latitude glaciation. Ground penetrating radar was used to investigate the subsurface characteristics of moraines. To determine surface change, a LiDAR topographic data set (obtained 2003) and a UAV-derived (obtained 2014) digital surface model processed using structure-from-motion (SfM) are also compared. Evaluation of these data sets together enables subsurface character and landform response to climatic amelioration to be linked. Ground penetrating radar evidence shows that the moraine substrate at Midtre Lovénbreen includes ice-rich (radar velocities of 0.17 m ns-1) and debris-rich (radar velocities of 0.1-0.13 m ns-1) zones. The ice-rich zones are demonstrated to exhibit relatively high rates of surface change (mean thresholded rate of -4.39 m over the 11-year observation period). However, the debris-rich zones show a relatively low rate of surface change (mean thresholded rate of -0.98 m over the 11-year observation period), and the morphology of the debris-rich landforms appear stable over the observation period. A complex response of proglacial landforms to climatic warming is shown to occur within and between glacier forelands as indicated by spatially variable surface lowering rates. Landform response is controlled by the ice-debris balance of the moraine substrate, along with the topographic context (such as the influence of meltwater). Site-specific characteristics such as surface debris thickness and glaciofluvial drainage are, therefore, argued to be a highly important control on surface evolution in ice-cored terrain, resulting in a diverse response of high-Arctic glacial landsystems

Glacial-interglacial organic carbon record from the Makassar Strait, Indonesia: Implications for regional changes in continental vegetation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Visser, K.; Thunell, R.; Goni, M.A.

2004-01-01

Recent studies convincingly show that climate in the Western Pacific Warm Pool and other equatorial/tropical regions was significantly colder (by ???3-4??C) during glacial periods, prompting a reexamination of the late Pleistocene paleoenvironments of these regions. This study examines changes in continental vegetation during the last two deglaciations (Terminations I and II) using a sediment core (MD9821-62) recovered from the Makassar Strait, Indonesia. Evidence based on the lignin phenol ratios suggests that vegetation on Borneo and other surrounding islands did not significantly change from tropical rainforest during the last two glacial periods relative to subsequent interglacial periods. This supports the hypothesis that the winter monsoon increased in strength during glacial periods, allowing Indonesia to maintain high rainfall despite the cooler conditions. ?? 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bibliography of groundwater resources of the glacial aquifer systems in Washington, Idaho, and northwestern Montana, 1905-2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kahle, Sue C.; Futornick, Zoe O.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey Groundwater Resources Program is undertaking a series of regional groundwater availability studies to improve our understanding of groundwater availability in major aquifers across the Nation. One of the objectives of the Glacial Principal Aquifers study (proposed) is to provide information on the occurrence of groundwater in glacial aquifers in the United States, an area that includes parts of the northern continental States and much of Alaska. Toward this effort, a literature search was conducted to identify readily available documents that describe the occurrence of groundwater in glacial aquifers in the United States. This bibliography provides citations for documents, as well as codes indicating types of information available in each, for Washington, Idaho, and northwestern Montana—an area corresponding approximately to the southern extent of the Cordilleran ice sheet.

Hydrochemical Regions of the Glacial Aquifer System, Northern United States, and Their Environmental and Water-Quality Characteristics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arnold, Terri L.; Warner, Kelly L.; Groschen, George E.; Caldwell, James P.; Kalkhoff, Stephen J.

2008-01-01

The glacial aquifer system in the United States is a large (953,000 square miles) regional aquifer system of heterogeneous composition. As described in this report, the glacial aquifer system includes all unconsolidated geologic material above bedrock that lies on or north of the line of maximum glacial advance within the United States. Examining ground-water quality on a regional scale indicates that variations in the concentrations of major and minor ions and some trace elements most likely are the result of natural variations in the geologic and physical environment. Study of the glacial aquifer system was designed around a regional framework based on the assumption that two primary characteristics of the aquifer system can affect water quality: intrinsic susceptibility (hydraulic properties) and vulnerability (geochemical properties). The hydrochemical regions described in this report were developed to identify and explain regional spatial variations in ground-water quality in the glacial aquifer system within the hypothetical framework context. Data analyzed for this study were collected from 1991 to 2003 at 1,716 wells open to the glacial aquifer system. Cluster analysis was used to group wells with similar ground-water concentrations of calcium, chloride, fluoride, magnesium, potassium, sodium, sulfate, and bicarbonate into five unique groups. Maximum Likelihood Classification was used to make the extrapolation from clustered groups of wells, defined by points, to areas of similar water quality (hydrochemical regions) defined in a geospatial model. Spatial data that represented average annual precipitation, average annual temperature, land use, land-surface slope, vertical soil permeability, average soil clay content, texture of surficial deposits, type of surficial deposit, and potential for ground-water recharge were used in the Maximum Likelihood Classification to classify the areas so the characteristics of the hydrochemical regions would resemble the

Sulfur/Carbonate Springs and Life in Glacial Ice

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Carlton; Grasby, Stephen; Longazo, Teresa

2001-01-01

Ice in the near subsurface of Mars apparently discharges liquid water on occasion. Cold-tolerant microorganisms are known to exist within terrestrial glacial ice, and may be brought to the surface as a result of melting events. We are investigating a set of springs that deposit sulfur and carbonate minerals, as well as evidence of microbial life, on the surface of a glacier in the Canadian arctic. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

A coherent high-precision radiocarbon chronology for the Late-glacial sequence at Sluggan Bog, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowe, J. J.; Walker, M. J. C.; Scott, E. M.; Harkness, D. D.; Bryant, C. L.; Davies, S. M.

2004-02-01

Seventy-five radiocarbon dates are presented from Sluggan Bog in Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. The Holocene peats are underlain by Late-glacial sediments, which also appear to have accumulated largely in a mire environment. The radiocarbon dates, from the Late-glacial and early Holocene part of the profile, were obtained from the humic and humin fractions of the sedimentary matrix, and from plant macrofossils. The last-named were dated by AMS and the sediment samples by radiometric (beta counting) methods. Age-depth models for the three dating series show a very high level of agreement between the two fractions and the macrofossils. No statistically significant difference is found between the beta counting and AMS results. Three tephras were located in the profile, the uppermost of which is in a stratigraphical position suggestive of the Vedde Ash, but the geochemical and radiocarbon evidence do not support this interpretation. The lower ashes are in the correct stratigraphical position for the Laacher See and Borrobol tephras, attributions substantiated by the radiocarbon evidence, but not by the geochemical data. The Sluggan sequence has generated one of the most internally consistent radiocarbon chronologies for any Late-glacial site in the British Isles, and it is suggested that in future more effort should be devoted to the search for, and analysis of, Late-glacial mire sequences, rather than the limnic records that have formed the principal focus of Late-glacial investigations hitherto. Copyright

Simulation of groundwater flow in the glacial aquifer system of northeastern Wisconsin with variable model complexity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Juckem, Paul F.; Clark, Brian R.; Feinstein, Daniel T.

2017-05-04

The U.S. Geological Survey, National Water-Quality Assessment seeks to map estimated intrinsic susceptibility of the glacial aquifer system of the conterminous United States. Improved understanding of the hydrogeologic characteristics that explain spatial patterns of intrinsic susceptibility, commonly inferred from estimates of groundwater age distributions, is sought so that methods used for the estimation process are properly equipped. An important step beyond identifying relevant hydrogeologic datasets, such as glacial geology maps, is to evaluate how incorporation of these resources into process-based models using differing levels of detail could affect resulting simulations of groundwater age distributions and, thus, estimates of intrinsic susceptibility.This report describes the construction and calibration of three groundwater-flow models of northeastern Wisconsin that were developed with differing levels of complexity to provide a framework for subsequent evaluations of the effects of process-based model complexity on estimations of groundwater age distributions for withdrawal wells and streams. Preliminary assessments, which focused on the effects of model complexity on simulated water levels and base flows in the glacial aquifer system, illustrate that simulation of vertical gradients using multiple model layers improves simulated heads more in low-permeability units than in high-permeability units. Moreover, simulation of heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity fields in coarse-grained and some fine-grained glacial materials produced a larger improvement in simulated water levels in the glacial aquifer system compared with simulation of uniform hydraulic conductivity within zones. The relation between base flows and model complexity was less clear; however, the relation generally seemed to follow a similar pattern as water levels. Although increased model complexity resulted in improved calibrations, future application of the models using simulated particle

Altitudinal dynamics of glacial lakes under changing climate in the Hindu Kush, Karakoram, and Himalaya ranges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashraf, Arshad; Naz, Rozina; Iqbal, Muhammad Bilal

2017-04-01

The environmental challenges posed by global warming in the Himalayan region include early and rapid melting of snow and glaciers, creation of new lakes, and expansion of old ones posing a high risk of glacial lakes outburst flood (GLOF) hazard for downstream communities. According to various elevation ranges, 3044 lakes were analyzed basinwide in the Hindu Kush-Karakoram-Himalaya (HKH) ranges of Pakistan using multisensor remote sensing data of the 2001-2013 period. An overall increase in glacial lakes was observed at various altitudinal ranges between 2500 and 5500, m out of which noticeable change by number was within the 4000-4500 m range. The analysis carried out by glacial-fed lakes and nonglacial-fed lakes in different river basins indicated variable patterns depending on the geographic location in the HKH region. The correlation analysis of parameters like lake area, expansion rate, and elevation was performed with 617 glacial lakes distributed in various river basins of the three HKH ranges. Lake area (2013) and elevation showed a negative relationship for all basins except Hunza, Shigar, and Shyok. The correlation between the expansion rate of lakes and elevation was on the positive side for Swat, Gilgit, Shigar, and Shingo basins-a situation that may be attributed to the variable altitudinal pattern of temperature and precipitation. In order to explore such diverse patterns of lake behavior and relationship with influential factors in the HKH, detailed studies based on using high resolution image data coupled with in situ information are a prerequisite. Although an increase in lake area observed below 3500 m would be favorable for water resource management, but could be alarming in context of glacial flood hazards that need to be monitored critically on a long-term basis.

Mitochondrial DNA signals of late glacial recolonization of Europe from near eastern refugia.

PubMed

Pala, Maria; Olivieri, Anna; Achilli, Alessandro; Accetturo, Matteo; Metspalu, Ene; Reidla, Maere; Tamm, Erika; Karmin, Monika; Reisberg, Tuuli; Hooshiar Kashani, Baharak; Perego, Ugo A; Carossa, Valeria; Gandini, Francesca; Pereira, Joana B; Soares, Pedro; Angerhofer, Norman; Rychkov, Sergei; Al-Zahery, Nadia; Carelli, Valerio; Sanati, Mohammad Hossein; Houshmand, Massoud; Hatina, Jiři; Macaulay, Vincent; Pereira, Luísa; Woodward, Scott R; Davies, William; Gamble, Clive; Baird, Douglas; Semino, Ornella; Villems, Richard; Torroni, Antonio; Richards, Martin B

2012-05-04

Human populations, along with those of many other species, are thought to have contracted into a number of refuge areas at the height of the last Ice Age. European populations are believed to be, to a large extent, the descendants of the inhabitants of these refugia, and some extant mtDNA lineages can be traced to refugia in Franco-Cantabria (haplogroups H1, H3, V, and U5b1), the Italian Peninsula (U5b3), and the East European Plain (U4 and U5a). Parts of the Near East, such as the Levant, were also continuously inhabited throughout the Last Glacial Maximum, but unlike western and eastern Europe, no archaeological or genetic evidence for Late Glacial expansions into Europe from the Near East has hitherto been discovered. Here we report, on the basis of an enlarged whole-genome mitochondrial database, that a substantial, perhaps predominant, signal from mitochondrial haplogroups J and T, previously thought to have spread primarily from the Near East into Europe with the Neolithic population, may in fact reflect dispersals during the Late Glacial period, ∼19-12 thousand years (ka) ago. Copyright © 2012 The American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reconstructing the Mineralogy and Bioavailability of Dust-Borne Iron Deposited to the Southern Ocean through the Last Glacial Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shoenfelt, E. M.; Winckler, G.; Lamy, F.; Bostick, B. C.

2017-12-01

The iron (Fe) in dust deposited to the Fe-limited Southern Ocean plays an important role in ocean biogeochemistry and global climate. For instance, increases in dust-borne Fe deposition in the subantarctic Southern Ocean have been linked to increases in productivity and part of the CO2 drawdown of the last glacial cycle [1]. Notably, bioavailable Fe impacts productivity rather than total Fe. While it has long been understood that Fe mineralogy impacts Fe bioavailability in general, our understanding of the mineralogy of Fe in dust in specific is limited to that in modern dust sources. Reduced mineral Fe in dust has been shown to be more bioavailable than oxidized mineral iron, as it is more readily dissolved [2], and it is more easily utilized directly by a model diatom [3]. Our previous work focusing on South American dust sources shows that glacial activity is associated with higher Fe(II) fractions in dust-borne minerals, due to the physical weathering of Fe(II)-rich silicates in bedrock [3]. Thus, we hypothesize that there were higher Fe(II) fractions in dust deposited during cold glacial periods where ice sheets were more widespread. Using synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy, we have reconstructed the mineralogy of Fe deposited to Southern Ocean sediment cores from the subantarctic South Atlantic (TN057-6/ODP Site 1090) and South Pacific (PS7/56-1) through the last glacial cycle, creating the first paleorecord of Fe mineralogy and its associated bioavailability. During cold glacial periods there is a higher fraction of reduced Fe - in the form of Fe(II) silicates - deposited to the sediments compared to warm interglacial periods. Thus, Fe(II) content is directly correlated with dust input. The presence of Fe(II) silicates rather than products of diagenesis such as pyrite suggests that these Fe(II) minerals are physically weathered from bedrock and preserved rather than produced in the sediment. This result suggests that not only was there more dust

Late glacial and Early Holocene climatic conditions along the margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet, registered by glacial extents in Milne Land, east Greenland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levy, L.; Kelly, M. A.; Lowell, T. V.

2010-12-01

Determining the mechanisms that caused past abrupt climate changes is important for understanding today’s rapidly warming climate and, in particular, whether we may be faced with abrupt climate change in the future. Scientists, policy makers and the public are concerned about ongoing warming because it is sending our climate into unprecedented territory at a rapid pace. The Younger Dryas cold event (~12,850-11,650 cal yr B.P.) was an abrupt climate event that occurred during the last transition from glacial to interglacial conditions. Due to its abrupt nature and the magnitude of temperature change that occurred, the Younger Dryas has been the focus of extensive research, however, the mechanisms that caused this cold event are still not well understood. Wide belts (up to 5 km) of moraines, known as the Milne Land stade moraines, are present in the Scoresby Sund region of central east Greenland. Previous work in the region using a combination of equilibrium line altitudes, surface exposure dating of moraines, and relative sea level changes indicates that mountain glacier advances during Younger Dryas time represent only moderate summer temperature cooling (~3-4C colder than at present). In contrast, Greenland ice cores, which register mean annual temperatures, indicate that Younger Dryas temperatures over the ice sheet were ~15C colder than at present. This mismatch between the two nearby paleoclimate records is interpreted to result from strong seasonality (very cold winters and only moderately cold summers) during Younger Dryas time. We are examining seasonality during Younger Dryas time by developing records of summer temperatures from local glaciers in Milne Land (71.0°N, 25.6°W). These mountain glaciers are located adjacent to the Greenland Ice Sheet, less than 50 km from the location of Renland Ice core and only ~250 km from the locations of the GISP2 and GRIP cores. We present new 10Be ages of local glacial extents in Milne Land. Ages range from 11,880 yr

Glacial alteration of volcanic terrains: A chemical investigation of the Three Sisters, Oregon, USA.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rutledge, Alicia; Horgan, Briony; Havig, Jeff

2017-04-01

Glacial silica cycling is more efficient than previously reported, and in some settings, particularly glaciated mafic volcanics, can be the dominant weathering process. Based on field work at glaciated volcanic sites, we hypothesize that this is due to a combination of high rates of silica dissolution from mafic bedrock and reprecipitation of silica in the form of opaline silica coatings and other poorly crystalline silicate alteration phases. The high rate of bedrock comminution in subglacial environments results in high rates of both chemical and physical weathering, due to the increased reactive mineral surface area formed through glacial grinding. In most bedrock types, carbonate weathering is enhanced and silica fluxes are depressed in glacial outwash compared with global average riverine catchment runoff due to low temperatures and short residence times. However, in mafic systems, higher dissolved SiO2 concentrations have been observed. The major difference between observed glacial alteration of volcanic bedrock and more typical continental terrains is the absence of significant dissolved carbonate in the former. In the absence of carbonate minerals which normally dominate dissolution processes at glacier beds, carbonation of feldspar can become the dominant weathering process, which can result in a high proportion of dissolved silica fluxes in glacial outwash waters compared to the total cation flux. Mafic volcanic rocks are particularly susceptible to silica mobility, due to the high concentration of soluble minerals (i.e. plagioclase) as compared to the high concentration of insoluble quartz found in felsic rocks. To investigate melt-driven chemical weathering of mafic volcanics, water and rock samples were collected during July 2016 from glaciated volcanic bedrock in the Three Sisters Wilderness, Oregon, U.S.A. (44°9'N, 121°46'W): Collier Glacier (basaltic andesite, andesite), Hayden Glacier (andesite, dacite), and Diller Glacier (basalt). Here we

Glacial cold-water coral growth in the Gulf of Cádiz: Implications of increased palaeo-productivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wienberg, Claudia; Frank, Norbert; Mertens, Kenneth N.; Stuut, Jan-Berend; Marchant, Margarita; Fietzke, Jan; Mienis, Furu; Hebbeln, Dierk

2010-10-01

A set of 40 Uranium-series datings obtained on the reef-forming scleractinian cold-water corals Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata revealed that during the past 400 kyr their occurrence in the Gulf of Cádiz (GoC) was almost exclusively restricted to glacial periods. This result strengthens the outcomes of former studies that coral growth in the temperate NE Atlantic encompassing the French, Iberian and Moroccan margins dominated during glacial periods, whereas in the higher latitudes (Irish and Norwegian margins) extended coral growth prevailed during interglacial periods. Thus it appears that the biogeographical limits for sustained cold-water coral growth along the NE Atlantic margin are strongly related to climate change. By focussing on the last glacial-interglacial cycle, this study shows that palaeo-productivity was increased during the last glacial. This was likely driven by the fertilisation effect of an increased input of aeolian dust and locally intensified upwelling. After the Younger Dryas cold event, the input of aeolian dust and productivity significantly decreased concurrent with an increase in water temperatures in the GoC. This primarily resulted in reduced food availability and caused a widespread demise of the formerly thriving coral ecosystems. Moreover, these climate induced changes most likely caused a latitudinal shift of areas with optimum coral growth conditions towards the northern NE Atlantic where more suitable environmental conditions established with the onset of the Holocene.

Glacial landform assemblages in the catchment area of the upper Quitarasca valley (Cordillera Blanca, Perú)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iturrizaga, L.

2012-04-01

The research project focuses on the glacial landform sequences in the upper Quitarasca valley (8°51´S/77°36´W) with particular consideration of the Pucahirca glacier. The study area is located at the eastern side of the Cordillera Blanca, about almost 40 km valley upstream of the confluence with the Rio Santa valley. The highest catchment area is the Pucahirca Massif (6020 m a.s.l.). The present glacier tongue terminates at an elevation of 4500 m a.s.l.. The investigations analyzed the extent of the glaciations from the Last Glacial Maximum to modern times in regard to the transition of the moraine types during the course of deglaciation. The distinct moraine stages were correlated with existent glacial chronologies of adjacent valleys. Due to the hazard potential of the Laguna Safuna Alta, which developed in the late 1940s at the terminus of the Pucahirca glacier, detailed studies have been carried out by various research groups in regard to the composition of the historical / Neoglacial moraine composition providing at the same time valuable material for multi-temporal comparison of the recent development of the glacier tongue. The investigations presented here are part of a project on the glacial geomorphology in the Tropical Andes, financed by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

Spawning distribution of sockeye salmon in a glacially influenced watershed: The importance of glacial habitats

USGS Publications Warehouse

Young, Daniel B.; Woody, C.A.

2007-01-01

The spawning distribution of sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka was compared between clear and glacially turbid habitats in Lake Clark, Alaska, with the use of radiotelemetry. Tracking of 241 adult sockeye salmon to 27 spawning locations revealed both essential habitats and the relationship between spawn timing and seasonal turbidity cycles. Sixty-six percent of radio-tagged sockeye salmon spawned in turbid waters (???5 nephelometric turbidity units) where visual observation was difficult. Spawning in turbid habitats coincided with seasonal temperature declines and associated declines in turbidity and suspended sediment concentration. Because spawn timing is heritable and influenced by temperature, the observed behavior suggests an adaptive response to glacier-fed habitats, as it would reduce embryonic exposure to the adverse effects of fine sediments. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2007.

Periodic jökulhlaups from Pleistocene glacial Lake Missoula-New evidence from varved sediment in northern Idaho and Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waitt, Richard B.

1984-01-01

Newly examined exposures in northern Idaho and Washington show that catastrophic floods from glacial Lake Missoula during late Wisconsin time were repeated, brief jökulhlaups separated by decades of quiet glaciolacustrine and subaerial conditions. Glacial Priest Lake, dammed in the Priest River valley by a tongue of the Purcell trench lobe of the Cordilleran ice sheet, generally accumulated varved mud; the varved mud is sharply interrupted by 14 sand beds deposited by upvalley-running currents. The sand beds are texturally and structurally similar to slackwater sediment in valleys in southern Washington that were backflooded by outbursts from glacial Lake Missoula. Beds of varved mud also accumulated in glacial Lake Spokane (or Columbia?) in Latah Creek valley and elsewhere in northeastern Washington; the mud beds were disrupted, in places violently, during emplacement of each of 16 or more thick flood-gravel beds. This history corroborates evidence from southern Washington that only one graded bed is deposited per flood, refuting a conventional idea that many beds accumulated per flood. The total number of such floodlaid beds in stratigraphic succession near Spokane is at least 28. The mud beds between most of the floodlaid beds in these valleys each consist of between 20 and 55 silt-to-clay varves. Lacustrine environments in northern Idaho and Washington therefore persisted for two to six decades between regularly recurring, colossal floods from glacial Lake Missoula.

High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) observations of glacial and periglacial morphologies in the circum-Argyre Planitia highlands, Mars

USGS Publications Warehouse

Banks, Maria E.; McEwen, Alfred S.; Kargel, Jeffrey S.; Baker, Victor R.; Strom, Robert G.; Mellon, Michael T.; Gulick, Virginia C.; Keszthelyi, Laszlo; Herkenhoff, Kenneth E.; Pelletier, Jon D.; Jaeger, Windy L.

2008-01-01

The landscape of the Argyre Planitia and adjoining Charitum and Nereidum Montes in the southern hemisphere of Mars has been heavily modified since formation of the Argyre impact basin. This study examines morphologies in the Argyre region revealed in images acquired by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera and discusses the implications for glacial and periglacial processes. Distinctive features such as large grooves, semicircular embayments in high topography, and streamlined hills are interpreted as glacially eroded grooves, cirques, and whalebacks or roche moutonnée, respectively. Large boulders scattered across the floor of a valley may be ground moraine deposited by ice ablation. Glacial interpretations are supported by the association of these features with other landforms typical of glaciated landscapes such as broad valleys with parabolic cross sections and stepped longitudinal profiles, lobate debris aprons interpreted as remnant debris covered glaciers or rock glaciers, and possible hanging valleys. Aligned boulders observed on slopes may also indicate glacial processes such as fluting. Alternatively, boulders aligned on slopes and organized in clumps and polygonal patterns on flatter surfaces may indicate periglacial processes, perhaps postglaciation, that form patterned ground. At least portions of the Argyre region appear to have been modified by processes of ice accumulation, glacial flow, erosion, sediment deposition, ice stagnation and ablation, and perhaps subsequent periglacial processes. The type of bedrock erosion apparent in images suggests that glaciers were, at times, wet based. The number of superposed craters is consistent with geologically recent glacial activity, but may be due to subsequent modification.

Managing the effects of accelerated glacial melting on volcanic collapse and debris flows: Planchon-Peteroa Volcano, Southern Andes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tormey, Daniel

2010-11-01

Glaciated mountains are among the most sensitive environments to climatic changes, and recent work has shown that large-scale glacial melting, including at the end of the Pleistocene, caused a significant increase in the incidence of large volcanic sector collapse and debris flows on then-active volcanoes. With current accelerated rates of glacial melting, glaciated active volcanoes are at an increasing risk of sector collapse, debris flow and landslide. These catastrophic events are Earth's most damaging erosion phenomenon, causing extensive property damage and loss of life. This paper illustrates these effects in well-studied settings, focusing on the end-Pleistocene to Holocene glaciovolcanic growth and destruction of the cone of the active volcano Planchon-Peteroa in the Andean Southern Volcanic Zone at latitude 35° 15' S, along the border between Chile and Argentina. The development of the volcano over the last 14,000 years illustrates how glacial melting and magmatic activity can trigger landslides and sector collapses. Planchon had a large sector collapse that produced a highly mobile and erosive debris avalanche 11,000 years BP, and other slope instabilities during the end-Pleistocene/early Holocene deglaciation. The summit amphitheater left after the sector collapse was subject to alternating periods of glaciation and melting-induced lake formation. Breaching of the moraine dams then formed lahars and landslides originating at the western edge of the summit amphitheater, and the deposits are preserved along the western flank of the volcano. Deep incision of moraine deposits further down the western slope of the volcano indicates that the lahars and landslides were water-rich and had high erosive power. As illustrated by Planchon-Peteroa, the interplay among glacial growth and melting, magmatic activity, and slope stability is complex, but must be accounted for in volcanic hazard assessment. Planchon-Peteroa currently has the southernmost temperate zone

Increased seasonality in the Western Mediterranean during the last glacial from limpet shell geochemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferguson, Julie E.; Henderson, Gideon M.; Fa, Darren A.; Finlayson, J. Clive; Charnley, Norman R.

2011-08-01

The seasonal cycle is a fundamental aspect of climate, with a significant influence on mean climate and on human societies. Assessing seasonality in different climate states is therefore important but, outside the tropics, very few palaeoclimate records with seasonal resolution exist and there are currently no glacial-age seasonal-resolution sea-surface-temperature (SST) records at mid to high latitudes. Here we show that both Mg/Ca and oxygen isotope (δ 18O) ratios in modern limpet ( Patella) shells record the seasonal range of SST in the western Mediterranean — a region particularly susceptible to seasonal change. Analysis of a suite of fossil limpet shells from Gibraltar shows that SST seasonality was greater during the last glacial by ~ 2 °C as a result of greater winter cooling. These extra-tropical seasonal-resolution SST records for the last glacial suggest that the presence of large ice-sheets in the northern hemisphere enhances winter cooling. This result also indicates that seasonality in the Mediterranean is not well-represented in most palaeoclimate models, which typically show little change in seasonal amplitude, and provides a new test for the accuracy of climate models.

Lithostratigraphy does not always equal lithology: lessons learned in communicating uncertainty from stochastic modelling glacial and post glacial deposits in Glasgow U.K.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kearsey, Tim; Williams, John; Finlayson, Andrew; Williamson, Paul; Dobbs, Marcus; Kingdon, Andrew; Campbell, Diarmad

2014-05-01

Geological maps and 3D models usually depict lithostragraphic units which can comprise of many different types of sediment (lithologies). The lithostratigraphic units shown on maps and 3D models of glacial and post glacial deposits in Glasgow are substantially defined by the method of the formation and age of the unit rather than its lithological composition. Therefore, a simple assumption that the dominant lithology is the most common constituent of any stratigraphic unit is erroneous and is only 58% predictive of the actual sediment types seen in a borehole. This is problematic for non-geologist such as planners, regulators and engineers attempting to use these models to inform their decisions and can lead to such users viewing maps and models as of limited use in such decision making. We explore the extent to which stochastic modelling can help to make geological models more predictive of lithology in heterolithic units. Stochastic modelling techniques are commonly used to model facies variations in oil field models. The techniques have been applied to an area containing >4000 coded boreholes to investigate the glacial and fluvial deposits in the centre of the city of Glasgow. We test the predictions from this method by deleting percentages of the control data and re-running the simulations to determine how predictability varies with data density. We also explore the best way of displaying such stochastic models to and suggest that displaying the data as probability maps rather than a single definitive answer better illustrates the uncertainties inherent in the input data. Finally we address whether is it possible truly to be able to predict lithology in such geological facies. The innovative Accessing Subsurface Knowledge (ASK) network was recently established in the Glasgow are by the British Geological Survey and Glasgow City Council to deliver and exchange subsurface data and knowledge. This provides an idea opportunity to communicate and test a range of

Estimating the volume of Alpine glacial lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, S. J.; Quincey, D. J.

2015-12-01

Supraglacial, moraine-dammed and ice-dammed lakes represent a potential glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) threat to downstream communities in many mountain regions. This has motivated the development of empirical relationships to predict lake volume given a measurement of lake surface area obtained from satellite imagery. Such relationships are based on the notion that lake depth, area and volume scale predictably. We critically evaluate the performance of these existing empirical relationships by examining a global database of glacial lake depths, areas and volumes. Results show that lake area and depth are not always well correlated (r2 = 0.38) and that although lake volume and area are well correlated (r2 = 0.91), and indeed are auto-correlated, there are distinct outliers in the data set. These outliers represent situations where it may not be appropriate to apply existing empirical relationships to predict lake volume and include growing supraglacial lakes, glaciers that recede into basins with complex overdeepened morphologies or that have been deepened by intense erosion and lakes formed where glaciers advance across and block a main trunk valley. We use the compiled data set to develop a conceptual model of how the volumes of supraglacial ponds and lakes, moraine-dammed lakes and ice-dammed lakes should be expected to evolve with increasing area. Although a large amount of bathymetric data exist for moraine-dammed and ice-dammed lakes, we suggest that further measurements of growing supraglacial ponds and lakes are needed to better understand their development.

Ocean Cooling Pattern at the Last Glacial Maximum

DOE PAGES

Zhuang, Kelin; Giardino, John R.

2012-01-01

Ocean temperature and ocean heat content change are analyzed based on four PMIP3 model results at the Last Glacial Maximum relative to the prehistorical run. Ocean cooling mostly occurs in the upper 1000 m depth and varies spatially in the tropical and temperate zones. The Atlantic Ocean experiences greater cooling than the rest of the ocean basins. Ocean cooling is closely related to the weakening of meridional overturning circulation and enhanced intrusion of Antarctic Bottom Water into the North Atlantic.

The influence of Antarctic subglacial volcanism on the global iron cycle during the Last Glacial Maximum

PubMed Central

Frisia, Silvia; Weyrich, Laura S.; Hellstrom, John; Borsato, Andrea; Golledge, Nicholas R.; Anesio, Alexandre M.; Bajo, Petra; Drysdale, Russell N.; Augustinus, Paul C.; Rivard, Camille; Cooper, Alan

2017-01-01

Marine sediment records suggest that episodes of major atmospheric CO2 drawdown during the last glacial period were linked to iron (Fe) fertilization of subantarctic surface waters. The principal source of this Fe is thought to be dust transported from southern mid-latitude deserts. However, uncertainty exists over contributions to CO2 sequestration from complementary Fe sources, such as the Antarctic ice sheet, due to the difficulty of locating and interrogating suitable archives that have the potential to preserve such information. Here we present petrographic, geochemical and microbial DNA evidence preserved in precisely dated subglacial calcites from close to the East Antarctic Ice-Sheet margin, which together suggest that volcanically-induced drainage of Fe-rich waters during the Last Glacial Maximum could have reached the Southern Ocean. Our results support a significant contribution of Antarctic volcanism to subglacial transport and delivery of nutrients with implications on ocean productivity at peak glacial conditions. PMID:28598412

North Pacific atmospheric rivers and their influence on western North America at the Last Glacial Maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lora, Juan M.; Mitchell, Jonathan L.; Risi, Camille; Tripati, Aradhna E.

2017-01-01

Southwestern North America was wetter than present during the Last Glacial Maximum. The causes of increased water availability have been recently debated, and quantitative precipitation reconstructions have been underutilized in model-data comparisons. We investigate the climatological response of North Pacific atmospheric rivers to the glacial climate using model simulations and paleoclimate reconstructions. Atmospheric moisture transport due to these features shifted toward the southeast relative to modern. Enhanced southwesterly moisture delivery between Hawaii and California increased precipitation in the southwest while decreasing it in the Pacific Northwest, in agreement with reconstructions. Coupled climate models that are best able to reproduce reconstructed precipitation changes simulate decreases in sea level pressure across the eastern North Pacific and show the strongest southeastward shifts of moisture transport relative to a modern climate. Precipitation increases of ˜1 mm d-1, due largely to atmospheric rivers, are of the right magnitude to account for reconstructed pluvial conditions in parts of southwestern North America during the Last Glacial Maximum.

Isotopic evidence for cooler and drier conditions in the tropical Andes during the last glacial stage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mora, Germán; Pratt, Lisa M.

2001-06-01

Documentation of paleoclimatic conditions during the last glacial stage in the tropical Andes is sparse despite the importance of understanding past climate changes in the tropics. To reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions in the alpine neotropics, we measured the oxygen (δ18O) and hydrogen (δD) isotopic composition of authigenic kaolinite within weathering profiles of the Bogota basin (Colombia) because of the strong dependence of isotopic values on both surface temperature and rainfall. While kaolinite isotope data from Holocene soils in the basin reflect modern mean annual temperature and mean weighted rainwater isotopic composition of the basin, kaolinite isotope data from paleosols developed during the last glacial stage suggest 6 ± 2 °C cooler temperatures. Moreover, the isotope data indicate higher isotopic values of paleorainwater, interpreted to reflect drier conditions. The combination of reduced rainfall, temperature, and pCO2 significantly affected the distribution of tropical montane flora during the last glacial stage.

An Ocean Tale of Two Climates: Modern and Last Glacial Maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrari, R. M.

2014-12-01

In the present climate, the ocean below 2 km is mainly filled by waters sinking into the abyss around Antarctica and in the North Atlantic. Paleo proxies indicate that waters of North Atlantic origin were instead absent below 2 km at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), resulting in an expansion of the volume occupied by Antarctic origin waters. I will argue that this rearrangement of deep water masses is dynamically connected to the expansion of summer sea ice around Antarctica. A simple theory will be introduced to suggest that these deep waters only came to the surface under summer sea ice, which insulated them from atmospheric forcing, and were weakly mixed with overlying waters, thus being able to store carbon for long times. I will show that this unappreciated link between the expansion of sea ice and the appearance of a voluminous and insulated water mass appear to be crucial in explaining the ocean's role in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide on glacial-interglacial timescales.

Conceptual and numerical models of the glacial aquifer system north of Aberdeen, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marini, Katrina A.; Hoogestraat, Galen K.; Aurand, Katherine R.; Putnam, Larry D.

2012-01-01

This U.S. Geological Survey report documents a conceptual and numerical model of the glacial aquifer system north of Aberdeen, South Dakota, that can be used to evaluate and manage the city of Aberdeen's water resources. The glacial aquifer system in the model area includes the Elm, Middle James, and Deep James aquifers, with intervening confining units composed of glacial till. The Elm aquifer ranged in thickness from less than 1 to about 95 feet (ft), with an average thickness of about 24 ft; the Middle James aquifer ranged in thickness from less than 1 to 91 ft, with an average thickness of 13 ft; and the Deep James aquifer ranged in thickness from less than 1 to 165 ft, with an average thickness of 23 ft. The confining units between the aquifers consisted of glacial till and ranged in thickness from 0 to 280 ft. The general direction of groundwater flow in the Elm aquifer in the model area was from northwest to southeast following the topography. Groundwater flow in the Middle James aquifer was to the southeast. Sparse data indicated a fairly flat potentiometric surface for the Deep James aquifer. Horizontal hydraulic conductivity for the Elm aquifer determined from aquifer tests ranged from 97 to 418 feet per day (ft/d), and a confined storage coefficient was determined to be 2.4x10-5. Estimates of the vertical hydraulic conductivity of the sediments separating the Elm River from the Elm aquifer, determined from the analysis of temperature gradients, ranged from 0.14 to 2.48 ft/d. Average annual precipitation in the model area was 19.6 inches per year (in/yr), and agriculture was the primary land use. Recharge to the Elm aquifer was by infiltration of precipitation through overlying outwash, lake sediments, and glacial till. The annual recharge for the model area, calculated by using a soil-water-balance method for water year (WY) 1975-2009, ranged from 0.028 inch in WY 1980 to 4.52 inches in WY 1986, with a mean of 1.56 inches. The annual potential

Forest contraction in north equatorial Southeast Asia during the Last Glacial Period

PubMed Central

Wurster, Christopher M.; Bird, Michael I.; Bull, Ian D.; Creed, Frances; Bryant, Charlotte; Dungait, Jennifer A. J.; Paz, Victor

2010-01-01

Today, insular Southeast Asia is important for both its remarkably rich biodiversity and globally significant roles in atmospheric and oceanic circulation. Despite the fundamental importance of environmental history for diversity and conservation, there is little primary evidence concerning the nature of vegetation in north equatorial Southeast Asia during the Last Glacial Period (LGP). As a result, even the general distribution of vegetation during the Last Glacial Maximum is debated. Here we show, using the stable carbon isotope composition of ancient cave guano profiles, that there was a substantial forest contraction during the LGP on both peninsular Malaysia and Palawan, while rainforest was maintained in northern Borneo. These results directly support rainforest “refugia” hypotheses and provide evidence that environmental barriers likely reduced genetic mixing between Borneo and Sumatra flora and fauna. Moreover, it sheds light on possible early human dispersal events. PMID:20660748

A numerical solution to define channel heads and hillslope parameters from digital topography of glacially conditioned catchments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salcher, Bernhard; Baumann, Sebastian; Kober, Florian; Robl, Jörg; Heiniger, Lukas

2016-04-01

The analysis of the slope-area relationship in bedrock streams is a common way for discriminating the channel from the hillslope domain and associated landscape processes. Spatial variations of these domains are important indicators of landscape change. In fluvial catchments, this relationship is a function of contributing drainage area, channel slope and the threshold drainage area for fluvial erosion. The resulting pattern is related to climate, tectonic and underlying bedrock. These factors may become secondary in catchments affected by glacial erosion, as it is the case in many mid- to high-latitude mountain belts. The perturbation (i.e. the destruction) of an initial steady state fluvial bedrock morphology (where uplift is balanced by surface lowering rates) will tend to become successively larger if the repeated action of glacial processes exceeds the potential of fluvial readjustment during deglaciated periods. Topographic change is associated with a decrease and fragmentation of the channel network and an extension of the hillslope domain. In case of glacially conditioned catchments discrimination of the two domains remains problematic and a discrimination inconsistent. A definition is therefore highly needed considering that (i) a spatial shift in the domains affect the process and rate of erosion and (ii) topographic classifications of alpine catchments often base on channel and hillslope parameters (i.e.channel or hillslope relief). Here we propose a novel numerical approach to topographically define channel heads from digital topography in glacially conditioned mountain range catchments in order to discriminate the channel from the hillslope domain. We analyzed the topography of the southern European Central Alps, a region which (i) has been glaciated multiple times during the Quaternary, shows (ii) little lithological variations, is (iii) home of very low erodible rocks and is (iv) known as a region were tectonic processes have largely ceased. The

Revised Quaternary glacial succession and post-LGM recession, southern Wind River Range, Wyoming, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahms, Dennis; Egli, Markus; Fabel, Derek; Harbor, Jon; Brandová, Dagmar; de Castro Portes, Raquel; Christl, Marcus

2018-07-01

We present here a more complete cosmogenic chronology of Pleistocene glacial deposits for the Wind River Range, Wyoming, USA. Fifty-one new and thirty-nine re-calculated 10Be and 26Al exposure ages from Sinks and North Fork canyons, Stough Basin, Cirque of the Towers and the Temple Lake valley allow us to more tightly constrain the timing and sequence of glacial alloformations in the southern portion of the range. Moraines, diamicts and bedrock exposures here have previously been correlated with as many as five Pleistocene and four Holocene glacial events. Exposure ages from Pleistocene alloformations associated with trunk glaciers in Sinks Canyon and North Fork Canyon generally confirm earlier age estimates. Cosmogenic radionuclide (CRN, 10Be and 26Al) ages from moraines and striated bedrock surfaces previously mapped as Pinedale correspond to MIS2, while boulder exposure ages from moraines mapped as Bull Lake correspond generally to MIS5-MIS6. Geomorphic data from a moraine previously mapped as Younger pre-Sacagawea Ridge appears to correspond most closely to the Sacagawea Ridge glacial episode (MIS-16), but the uncertainty of a single 10Be exposure age suggests the unit could be as young as MIS-10 or as old as MIS-18. Boulders from a diamict on Table Mountain previously reported as Older pre-Sacagawea Ridge yield two 10Be exposure ages that suggest the presence of Early Pleistocene glacial activity here possibly older than 1-2 Ma (>MIS-30). Bedrock exposure ages within Sinks Canyon suggest the Pinedale valley glacier had retreated from the floor of Sinks Canyon to above PopoAgie Falls by ca. 15.3 ka. Cirque glaciers in Stough Basin appear to have retreated behind their riegels by ca. 16 ka, which suggests the cirque glaciers were decoupling across their riegels from the valley glaciers below at this time, prior to their readvance to form Lateglacial moraines. New 10Be boulder exposure ages from moraines previously correlated to the Temple Lake and Alice Lake

Submarine glacial geomorphology of the Irish-UK Celtic Sea: results from the GLAMAR and GATEWAYS campaigns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Praeg, Daniel; McCarrron, Stephen; Dove, Dayton; Accettella, Daniella; Clarke, Cathal; Cova, Andrea; Romeo, Roberto; Scott, Gill

2013-04-01

The submarine geomorphology of the Celtic Sea is dominated by a vast system of shelf-crossing ridges, which fan seaward across up to 300 km of the mid- to outer shelf of the Irish, UK and French sectors. The ridges have long been interpreted as moribund tidal sand ridges formed during the post-glacial marine transgression, which may have reworked glacial outwash from the last British-Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS). No geomorphological evidence of the BIIS has been recognised, but a mid-shelf grounding line has been proposed based on a seaward transition from subglacial till to glaciomarine sediments at the base of several BGS vibrocores from the Irish-UK sectors. However, one of these vibrocores proved till on a ridge flank, impying ice advance across it; this has led to a model in which the ridges were formed by palaeo-tidal processes prior to or during a rapid late-glacial advance of the Irish Sea Ice Stream (ISIS) to the mid-shelf. An alternative explanation is that the ridges are glaciofluvial features, formed by subglacial meltwater drainage beneath a more extensive ice sheet. This hypothesis formed the basis of an International Polar Year project (IPY EoI 529) that has been supported by campaigns of the r/v OGS Explora in 2009 (GLAMAR) and of the r/v Celtic Voyager in 2012 (GATEWAYS). The GLAMAR campaign targeted the mid-shelf grounding line, acquiring multbeam imagery and high-resolution seismic profiles (Chirp, sparker) correlated to BGS vibrocores. The multibeam imagery revealed remarkable bedforms at various scales: en echelon ridge segments up to 7 km wide and 55 m high, giving way laterally and axially to transverse 'ribs' up to 10 m high; superimposed on both are 'crenellations' <1 m in relief, of varying backscatter. No change in these morphologies is observed within a 25 x 100 km area extending 65 km seaward of the proposed grounding line. Stratigraphic correlation of seismic profiles to BGS vibrocores confirms the ridges to be mantled by glacial till and

Cosmic ray production rates of Be-10 and Al-26 in quartz from glacially polished rocks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nishiizumi, K.; Kohl, C. P.; Winterer, E. L.; Klein, J.; Middleton, R.

1989-01-01

The concentrations of Be-10 and Al-26 in quartz crystals extracted from glacially polished granitic surfaces from the Sierra Nevada range are studied. These surfaces are identified with the glacial advance during the Tioga period about 11,000 yr ago. The measurements yield the most accurate estimates to date for the absolute production rates of three nuclides in SiO2 due to cosmic ray nucleons and muons for geomagnetic latitudes 43.8-44.6 N and altitudes 2.1-3.6 km.

Pacing the post-Last Glacial Maximum demise of the Animas Valley glacier and the San Juan Mountain ice cap, Colorado

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guido, Zackry S.; Ward, Dylan J.; Anderson, Robert S.

2007-08-01

During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), a 5000 km2 ice cap covered the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado. The largest valley glacier draining this ice cap occupied the Animas Valley and flowed 91 km to the south. To characterize the post-LGM demise of the Animas Valley glacier, we employ cosmogenic 10Be to date the LGM terrace outside the terminal moraines and a suite of seven glacially polished bedrock samples. The 10Be depth profile within the terrace sediments suggests abandonment at 19.4 ± 1.5 ka. As deglaciation began, the ponding of Glacial Lake Durango behind the terminal moraines shut off fluvial sediment supply and caused terrace abandonment. The age of the terrace therefore records the initiation of LGM retreat. Negligible 10Be inheritance in the terrace profile suggests that glacial erosion of the bedrock valley floor from which sediments were derived erased all cosmogenic inventory. Glacial polish exposure ages monotonically decrease up-valley from 17.1 to 12.3 ka, with the single exception of a sample collected from a quartzite rib, yielding an average retreat rate of 15.4 m/yr. This trend and the lack of inherited cosmogenic nuclides in the terrace sediments imply that polish ages accurately record the glacial retreat history. Retreat of the Animas lobe began at a time of regional drying recorded in sediments and shoreline elevations of large lakes. Deglaciation lasted for ˜7.2 k.y., and was complete by 12.3 ± 1.0 ka. The retreat history followed the pattern of increasing insolation and was perhaps fastest during a time of regional drying.

Methane Hydrate Formation from Enhanced Organic Carbon Burial During Glacial Lowstands: Examples from the Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malinverno, A.; Cook, A.; Daigle, H.; Oryan, B.

2017-12-01

Methane hydrates in fine-grained marine sediments are often found within veins and fractures occupying discrete depth intervals that are surrounded by hydrate-free sediments. As they are not connected with gas sources beneath the base of the methane hydrate stability zone (MHSZ), these isolated hydrate-bearing intervals have been interpreted as formed by in situ microbial methane. We investigate here the hypothesis that these hydrate deposits form in sediments that were deposited during glacial lowstands and contain higher amounts of labile particulate organic carbon (POC), leading to enhanced microbial methanogenesis. During Pleistocene lowstands, river loads are deposited near the steep top of the continental slope and turbidity currents transport organic-rich, fine-grained sediments to deep waters. Faster sedimentation rates during glacial periods result in better preservation of POC because of decreased exposure times to oxic conditions. The net result is that more labile POC enters the methanogenic zone and more methane is generated in these sediments. To test this hypothesis, we apply an advection-diffusion-reaction model with a time-dependent deposition of labile POC at the seafloor controlled by glacioeustatic sea level variations in the last 250 kyr. The model is run for parameters estimated at three sites drilled by the 2009 Gulf of Mexico Joint Industry Project: Walker Ridge in the Terrebonne Basin (WR313-G and WR313-H) and Green Canyon near the canyon embayment into the Sigsbee Escarpment (GC955-H). In the model, gas hydrate forms in sediments with higher labile POC content deposited during the glacial cycle between 230 and 130 kyr (marine isotope stages 6 and 7). The corresponding depth intervals in the three sites contain hydrates, as shown by high bulk electrical resistivities and resistive subvertical fracture fills. This match supports the hypothesis that enhanced POC burial during glacial lowstands can result in hydrate formation from in situ

Methane Hydrate Formation from Enhanced Organic Carbon Burial During Glacial Lowstands: Examples from the Gulf of Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malinverno, Alberto; Cook, Ann; Daigle, Hugh

Methane hydrates in fine-grained marine sediments are often found within veins and fractures occupying discrete depth intervals that are surrounded by hydrate-free sediments. As they are not connected with gas sources beneath the base of the methane hydrate stability zone (MHSZ), these isolated hydrate-bearing intervals have been interpreted as formed by in situ microbial methane. We investigate here the hypothesis that these hydrate deposits form in sediments that were deposited during glacial lowstands and contain higher amounts of labile particulate organic carbon (POC), leading to enhanced microbial methanogenesis. During Pleistocene lowstands, river loads are deposited near the steep top ofmore » the continental slope and turbidity currents transport organic-rich, fine-grained sediments to deep waters. Faster sedimentation rates during glacial periods result in better preservation of POC because of decreased exposure times to oxic conditions. The net result is that more labile POC enters the methanogenic zone and more methane is generated in these sediments. To test this hypothesis, we apply an advection-diffusion-reaction model with a time-dependent deposition of labile POC at the seafloor controlled by glacioeustatic sea level variations in the last 250 kyr. The model is run for parameters estimated at three sites drilled by the 2009 Gulf of Mexico Joint Industry Project: Walker Ridge in the Terrebonne Basin (WR313-G and WR313-H) and Green Canyon near the canyon embayment into the Sigsbee Escarpment (GC955-H). In the model, gas hydrate forms in sediments with higher labile POC content deposited during the glacial cycle between 230 and 130 kyr (marine isotope stages 6 and 7). The corresponding depth intervals in the three sites contain hydrates, as shown by high bulk electrical resistivities and resistive subvertical fracture fills. This match supports the hypothesis that enhanced POC burial during glacial lowstands can result in hydrate formation from in

Kisameet Glacial Clay: an Unexpected Source of Bacterial Diversity

PubMed Central

Svensson, Sarah L.; Behroozian, Shekooh; Xu, Wanjing; Surette, Michael G.; Li, Loretta

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Widespread antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens is providing the impetus to explore novel sources of antimicrobial agents. Recently, the potent antibacterial activity of certain clay minerals has stimulated scientific interest in these materials. One such example is Kisameet glacial clay (KC), an antibacterial clay from a deposit on the central coast of British Columbia, Canada. However, our understanding of the active principles of these complex natural substances is incomplete. Like soils, clays may possess complex mixtures of bacterial taxa, including the Actinobacteria, a clade known to be rich in antibiotic-producing organisms. Here, we present the first characterization of both the microbial and geochemical characteristics of a glacial clay deposit. KC harbors surprising bacterial species richness, with at least three distinct community types. We show that the deposit has clines of inorganic elements that can be leached by pH, which may be drivers of community structure. We also note the prevalence of Gallionellaceae in samples recovered near the surface, as well as taxa that include medically or economically important bacteria such as Actinomycetes and Paenibacillus. These results provide insight into the microbial taxa that may be the source of KC antibacterial activity and suggest that natural clays may be rich sources of microbial and molecular diversity. PMID:28536287

[Distribution patterns of canopy and understory tree species at local scale in a Tierra Firme forest, the Colombian Amazonia].

PubMed

Barreto-Silva, Juan Sebastian; López, Dairon Cárdenas; Montoya, Alvaro Javier Duque

2014-03-01

The effect of environmental variation on the structure of tree communities in tropical forests is still under debate. There is evidence that in landscapes like Tierra Firme forest, where the environmental gradient decreases at a local level, the effect of soil on the distribution patterns of plant species is minimal, happens to be random or is due to biological processes. In contrast, in studies with different kinds of plants from tropical forests, a greater effect on floristic composition of varying soil and topography has been reported. To assess this, the current study was carried out in a permanent plot of ten hectares in the Amacayacu National Park, Colombian Amazonia. To run the analysis, floristic and environmental variations were obtained according to tree species abundance categories and growth forms. In order to quantify the role played by both environmental filtering and dispersal limitation, the variation of the spatial configuration was included. We used Detrended Correspondence Analysis and Canonical Correspondence Analysis, followed by a variation partitioning, to analyze the species distribution patterns. The spatial template was evaluated using the Principal Coordinates of Neighbor Matrix method. We recorded 14 074 individuals from 1 053 species and 80 families. The most abundant families were Myristicaceae, Moraceae, Meliaceae, Arecaceae and Lecythidaceae, coinciding with other studies from Northwest Amazonia. Beta diversity was relatively low within the plot. Soils were very poor, had high aluminum concentration and were predominantly clayey. The floristic differences explained along the ten hectares plot were mainly associated to biological processes, such as dispersal limitation. The largest proportion of community variation in our dataset was unexplained by either environmental or spatial data. In conclusion, these results support random processes as the major drivers of the spatial variation of tree species at a local scale on Tierra Firme

Equilibrium line altitudes and climate during the Late Holocene glacial maximum in the Andes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagredo, E. A.; Lowell, T. V.; Kelly, M. A.; Aravena, J.

2012-12-01

Documenting the spatial and temporal pattern of climate change associated with widespread glacial fluctuations during Late Holocene time is critical for understanding the mechanisms underlying these climatic/glacial events. Here, we estimate the change in equilibrium line altitudes (ELAs) associated with the most prominent glacial advance during the last millennium for four alpine glaciers in different climatic regimes in the Andes. We reconstruct scenarios of the climatic conditions (temperature and precipitation anomalies) that accommodate the ELA depressions. The glaciers studied are an unnamed glacier in the Cordillera Vilcanota (13°S), Tapado glacier (30°S), Cipreses glacier (34°S) and Tranquilo glacier (47°S). Results from the combined geomorphic analysis and application of a surface energy and mass balance model suggest that there is not a unique combination of temperature and precipitation conditions that accommodates the ELA change recorded since the Late Holocene maximum at the four sites. Assuming no change in precipitation, the ELA depressions could be explained by a cooling (with respect to present-day values) of at least -0.7°C at Cordillera Vilcanota, -1.0°C at Tapado glacier, -0.5°C at Cipreses glacier and -1.3°C at Tranquilo glacier. In contrast, assuming no change in temperature, the ELA depressions could be explained by an increase in the precipitation of at least 0.51 m (63% of the annual precipitation) at Cordillera Vilcanota, 0.33 m (95%) at Tapado glacier, 0.17 m (21%) at Cipreses glacier and 0.68 m (62%) at Tranquilo glacier. Our results serve as targets to test predictions from models of global climate dynamics for the last millennium and contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the Late Holocene glacial fluctuations.

Phylogeography and Post-Glacial Recolonization in Wolverines (Gulo gulo) from across Their Circumpolar Distribution

PubMed Central

Zigouris, Joanna; Schaefer, James A.; Fortin, Clément; Kyle, Christopher J.

2013-01-01

Interglacial-glacial cycles of the Quaternary are widely recognized in shaping phylogeographic structure. Patterns from cold adapted species can be especially informative - in particular, uncovering additional glacial refugia, identifying likely recolonization patterns, and increasing our understanding of species’ responses to climate change. We investigated phylogenetic structure of the wolverine, a wide-ranging cold adapted carnivore, using a 318 bp of the mitochondrial DNA control region for 983 wolverines (n = 209 this study, n = 774 from GenBank) from across their full Holarctic distribution. Bayesian phylogenetic tree reconstruction and the distribution of observed pairwise haplotype differences (mismatch distribution) provided evidence of a single rapid population expansion across the wolverine’s Holarctic range. Even though molecular evidence corroborated a single refugium, significant subdivisions of population genetic structure (0.01< ΦST <0.99, P<0.05) were detected. Pairwise ΦST estimates separated Scandinavia from Russia and Mongolia, and identified five main divisions within North America - the Central Arctic, a western region, an eastern region consisting of Ontario and Quebec/Labrador, Manitoba, and California. These data are in contrast to the nearly panmictic structure observed in northwestern North America using nuclear microsatellites, but largely support the nuclear DNA separation of contemporary Manitoba and Ontario wolverines from northern populations. Historic samples (c. 1900) from the functionally extirpated eastern population of Quebec/Labrador displayed genetic similarities to contemporary Ontario wolverines. To understand these divergence patterns, four hypotheses were tested using Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC). The most supported hypothesis was a single Beringia incursion during the last glacial maximum that established the northwestern population, followed by a west-to-east colonization during the Holocene. This

Phylogeography and post-glacial recolonization in wolverines (Gulo gulo) from across their circumpolar distribution.

PubMed

Zigouris, Joanna; Schaefer, James A; Fortin, Clément; Kyle, Christopher J

2013-01-01

Interglacial-glacial cycles of the Quaternary are widely recognized in shaping phylogeographic structure. Patterns from cold adapted species can be especially informative - in particular, uncovering additional glacial refugia, identifying likely recolonization patterns, and increasing our understanding of species' responses to climate change. We investigated phylogenetic structure of the wolverine, a wide-ranging cold adapted carnivore, using a 318 bp of the mitochondrial DNA control region for 983 wolverines (n=209 this study, n=774 from GenBank) from across their full Holarctic distribution. Bayesian phylogenetic tree reconstruction and the distribution of observed pairwise haplotype differences (mismatch distribution) provided evidence of a single rapid population expansion across the wolverine's Holarctic range. Even though molecular evidence corroborated a single refugium, significant subdivisions of population genetic structure (0.01< ΦST <0.99, P<0.05) were detected. Pairwise ΦST estimates separated Scandinavia from Russia and Mongolia, and identified five main divisions within North America - the Central Arctic, a western region, an eastern region consisting of Ontario and Quebec/Labrador, Manitoba, and California. These data are in contrast to the nearly panmictic structure observed in northwestern North America using nuclear microsatellites, but largely support the nuclear DNA separation of contemporary Manitoba and Ontario wolverines from northern populations. Historic samples (c. 1900) from the functionally extirpated eastern population of Quebec/Labrador displayed genetic similarities to contemporary Ontario wolverines. To understand these divergence patterns, four hypotheses were tested using Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC). The most supported hypothesis was a single Beringia incursion during the last glacial maximum that established the northwestern population, followed by a west-to-east colonization during the Holocene. This pattern is

Assimilation of aged organic carbon in a glacial river food web

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fellman, J.; Hood, E. W.; Raymond, P. A.; Bozeman, M.; Hudson, J.; Arimitsu, M.

2013-12-01

Identifying the key sources of organic carbon supporting fish and invertebrate consumers is fundamental to our understanding of stream ecosystems. Recent laboratory bioassays highlight that aged organic carbon from glacier environments is highly bioavailable to stream bacteria relative to carbon originating from ice-free areas. However, there is little evidence suggesting that this aged, bioavailable organic carbon is also a key basal carbon source for stream metazoa. We used natural abundance of Δ14C, δ13C, and δ15N to determine if fish and invertebrate consumers are subsidized by aged organic carbon in a glacial river in southeast Alaska. We collected biofilm, leaf litter, three different species of macroinvertebrates, and resident juvenile salmonids from a reference stream and two sites (one site is directly downstream of the glacial outflow and one site is upstream of the tidal estuary) on the heavily glaciated Herbert River. Key producers, fish, and invertebrate consumers in the reference stream had carbon isotope values that ranged from -26 to -30‰ for δ13C and from -12 to 53‰ for Δ14C, reflecting a food web sustained mainly on contemporary primary production. In contrast, biofilm in the two glacial sites was highly Δ14C depleted (-203 to -215‰) relative to the reference site. Although biofilm may consist of both bacteria and benthic algae utilizing carbon depleted in Δ14C, δ13C values for biofilm (-24.1‰), dissolved inorganic carbon (-5.9‰), and dissolved organic carbon (-24.0‰) suggest that biofilm consist of bacteria sustained in part by glacier-derived, aged organic carbon. Invertebrate consumers (mean Δ14C of -80.5, mean δ13C of -26.5) and fish (mean Δ14C of -63.3, mean δ13C of -25.7) in the two glacial sites had carbon isotope values similar to biofilm. These results similarly show that aged organic carbon is incorporated into the metazoan food web. Overall, our findings indicate that continued watershed deglaciation and

The vegetation cover of New Zealand at the Last Glacial Maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newnham, Rewi; McGlone, Matt; Moar, Neville; Wilmshurst, Janet; Vandergoes, Marcus

2013-08-01

A new reconstruction of the vegetation cover for New Zealand at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) is presented, based primarily on a database of 66 pollen site records and a more limited range of plant macrofossil and coleopteran records. Extensive forest is evident only from Auckland northwards. Conifer-broadleaf forest similar to that in the region today, but with Agathis australis scarce, persisted in the far north, whilst Nothofagus trees and a range of shrub taxa characterised the more open forests elsewhere in Northland. Survival of Nothofagus-dominated forest in coastal and exposed continental shelf locations to the southwest of Auckland and northwestern South Island is also indicated. Beyond these regions, vegetation cover comprised shrubland- and grassland-dominant communities, with the latter more prominent in eastern areas, to the south and presumably at higher altitudes. Nevertheless the survival of forest trees is indicated unambiguously in most regions apart from the eastern South Island. Thus the concept of 'micro glacial forest refugia' in New Zealand remains supported by this latest glacial vegetation reconstruction and we draw possible parallels with the developing but contentious concept of 'northern cryptic refugia' in Europe. Recent assertions that pollen and beetle reconstructions of the New Zealand LGM vegetation patterns diverge significantly are not supported by this analysis. Rather, the two proxies are readily reconciled if the term 'woody' as indicated by coleoptera is not restricted to tall forest trees but extended to the widespread woody shrub and small tree elements of the New Zealand flora. Regional distinctions in the LGM vegetation reconstruction concur broadly with the contemporary vegetation pattern, suggesting that, along with temperature depression and likely drier growing conditions, a zonal circulation regime with prominent southern westerly winds was important at 21 ka, as it is today. Pollen-climate modelling of the extent of

Alternative glacial-interglacial refugia demographic hypotheses tested on Cephalocereus columna-trajani (Cactaceae) in the intertropical Mexican drylands

PubMed Central

Cornejo-Romero, Amelia; Aguilar-Martínez, Gustavo F.; Medina-Sánchez, Javier; Rendón-Aguilar, Beatriz; Valverde, Pedro Luis; Zavala-Hurtado, Jose Alejandro; Serrato, Alejandra; Rivas-Arancibia, Sombra; Pérez-Hernández, Marco Aurelio; López-Ortega, Gerardo; Jiménez-Sierra, Cecilia

2017-01-01

Historic demography changes of plant species adapted to New World arid environments could be consistent with either the Glacial Refugium Hypothesis (GRH), which posits that populations contracted to refuges during the cold-dry glacial and expanded in warm-humid interglacial periods, or with the Interglacial Refugium Hypothesis (IRH), which suggests that populations contracted during interglacials and expanded in glacial times. These contrasting hypotheses are developed in the present study for the giant columnar cactus Cephalocereus columna-trajani in the intertropical Mexican drylands where the effects of Late Quaternary climatic changes on phylogeography of cacti remain largely unknown. In order to determine if the historic demography and phylogeographic structure of the species are consistent with either hypothesis, sequences of the chloroplast regions psbA-trnH and trnT-trnL from 110 individuals from 10 populations comprising the full distribution range of this species were analysed. Standard estimators of genetic diversity and structure were calculated. The historic demography was analysed using a Bayesian approach and the palaeodistribution was derived from ecological niche modelling to determine if, in the arid environments of south-central Mexico, glacial-interglacial cycles drove the genetic divergence and diversification of this species. Results reveal low but statistically significant population differentiation (FST = 0.124, P < 0.001), although very clear geographic clusters are not formed. Genetic diversity, haplotype network and Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) demographic analyses suggest a population expansion estimated to have taken place in the Last Interglacial (123.04 kya, 95% CI 115.3–130.03). The species palaeodistribution is consistent with the ABC analyses and indicates that the potential area of palaedistribution and climatic suitability were larger during the Last Interglacial and Holocene than in the Last Glacial Maximum. Overall

Alternative glacial-interglacial refugia demographic hypotheses tested on Cephalocereus columna-trajani (Cactaceae) in the intertropical Mexican drylands.

PubMed

Cornejo-Romero, Amelia; Vargas-Mendoza, Carlos Fabián; Aguilar-Martínez, Gustavo F; Medina-Sánchez, Javier; Rendón-Aguilar, Beatriz; Valverde, Pedro Luis; Zavala-Hurtado, Jose Alejandro; Serrato, Alejandra; Rivas-Arancibia, Sombra; Pérez-Hernández, Marco Aurelio; López-Ortega, Gerardo; Jiménez-Sierra, Cecilia

2017-01-01

Historic demography changes of plant species adapted to New World arid environments could be consistent with either the Glacial Refugium Hypothesis (GRH), which posits that populations contracted to refuges during the cold-dry glacial and expanded in warm-humid interglacial periods, or with the Interglacial Refugium Hypothesis (IRH), which suggests that populations contracted during interglacials and expanded in glacial times. These contrasting hypotheses are developed in the present study for the giant columnar cactus Cephalocereus columna-trajani in the intertropical Mexican drylands where the effects of Late Quaternary climatic changes on phylogeography of cacti remain largely unknown. In order to determine if the historic demography and phylogeographic structure of the species are consistent with either hypothesis, sequences of the chloroplast regions psbA-trnH and trnT-trnL from 110 individuals from 10 populations comprising the full distribution range of this species were analysed. Standard estimators of genetic diversity and structure were calculated. The historic demography was analysed using a Bayesian approach and the palaeodistribution was derived from ecological niche modelling to determine if, in the arid environments of south-central Mexico, glacial-interglacial cycles drove the genetic divergence and diversification of this species. Results reveal low but statistically significant population differentiation (FST = 0.124, P < 0.001), although very clear geographic clusters are not formed. Genetic diversity, haplotype network and Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) demographic analyses suggest a population expansion estimated to have taken place in the Last Interglacial (123.04 kya, 95% CI 115.3-130.03). The species palaeodistribution is consistent with the ABC analyses and indicates that the potential area of palaedistribution and climatic suitability were larger during the Last Interglacial and Holocene than in the Last Glacial Maximum. Overall

Modeling the Spreading of Glacial Melt Water from the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakayama, Y.; Timmermann, R.; Rodehacke, C. B.; Schröder, M.; Hellmer, H. H.

2014-12-01

The ice shelves and glaciers of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) are rapidly thinning, especially in the Amundsen Sea (AS) and Bellingshausen Sea (BS). The high basal melting of these small ice shelves is caused by relatively warm Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) that, based on observations, mainly intrudes via two submarine glacial troughs located at the eastern and central AS continental shelf break. When CDW reaches the grounding line of the fringing glaciers, it melts the glaciers and forms buoyant melt water plumes. As the glacial melt becomes part of the AS shelf circulation, it may cause a freshening of the shelf water locally as well as remotely in the Ross Sea (RS). To test whether the observed freshening of the RS is a consequence of the enhanced basal melting of AS ice shelves, we use Finite-Element Sea-ice/ice-shelf/Ocean Model (FESOM) with a horizontal resolution of 2-10 km on the AS and BS continental shelves. The model is forced with 6-hourly atmospheric data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (NCEP-CFSR) for the period 1979-1988. The model results show bottom temperatures in the AS and BS close to observations, and basal melt rates of AS and BS ice shelves consistent with other observation-based estimates. Using several independent virtual passive tracers to identify pathways of the glacial melt, we find that the melt water from the ice shelves in the AS flows towards the Ross Ice Shelf front. After 10 years of simulation, about half of the melt water in the Ross Sea originates from the Getz Ice Shelf. Further, we investigate the sensitivity of the melt water transport into the RS associated with the strength of the basal melt water flux. When this flux is increased by 30%, the transport of glacial melt into the RS more than doubles, supporting the idea that the basal melting of AS and BS ice shelves is one of the main reasons for the freshening of the RS continental shelf.

Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Risk in Nepal and Their Mitigation Practices in Nepal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurung, S.

2017-12-01

Glacial lakes in Nepal face a huge risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) due to the ongoing effects of climate change leading to considerable amount of snow and glacier melt thus weakening the natural barriers holding these high altitude glacial lakes. Nepal is at an ever growing risk every year and always waiting for an inevitable natural disaster. Since GLOF can cause extreme huge loss of human lives and physical properties, it has now become very important to design a proper mechanism which helps in reducing hazards from such events. There is little we can do to stop natural disasters, but we can implement pro-active control measures to minimize the loss. Early Warning System is the provision of timely and effective information, which allows individuals exposed to hazards to take action, avoid or reduce risk to life and property and prepare for effective response. The basic idea behind Early Warning System is that, the earlier and more accurately we are able to predict potential risks associated with natural hazards especially flood, the more likely we will be able to manage and mitigate the disasters' impact on society, economies and environment. We are currently focused on the development of early warning system for Imja Glacial Lake. The objective of developing early warning system for Imja GLOF is to help reduce economic losses and mitigate the number of injuries or deaths by providing information that allows individuals and communities downstream of Imja Lake to protect their lives and properties by using the latest and most advanced technology available. We have installed one Automatic Weather Station near the left lateral moraine of Imja Lake to study the effects of different meteorological parameters so as to predict occurrence of any GLOF event. The sensor includes pluviometer, pyranometer, temperature and humidity sensor, wind sensor, Snowdepth sensor. Two radar level sensors are installed at the outlet of Imja Lake and downstream of Imja river

Possible recent and ancient glacial ice flow in the south polar region of Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kargel, J. S.

1992-01-01

Martian polar science began almost as soon as small telescopes were trained on the planet. The seasonal expansion and contraction of the polar caps and their high albedoes led most astronomers to think that water ice is the dominant constituent. In 1911 Lowell perceived a bluish band around the retreating edge of the polar caps, and interpreted it as water from melting polar ice and seasonal snow. An alternative idea in his time was that the polar caps consist of frozen carbonic acid. Lowell rejected the carbonic acid hypothesis on account of his blue band. He also pointed out that carbonic acid would sublimate rather than melt at confining pressures near and below one bar, hence, carbonic acid could not account for the blue band. In comparing Lowell's theories with today's knowledge, it is recognized that (1) sublimation is mainly responsible for the growth and contraction of Mars' polar caps, (2) carbon dioxide is a major component of the southern polar cap, and (3) Lowell's blue band was probably seasonal dust and/or clouds. Geomorphic evidence that glacial ice and glacial melt waters once flowed over broad areas of the southern polar region. Two aspects of the south polar region suggest possible glacial processes during two distinct eras in Mars' history.

Global patterns of declining temperature variability from the Last Glacial Maximum to the Holocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rehfeld, Kira; Münch, Thomas; Ho, Sze Ling; Laepple, Thomas

2018-02-01

Changes in climate variability are as important for society to address as are changes in mean climate. Contrasting temperature variability during the Last Glacial Maximum and the Holocene can provide insights into the relationship between the mean state of the climate and its variability. However, although glacial-interglacial changes in variability have been quantified for Greenland, a global view remains elusive. Here we use a network of marine and terrestrial temperature proxies to show that temperature variability decreased globally by a factor of four as the climate warmed by 3-8 degrees Celsius from the Last Glacial Maximum (around 21,000 years ago) to the Holocene epoch (the past 11,500 years). This decrease had a clear zonal pattern, with little change in the tropics (by a factor of only 1.6-2.8) and greater change in the mid-latitudes of both hemispheres (by a factor of 3.3-14). By contrast, Greenland ice-core records show a reduction in temperature variability by a factor of 73, suggesting influences beyond local temperature or a decoupling of atmospheric and global surface temperature variability for Greenland. The overall pattern of reduced variability can be explained by changes in the meridional temperature gradient, a mechanism that points to further decreases in temperature variability in a warmer future.

Global patterns of declining temperature variability from the Last Glacial Maximum to the Holocene.

PubMed

Rehfeld, Kira; Münch, Thomas; Ho, Sze Ling; Laepple, Thomas

2018-02-15

Changes in climate variability are as important for society to address as are changes in mean climate. Contrasting temperature variability during the Last Glacial Maximum and the Holocene can provide insights into the relationship between the mean state of the climate and its variability. However, although glacial-interglacial changes in variability have been quantified for Greenland, a global view remains elusive. Here we use a network of marine and terrestrial temperature proxies to show that temperature variability decreased globally by a factor of four as the climate warmed by 3-8 degrees Celsius from the Last Glacial Maximum (around 21,000 years ago) to the Holocene epoch (the past 11,500 years). This decrease had a clear zonal pattern, with little change in the tropics (by a factor of only 1.6-2.8) and greater change in the mid-latitudes of both hemispheres (by a factor of 3.3-14). By contrast, Greenland ice-core records show a reduction in temperature variability by a factor of 73, suggesting influences beyond local temperature or a decoupling of atmospheric and global surface temperature variability for Greenland. The overall pattern of reduced variability can be explained by changes in the meridional temperature gradient, a mechanism that points to further decreases in temperature variability in a warmer future.

Large drainages from short-lived glacial lakes in the Teskey Range, Tien Shan Mountains, Central Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narama, Chiyuki; Daiyrov, Mirlan; Duishonakunov, Murataly; Tadono, Takeo; Sato, Hayato; Kääb, Andreas; Ukita, Jinro; Abdrakhmatov, Kanatbek

2018-04-01

Four large drainages from glacial lakes occurred during 2006-2014 in the western Teskey Range, Kyrgyzstan. These floods caused extensive damage, killing people and livestock as well as destroying property and crops. Using satellite data analysis and field surveys of this area, we find that the water volume that drained at Kashkasuu glacial lake in 2006 was 194 000 m3, at western Zyndan lake in 2008 was 437 000 m3, at Jeruy lake in 2013 was 182 000 m3, and at Karateke lake in 2014 was 123 000 m3. Due to their subsurface outlet, we refer to these short-lived glacial lakes as the tunnel-type, a type that drastically grows and drains over a few months. From spring to early summer, these lakes either appear, or in some cases, significantly expand from an existing lake (but non-stationary), and then drain during summer. Our field surveys show that the short-lived lakes form when an ice tunnel through a debris landform gets blocked. The blocking is caused either by the freezing of stored water inside the tunnel during winter or by the collapse of ice and debris around the ice tunnel. The draining then occurs through an opened ice tunnel during summer. The growth-drain cycle can repeat when the ice-tunnel closure behaves like that of typical supraglacial lakes on debris-covered glaciers. We argue here that the geomorphological characteristics under which such short-lived glacial lakes appear are (i) a debris landform containing ice (ice-cored moraine complex), (ii) a depression with water supply on a debris landform as a potential lake basin, and (iii) no visible surface outflow channel from the depression, indicating the existence of an ice tunnel. Applying these characteristics, we examine 60 depressions (> 0.01 km2) in the study region and identify here 53 of them that may become short-lived glacial lakes, with 34 of these having a potential drainage exceeding 10 m3 s-1 at peak discharge.

The influence of glacier ice temperature on the long-term evolution of longitudinal valley profiles: Can a landscape escape from the "glacial buzzsaw"?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dühnforth, M.; Anderson, R. S.; Colgan, W.

2012-04-01

The long-term pattern of glacial erosion in alpine valleys leads to characteristic longitudinal valley profiles. While landscape evolution models commonly take glacier sliding velocity to be the dominant control on erosion, the influence of spatial and temporal variations in glacier ice temperature on the efficiency of erosion over long timescales (>1 Ma) remains largely unexplored. Yet, the thermal field of a glacier can strongly influence the pattern of sliding. Temperate glaciers, with basal temperatures at the pressure melting point (PMP), slide whenever and wherever the glacial hydrology produces high water pressures. In contrast, in polythermal glaciers, erosion efficiency is strongly linked to basal ice temperature; when and where basal ice temperatures are below the PMP sliding, and hence erosion, are limited. We present results from numerical models in which we explore the influence of variations in glacier ice temperature on long-term glacial erosion processes in alpine valleys. These simulations are motivated by the persistent appeal of geomorphologists to polar glacial conditions to explain sites of unusually low glacial erosion rates. We employ a transient 1D (flowline) ice flow model that numerically solves the continuity equation for ice, and includes a depth-averaged approximation for longitudinal coupling stress. We prescribe separate winter and summer surface mass balance profiles: a capped elevation-dependent snowfall pattern in winter, and we capture both daily and seasonal oscillations in ablation using a positive degree day algorithm in summer. The steady-state ice temperature within the glacier is calculated using the conventional 2D (cross-sectional) heat equation (i.e. diffusion, advection and production terms) at a prescribed interval. The ice temperature model uses the surface temperature at the end of each melt season as the surface boundary condition, and a prescribed geothermal gradient as the basal boundary condition. Basal sliding is

Response of walleye and yellow perch to water-level fluctuations in glacial lakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dembkowski, D.J.; Chipps, Steven R.; Blackwell, B. G.

2014-01-01

The influence of water levels on population characteristics of yellow perch, Perca flavescens (Mitchill), and walleye, Sander vitreus (Mitchill), was evaluated across a range of glacial lakes in north-eastern South Dakota, USA. Results showed that natural variation in water levels had an important influence on frequently measured fish population characteristics. Yellow perch abundance was significantly (P<0.10) greater during elevated water levels. Yellow perch size structure, as indexed by the proportional size distribution of quality- and preferred-length fish (PSD and PSD-P), was significantly greater during low-water years, as was walleye PSD. Mean relative weight of walleye increased significantly during high-water periods. The dynamic and unpredictable nature of water-level fluctuations in glacial lakes ultimately adds complexity to management of these systems.

Eight glacial cycles from an Antarctic ice core.

PubMed

Augustin, Laurent; Barbante, Carlo; Barnes, Piers R F; Barnola, Jean Marc; Bigler, Matthias; Castellano, Emiliano; Cattani, Olivier; Chappellaz, Jerome; Dahl-Jensen, Dorthe; Delmonte, Barbara; Dreyfus, Gabrielle; Durand, Gael; Falourd, Sonia; Fischer, Hubertus; Flückiger, Jacqueline; Hansson, Margareta E; Huybrechts, Philippe; Jugie, Gérard; Johnsen, Sigfus J; Jouzel, Jean; Kaufmann, Patrik; Kipfstuhl, Josef; Lambert, Fabrice; Lipenkov, Vladimir Y; Littot, Geneviève C; Longinelli, Antonio; Lorrain, Reginald; Maggi, Valter; Masson-Delmotte, Valerie; Miller, Heinz; Mulvaney, Robert; Oerlemans, Johannes; Oerter, Hans; Orombelli, Giuseppe; Parrenin, Frederic; Peel, David A; Petit, Jean-Robert; Raynaud, Dominique; Ritz, Catherine; Ruth, Urs; Schwander, Jakob; Siegenthaler, Urs; Souchez, Roland; Stauffer, Bernhard; Steffensen, Jorgen Peder; Stenni, Barbara; Stocker, Thomas F; Tabacco, Ignazio E; Udisti, Roberto; Van De Wal, Roderik S W; Van Den Broeke, Michiel; Weiss, Jerome; Wilhelms, Frank; Winther, Jan-Gunnar; Wolff, Eric W; Zucchelli, Mario

2004-06-10

The Antarctic Vostok ice core provided compelling evidence of the nature of climate, and of climate feedbacks, over the past 420,000 years. Marine records suggest that the amplitude of climate variability was smaller before that time, but such records are often poorly resolved. Moreover, it is not possible to infer the abundance of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from marine records. Here we report the recovery of a deep ice core from Dome C, Antarctica, that provides a climate record for the past 740,000 years. For the four most recent glacial cycles, the data agree well with the record from Vostok. The earlier period, between 740,000 and 430,000 years ago, was characterized by less pronounced warmth in interglacial periods in Antarctica, but a higher proportion of each cycle was spent in the warm mode. The transition from glacial to interglacial conditions about 430,000 years ago (Termination V) resembles the transition into the present interglacial period in terms of the magnitude of change in temperatures and greenhouse gases, but there are significant differences in the patterns of change. The interglacial stage following Termination V was exceptionally long--28,000 years compared to, for example, the 12,000 years recorded so far in the present interglacial period. Given the similarities between this earlier warm period and today, our results may imply that without human intervention, a climate similar to the present one would extend well into the future.

Late Glacial lakes - uniform or contrasting ecosystems?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zawiska, Izabela; Rzodkiewicz, Monika; Noryśkiewicz, Agnieszka M.; Obremska, Milena; Ott, Florian; Kramkowski, Mateusz; Słowiński, Michał; Błaszkiewicz, Mirosław; Brauer, Achim

2015-04-01

Climate changes are one of the most investigated topic in paleolimnology. The Late Glacial and Early Holocene time are specially interesting as than most abrupt changes happened. Lake sediments are known to be great source of information of the past environments. They are functioning as natural archives because in them preserve animal and plants remains. In this study we investigated three cores of the biogenic sediments from the lakes located in close vicinity in Tuchola Forest (Northern Poland): paleolake Trzechowskie, Lake Czechowskie-deepest part and Lake Czechowskie-bay. We made Cladocera, diatom and pollen analysis, the chronology was determined by varve counting, Laacher See Tephra (12,880 yrs BP) and 14C dating. The aim of our research was to find out the response of zooplankton, phytoplankton, lake and catchment vegetation to abrupt climate changes. We were interested in similarities and differences between those three locations in response of entire communities but also species composition. The preliminary results revealed that the Cladocera, diatoms and plants communities were sensitive to climatic shifts and it is well shown in the results of ordination method (PCA). However in the Cladocera and diatoms assemblages, which reflect well lake environment conditions, the dominant species and total number of species present, were different in all three locations. Especially great difference was noted between paleolake Trzechowskie and Lake Czechowskie (core from the deepest part). The results of our research shows that in Late Glacial time landscape in Lake Czechowskie region (Tuchola Forest, Northern Poland) had mosaic character. Local factors such as relief, edaphic conditions strongly modified type of vegetation and in close vicinity existed lakes that had very diverse environments.

A loess-paleosol record of climate and glacial history over the past two glacial-interglacial cycles (~140 ka), southern Jackson Hole, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pierce, Kenneth L.; Muhs, Daniel R.; Fosberg, Maynard A.; Mahan, Shannon; Rosenbaum, Joseph G.; Licciardi, Joseph M.; Pavich, Milan J.

2011-01-01

Loess accumulated on a Bull Lake outwash terrace of Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 6 (MIS 6) age in southern Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The 9 m section displays eight intervals of loess deposition (Loess 1 to Loess 8, oldest), each followed by soil development. Our age-depth model is constrained by thermoluminescence, meteoric Be-10 accumulation in soils, and cosmogenic Be-10 surface exposure ages. We use particle size, geochemical, mineral-magnetic, and clay mineralogical data to interpret loess sources and pedogenesis. Deposition of MIS 6 loess was followed by a tripartite soil/thin loess complex (Soils 8,7, and 6) apparently reflecting the large climatic oscillations of MIS 5. Soil 8 (MIS 5e) shows the strongest development. Loess 5 accumulated during a glacial interval (similar to 76-69 ka; MIS 4) followed by soil development under conditions wetter and probably colder than present. Deposition of thick Loess 3 (similar to 43-51 ka, MIS 3) was followed by soil development comparable with that observed in Soil 1. Loess 1 (MIS 2) accumulated during the Pinedale glaciation and was followed by development of Soil 1 under a semiarid climate. This record of alternating loess deposition and soil development is compatible with the history of Yellowstone vegetation and the glacial flour record from the Sierra Nevada. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of University of Washington.

The Growth Response of Two Diatom Species to Atmospheric Dust from the Last Glacial Maximum.

PubMed

Conway, Tim M; Hoffmann, Linn J; Breitbarth, Eike; Strzepek, Robert F; Wolff, Eric W

2016-01-01

Relief of iron (Fe) limitation in the surface Southern Ocean has been suggested as one driver of the regular glacial-interglacial cycles in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). The proposed cause is enhanced deposition of Fe-bearing atmospheric dust to the oceans during glacial intervals, with consequent effects on export production and the carbon cycle. However, understanding the role of enhanced atmospheric Fe supply in biogeochemical cycles is limited by knowledge of the fluxes and 'bioavailability' of atmospheric Fe during glacial intervals. Here, we assess the effect of Fe fertilization by dust, dry-extracted from the Last Glacial Maximum portion of the EPICA Dome C Antarctic ice core, on the Antarctic diatom species Eucampia antarctica and Proboscia inermis. Both species showed strong but differing reactions to dust addition. E. antarctica increased cell number (3880 vs. 786 cells mL-1), chlorophyll a (51 vs. 3.9 μg mL-1) and particulate organic carbon (POC; 1.68 vs. 0.28 μg mL-1) production in response to dust compared to controls. P. inermis did not increase cell number in response to dust, but chlorophyll a and POC per cell both strongly increased compared to controls (39 vs. 15 and 2.13 vs. 0.95 ng cell-1 respectively). The net result of both responses was a greater production of POC and chlorophyll a, as well as decreased Si:C and Si:N incorporation ratios within cells. However, E, antarctica decreased silicate uptake for the same nitrate and carbon uptake, while P. inermis increased carbon and nitrate uptake for the same silicate uptake. This suggests that nutrient utilization changes in response to Fe addition could be driven by different underlying mechanisms between different diatom species. Enhanced supply of atmospheric dust to the surface ocean during glacial intervals could therefore have driven nutrient-utilization changes which could permit greater carbon fixation for lower silica utilization. Additionally, both species responded more strongly

The Growth Response of Two Diatom Species to Atmospheric Dust from the Last Glacial Maximum

PubMed Central

Hoffmann, Linn J.; Breitbarth, Eike; Strzepek, Robert F.; Wolff, Eric W.

2016-01-01

Relief of iron (Fe) limitation in the surface Southern Ocean has been suggested as one driver of the regular glacial-interglacial cycles in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). The proposed cause is enhanced deposition of Fe-bearing atmospheric dust to the oceans during glacial intervals, with consequent effects on export production and the carbon cycle. However, understanding the role of enhanced atmospheric Fe supply in biogeochemical cycles is limited by knowledge of the fluxes and ‘bioavailability’ of atmospheric Fe during glacial intervals. Here, we assess the effect of Fe fertilization by dust, dry-extracted from the Last Glacial Maximum portion of the EPICA Dome C Antarctic ice core, on the Antarctic diatom species Eucampia antarctica and Proboscia inermis. Both species showed strong but differing reactions to dust addition. E. antarctica increased cell number (3880 vs. 786 cells mL-1), chlorophyll a (51 vs. 3.9 μg mL-1) and particulate organic carbon (POC; 1.68 vs. 0.28 μg mL-1) production in response to dust compared to controls. P. inermis did not increase cell number in response to dust, but chlorophyll a and POC per cell both strongly increased compared to controls (39 vs. 15 and 2.13 vs. 0.95 ng cell-1 respectively). The net result of both responses was a greater production of POC and chlorophyll a, as well as decreased Si:C and Si:N incorporation ratios within cells. However, E, antarctica decreased silicate uptake for the same nitrate and carbon uptake, while P. inermis increased carbon and nitrate uptake for the same silicate uptake. This suggests that nutrient utilization changes in response to Fe addition could be driven by different underlying mechanisms between different diatom species. Enhanced supply of atmospheric dust to the surface ocean during glacial intervals could therefore have driven nutrient-utilization changes which could permit greater carbon fixation for lower silica utilization. Additionally, both species responded more

Modelling of mineral dust for interglacial and glacial climate conditions with a focus on Antarctica

DOE PAGES

Sudarchikova, Natalia; Mikolajewicz, Uwe; Timmreck, C.; ...

2015-05-19

The mineral dust cycle responds to climate variations and plays an important role in the climate system by affecting the radiative balance of the atmosphere and modifying biogeochemistry. Polar ice cores provide unique information about deposition of aeolian dust particles transported over long distances. These cores are a palaeoclimate proxy archive of climate variability thousands of years ago. The current study is a first attempt to simulate past interglacial dust cycles with a global aerosol–climate model ECHAM5-HAM. The results are used to explain the dust deposition changes in Antarctica in terms of quantitative contribution of different processes, such as emission,more » atmospheric transport and precipitation, which will help to interpret palaeodata from Antarctic ice cores. The investigated periods include four interglacial time slices: the pre-industrial control (CTRL), mid-Holocene (6000 yr BP; hereafter referred to as \\"6 kyr\\"), last glacial inception (115 000 yr BP; hereafter \\"115 kyr\\") and Eemian (126 000 yr BP; hereafter \\"126 kyr\\"). One glacial time interval, the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) (21 000 yr BP; hereafter \\"21 kyr\\"), was simulated as well to be a reference test for the model. Results suggest an increase in mineral dust deposition globally, and in Antarctica, in the past interglacial periods relative to the pre-industrial CTRL simulation. Approximately two-thirds of the increase in the mid-Holocene and Eemian is attributed to enhanced Southern Hemisphere dust emissions. Slightly strengthened transport efficiency causes the remaining one-third of the increase in dust deposition. The moderate change in dust deposition in Antarctica in the last glacial inception period is caused by the slightly stronger poleward atmospheric transport efficiency compared to the pre-industrial. Maximum dust deposition in Antarctica was simulated for the glacial period. LGM dust deposition in Antarctica is substantially increased due to 2.6 times

Lithologic composition and rock weathering potential of forested, glacial-till soils

Treesearch

Scott W. Bailey; James W. Hornbeck; James W. Hornbeck

1992-01-01

Describes methods for predicting lithologies present in soils developed on glacial till, and the potential weathering contributions from rock particles >2 mm in diameter. The methods are not quantitative in terms of providing weathering rates, but provide information that can further the understanding of forest nutrient cycles, and possibly assist with decisions...

Geomorphological control of gold distribution and gold particle evolution in glacial and fluvioglacial placers of the Ancocala-Ananea basin - Southeastern Andes of Peru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hérail, Gérard; Fornari, Michel; Rouhier, Michel

1989-10-01

Gold placers are formed as a result of surficial processes but glacial and fluvioglacial systems are generally considered to be unfavourable for placer genesis. Nevertheless, some important glacial and fluvioglacial placers have been discovered and are currently being exploited in the Andes of Peru and Bolivia. In the Plio-Pleistocene Ananea-Ancocala basin (4300-4900 m above sea-level), the gold content of the various formations indicates that only glacial and fluvioglacial sediments related to the Ancocala and Chaquiminas Glaciations (middle and upper Pleistocene) contain gold in any notable quantity. Local concentrations of economic interest occur only where a glacier has cut through a primary mineralized zone. Glacial erosion of dispersed primary mineralizations does not produce high-content placers of the kind found in fluviatile environments. Gold distribution in tills is more irregular than in fluviatile sediments and no marked enrichment at bedrock occurs. The transition from a glacial to a fluvioglacial environment is characterized by an increase in gold content due to a relative concentration of the biggest gold flakes and by the appearance of a gold distribution pattern similar to that found in a fluviatile environment. During their transport by glacial and fluvioglacial processes, gold particles acquire specific features; the size and morphology of a gold flake population are determined by the sedimentological and geomorphological environment in which the flakes are carried.

Terrestrial Responses to Variability in the Southern Westerlies Inferred from Deep Holocene Peat Archives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, P. D. M.; Mauquoy, D.; van Bellen, S.; Roland, T. P.; Loader, N.; Street-Perrott, F. A.; Daley, T.

2017-12-01

The deep ombrotrophic peat bogs of Chile are located throughout the latitudes dominated by the southern westerly wind belt. The domed surfaces of these peatlands make them sensitive to variability in summer atmospheric moisture balance and the near-continuous accumulation of deep peat strata throughout the Holocene to the present day means that these sites provide undisturbed archives of palaeoclimatic change. We have reconstructed late-Holocene bog water table depths - which can be related to changes in the regional balance of precipitation to evaporation (P-E) - from a suite of peat bogs located in three areas of Tierra del Feugo, Chile, under the main path of the SWWB. Water-table depths were reconstructed from sub-fossil testate amoebae assemblages using a conventional transfer function to infer past water-table depths, based on taxonomic classification of tests but also an innovative trait-based transfer function to infer the same parameter. Water table reconstructions derived from the two methods were consistent within sites. They show that mire water tables have been relatively stable in the last 2000 years across Tierra del Feugo. Higher water table levels, most probably indicating increased effective precipitation, were found between c. 1400 and 900 cal. BP., whereas a consistent drying trend was reconstructed across the region in the most recent peat strata. This shift may represent a pronounced regional decrease in precipitation and/or a change to warmer conditions linked to strengthening of the SWWB. However, other factors such as recent thinning of the ozone layer over Tierra del Fuego could have contributed to recent shifts in some testate amoebae species.

Obsidian hydration dates glacial loading?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friedman, I.; Pierce, K.L.; Obradovich, J.D.; Long, W.D.

1973-01-01

Three different groups of hydration rinds have been measured on thin sections of obsidian from Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming . The average thickness of the thickest (oldest) group of hydration rinds is 16.3 micrometers and can be related to the original emplacement of the flow 176,000 years ago (potassium-argon age). In addition to these original surfaces, most thin sections show cracks and surfaces which have average hydration rind thicknesses of 14.5 and 7.9 micrometers. These later two hydration rinds compare closely in thickness with those on obsidian pebbles in the Bull Lake and Pinedale terminal moraines in the West Yellowstone Basin, which are 14 to 15 and 7 to 8 micrometers thick, respectively. The later cracks are thought to have been formed by glacial loading during the Bull Lake and Pinedale glaciations, when an estimated 800 meters of ice covered the Obsidian Cliff flow.

Obsidian hydration dates glacial loading?

PubMed

Friedman, I; Pierce, K L; Obradovich, J D; Long, W D

1973-05-18

Three different groups of hydration rinds have been measured on thin sections of obsidian from Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The average thickness of the thickest (oldest) group of hydration rinds is 16.3 micrometers and can be related to the original emplacement of the flow 176,000 years ago (potassium-argon age). In addition to these original surfaces, most thin sections show cracks and surfaces which have average hydration rind thicknesses of 14.5 and 7.9 micrometers. These later two hydration rinds compare closely in thickness with those on obsidian pebbles in the Bull Lake and Pinedale terminal moraines in the West Yellowstone Basin, which are 14 to 15 and 7 to 8 micrometers thick, respectively. The later cracks are thought to have been formed by glacial loading during the Bull Lake and Pinedale glaciations, when an estimated 800 meters of ice covered the Obsidian Cliff flow.

Impact of glacial/interglacial sea level change on the ocean nitrogen cycle.

PubMed

Ren, Haojia; Sigman, Daniel M; Martínez-García, Alfredo; Anderson, Robert F; Chen, Min-Te; Ravelo, Ana Christina; Straub, Marietta; Wong, George T F; Haug, Gerald H

2017-08-15

The continental shelves are the most biologically dynamic regions of the ocean, and they are extensive worldwide, especially in the western North Pacific. Their area has varied dramatically over the glacial/interglacial cycles of the last million years, but the effects of this variation on ocean biological and chemical processes remain poorly understood. Conversion of nitrate to N 2 by denitrification in sediments accounts for half or more of the removal of biologically available nitrogen ("fixed N") from the ocean. The emergence of continental shelves during ice ages and their flooding during interglacials have been hypothesized to drive changes in sedimentary denitrification. Denitrification leads to the occurrence of phosphorus-bearing, N-depleted surface waters, which encourages N 2 fixation, the dominant N input to the ocean. An 860,000-y record of foraminifera shell-bound N isotopes from the South China Sea indicates that N 2 fixation covaried with sea level. The N 2 fixation changes are best explained as a response to changes in regional excess phosphorus supply due to sea level-driven variations in shallow sediment denitrification associated with the cyclic drowning and emergence of the continental shelves. This hypothesis is consistent with a glacial ocean that hosted globally lower rates of fixed N input and loss and a longer residence time for oceanic fixed N-a "sluggish" ocean N budget during ice ages. In addition, this work provides a clear sign of sea level-driven glacial/interglacial oscillations in biogeochemical fluxes at and near the ocean margins, with implications for coastal organisms and ecosystems.

Impact of glacial/interglacial sea level change on the ocean nitrogen cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Haojia; Sigman, Daniel M.; Martínez-García, Alfredo; Anderson, Robert F.; Chen, Min-Te; Ravelo, Ana Christina; Straub, Marietta; Wong, George T. F.; Haug, Gerald H.

2017-08-01

The continental shelves are the most biologically dynamic regions of the ocean, and they are extensive worldwide, especially in the western North Pacific. Their area has varied dramatically over the glacial/interglacial cycles of the last million years, but the effects of this variation on ocean biological and chemical processes remain poorly understood. Conversion of nitrate to N2 by denitrification in sediments accounts for half or more of the removal of biologically available nitrogen (“fixed N”) from the ocean. The emergence of continental shelves during ice ages and their flooding during interglacials have been hypothesized to drive changes in sedimentary denitrification. Denitrification leads to the occurrence of phosphorus-bearing, N-depleted surface waters, which encourages N2 fixation, the dominant N input to the ocean. An 860,000-y record of foraminifera shell-bound N isotopes from the South China Sea indicates that N2 fixation covaried with sea level. The N2 fixation changes are best explained as a response to changes in regional excess phosphorus supply due to sea level-driven variations in shallow sediment denitrification associated with the cyclic drowning and emergence of the continental shelves. This hypothesis is consistent with a glacial ocean that hosted globally lower rates of fixed N input and loss and a longer residence time for oceanic fixed N—a “sluggish” ocean N budget during ice ages. In addition, this work provides a clear sign of sea level-driven glacial/interglacial oscillations in biogeochemical fluxes at and near the ocean margins, with implications for coastal organisms and ecosystems.

Impact of glacial/interglacial sea level change on the ocean nitrogen cycle

PubMed Central

Ren, Haojia; Sigman, Daniel M.; Martínez-García, Alfredo; Anderson, Robert F.; Chen, Min-Te; Ravelo, Ana Christina; Straub, Marietta; Wong, George T. F.; Haug, Gerald H.

2017-01-01

The continental shelves are the most biologically dynamic regions of the ocean, and they are extensive worldwide, especially in the western North Pacific. Their area has varied dramatically over the glacial/interglacial cycles of the last million years, but the effects of this variation on ocean biological and chemical processes remain poorly understood. Conversion of nitrate to N2 by denitrification in sediments accounts for half or more of the removal of biologically available nitrogen (“fixed N”) from the ocean. The emergence of continental shelves during ice ages and their flooding during interglacials have been hypothesized to drive changes in sedimentary denitrification. Denitrification leads to the occurrence of phosphorus-bearing, N-depleted surface waters, which encourages N2 fixation, the dominant N input to the ocean. An 860,000-y record of foraminifera shell-bound N isotopes from the South China Sea indicates that N2 fixation covaried with sea level. The N2 fixation changes are best explained as a response to changes in regional excess phosphorus supply due to sea level-driven variations in shallow sediment denitrification associated with the cyclic drowning and emergence of the continental shelves. This hypothesis is consistent with a glacial ocean that hosted globally lower rates of fixed N input and loss and a longer residence time for oceanic fixed N—a “sluggish” ocean N budget during ice ages. In addition, this work provides a clear sign of sea level-driven glacial/interglacial oscillations in biogeochemical fluxes at and near the ocean margins, with implications for coastal organisms and ecosystems. PMID:28760968

Late-glacial recolonization and phylogeography of European red deer (Cervus elaphus L.).

PubMed

Meiri, Meirav; Lister, Adrian M; Higham, Thomas F G; Stewart, John R; Straus, Lawrence G; Obermaier, Henriette; González Morales, Manuel R; Marín-Arroyo, Ana B; Barnes, Ian

2013-09-01

The Pleistocene was an epoch of extreme climatic and environmental changes. How individual species responded to the repeated cycles of warm and cold stages is a major topic of debate. For the European fauna and flora, an expansion-contraction model has been suggested, whereby temperate species were restricted to southern refugia during glacial times and expanded northwards during interglacials, including the present interglacial (Holocene). Here, we test this model on the red deer (Cervus elaphus) a large and highly mobile herbivore, using both modern and ancient mitochondrial DNA from the entire European range of the species over the last c. 40,000 years. Our results indicate that this species was sensitive to the effects of climate change. Prior to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) haplogroups restricted today to South-East Europe and Western Asia reached as far west as the UK. During the LGM, red deer was mainly restricted to southern refugia, in Iberia, the Balkans and possibly in Italy and South-Western Asia. At the end of the LGM, red deer expanded from the Iberian refugium, to Central and Northern Europe, including the UK, Belgium, Scandinavia, Germany, Poland and Belarus. Ancient DNA data cannot rule out refugial survival of red deer in North-West Europe through the LGM. Had such deer survived, though, they were replaced by deer migrating from Iberia at the end of the glacial. The Balkans served as a separate LGM refugium and were probably connected to Western Asia with genetic exchange between the two areas. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Glacial Refugium of Pinus pumila (Pall.) Regel in Northeastern Siberia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shilo, N A; Lozhkin, A V; Anderson, P M

One of the most glowing representatives of the Kolyma flora [1], ''Pinus pumila'' (Pall.) Regel (Japanese stone pine), is a typical shrub in larch forests of the northern Okhotsk region, basins of the Kolyma and Indigirka rivers, and high-shrub tundra of the Chukchi Peninsula. It also forms a pine belt in mountains above the forest boundary, which gives way to the grass-underbrush mountain tundra and bald mountains. In the southern Chukchi Peninsula, ''Pinus pumila'' along with ''Duschekia fruticosa'' (Rupr.) Pouzar and ''Betula middendorffii'' Trautv. et C. A. Mey form trailing forests transitional between tundra and taiga [2]. Pinus pumila pollen,more » usually predominating in subfossil spore-and-pollen spectra of northeastern Siberia, is found as single grains or a subordinate component (up 2-3%, rarely 10%) in spectra of lacustrine deposits formed during the last glacial stage (isotope stage 2) in the Preboreal and Boreal times of the Holocene. Sometimes, its content increases to 15-22% in spectra of lacustrine deposits synchronous to the last glacial stage near the northern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk [3], evidently indicating the proximity of Japanese stone pine thickets.« less