Hostname: page-component-669899f699-7xsfk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-25T15:41:03.766Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Late Quaternary Ice-Surface Fluctuations of Beardmore Glacier, Transantarctic Mountains

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

George H. Denton ,
James G. Bockheim ,
Scott C. Wilson ,
James E. Leide  and
Björn G. Andersen
George H. Denton
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, Institute for Quaternary Studies, University of Maine, Orono, Maine 04469
James G. Bockheim
Affiliation:
Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
Scott C. Wilson
Affiliation:
Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
James E. Leide
Affiliation:
Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
Björn G. Andersen
Affiliation:
Geologisk Institutt, Universitet i Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Former longitudinal profiles of Beardmore Glacier, an outlet through the Transantarctic Mountains, constrain polar plateau elevations near the center of Antarctica and ice-shelf grouding in the southern Ross Embayment. Three gravel drift sheets of late Quaternary age occur alongside Beardmore Glacier. Plunket drift, the youngest, is parallel to and 7–30 m above the present ice surface. The upper limit of Beardmore drift, intermediate in age, is within 35–40 m of the present ice surface near the polar plateau but about 1100 m above the present ice surface near the glacier mouth. The upper limit of Meyer drift, the oldest, is parallel to and 30–50 m above Beardmore drift. From correlation with numerically dated drifts farther north, we assign an early Holocene age to Plunket drift, a late Wisconsin age to Beardmore drift, and an age of marine isotope Stage 6 to Meyer drift. By our age model, Beardmore Glacier was close to current elevations in its upper reaches and thickened considerably in its middle and lower reaches during the last two global glaciations represented by Beardmore and Meyer drifts. Most likely, grounded ice in the southern Ross Embayment caused such thickening of Beardmore Glacier almost to the polar plateau. A concomitant decline in precipitation is implied by ice-cap retreat on the nearby Dominion Range and is consistent with little change of upper Beardmore Glacier. Ice-shelf grounding most likely resulted from lowered sea level and/or basal melting. Lower than present precipitation was probably caused by colder air temperatures and more-distant open water. The Plunket profile records Holocene ice-surface lowering from increased surface ablation, decreased ice flow, or grounding-line recession.

Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 31 , Issue 2 , March 1989 , pp. 183 - 209
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Bockheim, J.G. Relative age and origin of soils in eastern Wright Valley, Antarctica Soil Science 128 1979 142 152 Google Scholar
Bockheim, J.G. Properties and classification of some desert soils in coarse-textured glacial drift in the Arctic and Antarctic Geoderma 24 1980 45 69 Google Scholar
Bockheim, J.G. Wilson, S.C. Leide, J.E. Soil development in the Beardmore Glacier region, Antarctica Antarctic Journal of the United States 21 1986 93 95 Google Scholar
Bockheim, J.G. Wilson, S.C. Denton, G.H. Andersen, B.G. Stuiver, M. Late Quaternary ice-surface fluctuations of Hatherton Glacier, Transantarctic Mountains Quaternary Research 31 1989 229 254 Google Scholar
Bull, C. Snow accumulation in Antarctica Quam, L.O. Research in the Antarctic 1971 American Association for the Advancement of Science Washington, DC 367 421 Google Scholar
Buntley, G.J. Westin, F.C. A comparative study of developmental color in a chestnutchernozem-brunizem soil climosequence Soil Science Society of America Proceedings 29 1965 579 582 Google Scholar
Campbell, I.B. Claridge, G.G.C. Morphology and age relationship of Antarctic soils Suggate, R.P. Cresswell, M.M. Quaternary Studies New Zealand Royal Society Bulletin 13 1975 83 88 Google Scholar
Carlqvist, S. Nothofagus wood from the Transantarctic Mountains Aliso 11 1987 571 583 Google Scholar
Denton, G.H. Bockheim, J.G. Wilson, S.C. Stuiver, M. Late Wisconsin and early Holocene glacial history, inner Ross Embayment, Antarctica Quaternary Research 31 1989 151 182 Google Scholar
Denton, G.H. Hughes, T.J. The Last Great Ice Sheets 1981 Wiley-Interscience New York Google Scholar
Denton, G.H. Hughes, T.J. Karlèn, W. Global ice-sheet system interlocked by sea level Quaternary Research 26 1986 3 26 Google Scholar
Denton, G.H. Prentice, M.L. Burckle, L.H. Cenozoic history of the Antarctic Ice Sheet Tingey, R. The Geology of Antarctica 1988 Oxford Univ. Press London in press Google Scholar
Drewry, D.J. Late Wisconsin reconstruction for the Ross Sea region, Antarctica Journal of Glaciology 24 1979 231 244 Google Scholar
Drewry, D.J. Antarctica: Glaciological and Geophysical Folio 1983 Scott Polar Research Institute Cambridge Google Scholar
Hollin, J.T. On the glacial history of Antarctica Journal of Glaciology 4 1962 173 195 Google Scholar
Mayewski, P.A. Glacial Geology and Late Cenozoic History of the Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica 1975 1 168 Institute of Polar Studies Report Google Scholar
Mercer, J.H. Glacial geology of the Reedy Glacier area, Antarctica Geological Society of America Bulletin 79 1968 471 486 Google Scholar
Mercer, J.H. Some observations on the glacial geology of the Beardmore Glacier area Adie, R.J. Antarctic Geology and Geophysics 1972 Universitetsforlaget Oslo 427 433 Google Scholar
Prentice, M.L. Denton, G.H. Lowell, T.V. Conway, H. Pre-late Quaternary glaciation of the Beardmore Glacier region, Antarctica Antarctic Journal of the United States 21 1986 95 98 Google Scholar
Stuiver, M. Denton, G.H. Hughes, T.J. Fastook, J.L. History of the marine ice sheet in West Antarctica during the last glaciation: A working hypothesis Denton, G.H. Hughes, T.J. The Last Great Ice Sheets 1981 Wiley-Interscience New York 319 436 Google Scholar
Webb, P.N. Harwood, D.M. The terrestrial flora of the Sirius Formation: Its significance in interpreting late Cenozoic glacial history Antarctic Journal of the United States 1987 in press Google Scholar
Webb, P.N. Harwood, D.M. McKelvey, B.C. Mabin, M.G.C. Mercer, J.H. Late Cenozoic tectonic and glacial history of the Transantarctic Mountains Antarctic Journal of the United States 21 1986 99 100 Google Scholar
Webb, P.N. McKelvey, B.C. Harwood, D.M. Mabin, M.C.G. Mercer, J.H. Sirius formation of the Beardmore Glacier region Antarctic Journal of the United States 22 1987 8 13 Google Scholar
Weyant, W.S. The Antarctic Atmosphere: Climatology of the Surface Environment. Antarctic Map Folio Series 1967 American Geographical Society New York Folio 8 Google Scholar
U.S. Soil Survey Staff Soil Taxonomy: A Basic System of Soil Classification for Making and Interpreting Soil Surveys 1975 U.S. Govt. Print. Office Washington, DC Agric. Handbook No. 436 Google Scholar