Late Quaternary (Stage 2 and 3) Meltwater and Heinrich Events, Northwest Labrador Sea

• Published in: Quaternary Research
• Main Authors: Andrews, John T., Erlenkeuser, Helmut, Tedesco, Katherine, Aksu, Ali E., Jull, A.J.Timothy
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1994
• Subjects: Hudson; Hudson Strait; Baffin; Ice Sheet; Labrador Sea; North Atlantic; Planktonic foraminifera
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/qres.1994.1003; http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0033589484710039?httpAccept=text/xml; http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0033589484710039?httpAccept=text/plain; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0033589400036589

Abstract Two major meltwater events are documented in cores from the NW Labrador Sea. One occurred ca. 20,000 14 C yr B.P. in association with deposition of a major detrital carbonate unit. Both prior to and after this event, δ 18 O values of near-surface planktonic foraminifera were 4.5%, indicating fully enriched glacial values. A younger event (ca. 14,000 14 C yr B.P.) is characterized by a dramatic change in δ 18 O from 4.5 to 2.0% and coincided with the retreat of ice from the outer SE Baffin Shelf, possibly into Hudson Strait. These meltwater events coincide with Heinrich (H) layers 1 and 2 from North Atlantic sediments. The 14,000 14 C yr B.P. meltwater event indicates that the eastern margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet also underwent rapid retreat at approximately the same time as other ice sheet margins around the NE North Atlantic. A third major detrital carbonate event at the base of HU87-033-009, possibly correlative with Heinrich layer 3, occurred ca. 33,960 ± 675 14 C yr B.P.; however, this is older than the accepted date for H-3 of 27,000 14 C yr B.P. and may be H-4.