Glacial Erosion of a High Arctic Valley
Abstract A large valley, ideally suited for “selective linear erosion” by ice, extends from the Kreiger Mountains to Tanquary Fiord, north–central Ellesmere Island. During the last glaciation, the outlet glacier at the head of the valley advanced 18 km and was at least 250 m thick where it contacted...
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Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1986
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000006882 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000006882 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0022143000006882 2024-09-09T19:23:37+00:00 Glacial Erosion of a High Arctic Valley England, John 1986 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000006882 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000006882 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) Journal of Glaciology volume 32, issue 110, page 60-64 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 journal-article 1986 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000006882 2024-06-19T04:03:41Z Abstract A large valley, ideally suited for “selective linear erosion” by ice, extends from the Kreiger Mountains to Tanquary Fiord, north–central Ellesmere Island. During the last glaciation, the outlet glacier at the head of the valley advanced 18 km and was at least 250 m thick where it contacted the sea in the lower valley. Erosion of bedrock inside the last ice limit is recorded by an abraded diabase dike, and by crag–and–tail features developed in limestone. During deglaciation (7800 B.P.), melt–water streams along the ice margin incised a large alluvial fan that pre–dates the last glaciation. The fan shows little alteration by the over–riding ice and its final erosion by the melt–water streams incised, but did not remove, its original ice–wedge polygons. The preservation of the fan indicates that the glacier was locally non–erosive and that it probably advanced across the fan by over–riding a protective frontal ice apron. Although it is commonly assumed that such alluvial fans occupying glaciated valleys are of post–glacial age, this need not be the case in permafrost terrain. In fact, at this site, there has been a net increment of alluvium versus glacial erosion or deposition spanning the last glacial cycle. The paper discusses the processes of erosion associated with sub–polar glaciers and questions whether erosion by them or more pervasive ice is responsible for such High Arctic valleys and fiords. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Ellesmere Island Ice Journal of Glaciology permafrost Tanquary Fiord wedge* Cambridge University Press Arctic Ellesmere Island Tanquary Fiord ENVELOPE(-79.747,-79.747,81.085,81.085) Journal of Glaciology 32 110 60 64 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract A large valley, ideally suited for “selective linear erosion” by ice, extends from the Kreiger Mountains to Tanquary Fiord, north–central Ellesmere Island. During the last glaciation, the outlet glacier at the head of the valley advanced 18 km and was at least 250 m thick where it contacted the sea in the lower valley. Erosion of bedrock inside the last ice limit is recorded by an abraded diabase dike, and by crag–and–tail features developed in limestone. During deglaciation (7800 B.P.), melt–water streams along the ice margin incised a large alluvial fan that pre–dates the last glaciation. The fan shows little alteration by the over–riding ice and its final erosion by the melt–water streams incised, but did not remove, its original ice–wedge polygons. The preservation of the fan indicates that the glacier was locally non–erosive and that it probably advanced across the fan by over–riding a protective frontal ice apron. Although it is commonly assumed that such alluvial fans occupying glaciated valleys are of post–glacial age, this need not be the case in permafrost terrain. In fact, at this site, there has been a net increment of alluvium versus glacial erosion or deposition spanning the last glacial cycle. The paper discusses the processes of erosion associated with sub–polar glaciers and questions whether erosion by them or more pervasive ice is responsible for such High Arctic valleys and fiords. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
England, John |
spellingShingle |
England, John Glacial Erosion of a High Arctic Valley |
author_facet |
England, John |
author_sort |
England, John |
title |
Glacial Erosion of a High Arctic Valley |
title_short |
Glacial Erosion of a High Arctic Valley |
title_full |
Glacial Erosion of a High Arctic Valley |
title_fullStr |
Glacial Erosion of a High Arctic Valley |
title_full_unstemmed |
Glacial Erosion of a High Arctic Valley |
title_sort |
glacial erosion of a high arctic valley |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1986 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000006882 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000006882 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-79.747,-79.747,81.085,81.085) |
geographic |
Arctic Ellesmere Island Tanquary Fiord |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Ellesmere Island Tanquary Fiord |
genre |
Arctic Ellesmere Island Ice Journal of Glaciology permafrost Tanquary Fiord wedge* |
genre_facet |
Arctic Ellesmere Island Ice Journal of Glaciology permafrost Tanquary Fiord wedge* |
op_source |
Journal of Glaciology volume 32, issue 110, page 60-64 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000006882 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
32 |
container_issue |
110 |
container_start_page |
60 |
op_container_end_page |
64 |
_version_ |
1809893613695401984 |