Observations of postglacial uplift at Churchill, Manitoba

Churchill, Manitoba, is located near the centre of postglacial uplift caused by the Earth's recovery from the melting of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. The value of present-day uplift at Churchill has important implications in the study of postglacial uplift in that it can aid in constraining the th...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences
Main Author: Tushingham, A. Mark
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1992
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e92-189
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/e92-189
Description
Summary:Churchill, Manitoba, is located near the centre of postglacial uplift caused by the Earth's recovery from the melting of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. The value of present-day uplift at Churchill has important implications in the study of postglacial uplift in that it can aid in constraining the thickness of the ice sheet and the rheology of the Earth. The tide-gauge record at Churchill since 1940 is examined, along with nearby Holocene relative sea-level data, geodetic measurements, and recent absolute gravimetry measurements, and a present-day rate of uplift of 8–9 mm/a is estimated. Glacial isostatic adjustment models yield similar estimates for the rate of uplift at Churchill. The effects of the tide-gauge record of the diversion of the Churchill River during the mid-1970's are discussed.