Multiple Glaciation of the Upper Franklin Valley, Western Tasmania Wilderness World Heritage Area

• Published in: Australian Geographical Studies
• Main Author: KIERNAN, KEVIN
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1989
• Subjects: Ice cap
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8470.1989.tb00604.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1467-8470.1989.tb00604.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1467-8470.1989.tb00604.x

Part of an extensive ice cap that developed in the Tasmanian Central Highlands during the late Cainozoic discharged southwards into the valley of the Franklin River and its upper tributaries where it merged with smaller glaciers that accumulated behind local snowfences. Glacial landforms and sediments in the now heavily forested valleys indicate that at least three and possibly as many as six glaciations took place. The earliest and most extensive glaciation occurred during the Pliocene or earliest Pleistocene. At this time ice extended at least 27km down the Franklin Valley and covered at least 326km 2 of the study area. This ice was confluent with glaciers in the West Coast Range to the west and in the Derwent Valley to the east Such confluence offers the possibility of better correlation of glacial events between western Tasmania and the Central Highlands. The smallest and most recent glaciation occurred during the late Last Glacial Stage when the Franklin Glacier did not exceed 12km in length. The glaciers were characterised by high rates of mass throughput and were of temperate maritime type.