Modeling the deglaciation of the Green Bay Lobe of the southern Laurentide Ice Sheet

• Published in: Boreas
• Main Authors: WINGUTH, CORNELIA, MICKELSON, DAVID M., COLGAN, PATRICK M., LAABS, BENJAMIN J. C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2004
• Subjects: Ice; Ice Sheet; permafrost
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1502-3885.2004.tb00994.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1502-3885.2004.tb00994.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1502-3885.2004.tb00994.x

We use a time‐dependent two‐dimensional ice‐flow model to explore the development of the Green Bay Lobe, an outlet glacier of the southern Laurentide Ice Sheet, leading up to the time of maximum ice extent and during subsequent deglaciation (c. 30 to 8 cal. ka BP). We focus on conditions at the ice‐bed interface in order to evaluate their possible impact on glacial landscape evolution. Air temperatures for model input have been reconstructed using the GRIP δ 8 O record calibrated to speleothem records from Missouri that cover the time periods of c . 65 to 30 cal. ka BP and 13.25 to 12.4 cal. ka BP. Using that input, the known ice extents during maximum glaciation and early deglaciation can be reproduced reasonably well. The model fails, however, to reproduce short‐term ice margin retreat and readvance events during later stages of deglaciation. Model results indicate that the area exposed after the retreat of the Green Bay Lobe was characterized by permafrost until at least 14 cal. ka BP. The extensive drumlin zones that formed behind the ice margins of the outermost Johnstown phase and the later Green Lake phase are associated with modeled ice margins that were stable for at least 1000 years, high basal shear stresses (c. 100 kPa) and permafrost depths of 80–200 m. During deglaciation, basal meltwater and sliding became more important.