Evidence for an ice‐free Wrangel Island, northeast Siberia during the Last Glacial Maximum

10 Be and 26 Al surface exposure ages from 22 tors and bedrock samples from Wrangel Island, northeast Siberia, indicate that the East Siberian and Chukchi shelves were ice‐free during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The paucity of glacial landforms and deposits, the absence of erratics and the prese...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Boreas
Main Authors: GUALTIERI, LYN, VARTANYAN, SERGEY L., BRIGHAM‐GRETTE, JULIE, ANDERSON, PATRICIA M.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2005
Subjects:
Arctic
Wrangel Island
Chukchi Shelf
Bering Land Bridge
Chukchi
Siberia
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1502-3885.2005.tb01100.x
https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1502-3885.2005.tb01100.x
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1502-3885.2005.tb01100.x
Description
Summary:10 Be and 26 Al surface exposure ages from 22 tors and bedrock samples from Wrangel Island, northeast Siberia, indicate that the East Siberian and Chukchi shelves were ice‐free during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The paucity of glacial landforms and deposits, the absence of erratics and the presence of radiocarbon dates on plant and mammal fossils that span the LGM suggest that Wrangel Island also remained free of extensive glacial ice during the LGM. The lack of moisture due to the continental climate on the emergent Bering Land Bridge is the most likely reason for limited ice in this part of the Arctic. Alternative interpretations regarding the age and origin of ‘glaciogenic’ bedforms on the Chukchi shelf should be considered.

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