Timing of the last deglaciation in Belarus

• Published in: Boreas
• Main Authors: Rinterknecht, V.R., Pavlovskaya, I.E., Clark, P.U., Raisbeck, G.M., Yiou, F., Brook, E.J.
• Other Authors: Centre de Spectrométrie Nucléaire et de Spectrométrie de Masse (CSNSM), Université Paris-Sud - Paris 11 (UP11)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2007
• Subjects: [SDU.STU.GP]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Geophysics [physics.geo-ph]; [PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-GEO-PH]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Geophysics [physics.geo-ph]; [SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: https://hal.in2p3.fr/in2p3-00172496; https://doi.org/10.1080/03009480601134694

We measured 10Be concentrations in boulders collected from the Orsha and Braslav moraines, associated with the Last Glacial Maximum extent and a recessional stage of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet (SIS), respectively, providing a direct dating of the southeastern sector of the ice-sheet margin in Belarus. By combining these data with selected existing radiocarbon ages, we developed a chronology for the last deglaciation of Belarus. The northeastern part of the country remained ice free until at least 19.2±0.2 cal. kyr BP, whereas the northwestern part of the country was ice free until 22.3±1.5 cal. kyr BP. A lobate ice margin subsequently advanced to its maximum extent and deposited the Orsha Moraine. The ice margin retreated from this moraine at 17.7±2.0 10Be kyr to a position in the northern part of the country, where it deposited the Braslav Moraine. Subsequent ice-margin retreat from that moraine at 13.1±0.5 10Be kyr represented the final deglaciation of Belarus. Direct dating of these moraines better constrains the relation of ice-margin positions in Belarus to those in adjacent countries as well as the SIS response to climate change.