Glacial influence on Neoproterozoic sedimentation: the Smalfjord Formation, northern Norway   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Emmanuelle Arnaud  Carolyn H. Eyles† 《Sedimentology》2002,49(4):765-788

ABSTRACT There is much debate regarding the intensity and geographic extent of glaciation during the Neoproterozoic, particularly in response to recent geochemical work suggesting that the Neoproterozoic earth was at times ice covered from equator to poles (the ‘Snowball Earth’ hypothesis). A detailed sedimentological analysis of the Neoproterozoic Smalfjord Formation of northern Norway was conducted in order to determine the extent and intensity of glacial influence on sedimentation. In the Tarmfjorden area, the Smalfjord Formation consists of a stacked succession of diamictites interbedded with fine‐grained laminated mudstones containing rare outsized clasts. Diamictites and interbedded mudstones are interpreted as the product of subaqueous mass flows generated along the basin margin. In the Varangerfjorden area, chaotically interbedded diamictites, conglomerates and sandstones are overlain by a thick succession of stacked sandstone beds; onediamictite unit at Bigganjargga overlies a striated pavement. The Varangerfjorden outcrops appear to record deposition on a subaqueous debris apron. Although diamictites contain rare striated and faceted clasts, suggesting a glacial sediment source, their origin as subaqueous mass flows prevents the interpretation of ice mass form or distribution. Rare lonestones may be associated with floating ice in the basin, which may be of glacial or seasonal origin. Glacial ice may have contributed poorly sorted glacial debris to the basin margin, either directly or through fluvioglacial systems, but there is no evidence of direct deposition by ice at Varangerfjorden or Tarmfjorden. The overall fining‐upward trend identified in the Smalfjord Formation and overlying Nyborg Formation is consistent with depositional models of rift basin settings. This fining‐upward trend, the predominance of mass flow facies including breccias associated with scarps and the evidence for extensional tectonic activity in the region suggest that tectonic activity may have played an important role in the development of this Neoproterozoic succession. The Smalfjord Formation at Tarmfjorden and Varangerfjorden does not exhibit sedimentological characteristics consistent with severe glacial conditions suggested by the snowball Earth hypothesis.  相似文献   

Glacial erosion and geomorphology in the northwest Sierra Nevada, CA     

L. Allan James   《Geomorphology》2003,55(1-4):283

Pleistocene glacial erosion left a strong topographic imprint in the northwestern Sierra Nevada at many scales, yet the specific landforms and the processes that created them have not been previously documented in the region. In contrast, glaciation in the southern and central Sierra was extensively studied and by the end of the 19th century was among the best understood examples of alpine glaciation outside of the European Alps. This study describes glacially eroded features in the northwest Sierra and presents inferred linkages between erosional forms and Pleistocene glacial processes. Many relationships corroborate theoretical geomorphic principles. These include the occurrence of whalebacks in deep ice positions, roches moutonnées under thin ice, and occurrence of P-forms in low topographic positions where high subglacial meltwater pressures were likely. Some of the landforms described here have not previously been noted in the Sierra, including a large crag and tail eroded by shallow ice and erosional benches high on valley walls thought to be cut by ice-marginal channels.  相似文献   

An approach to modelling the impact of snow drift on glaciation in the Cairngorm Mountains,Scotland     

Ross S. Purves  William A. Mackaness  David E. Sugden 《第四纪科学杂志》1999,14(4):313-321

This paper uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to develop a rule-based model of the effect of snow drifting on glacier growth in the Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland during the Younger Dryas interval. We develop a qualitative model of snow drift that uses a number of simple heuristics to generate a map of relative accumulation at a 50-m resolution over the massif. Relative susceptibility to snow drifting is then compared for a number of different zones under varying wind directions. We conclude that, under the conditions tested in our model, glaciation of the Cairngorms during the Younger Dryas was confined to the high corries and that the pattern of snow drifting suggested by our model points to dominant southerly winds. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

Holocene glacial history and sea-level changes on James Ross Island,Antarctic Peninsula     

Christian Hjort   lafur Inglfsson  Per Mller  Juan Manuel Lirio 《第四纪科学杂志》1997,12(4):259-273

A reconstruction of deglaciation and associated sea-level changes on northern James Ross Island, Antarctic Peninsula, based on lithostratigraphical and geomorphological studies, shows that the initial deglaciation of presently ice-free areas occurred slightly before 7400 ¹⁴C yr BP. Sea-level in connection with the deglaciation was around 30 m a.s.l. A glacier readvance in Brandy Bay, of at least 7 km, with the initial 3 km over land, reached a position off the present coast at ca. 4600 yr BP. The culmination of the advance was of short duration, and by 4300 yr BP the coastal lowlands again were ice-free. A distinct marine level at 16–18 m a.s.l. was contemporaneous with or slightly post-dates the Brandy Bay advance, thus indicating the relative sea-level around 4600–4500 yr BP. Our results from James Ross Island confirm that over large areas in this part of Antarctica the last deglaciation occurred late. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

Late Devensian ice sheet characteristics: a palaeohydraulic approach     

Gregory H. Sambrook Smith  Neil F. Glasser 《Geological Journal》1998,33(3):149-158

Glacial meltwater channels are incised into bedrock and diamicton along much of the length of the Mid-Cheshire Ridge. Detailed mapping of one such system near the town of Helsby reveals a dendritic channel network developed in the opposite direction to the regional ice flow during the last (Late Devensian) glaciation. The channels formed subglacially, under atmospheric and not hydrostatic pressure, presumably as the ice sheet downwasted during deglaciation. Morphological and palaeohydraulic evidence suggests that not all of the network was necessarily active contemporaneously. Former water levels in the channels can be estimated due to the presence of bar surfaces, giving a calculated palaeodischarge of at least 111 m³ s⁻¹. The ablation rates required to account for this large discharge are an order of magnitude greater than those obtained from theoretical calculations and those observed in modern glacial environments. This implies that some form of high-magnitude discharge, such as a seasonal flood event, must have taken place in this area during deglaciation. This picture of the Late Devensian ice sheet suggests that during recession the ice sheet was static, crevassed and relatively thin (<50 m). This study also shows that there is no simple relationship between meltwater channel direction and ice dynamics, and that care is required when using the former to make inferences about the latter. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

The Late Devensian glaciation of the eastern Lleyn Peninsula,North Wales: evidence for terrestrial depositional environments     

Geoffrey S. P. Thomas  David K. Chester  Peter Crimes 《第四纪科学杂志》1998,13(3):255-270

The glacial deposits of the eastern Lleyn Peninsula record the advance, coalescence and subsequent retreat and uncoupling of Welsh and Irish Sea ice-sheets during the Late Devensian cold stage. During advance a thick sheet of basal diamict was deposited over much of the area, and during retreat and uncoupling, which occurred after 14.5 ka, the eastern part of the area was dominated by the formation of a large sandur system draining from the retreating margin of the Irish Sea ice-sheet. Subsequent stages of retreat are marked by a series of arcuate cross-valley moraines formed either by ice-contact deposition during stillstand or by structural deformation during minor snout oscillation. In the western part of the area sedimentation was controlled by a series of dead-ice ridges running parallel to the retreating ice-margin and this led to the development of a complex assemblage of localised depositional environments including ice-front alluvial fans, marginal sandur troughs and pro-glacial lake basins, all formed under supraglacial ice-marginal conditions. No evidence of glaciomarine deposition is recorded. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

新疆库鲁克塔格地区特瑞爱肯冰期下限及沉积物源分析     

邓俊  刘传朋  葛跃进  刘同  王凯凯 《地质论评》2020,66(2):324-336

本文通过对新疆库鲁克塔格地区特瑞爱肯组底部含冰碛砾砂质泥岩的碎屑锆石进行U-Pb年龄测定,获得100组U-Pb年龄有效数据,最年轻碎屑锆石U-Pb年龄652.5±12.0 Ma,该年龄代表了特瑞爱肯组的最大沉积年龄,也表示特瑞爱肯冰期的下限。本文获得的特瑞爱肯冰期下限与南沱冰期、Marinoan冰期下限较为一致,认为三者的发生具有等时性。对其余较老年龄分析,U-Pb年龄峰值为800 Ma和1911 Ma的碎屑锆石具有显著优势,特瑞爱肯冰期的沉积物源主要为来自715～887 Ma、1700～2300 Ma及2400～2800 M的岩石。  相似文献   

The Maximum Ice Age Glaciation between the Karakorum Main Ridge （K2） and the Tarim Basin and its Influence on Global Energy Balance     

MatthiasKuhle 《山地科学学报》2005,2(1):5-22

A modern research approach and working techniques in hitherto unexamined areas, produced the following results: 1). The tongues of decakilometre long Karakorum glaciers belong to temperate ice-streams with an annual meltwateroutput. The short Aghil glaciers on the contrary are continental, arid and cold. 2). The present-day oscillations of the Karakorum glaciers are related to their own mass, and are contrary to and independent of the actual climate. Only the short glaciers, with steep tongue fronts, show a present-day positive balance. 3). ^14C- dated Late Glacial moraines indicate a 400-800 m thick valley glacier at the former confluence point of the K2-, Sarpo Laggo- and Skamri glaciers. 4). From the evidence of transfluence passes with roches moutonn6es, striae and the limits of glacial polishing, as well as moraines and erratics, a High Glacial at least 12oo m thick ice-stream network between the Karakorums and the Kuen Lun north slopes was reconstructed. The Shaksgam and Yarkand valleys were occupied by glaciers coming from west Tibet. The lowest-lying moraines are to be found in the foreland down to 2000 m, indicating a depression of the High Glacial (LGM) snowline (ELA) by 13oo m.5). The approximately 10,000 measurements of the radiation balance at up to heights of 5500 m on K2 indicate that with incoming energy near the solar constant the reflection from snow- covered ice is up to 70% greater than from rock and rock waste surfaces.6).These results confirm for the very dry western margins of Tibet an almost complete ice sheet cover in an area with subtropical energy balance, conforming with the Ice Age hypothesis of the author which is based upon the presence of a 2.4 million km^2 Tibetan inland ice sheet. This inland ice developed for the first time when Tibet was uplifted over the snowline during the early Pleistocene. As the measured subtropical radiation balance shows, it was able to trigger the Quaternary Ice Ages.  相似文献   

The geomorphic work of George Leslie Adkin (1888–1964) and glaciation in the Tararua Range, North Island, New Zealand     

M. S. Brook 《New Zealand geographer》2007,63(1):18-29

Abstract:  Research initiated in 1909 by G. Leslie Adkin (1888–1964) suggested Park Valley in the Tararua Range was glaciated during the Late Quaternary, based on the 'U-shaped' cross-profiles in the uppermost parts of several valleys. Findings were published, but were not met with universal acceptance. Adkin's work remained the only glacial research undertaken on the North Island's axial ranges until the latter part of the 20th century. Adkin holds a special position in New Zealand, because although he worked full-time as a farmer he published nearly 40 articles in scientific journals on topics as varied as Māori archaeology and geomorphology.  相似文献   

The past valley glacier network in the Himalayas and the Tibetan ice sheet during the last glacial period and its glacial-isostatic, eustatic and climatic consequences     

Matthias Kuhle   《Tectonophysics》2007,445(1-2):116

Since 1973 new data were obtained on the maximum extent of glaciation in High Asia. Evidence for an ice sheet covering Tibet during the Last Glacial Period means a radical rethinking about glaciation in the Northern Hemisphere. The ice sheet's subtropical latitude, vast size (2.4 million km²) and high elevation (6000 m asl) are supposed to have resulted in a substantial, albedo-induced cooling of the Earth's atmosphere and the disruption of summer monsoon circulation. Moraines were found to reach down to 460 m asl on the southern flank of the Himalayas and to 2300 m asl on the northern slope of the Tibetan Plateau, in the Qilian Shan region. On the northern slopes of the Karakoram, Aghil and Kuen-Lun mountains, moraines occur as far down as 1900 m asl. In southern Tibet radiographic analyses of erratics suggest a former ice thickness of at least 1200 m. Glacial polish and roches moutonnées in the Himalayas and Karakoram suggest former glaciers as thick as 1200–2700 m. On the basis of this evidence, a 1100–1600 m lower equilibrium line (ELA) has been reconstructed, resulting in an ice sheet of 2.4 million km², covering almost all of Tibet. Radiometric ages, obtained by different methods, classify this glaciation as isotope stage 3–2 in age (Würmian = last glacial period). With the help of 13 climate measuring stations, radiation- and radiation balance measurements have been carried out between 3800 and 6650 m asl in Tibet. They indicate that the subtropical global radiation reaches its highest energies on the High Plateau, thus making Tibet today's most important heating surface of the atmosphere. At glacial times 70% of those energies were reflected into space by the snow and firn of the 2.4 million km² extended glacier area covering the upland. As a result, 32% of the entire global cooling during the ice ages, determined by the albedo, were brought about by this area — now the most significant cooling surface. The uplift of Tibet to a high altitude about 2.75 Ma ago, coincides with the commencement of the Quaternary Ice Ages. When the Plateau was lifted above the snowline (= ELA) and glaciated, this cooling effect gave rise to the global depression of the snowline and to the first Ice Age. The interglacial periods are explained by the glacial-isostatic lowering of Tibet by 650 m, having the effect that the initial Tibet ice – which had evoked the build-up of the much more extended lowland ices – could completely melt away in a period of positive radiation anomalies. The next ice age begins, when – because of the glacial-isostatic reverse uplift – the surface of the Plateau has again reached the snowline. This explains, why the orbital variations (Milankovic-theory) could only have a modifying effect on the Quaternary climate dynamic, but were not primarily time-giving: as long as Tibet does not glaciate automatically by rising above the snowline, the depression in temperature is not sufficient for initiating a worldwide ice age; if Tibet is glaciated, but not yet lowered isostatically, a warming-up by 4 °C might be able to cause an important loss in surface but no deglaciation, so that its cooling effect remains in a maximum intensity. Only a glaciation of the Plateau lowered by isostasy, can be removed through a sufficiently strong warming phase, so that interglacial climate conditions are prevailing until a renewed uplift of Tibet sets in up to the altitude of glaciation.An average ice thickness for all of Tibet of approximately 1000 m would imply that 2.2 million km³ of water were stored in the Tibetan ice sheet. This would correspond to a lowering in sea level of about 5.4 m.  相似文献