Holocene glacial history of the west Greenland Ice Sheet inferred from cosmogenic exposure ages and threshold lakes

Nicolaj Krog Larsen; K. H. Kjaer; Sune Oluf Colding; S. Funder; Kristian Kjellerup Kjeldsen; Bent Vad Odgaard; J. Olsen; H. C. Linge

Abstract

In this study, we use a combination of 10Be exposure ages and threshold lakes to constrain the ice sheet history in Godthåbs- and Buksefjorden, west Greenland (63-64°N) during the Holocene. The 10Be cosmogenic exposure ages have been used to quantify both the ice retreat and thinning of the west Greenland Ice Sheet in 3 transects from the coast to the present ice margin. Preliminary results (n=47) indicate initial deglaciation of coastal areas around 11 ka in concert with existing radiocarbon chronology, followed by a rapid retreat from the outer coast to the present ice margin around 10 ka. Boulder samples from the highest peaks demonstrate that the ice was warm-based whereas bedrock samples often contain an inherited signal. These results may have implications for other studies in Greenland, which have inferred thin LGM ice based on 10Be ages of bedrock samples. The threshold lakes are used to record episodes when the ice sheet was close-to-the present extent, represented by beds of clastic sediments whereas gyttja-deposition reflects periods when the glacier was behind the threshold, and no glacial meltwater input. Our results demonstrates that following the initial deglaciation the ice margin remained close to the present ice margin until around 7 cal. ka BP before it retreated behind the present extent during the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM). Here it remained until the Little Ice Age (LIA) where it readvanced to the present position around 0.5 cal. ka BP. Our results correspond to other recent findings from south and west Greenland that show that the ice sheet first began to retreat behind the present ice margin around 7 cal. ka BP. However, it differs from the other areas because the ice sheet first reappears at the present ice position during the LIA (i.e. no Neoglacial advance) and this suggest that the ice sheet in this area may have been more retracted and probably more sensitive to climate change than other areas in south and west Greenland.

Original language	English
Publication date	1 Dec 2011
Publication status	Published - 1 Dec 2011

Keywords

[0726] CRYOSPHERE / Ice sheets
[1105] GEOCHRONOLOGY / Quaternary geochronology
[1150] GEOCHRONOLOGY / Cosmogenic-nuclide exposure dating
[1621] GLOBAL CHANGE / Cryospheric change

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Access to Document

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011AGUFMPP31A1845L

Cite this

@conference{214b5ee286b749648014621e86ae5705,

title = "Holocene glacial history of the west Greenland Ice Sheet inferred from cosmogenic exposure ages and threshold lakes",

abstract = "In this study, we use a combination of 10Be exposure ages and threshold lakes to constrain the ice sheet history in Godth{\aa}bs- and Buksefjorden, west Greenland (63-64°N) during the Holocene. The 10Be cosmogenic exposure ages have been used to quantify both the ice retreat and thinning of the west Greenland Ice Sheet in 3 transects from the coast to the present ice margin. Preliminary results (n=47) indicate initial deglaciation of coastal areas around 11 ka in concert with existing radiocarbon chronology, followed by a rapid retreat from the outer coast to the present ice margin around 10 ka. Boulder samples from the highest peaks demonstrate that the ice was warm-based whereas bedrock samples often contain an inherited signal. These results may have implications for other studies in Greenland, which have inferred thin LGM ice based on 10Be ages of bedrock samples. The threshold lakes are used to record episodes when the ice sheet was close-to-the present extent, represented by beds of clastic sediments whereas gyttja-deposition reflects periods when the glacier was behind the threshold, and no glacial meltwater input. Our results demonstrates that following the initial deglaciation the ice margin remained close to the present ice margin until around 7 cal. ka BP before it retreated behind the present extent during the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM). Here it remained until the Little Ice Age (LIA) where it readvanced to the present position around 0.5 cal. ka BP. Our results correspond to other recent findings from south and west Greenland that show that the ice sheet first began to retreat behind the present ice margin around 7 cal. ka BP. However, it differs from the other areas because the ice sheet first reappears at the present ice position during the LIA (i.e. no Neoglacial advance) and this suggest that the ice sheet in this area may have been more retracted and probably more sensitive to climate change than other areas in south and west Greenland.",

keywords = "[0726] CRYOSPHERE / Ice sheets, [1105] GEOCHRONOLOGY / Quaternary geochronology, [1150] GEOCHRONOLOGY / Cosmogenic-nuclide exposure dating, [1621] GLOBAL CHANGE / Cryospheric change",

author = "Larsen, {Nicolaj Krog} and Kjaer, {K. H.} and Colding, {Sune Oluf} and S. Funder and Kjeldsen, {Kristian Kjellerup} and Odgaard, {Bent Vad} and J. Olsen and Linge, {H. C.}",

year = "2011",

month = dec,

day = "1",

language = "English",

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TY - ABST

T1 - Holocene glacial history of the west Greenland Ice Sheet inferred from cosmogenic exposure ages and threshold lakes

AU - Larsen, Nicolaj Krog

AU - Kjaer, K. H.

AU - Colding, Sune Oluf

AU - Funder, S.

AU - Kjeldsen, Kristian Kjellerup

AU - Odgaard, Bent Vad

AU - Olsen, J.

AU - Linge, H. C.

PY - 2011/12/1

Y1 - 2011/12/1

N2 - In this study, we use a combination of 10Be exposure ages and threshold lakes to constrain the ice sheet history in Godthåbs- and Buksefjorden, west Greenland (63-64°N) during the Holocene. The 10Be cosmogenic exposure ages have been used to quantify both the ice retreat and thinning of the west Greenland Ice Sheet in 3 transects from the coast to the present ice margin. Preliminary results (n=47) indicate initial deglaciation of coastal areas around 11 ka in concert with existing radiocarbon chronology, followed by a rapid retreat from the outer coast to the present ice margin around 10 ka. Boulder samples from the highest peaks demonstrate that the ice was warm-based whereas bedrock samples often contain an inherited signal. These results may have implications for other studies in Greenland, which have inferred thin LGM ice based on 10Be ages of bedrock samples. The threshold lakes are used to record episodes when the ice sheet was close-to-the present extent, represented by beds of clastic sediments whereas gyttja-deposition reflects periods when the glacier was behind the threshold, and no glacial meltwater input. Our results demonstrates that following the initial deglaciation the ice margin remained close to the present ice margin until around 7 cal. ka BP before it retreated behind the present extent during the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM). Here it remained until the Little Ice Age (LIA) where it readvanced to the present position around 0.5 cal. ka BP. Our results correspond to other recent findings from south and west Greenland that show that the ice sheet first began to retreat behind the present ice margin around 7 cal. ka BP. However, it differs from the other areas because the ice sheet first reappears at the present ice position during the LIA (i.e. no Neoglacial advance) and this suggest that the ice sheet in this area may have been more retracted and probably more sensitive to climate change than other areas in south and west Greenland.

AB - In this study, we use a combination of 10Be exposure ages and threshold lakes to constrain the ice sheet history in Godthåbs- and Buksefjorden, west Greenland (63-64°N) during the Holocene. The 10Be cosmogenic exposure ages have been used to quantify both the ice retreat and thinning of the west Greenland Ice Sheet in 3 transects from the coast to the present ice margin. Preliminary results (n=47) indicate initial deglaciation of coastal areas around 11 ka in concert with existing radiocarbon chronology, followed by a rapid retreat from the outer coast to the present ice margin around 10 ka. Boulder samples from the highest peaks demonstrate that the ice was warm-based whereas bedrock samples often contain an inherited signal. These results may have implications for other studies in Greenland, which have inferred thin LGM ice based on 10Be ages of bedrock samples. The threshold lakes are used to record episodes when the ice sheet was close-to-the present extent, represented by beds of clastic sediments whereas gyttja-deposition reflects periods when the glacier was behind the threshold, and no glacial meltwater input. Our results demonstrates that following the initial deglaciation the ice margin remained close to the present ice margin until around 7 cal. ka BP before it retreated behind the present extent during the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM). Here it remained until the Little Ice Age (LIA) where it readvanced to the present position around 0.5 cal. ka BP. Our results correspond to other recent findings from south and west Greenland that show that the ice sheet first began to retreat behind the present ice margin around 7 cal. ka BP. However, it differs from the other areas because the ice sheet first reappears at the present ice position during the LIA (i.e. no Neoglacial advance) and this suggest that the ice sheet in this area may have been more retracted and probably more sensitive to climate change than other areas in south and west Greenland.

KW - [0726] CRYOSPHERE / Ice sheets

KW - [1105] GEOCHRONOLOGY / Quaternary geochronology

KW - [1150] GEOCHRONOLOGY / Cosmogenic-nuclide exposure dating

KW - [1621] GLOBAL CHANGE / Cryospheric change

M3 - Conference abstract for conference

ER -