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Late Pleistocene and Holocene ice-wedge activity on the Blackstone Plateau, central Yukon, Canada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 August 2018

Mike Grinter ,
Denis Lacelle ,
Natalia Baranova ,
Sarah Murseli  and
Ian D. Clark
Mike Grinter
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Ottawa, 120 University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
Denis Lacelle*
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Ottawa, 60 University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
Natalia Baranova
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Ottawa, 120 University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
Sarah Murseli
Affiliation:
Andre E. Lalonde AMS Laboratory, Advanced Research Complex, 25 Templeton, University of Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
Ian D. Clark
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Ottawa, 120 University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
*
*Corresponding author at: Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. E-mail address: dlacelle@uottawa.ca (D. Lacelle).
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Abstract

Ice-wedge activity can be used to reconstruct past environmental conditions. We investigated the moisture source and timing of ice-wedge formation on the Blackstone Plateau. A section of permafrost exposed ice wedges that developed at two distinct depths: the first set formed syngenetically and penetrated alluvial silts from the top of permafrost; the second set, truncated by an erosional or thaw contact, was found solely in icy muddy gravels (>3.1 m depth). The δ18O and D-excess records of the ice wedges suggest that they formed from freezing of snow meltwater whose isotopic composition evolved during meltout. The 14CDOC results suggest that climate was favorable to ice-wedge growth between 32,000–30,000 and 14,000–12,500 cal yr BP, but there was likely a hiatus during the last glacial maximum due to climate being too dry. During the early to mid-Holocene, ice wedges were inactive as a result of warmer and wetter climate. Ice wedge re-initiated around 6360 cal yr BP, with a peak in activity between 3980 and 920 cal yr BP, a period characterized by cool and moist climate. Overall, timing of ice-wedge activity was broadly consistent with the climate and vegetation evolution in the western Arctic.

Keywords

Ground icePermafrostCryostratigraphyRadiocarbon datingDOC datingArctic
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 91 , Issue 1 , January 2019 , pp. 179 - 193
Copyright
Copyright © University of Washington. Published by Cambridge University Press, 2018 

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