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Cosmogenic 10Be and 36Cl geochronology of cryoplanation terraces in the Alaskan Yukon-Tanana Upland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 May 2020

Kelsey E. Nyland Open the ORCID record for Kelsey E. Nyland [Opens in a new window] ,
Frederick E. Nelson  and
Paula M. Figueiredo
Kelsey E. Nyland*
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA Department of Geography, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
Frederick E. Nelson
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA Department of Earth, Environmental, and Geographical Sciences, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI49855, USA
Paula M. Figueiredo
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 452221, USA Earth, Marine and Atmospheric Sciences Department, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
*
*Corresponding author e-mail address: knyland@gwu.edu (Kelsey Nyland).
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Abstract

Cryoplanation terraces are prominent but enigmatic landforms found in present and past periglacial environments. Geomorphologists have debated for more than a century over processes involved in the formation of these elevated, step-like, bedrock features. Presented here are the first numerical surface exposure ages and scarp retreat rates from cryoplanation terraces in the Yukon-Tanana Upland (YTU) in Alaska, part of unglaciated eastern Beringia, obtained from terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides (TCN) in surface boulders. Ages comprise six 10Be TCN ages from two terrace treads near Eagle Summit and six 36 Cl ages from two treads on Mt. Fairplay. Based on these exposure ages, scarps at both locations were last actively eroding from 49 to 22.4 ka. Both locations exhibit time-transgressive development, particularly near scarp-tread junctions. Boulder exposure ages and distances between sampled boulder locations were used to estimate scarp retreat rates of 0.11 to 0.56 cm/yr. These numerical exposure ages presented here demonstrate that the cryoplanation terraces in the YTU are diachronous surfaces actively eroding during multiple cold intervals. With these results, hypotheses for cryoplanation terrace formation are discussed and evaluated for the YTU, including those based on geologic structure, nivation, and the influence of permafrost.

Keywords

Cryoplanation terracesNivationCosmogenic exposure datingBeringiaAlaska
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 97 , September 2020 , pp. 157 - 166
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Copyright
Copyright © University of Washington. Published by Cambridge University Press, 2020

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