Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-dnltx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-16T21:22:27.958Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Late Pleistocene Laurentide Glacier: Th/U Dating of its Major Fluctuations and δ18O Range of the Ice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Claude Hillaire-Marcel  and
Christiane Causse
Claude Hillaire-Marcel
Affiliation:
GEOTOP, Université du Québec à Montréal, B.P. 8888, succ. A, Montréal H3C 3P8, Canada Département des Sciences de la Terre, Université du Québec à Montréal, B.P. 8888, succ. A, Montréal H3C 3P8, Canada
Christiane Causse
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Géologie du Quaternaire, CNRS, Case 907, Campus de Luminy, 13288, Marseille Cédex 9, France
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Direct information on the isotopic composition and timing of the now-vanished Laurentide glacier can be found in subglacial calcite or in early diagenetic concretions from glaciolacustrine deposits. Th/U isotopic measurements on early diagenetic concretions frome Lake Deschaillons varves (St. Lawrence Lowland, Québec) date the early Wisconsinan major ice advance at ca. 80,000 yr (isotopic stage 5a/4 transition). Significant retreat occurred at ca. 46,000 yr (isotopic stage 3) as indicated by Th/U isochrones on early diagenetic concretions from Lake Gayhurst varves in the Appalachian foothills of Québec. During the maximum extension of the ice, which is dated at ca. 22,000 yr by Th/U measurements on subglacial calcite at Cantley (northern margin of the St. Lawrence Lowland), δ18O values (vs PDB) ranging from −16/−19‰ (surficial ice) to ca. −30‰ (basal ice) are inferred for the Laurentide ice isotopic composition. Superimposition of two phases of carbonate precipitation does not prevent the establishment of their respective age and isotopic composition through correlation of independent parameters and calculation of mixing lines.

Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 32 , Issue 2 , September 1989 , pp. 125 - 138
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bédard, P. Hillaire-Marcel, C. Pagé, P., (1981). Oxygen-18 modelling of freshwater inputs in Baffin Bay and Canadian Arctic coastal waters Nature (London) 293, 287–289 Google Scholar
Berner, R.A., (1968). Rate of concretion growth Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 32, 477–483 Google Scholar
Beveridge, T.J. Meloche, J.D. Fyfe, W.S. Murray, R.G.E., (1983). Diagenesis of metals chemically complexes to bacteria: Laboratory formation of metal phosphates, sulfides and organic condensates in artificial sediments Applied Environmental Microbiology 45, 1094–1108 Google Scholar
Broecker, W.S. Olson, E.A., (1959). Lamont radiocarbon measurements American Journal Sciences Radiocarbon Supplement 1, 111–132 Google Scholar
Broecker, W.S. Olson, E.A., (1961). Lamont radiocarbon measurements VIII Radiocarbon 3, 176–204 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Causse, C. Hillaire-Marcel, C., (1986). Géochimie des familles U et The dans la matière organique fossile des dépôts interglaciaires et interstadiaires de l'est et du nord du Canada: Potentiel radiochronologique Geological Survey of Canada, Current Research Paper 86-1B, 11–18 Google Scholar
Chappell, J. Shackleton, N.J., (1986). Oxygen isotopes and sea level Nature (London) 324, 137–140 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Craig, H., (1957). Isotopic standards for carbon and oxygen and correction factors for mass spectrometric analysis of carbon dioxide Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 12, 133–149 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Craig, H., (1961). Isotopic variations inmeteoric waters Science 133, 1833–1834 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dansgaard, W. Tauber, H., (1969). Glacier oxygen-18 content and Pleistocene ocean temperatures Science 166, 499–502 Google Scholar
Dansgaard, W. Johnsen, S.J. Clausen, M.B. Langway, C.C. Jr. Ice core and paleoclimatology Olsson, I.V., (1970). Radiocarbon Variation and Absolute Chronology Wiley New York 337–348 Google Scholar
Dever, L. Hillaire-Marcel, C. Fontes, J.-C., (1984). Composition isotopique, géochimie et génèse de la glace en lentilles (palsen) dans les tourbières au Nouveau Québec (Canada) Journal of Hydrology 71, 107–130 Google Scholar
de Vernal, A. Causse, C. Hillaire-Marcel, C. Mott, R.J. Occhietti, S., (1986). Palynostatigraphy and Th/U ages of Upper Pleistocene interglacial and interstadial deposits on Cape Breton Island, eastern Canada Geology 14, 554–559 Google Scholar
Dreimanis, A. Goldthwait, R.P., (1973). Wisconsin glaciation in the Huron, Erie and Ontario lobes Geological Society of America, Memoir 136, 71–105 Google Scholar
Ehlin, P.O., (1973). Radiocarbon dating of a carbonate concretion Geologiska Föreningens Stockholm i Förhandlingar 95, 398–399 Google Scholar
Fontes, J.-C., (1971). Un ensemble destinéà la mesure du carbone 14 par scintillation liquide Revue de Géographie physique et de Géologie dynamique 23, 67–86 Google Scholar
Fritz, P. Anderson, T.W. Lewis, C.F.M., (1975). Late Quaternary climatic trends and history of Lake Erie from stable isotope studies Science 190, 267–269 Google Scholar
Gadd, N.R., (1971). Pleistocene geology of the central St. Lawrence lowland Geological Survey of Canada, Mémoir 359,Google Scholar
Galimov, E.M. Girin, J.P., (1968). Measurements of the isotopic composition of carbon during the process of formation of carbonate concretions Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 32, 228–233 Google Scholar
Goldberg, E. Koide, M., (1962). Geochronological studies of deep sea sediments by the Io/Th method Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 26, 417–449 Google Scholar
Hallet, B., (1976). Deposits formed by subglacial precipitation of CaCO3 Geological Society of America Bulletin 87, 1003–1015 Google Scholar
Hanshaw, B.B. Hallet, B., (1978). Oxygen isotope composition of subglacially precipitated calcite: Possible paleoclimate implications Science 200, 1267–1270 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hillaire-Marcel, C., (1981). Paléo-océanographie isotopique des mers postglaciaires du Québec Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 35, 63–119 Google Scholar
Hillaire-Marcel, C., (1976). La déglaciation et le relèvement isostatique à l'est de la baie d'Hudson Cahiers de Géographie de Québec 20, 185–220 Google Scholar
Hillaire-Marcel, C., (1989). Isotopic composition (18O, 13C, 14C) of biogenic carbonates in Champlain Sea sediments The Champlain Sea Gadd, N.R. Geological Association Canada, Special Paper 35, 177–194 Google Scholar
Hillaire-Marcel, C. Causse, C., (1989). Chronologie Th/U des concrétions calcaires des varves du lac glaciaire de Deschaillons (Wisconsinien inférieur) Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 26,CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hillaire-Marcel, C. Pagé, P., (1980). Paléotempératures isotopiques du lac glaciaire de Deschaillons Mahaney, W.C. Quaternary Paleoclimate Geobooks, University of East Anglia Norwich 273–298 Google Scholar
Hillaire-Marcel, C. Soucy, J.-M. Cailleux, A., (1979). Analyse isotopique de concrétions sousglaciaires de l'inlandsis laurentidien et teneur en oxygène 18 de la glace Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 16, 1494–1498 Google Scholar
Hoefs, J., (1970). Kohlenstoff und saverstoff-isotopenuntersuchungen an karbonat konkretionen und umgedebendem gestein Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 27, 66–79 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jouzel, J. Souchez, R.A., (1982). Melting-refreezing at the glacier sole and isotopic composition of the ice Journal of Glaciology 28, 35–42 Google Scholar
Karrow, P.F., (1957). Pleistocene Geology of the Grondines Map Area, Quebec Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation University of Illinois Google Scholar
Ku, T.-L. Liang, Z.-C., (1984). The dating of impure carbonates with decay-series isotopes Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research 223, 563–571 Google Scholar
Lamothe, M., (1985). Lithostratigraphy and Geochronology of the Quaternary Deposits of the Pierreville and St. Pierre les Becquets Areas, Quebec Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation University of Western Ontario Google Scholar
Lamothe, M. Hillaire-Marcel, C. Pagé, P., (1983). Découverte de concrétions calcaires striées dans le Till de Gentilly, Basses Terres du Saint-Laurent, Québec Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 20, 500–505 Google Scholar
Lemmens, M. Lorrain, R. Haren, J., (1982). Isotopic composition of ice and subglacially precipitated calcite in Alpine area Zeitschrift für Gletscherkunde und Glazialgeologie 18, 151–159 Google Scholar
McDonald, B.G., (1969). Surficial geology of La Patrie-Sherbrooke area, Quebec, including Eaton River watershed Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 68-53, 78–99 Google Scholar
McDonald, B.G. Shilts, W.W., (1971). Quaternary stratigraphy and events in southeastern Quebec Geological Society of America Bulletin 82, 683–698 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mix, A.C. Ruddiman, W.F., (1984). Oxygenisotope analysis and Pleistocene ice volume Quaternary Research 21, 1–20 Google Scholar
Occhietti, S., (1988). Nouvelle conception de la stratigraphie du Quaternaire de la vallée du Saint-Laurent, Québec Proceedings, VI Congrès Association québécoise pour l'Etude du Quaternaire (AQQUA) Rimouski, Québec Google Scholar
O'Neil, J.R., (1968). Hydrogen and oxygen isotopic fractionation between ice and water Journal of Physical Chemistry 72, 3683–3684 Google Scholar
Prest, V.K., (1970). Quaternary geology of Canada Douglas, R.J.W. Geology and Economic Minerals of Canada Geological Survey of Canada 675–764 Google Scholar
Prest, V.K., (1977). General stratigraphic framework of the Quaternary in eastern Canada Géographie physique et Quaternaire 31, 7–14 Google Scholar
Rosholt, J.N., (1985). Uranium-trend systematics for dating Quaternary deposits United States Geological Survey, Open-File Report 85–298 Google Scholar
Saint-Onge, D., (1980). Glacial Lake Coppermine, north-central District of Mackenzie, Northwest Territories Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 17, 1310–1314 Google Scholar
Sass, E. Kolodny, Y., (1972). Stable isotopes chemistry and petrology of carbonate concretions (Mishash formation, Israel) Chemical Geology 10, 261–286 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shackleton, N.J., (1977). The oxygen isotope stratigraphic record of the Late Pleistocene Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London 280, 169–182 Google Scholar
Simard, G., (1977). Carbon 14 and tritium measurements of groundwaters in the Eaton River basin and in the Mirabel area, Quebec Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 14, 2325–2338 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Souchez, R.A. De Groote, J.M., (1985). δD-δ18O relationships in ice formed by subglacial freezing: Paleoclimatic implications Journal of Glaciology 31, 229–232 Google Scholar
Stuiver, M. Heusser, C.J. Yang, I.C., (1978). North American glacial history extended to 75,000 years ago Science 200, 16–21 Google Scholar
Suggate, R.P., (1974). When did the last interglacial end? Quaternary Research 4, 246–252 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vincent, J.-S. Hardy, L., (1977). L'évolution et l'extension des lacs glaciaires Barlow et Ojibway en territoire québécois Géographie physique et Quaternaire 31, 357–372 Google Scholar