ABSTRACT: Paleoenvironmental change and the glacial record of the Canadian High Arctic

CGRG Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology
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Abstract

During the last glaciation of central Ellesmere Island existing ice caps expanded by only 5-40 km. Fosheim Peninsula lay beyond this limit and was generally ice-free except for small upland icefields. Glacier expansion was limited because the region suffered from severe aridity and the fiords and interisland channels impeded glacier advance through promotion of calving. In contrast, older glaciation was more extensive on the Fosheim Peninsula. Meltwater channels, erratic distribution, and fossiliferous diamicton suggest that ice once filled Eureka Sound and overtopped the highest summits. This event is of great antiquity but its age is uncertain. However, such a pervasive glaciation indicates a significant departure from last glacial and present-day environmental conditions. What factors were responsible for this dramatic change in glacial style? An open Arctic Ocean would provide the necessary moisture to raise the activity index ofhigh-arctic glaciers, and a less fragmented archipelago (fewer marine embayments) would reduce ablation due to calving in fiords and channels. It is apparent that the Quaternary glacial and sea level record can provide insights into the nature of paleoenvironmental change in high latitudes; these relationships constitute a major research theme of the High Arctic Research Project at the University of Alberta. Furthermore, recent computer modelling supports the growing recognition that the paleoenvironmental record of the Canadian High Arctic will make a significant contribution to our understanding of some environmental consequences of global warming.

Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology