Abstracts with Programs - Geological Society of America
Abstracts with Programs - Geological Society of America
Abstracts with Programs - Geological Society of America
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SESSION NO. 3<br />
Michigan and Lake Erie lobes option 3 seems unlikely. This comparison can not distinguish<br />
between options 1 and 2.<br />
3-4 9:00 AM Carson, Eric C. [218824]<br />
RADIOCARBON CONTROL FOR THE ADVANCE OF THE GREEN BAY LOBE TO ITS LATE<br />
WISCONSIN (MIS 2) MAXIMUM POSITION AT DEVILS LAKE, SOUTH-CENTRAL WISCONSIN<br />
CARSON, Eric C., Department <strong>of</strong> Environmental Sciences, Wisconsin <strong>Geological</strong> and<br />
Natural History Survey, Madison, WI 53705, eccarson@wisc.edu and ATTIG, John W.,<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Environmental Sciences, Wisconsin <strong>Geological</strong> and Natural History Survey,<br />
3817 Mineral Point Road, Madison, WI 53705<br />
Currently there are few reliable numerical age estimates that constrain the timing <strong>of</strong> the maximum<br />
extent <strong>of</strong> the Laurentide Ice Sheet in the midcontinent, a problem that largely reflects the<br />
scarcity <strong>of</strong> radiocarbon dates that closely constrain late Wisconsin glacial events. To improve our<br />
understanding <strong>of</strong> the timing <strong>of</strong> the last glacial advance and retreat, recent research (e.g., Attig<br />
et al., 2011; Carson et al., 2012) has begun dating lacustrine sediment deposited in a range <strong>of</strong><br />
environments along the margin <strong>of</strong> the Green Bay lobe in south-central Wisconsin. The specific<br />
geomorphic settings <strong>of</strong> these lacustrine deposits allow unequivocal correlation <strong>of</strong> the sediment<br />
to discrete late Wisconsin glacial events, thus providing chronologic control that has previously<br />
been lacking.<br />
While previously published data from this research program addresses the timing <strong>of</strong> onset <strong>of</strong><br />
retreat <strong>of</strong> ice from the last maximum position, new data is shedding light on the timing <strong>of</strong> the end<br />
<strong>of</strong> ice advance to its maximum extent (locally known as the Johnstown phase). The Baraboo Hills<br />
in south-central Wisconsin are formed by a doubly-plunging anticline <strong>of</strong> the Precambrian Baraboo<br />
quartzite. Devils Lake gorge cuts through the south range <strong>of</strong> the Baraboo Hills. The gorge was<br />
blocked at both ends by late Wisconsin ice, creating a lake during the glacial maximum and the<br />
lower, modern, Devils Lake during post-glacial time. We collected a 9.1-m core into laminated silty<br />
lacustrine sediments immediately south <strong>of</strong> Devils Lake; the base <strong>of</strong> the core is 9.2 m higher than<br />
modern lake level, suggesting that the sediment could only have been deposited when sediment<br />
and ice were completely blocking both ends <strong>of</strong> the gorge. Three radiocarbon dates from plant<br />
macr<strong>of</strong>ossils in an organic-rich zone near the base <strong>of</strong> the core range between 20,480 +/- 100<br />
14C yr BP (24,890 – 24,050 cal yr BP) and 19,100 +/- 80 14C yr BP (23,290 – 23,060 cal yr BP),<br />
indicating that the Green Bay Lobe had advanced to its maximum position by that time. These<br />
dates represent the first direct absolute age control for the timing <strong>of</strong> the end <strong>of</strong> the Green Bay<br />
lobe’s advance to its late Wisconsin maximum position, and one <strong>of</strong> few such chronologic controls<br />
along the southern Laurentide ice sheet.<br />
3-5 9:20 AM Schaetzl, Randall [218188]<br />
OSL AGES ON LOESS CONSTRAIN THE ADVANCE OF THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY LOBE IN<br />
WESTERN WISCONSIN, USA<br />
SCHAETZL, Randall, Geography, Michigan State University, 128 Geog Bldg, Michigan<br />
State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, soils@msu.edu, FORMAN, Steven L., Earth and<br />
Environmental Sciences, University <strong>of</strong> Illinois at Chicago, 845 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, IL<br />
60607, and ATTIG, John W., Department <strong>of</strong> Environmental Sciences, Wisconsin <strong>Geological</strong><br />
and Natural History Survey, 3817 Mineral Point Road, Madison, WI 53705<br />
The timing <strong>of</strong> the advance and recession <strong>of</strong> the Chippewa Valley Lobe in west-central Wisconsin<br />
is poorly constrained, mainly because <strong>of</strong> the lack <strong>of</strong> closely controlled radiocarbon dates. To<br />
that end, we present the first OSL ages on loess for west-central Wisconsin, which constrain<br />
the advance <strong>of</strong> the Laurentide Ice Sheet out <strong>of</strong> the Lake Superior basin and into this region<br />
during the last part <strong>of</strong> the Wisconsin glaciation. The Chippewa River flows south, perpendicular<br />
to the terminal moraine, and eventually becomes confluent <strong>with</strong> the Mississippi River. After the<br />
advancing glacier crossed the southern edge <strong>of</strong> the Lake Superior basin and reached a drainage<br />
divide in northwestern Wisconsin, meltwater flowed into the northern part <strong>of</strong> the Chippewa<br />
drainage basin, and continued to flow there until the ice margin retreated back, across the divide.<br />
Today, loess covers bedrock uplands that lie scattered on either side <strong>of</strong> the river, just beyond the<br />
terminal moraine. Spatial patterns <strong>of</strong> particle-size data on loess, from 125 upland sites throughout<br />
the Chippewa basin, clearly show that this loess was derived from the sandy valley trains <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Chippewa River and its tributaries - all <strong>of</strong> which drained the ice front. The loess exceeds 5 m in<br />
thickness at sites near the widest valley train areas, in areas only a few km beyond the moraine.<br />
Using deep cores recovered from five ridge-top sites, we dated 12 loess samples - solely from<br />
depths > 3 m - using MAR OSL methods. The oldest age for basal loess on bedrock was ca<br />
24 ka, which constrains the timing <strong>of</strong> the advance <strong>of</strong> the southern margin <strong>of</strong> the Laurentide<br />
Ice Sheet out <strong>of</strong> the Superior basin, across the drainage divide, and into the drainage <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Chippewa River. The remaining OSL ages from the deep loess, taken only slightly higher in the<br />
stratigraphic column, range between 19.7 and 12.3 ka, suggesting that the Chippewa Valley was a<br />
loess source for several millennia, and that most <strong>of</strong> the loess was deposited during ice recession.<br />
OSL ages from loess <strong>with</strong>in 3 to 3.5 m <strong>of</strong> the surface are abnormally young, presumably due to<br />
post-depositional mixing.<br />
3-6 10:00 AM Esch, John M. [218821]<br />
BURIED BEDROCK VALLEYS OF MICHIGAN<br />
ESCH, John M., Michigan Dept. <strong>of</strong> Environmental Quality, Office <strong>of</strong> Oil, Gas, and Minerals,<br />
P.O. 30256, Lansing, MI 48909, eschj@michigan.gov<br />
In the glaciated Midwest, much can be learned about the geological history <strong>of</strong> an area by<br />
mapping the bedrock surface topography and the buried bedrock valleys. In Michigan, a complex<br />
and very irregular bedrock surface underlies the thickest glacial drift on land in North <strong>America</strong>. In<br />
general, the bedrock surface has well defined buried bedrock valley networks <strong>with</strong> tributaries and<br />
main bedrock valleys which can run for tens <strong>of</strong> miles. These <strong>of</strong>ten appear to be in inferred preglacial<br />
bedrock drainage basins <strong>with</strong> bedrock surface divides. Other buried bedrock valleys cross<br />
bedrock surface divides and cut through broad bedrock highlands and cuestas. Some bedrock<br />
valleys are in a nearly parallel pattern over large areas. In other places, the bedrock valleys are<br />
short, relatively straight disconnected valleys. Sometimes these appear to be imprinted over<br />
an already existing pre-glacial bedrock valley network. There are also broad regional bedrock<br />
lowlands and local fjord-like bedrock troughs. Some bedrock valleys and scarps directly overlie<br />
deeper structural features. Often bedrock valleys are found preferentially in less resistant bedrock<br />
formations. In addition some areas are essentially devoid <strong>of</strong> bedrock valleys.<br />
There is considerable debate as to the origin <strong>of</strong> bedrock valleys, but no single mechanism<br />
can account for these widely varying bedrock valley types. The extensive buried bedrock valley<br />
network suggests that much <strong>of</strong> the bedrock surface is a slightly glacially modified pre-glacial<br />
bedrock surface, the result <strong>of</strong> long history <strong>of</strong> pre-glacial uplift and erosion (post Pennsylvanian<br />
and post Jurassic). In other places the bedrock surface has also been sculpted by numerous<br />
paleo-river channels cut into the bedrock during the numerous glacial ice advances, interglacial<br />
periods and the postglacial period over the last 2.5 million years. While in other areas, the bedrock<br />
surface has been significantly eroded by direct glacial erosion removing the bedrock valleys.<br />
4 2013 GSA <strong>Abstracts</strong> <strong>with</strong> <strong>Programs</strong><br />
Knowledge <strong>of</strong> the location <strong>of</strong> bedrock valleys may assist in exploration for potential glacial<br />
aquifers in bedrock valleys, and in seismic data processing for oil and gas exploration. These<br />
bedrock valleys, especially the deeper ones, may contain older glacial, interglacial or pre-Tertiary<br />
sediments and paleosols which may be <strong>of</strong> value for geological age dating.<br />
3-7 10:20 AM Walters, Kent A. [218432]<br />
A CASE FOR STEP-WISE RETREAT OF THE LAURENTIDE ICE SHEET DURING THE<br />
YOUNGER DRYAS: CENTRAL UPPER PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN<br />
WALTERS, Kent A., Department <strong>of</strong> Geology, The University <strong>of</strong> Cincinnati, 500 Geology<br />
Physics Building, Cincinnati, OH 45221, walterkr@mail.uc.edu, LOWELL, Thomas V.,<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Geology, University <strong>of</strong> Cincinnati, 500 Geology/Physics Building, University<br />
<strong>of</strong> Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, and PUTNAM, Aaron E., Lamont-Doherty Earth<br />
Observatory, Columbia University, 217 Comer, 61 Route 9W - PO Box 1000, Palisades,<br />
NY 10964<br />
The Younger Dryas (YD) is a well-known paleoclimatic event from 12.9-11.6 cal ka BP. Although<br />
the response <strong>of</strong> small glaciers to climate change is well established, far less is known how large<br />
glaciers like the Laurentide Ice sheet (LIS) respond to rapid climate change during events like<br />
the Younger Dryas. This study investigates the right lateral moraines <strong>of</strong> the Green Bay lobe <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Laurentide Ice Sheet in central Upper Peninsula <strong>of</strong> Michigan. Here and in adjacent Wisconsin,<br />
the LIS buried two forest beds (Two Creeks and Lake Gribben) and the ages <strong>of</strong> 13.7 and 11.6 cal<br />
ka BP, respectively, indicate that the ice sheet occupied this region during Younger Dryas time.<br />
Hypothesis for ice sheet behavior during this time include (i) retreat some 200 km across Lake<br />
Superior before the YD and the same length readvance during the YD and (ii) limited readvance<br />
at the end <strong>of</strong> the YD.<br />
To test these possibilities this study employed the USGS 10 m digital elevation model to<br />
map surficial glacial landforms and added 25 new radiocarbon dates to refine the ice-sheet<br />
deglaciation chronology. Mapping revealed at least four and perhaps as many as seven<br />
successive ice-contact margin positions between the Two Creeks and Lake Gribben locations<br />
suggesting a step-wise retreat. Radiocarbon dates indicate the LIS retreated across the region<br />
from 12.8 to 11.4 cal ka BP and then readvanced at 11.3 cal ka BP. This implies that during most<br />
<strong>of</strong> the YD the ice sheet was in retreat <strong>with</strong> a readvance occurring after the YD. If the LIS retreated<br />
in a step wise manner during the YD, it may imply warmer summers or high solar insolation values<br />
as the mechanism controlling the ice sheet margin at this time.<br />
3-8 10:40 AM Colgan, Patrick M. [218673]<br />
EVIDENCE FOR DISTRIBUTION AND THICKNESS OF ATHENS SUB-EPISODE AND OLDER<br />
SEDIMENTS IN OTTAWA COUNTY, MICHIGAN<br />
COLGAN, Patrick M., Geology, Grand Valley State University, 132 Padnos Hall <strong>of</strong> Science,<br />
1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI 49401-9403, colganp@gvsu.edu<br />
Previous researchers have mapped and provided multiple radiocarbon ages for buried organic<br />
matter below Michigan Sub-episode age glacial tills in Lower Michigan. A 43 meter long rotosonic<br />
core to bedrock was recovered in August 2012 by Western Michigan University’s Hydrogeology<br />
Field School at Hemlock Crossing County Park in Ottawa County, Michigan. The core contains<br />
organic wood fragments in sand lying below the Saugatuck/Ganges tills and lying above Glen<br />
Shores till, and older unnamed units. The isolated wood fragments yield an AMS radiocarbon<br />
age <strong>of</strong> 37,840 ± 400 C14 years BP (41,920 to 42,950 calendar years BP two sigma error, Beta-<br />
329000). This age is <strong>with</strong>in the uncertainty <strong>of</strong> three finite ages previously obtained by researchers<br />
at the Glen Shores Section in Allegan County. This suggests an Athens Sub-episode age for<br />
the organic sand and a possible pre-Athens Sub-episode age for the Glenn Shores till and<br />
unnamed units.<br />
Similar buried organic material in sand between till units are common in Ottawa County,<br />
occurring in two clusters as reported in water well records. More than 200 water-well-records<br />
report buried organic materials well below the land surface. Of these well records, 137 appear to<br />
correlate to the Athens Sub-episode age organics in the Hemlock Crossing County Park core. The<br />
largest cluster occurs over a broad area north <strong>of</strong> the Grand River, and a smaller cluster occurs<br />
south <strong>of</strong> Pigeon Creek. The average depth <strong>of</strong> the top <strong>of</strong> the organic layer is 28 ± 16 m (2 sigma)<br />
and at an average elevation <strong>of</strong> 167 ± 28 m (2 sigma) above mean sea level. This is about 10<br />
meters below the mean lake level <strong>of</strong> Lake Michigan. The mean thickness <strong>of</strong> the organic sand is<br />
about 3 meters.<br />
Continuing research examining the glacial till(s) <strong>of</strong> pre-Athens Sub-episode age in the Hemlock<br />
Crossing Core will attempt to correlate these units to known units. Other yet unnamed units may<br />
also be defined. These tills could be <strong>of</strong> any age and could correlate to MIS-4 (early Wisconsin<br />
Glaciation/Episode), MIS-6 (Illinois Glaciation/Episode), or older pre-Illinoian glaciations recorded<br />
in the marine oxygen isotope records from ocean sediments and ice cores.<br />
3-9 11:00 AM Curry, B. Brandon [218573]<br />
SUPERPOSED ICE-WALLED LAKE DEPOSITS, NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS<br />
CURRY, B. Brandon, Prairie Research Institute, Illinois State <strong>Geological</strong> Survey, Champaign,<br />
IL 61820, b-curry@illinois.edu<br />
A complex <strong>of</strong> ice-walled lake plains occurs in and around Woodstock, Illinois. One ice-walled<br />
lake plain stands out from the rest (-88.4113˚W, 42.2571˚N). It is nearly circular, about 1.1 km<br />
across, <strong>with</strong> an unusual central kettle about 0.4 km across. Five cores <strong>of</strong> this landform have been<br />
sampled. Facies architecture, radiocarbon ages <strong>of</strong> entombed tundra plants, and geomorphology<br />
collectively indicate two stages <strong>of</strong> ice-walled lake development. Gray, silty clay diamicton <strong>of</strong><br />
the Yorkville Member (Lemont Formation; Livingston Phase) underlies the glaciolacustrine<br />
complex forming the ice-walled lake plain, but sediment cores sampled adjacent to the landform<br />
reveal patches <strong>of</strong> dolomite-rich, pebbly sandy loam diamicton <strong>of</strong> the Haeger Member (Lemont<br />
Formation; Woodstock Phase) that cover the fine-grained Yorkville unit. The margin <strong>of</strong> the icewalled<br />
lake plain is covered by about 1.7 m <strong>of</strong> well-sorted, fining-upward medium sand. The sand<br />
pinches out approaching the kettle’s edge. The underlying fossiliferous lacustrine sediment is as<br />
much as 7.5 m thick.<br />
The two stages <strong>of</strong> development are reflected in five radiocarbon ages (each <strong>with</strong> < 30 yrs<br />
sigma-one error) <strong>of</strong> Dryas integrifolia found in the lacustrine faces. The first stage lasted from<br />
about 21,870 to 21,460 cal yr BP during deglaciation <strong>of</strong> the Livingston Phase. The second stage<br />
occurred from about 18,720 to 17,870 cal yr BP during deglaciation <strong>of</strong> the Woodstock Phase.<br />
The lack <strong>of</strong> 14C ages spanning from about 21,460 to 18,720 cal yr BP also is observed from the<br />
composite <strong>of</strong> more than 40 radiocarbon ages associated <strong>with</strong> ice-walled lakes in Illinois. The<br />
hiatus is also observed in 15 14C ages <strong>of</strong> plant fossils from the nearby De Kalb mounds. The lack<br />
<strong>of</strong> physical evidence for the nonconformity in sediment cores such as clay mineral alteration or<br />
changes in bedding or grain-size suggests that the active layer did not thaw; the landscape was<br />
physically and chemically inert during this time <strong>of</strong> extremely cold summer temperatures.