Stratigraphy, Paleontology, and Age of Lake Algonquin Sediments in Southwestern Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Molluscs, ostracodes, diatoms, pollen, plant macrofossils, peat, and wood have been found in glacial Lake Algonquin sediments, and estuarine-alluvial sediments of the same age, in southern Ontario. Molluscs and ostracodes are particularly abundant and widespread. Pollen analysis of Lake Algonquin sediments, bogs on the Algonquin terrace, and upland bogs above the Algonquin terrace, indicate that Lake Algonquin was still in existence at the time of the spruce-pine pollen transition, previously dated at an average of 10,600 yr BP at a number of sites in Michigan, Ohio, and southern Ontario. Wood in estuarine-alluvial sediments graded to the Algonquin level is of similar radiocarbon age. Evidence from several sites in the eastern Great Lakes area suggests the presence of a preceding low-water stage (Kirkfield outlet stage); drowned and alluviated valleys and fining-upward sediment sequences have been identified in this study as further supporting evidence. Lake Algonquin drained from the southern sites by isostatic tilting and eventual opening of the “North Bay outlet” some time shortly after 10,400 yr BP.Our radiocarbon dates suggest the low-water stage has an age of about 11,000 yr BP, and that Lake Algonquin drained 10,000–15,000 y. a. Dates previously published for the Lake Michigan basin are generally too young in comparison with ours, and dates on the Champlain Sea are generally too old. More critical evaluation of all dating results is desirable.From fossil remains we suggest a rapidly expanding fauna in the waters of Lake Algonquin. The spruce pollen period was a time of rapid faunal and floral migration, when the ice front was retreating from Kirkfield to North Bay, Ontario. Diversity of some species and fossil numbers increased substantially at the transition from spruce to pine just before Lake Algonquin drained.

Inventaire systématique et paléoécologie des mammifères marins de la Mer de Champlain (fin du Wisconsinien) et de ses voies d’accès

“…II). Cette faune révèle un milieu de transition lacustre (Gadd, 1980), contigu aux eaux salées et abondamment alimenté par les eaux douces du Lac Algonkin (Karrow et al, 1975) Harington, 1983;McAllister et al, 1981) Les ombles arctiques (Salvelinus alpinus) actuels des lacs de la Gatineau, au nord de Hull, sont les vestiges d'anciennes populations anadromes qui ont occupé l'ouest de la Mer de Champlain au cours de la phase arctique. Aujourd'hui, les populations anadromes d'ombles arctiques ne se rencontrent que là où la température de la mer est inférieure à 10 e en été.…”

Early Human Settlement of Northeastern North America

“…Importantly, in Ontario, archaeologists have recovered Holcombe, Hi-Lo, and "Plano" points (but not earlier fluted points) on the bed of Lake Algonquin, demonstrating that these biface forms must postdate the draining of Lake Algonquin (Ellis and Deller 1986). Following Karrow et al (1975), this draining of Lake Algonquin is often glossed as occurring at circa 10,400 14 C yr BP. However, this event is projected from a single conventional date on a drained lakebed location of 10,290 ± 150 14 C yr BP (GSC-1111) so the lake could easily have drained later or closer to 10,000 14 C yr BP (11,500 cal yr BP).…”

Glacial Isostatic Adjustment of the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin: Using the Empirical Record of Strandline Deformation for Reconstruction of Early Holocene Paleo-Lakes and Discovery of a Hydrologically Closed Phase*

“…However, over the longer term, the geophysical model results are not in complete agreement with past events in the watershed. The relative performances of two geophysical models and the empirical model were assessed by comparing the elevations of the northern and southern outlets from the upper Great Lakes basins during the Algonquin and Nipissing drainage transfers which are known to occur at about 10.5 ka BP and 5 ka BP, respectively, from independent geological evidence (Karrow et al, 1975;Karrow, 1980;Monaghan et al, 1986). Outflows were transferred from the Kirkfield outlet to the Port Huron and possibly Chicago outlets during the Algonquin transfer (Fig.…”

“…The paleogeography of individual basins and of the entire Great Lakes watershed may likewise be reconstructed for any desired age. Applications of the isostatic response surface and the exponential model of uplift are illustrated for: (1) digital reconstruction of Great Lakes Clayton, 1983;Teller and Thorleifson, 1983;Teller, 1985;Thorleifson, 1996 Vincent andHardy, 1979;Veillette, 1994;Dyke, 1996Calkin, 1970Barnett, 1979;Calkin andFeenstra, 1985 Goldthwait, 1910;Stanley, 1936Stanley, , 1937Stanley, , 1938aDeane, 1950;Chapman, 1975;Karrow et al, 1975;Karrow 1980;Chapman and Putnam, 1984;Eschman and Karrow, 1985;Kaszycki, 1985;Karrow, 1986Karrow, , 1987Lewis and Anderson, 1989;Lewis et al 1994Goldthwait, 1907Leverett and Taylor, 1915;Stanley, 1938b;Evenson, 1973;Futyma, 1981;Hansel et al, 1985;Taylor, 1990;Kehew, 1993;Colman et al 1994aColeman, 1937Muller and Prest, 1985;Pair et al, 1988;Rodrigues, 1993 Harrison, 1972;Chapman, 1975;Vincent and Hardy, 1979;Barnett, 1988;…”