The Innuitian Ice Sheet: configuration, dynamics and chronology

England, John; Atkinson, Nigel; Bednarski, J M; Dyke, Arthur S.; Hodgson, D A; Cofaigh, Colm Ó

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2005.08.007

Cited by 174 publications

(184 citation statements)

References 99 publications

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“…The margin of the retreating Innuitian ice sheet reached a position close to the northern, eastern, and southern margins of the current Devon Island ice cap by about 10 14 C ka BP, but retreat to the current western margins occurred significantly later, between ~9 and 8 14 C ka BP (Dyke, 1999;England et al, 2006). The pattern of retreat after that time is not well known, but analyses of sediment cores from a proglacial lake northwest of the ice cap suggest that the ice cap retreated from its northwest margin during the early Holocene because of regional warming, then re-advanced after the mid-Holocene climatic optimum (Lamoureux et al, 2002).…”

Section: Historical Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

Forty-seven Years of Research on the Devon Island Ice Cap, Arctic Canada

Boon¹,

Burgess²,

Koerner³

et al. 2010

ARCTIC

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ABStRACt. The Devon Island ice cap has been the subject of scientific study for almost half a century, beginning with the first mass balance measurements in 1961. Research on the ice cap was the first to investigate (1) the role of meltwater in seasonal ice-velocity variations on a polythermal Arctic ice cap, (2) the use of air temperature rather than net radiation as a proxy for the energy driving surface melt, and (3) the influence of the changing frequency of specific synoptic weather configurations on glacier melt and mass balance. Other research has included investigations of ice cap geometry, flow dynamics, and mass balance; ice core analyses for records of past climate and contaminant deposition; and studies of changes in ice cap area and volume and their relationship to surface mass balance and ice dynamics. Current research includes ground studies connected to efforts to calibrate and validate the radar altimeter that will be carried by the European Space Agency's (ESA) CryoSat2 satellite, and a major collaborative Canadian International Polar Year (IPY) project focused on the Belcher Glacier, on the northeast side of the ice cap, that examines hydrodynamics of large tidewater glaciers. This paper summarizes our current knowledge of the Devon Island ice cap and identifies some of the outstanding questions that continue to limit our understanding of climate-ice cap interactions in Arctic regions.Key words: Devon Island ice cap, Canadian Arctic, glaciology, ice dynamics, mass balance, climate change, tidewater, ice cores ReSuMÉ. La calotte glaciaire de l'île Devon fait l'objet d'une étude scientifique depuis près d'un demi-siècle, les premières mesures du bilan massique remontant à 1961. C'est la première fois que des travaux de recherche sur la calotte glaciaire permettent de faire enquête sur 1) le rôle de l'eau de fonte dans les variations caractérisant la vélocité de la glace d'une calotte glaciaire polytherme de l'Arctique; 2) l'utilisation de la température de l'air au lieu du bilan radiatif en surface en guise d'approximation pour la fonte superficielle conductrice d'énergie, et 3) l'influence exercée par la fréquence changeante de configurations climatiques synoptiques spécifiques sur la fonte du glacier et le bilan massique. Parmi les autres travaux de recherche, notons des enquêtes sur la géométrie de la calotte glaciaire, la dynamique des débits d'écoulement et le bilan massique; l'analyse des enregistrements relatifs aux carottes glaciaires en ce qui a trait à d'anciens dépôts climatiques et dépôts de contaminants; et l'étude des changements caractérisant l'aire et le volume de la calotte glaciaire de même que leur relation par rapport au bilan massique en surface et à la dynamique des glaces. Par ailleurs, les travaux de recherche actuels prennent la forme d'études sur le terrain se rapportant aux efforts visant à calibrer et à valider l'altimètre radar, études qui seront effectuées par le satellite CryoSat2 de l'Agence spatiale européenne (ASE), et un projet d'envergure en collaboration avec...

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Section: Historical Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

Forty-seven Years of Research on the Devon Island Ice Cap, Arctic Canada

Boon¹,

Burgess²,

Koerner³

et al. 2010

ARCTIC

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“…Devon Island was covered by an extensive Innuitian ice sheet that reached its maximum extent during the last glacial maximum (e.g., England, 1987;Dyke, 1999;England et al, 2006). Shortly after the Younger Dryas, around 10 ka BP, the margin of this ice sheet was under recession to the current coast line, and the final remnants in central Devon Island vanished around 8.8 ka…”

Section: Field Site: Devon Islandmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We refer to the work by Dyke (1999) and England et al (2006) for a detailed discussion on the glacial history of the island during and since the Innuitian ice sheet. Since deglaciation, the landscape evolution is mainly the result of periglacial processes and erosion by ephemeral seasonal streams (e.g., McCann et al, 1972;Dyke, 1999).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Subglacial drainage patterns of Devon Island, Canada: Detailed comparison of river and tunnel valleys

Galofre

Jellinek

Osinski

et al. 2017

Preprint

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Abstract. Tunnel valleys are bedrock incised channels (N-channels) attributed to erosion by meltwater in subglacial conduits.They exert a major control on meltwater accumulation at the base of ice sheets, serving as drainage pathways and modifying ice flow rates. Exposed relict tunnel valleys offer a unique opportunity to study the geomorphologic fingerprint of subglacial erosion and characterize the geometry of individual channels. In this study we present field and remote sensing observations of exposed tunnel valleys on Devon Island (Canadian Arctic Archipelago), including descriptions of tunnel valley cross sec-5 tions and longitudinal profiles, as well as network morphology, to describe the spatial extend and distinctive characteristics of subglacial drainage systems. We use field-based GPS measurements of tunnel valley longitudinal profiles, along with stereo imagery derived Digital Surface Models (DSM), and novel kinematic mobile LiDAR data to establish a quantitative comparison of tunnel and river valleys in our field study area. Tunnel valleys typically cluster in groups of 5-10 channels throughout the island, oriented radially with respect to active or former ice margins. We identify departures in tunnel valley direction from 10 local topographic gradients and undulations in the longitudinal profiles. We also observe that the width of first order tributaries is one to two orders of magnitude larger than in river systems, and remarkably constant downstream. These distinctive aspects of tunnel valley morphology are similar among the different locations characterized in the study. Furthermore, our findings are consistent with expectations of flow driven by gradients in effective water pressure related to variations in ice thickness.Our field and remote sensing observations provide a rigorous way to distinguish tunnel and river valleys in local and regional 15 topography data that revisits well-established field identification guidelines. Distinguishing river and tunnel valleys in topographic data is critical for understanding the emergence, geometry and extent of channelized subglacial drainage systems. The final aim of this study is to facilitate the identification of tunnel valley networks throughout the globe by using remote sensing techniques, which will improve the detection of these systems and help to build understanding of the mechanics of subglacial channelized drainage. 201 The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi

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“…They reveal the early Holocene (11000-6000 cal BP) in Barrow Strait to have been relatively cold, with summertime SST as much as 2°C cooler than today. Such harsh conditions reflect the presence of cold melt water from retreating Innuitian and Laurentide ice sheets (England et al 2006;Carlson et al 2008). In contrast, the yearly duration of sea ice varied within ±1 month of today.…”

Section: Ipy Ocean Observatoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Arctic Ocean—a Canadian perspective from IPY

et al. 2012

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Canada's IPY program funded seven marine projects spanning the North American Arctic. Work embraced oceanography, air-sea interactions, storm response, paleoclimate and trace-element chemistry. Notable findings are emerging. Conditions in the Beaufort were unusual in 2007, with very high air pressure bringing strong winds, rapid ice drift, thin winter ice, enhanced shelf-break upwelling and a maximum in freshwater retention in the Beaufort Gyre. A mapping of trace chemicals suggests that Arctic mid-depth circulation may also have reversed. Study of Canadian Arctic through-flow revealed a net annual seawater export of 44,000 cubic kilometres from the Arctic to Baffin Bay. Observations of sea ice, sustained through the IPY, affirmed that ice cover is the key attribute of Arctic seas, with wind as a potent agent in its variation. Surveys have shown that the anthropogenic decline in seawater alkalinity is aggravated in the Arctic by low temperature and low salinity resulting from ice melt. Careful experiments have revealed that Arctic phytoplankton growth is constrained by scarcity of dissolved iron where light levels are low. A manganese fingerprint in sediments has tracked changing sea level during the Ice Age.Climatic Change

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The Innuitian Ice Sheet: configuration, dynamics and chronology

Cited by 174 publications

References 99 publications

Forty-seven Years of Research on the Devon Island Ice Cap, Arctic Canada

Forty-seven Years of Research on the Devon Island Ice Cap, Arctic Canada

Subglacial drainage patterns of Devon Island, Canada: Detailed comparison of river and tunnel valleys

The Arctic Ocean—a Canadian perspective from IPY

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