Premium
Rapid Last Glacial Maximum deglaciation in the Indian Himalaya coeval with midlatitude glaciers: New insights from 10 Be‐dating of ice‐polished bedrock surfaces in the Chandra Valley, NW Himalaya
Author(s) -
Eugster Patricia,
Scherler Dirk,
Thiede Rasmus C.,
Codilean Alexandru T.,
Strecker Manfred R.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2015gl066077
Subject(s) - deglaciation , geology , last glacial maximum , glacier , surface exposure dating , glacial period , physical geography , glacier morphology , glacial landform , ice sheet , geomorphology , moraine , climatology , cryosphere , ice stream , sea ice , geography
Despite a large number of dated glacial landforms in the Himalaya, the ice extent during the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) from 19 to 23 ka is only known to first order. New cosmogenic 10 Be exposure ages from well‐preserved glacially polished surfaces, combined with published data, and an improved production rate scaling model allow reconstruction of the LGM ice extent and subsequent deglaciation in the Chandra Valley of NW India. We show that a >1000 m thick valley glacier retreated >150 km within a few thousand years after the onset of LGM deglaciation. By comparing the recession of the Chandra Valley Glacier and other Himalayan glaciers with those of Northern and Southern Hemisphere glaciers, we demonstrate that post‐LGM deglaciation was similar and nearly finished prior to the Bølling/Allerød interstadial. Our study supports the view that many Himalayan glaciers advanced during the LGM, likely in response to global variations in temperature.