Open AccessA new map of glacigenic features and glacial landsystems in central mainland Nunavut, Canada
Author(s) -
McMartin Isabelle,
Godbout PierreMarc,
Campbell Janet E.,
Tremblay Tommy,
Behnia Pouran
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
boreas
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.95
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1502-3885
pISSN - 0300-9483
DOI - 10.1111/bor.12479
Subject(s) - geology , glacial period , glacial landform , ice sheet , landform , drumlin , glacier , physical geography , arctic , ice stream , seabed gouging by ice , geomorphology , cryosphere , oceanography , paleontology , arctic ice pack , antarctic sea ice , sea ice , moraine , geography
A new digital map of glacial geomorphic features and interpreted glacial landsystems was produced for an area covering ~415 000 km 2 in the Keewatin Sector of the Laurentide Ice Sheet ( LIS ) in Nunavut. The map integrates information from previous surficial geology maps and >14 000 field stations, and is significantly improved by the detailed inventory of ~152 000 glacigenic features using high‐resolution Arctic DEM data and Landsat 8 imagery. From this, we identify and map coherent patterns of landform development (landsystems) between the Manitoba border and the Arctic coast, many of which are entirely new and others that are significantly modified or updated. In particular, we recognize six separate ice streams, including one probable remnant ice stream, and we delineate numerous palimpsest streamlined landscapes with associated ice‐flow trends and relative ages. A continuum of relict terrains with varying basal ice thermal conditions is mapped for the first time in the ice divide migration zone between Baker Lake and Wager Bay. In addition, deglacial cold‐based retreat terrains and preserved warm‐based landscapes unaffected by younger glacial events have been identified. These new georeferenced, multi‐scale data sets and interpreted glacial landsystems provide a comprehensive framework to strengthen reconstructions of the glacial history and dynamics of one of the largest ice domes of the LIS , identify distinct glacial sediment transport paths for applications to mineral exploration, and test numerical modelling of the LIS in support of climate change studies and long‐term evolution of modern ice sheets.