Quaternary glaciation of the Lato Massif, Zanskar Range of the NW Himalaya

QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS

卷:183

Article

Orr, Elizabeth N.¹  Owen, Lewis A.¹  Saha, Sourav¹  Caffee, Marc W.^2,3  Murari, Madhav K.⁴ 

[1] Univ Cincinnati, Dept Geol, Cincinnati, OH 45221 USA

[2] Purdue Univ, Dept Phys, W Lafayette, IN 47907 USA

[3] Purdue Univ, Dept Earth Atmospher & Planetary Sci, W Lafayette, IN 47907 USA

[4] Justus Liebig Univ Giessen, Dept Geog, D-35390 Giessen, Germany

关键词: Zanskar Range;    Glaciation style;    Cosmogenic isotopes;    ELA;    Till deposits;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.01.005

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

The glacial chronostratigraphy and history of the Lato Massif of Zanskar northern India is defined for the first time using geomorphic mapping and Be-10 surface exposure dating. Three local glacial stages, the Lato, Shiyul and Kyambu, are dated to 244-49, 25-15 and 3.4-0.2 ka, respectively. The Lato glacial stage was the most extensive period of glaciation, characterized by expanded ice caps with glaciers advancing to 16 km from their present position. Large till deposits are associated with this glacial stage, which represent a time of heightened glacial erosion and localized incision, and increased rates of sediment transfer and deposition. The glacial style transitioned to entrenched valley glaciation during the Shiyul glacial stage. Hummocky moraine complexes reflecting fluctuating glacier margins characterize this glaciation. Glaciers have been confined to the cirques and headwalls of the massif during and since the Kyambu glacial stage. Equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) reconstructions help define the shifts in glaciation over time, with ELA depressions changing from 470 +/- 140, 270 +/- 80 to 100 +/- 30 m for the Lato, Shiyul and Kyambu glacial stages, respectively. The change of glacial style during the latter part of the Quaternary is similar to other regions of the Transhimalaya and Tibet suggesting that this pattern of glaciation may reflect regional climatic forcing. The evolution of the Lato Massif from an isolated alpine plateau to a steeply incised massif over the last several glacial-interglacial cycles may have also influenced the shifts from ice cap to valley glaciation. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

Free