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Early Holocene deglaciation of northern Hudson Bay and Foxe Channel constrained by new radiocarbon ages and marine reservoir correction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2012

Martin Ross*
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1
Daniel J. Utting
Affiliation:
Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office, Natural Resources Canada, 626 Tumiit Plaza, Box 2319 Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada X0A 0H0
Patrick Lajeunesse
Affiliation:
Centre d'études nordiques & Département de géographie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
Kevin G.A. Kosar
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1
*
Corresponding author at: 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1. Fax: + 1 519 746 7484. Email Address:[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Abstract

Radiocarbon ages from Southampton Island (Canada) provide new chronological control on the deglaciation of Foxe Channel and northern Hudson Bay, a strategic area for understanding the demise of a marine-based portion of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. A regional marine reservoir age of 630 ± 45 yr and a reservoir offset (ΔR) of 263 ± 48 yr were calculated from two early to mid-Holocene terrestrial/marine radiocarbon age pairs. These values are consistent with corrections based on early 20th century mollusks suggesting that following deglaciation the oceanic conditions controlling the regional reservoir effect rapidly became similar to those of modern times. However, our ΔR value is 352 ± 52 yr less than another correction from eastern Foxe Basin, which may be affected by 14 C dilution from carbonate rocks. Our ΔR value is used to calibrate new marine radiocarbon ages which help further develop the deglaciation history of Southampton Island, especially along the north coast where deglaciation of Foxe Channel appears to have been completed by 8100–7800 cal yr BP (2σ). This provides key chronological constraints on the development of a long marine ice margin in southern Foxe Basin prior to the final breakup of the Foxe ice dome.

Type
Articles
Copyright
University of Washington

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Footnotes

1 Currently at Alberta Geological Survey, 402, Twin Atria Building, 4999-98 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T6B 2X3, Canada.

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