Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T12:24:10.720Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Magnetostratigraphic evidence from the Cold Creek bar for onset of ice-age cataclysmic floods in eastern Washington during the early pleistocene

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Christopher J. Pluhar ,
Bruce N. Bjornstad ,
Stephen P. Reidel ,
Robert S. Coe  and
Paul B. Nelson
Christopher J. Pluhar*
Affiliation:
University of California, Earth Science Department, 1156 High St. Santa Cruz, CA 95064-1077, USA
Bruce N. Bjornstad
Affiliation:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Applied Geology and Geochemistry (K6-81), P.O. Box 999, Richland, WA 99352, USA
Stephen P. Reidel
Affiliation:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Applied Geology and Geochemistry (K6-81), P.O. Box 999, Richland, WA 99352, USA
Robert S. Coe
Affiliation:
University of California, Earth Science Department, 1156 High St. Santa Cruz, CA 95064-1077, USA
Paul B. Nelson
Affiliation:
University of California, Earth Science Department, 1156 High St. Santa Cruz, CA 95064-1077, USA
*
*Corresponding author. Fax: +1 831 459 3074.Email Address:[email protected](C.J. Pluhar).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This study provides a detailed magnetostratigraphy of sediments composing the Cold Creek cataclysmic flood bar in the Pasco Basin, Washington. Our interpretation suggests onset of Missoula floods or similar events prior to 1.1 myr, later than previously suggested by Bjornstad et al. [Bjornstad, B.N., Fecht, K.R., Pluhar, C.J., 2001. Long history of pre-Wisconsin, Ice Age cataclysmic floods: evidence from southeastern Washington State. Journal of Geology 109 (6), 695–713]. Nonetheless these data suggest that Channeled Scabland features formed over a much longer timespan than commonly cited, that continental ice sheets of the early Pleistocene reached as far south as those of the late Pleistocene, and that similar physiography existed in eastern Washington and perhaps Montana to both generate and route Missoula-flood-like events. This study adds paleomagnetic polarity results from 213 new samples of silts and sands derived from nine new drill cores penetrating the Cold Creek cataclysmic flood bar to our previous database of 53 samples from four boreholes, resulting in a much more robust and detailed magnetostratigraphy. Rock magnetic studies on these sediments show pure magnetite to be the predominant remanence-carrying magnetic mineral, ruling out widespread remagnetization by secondary mineralization. The magnetostratigraphy at eastern Cold Creek bar is characterized by a normal polarity interval bracketed by reversed polarities. Equating the normal zone with the Jaramillo subchron (0.99–1.07 myr) affords the simplest correlation to the magnetic polarity timescale. Western Cold Creek bar was likely deposited during the Brunhes chron (0–0.78 myr) since it exhibits mainly normal polarities with only two thin reversed-polarity horizons that we interpret as magnetic excursions during the Brunhes.

Keywords

PaleomagnetismMagnetostratigraphySusceptibilityHysteresis parametersHanfordPasco BasinCold Creek barMissoulaScablandCataclysmic floodJokulhlaup
Type
Original Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 65 , Issue 1 , January 2006 , pp. 123 - 135
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Atwater, B.F., (1984). Periodic floods from glacial Lake Missoula into the Sanpoil Arm of glacial Lake Columbia, northeastern Washington. Geology 12, 8, 464–467.Google Scholar
Atwater, B.F., (1986). Pleistocene glacial-lake deposits of the Sanpoil River valley, northeastern Washington. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin B1661, (39 pp.)Google Scholar
Baker, V.R., Bjornstad, B.N., Busacca, A.J., Fecht, K.R., Kiver, E.P., Moody, U.L., Rigby, J.G., Stradling, D.F., Tallman, A.M., (1991). Quaternary geology of the Columbia Plateau. Morrison, R.B., Quaternary Nonglacial Geology; Conterminous U.S.. The Geology of North America vol. K-2, Geological Society of America, Boulder, CO.215–250.Google Scholar
Balco, G., Rovey, C.W. II, Stone, J.O., (2005). The first glacial maximum in North America. Science 307, 5707, 222 Google Scholar
Benito, G., O'Connor, J.E., (2003). Number and size of last-glacial Missoula floods in the Columbia River valley between the Pasco Basin, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. Geological Society of America Bulletin 115, 5, 624–638.Google Scholar
Bjornstad, B.N., Fecht, K.R., Pluhar, C.J., (2001). Long history of pre-Wisconsin, Ice Age cataclysmic floods: evidence from southeastern Washington State. Journal of Geology 109, 6, 695–713.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bretz, J.H., (1930). Lake Missoula and the Spokane flood. Geological Society of America Bulletin 41, 1, 92–93.Google Scholar
Clague, J.J., Barendregt, R., Enkin, R.J., Foit, F.F., (2003). Paleomagnetic and tephra evidence for tens of Missoula floods in southern Washington. Geology 31, 3, 247–250.Google Scholar
Clement, B.M., (2004). Dependence of the duration of geomagnetic polarity reversals on site latitude. Nature 428, 637–640.Google Scholar
Cogné, J.P., (2003). PaleoMac: a MacIntosh application for treating paleomagnetic data and making plate reconstructions.. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 4, (1, ), 1007, (8 pp).Google Scholar
Day, R., Fuller, M., Schmidt, V.A., (1977). Hysteresis properties of titanomagnetites; grain-size and compositional dependence. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 13, 4, 260–267.Google Scholar
Dunlop, D.J., (2002a). Theory and application of the Day plot Mrs/Ms versus Hcr/Hc 2. Application to data for rocks, sediments, and soils. Journal of Geophysical Research, B Solid Earth and Planets 107, B3, 5:1–5:15.Google Scholar
Dunlop, D.J., (2002b). Theory and application of the Day plot Mrs/Ms versus Hcr/Hc 1. Theoretical curves and tests using titanomagnetite data. Journal of Geophysical Research, B Solid Earth and Planets 107, B3, 4:1–4:22.Google Scholar
Kirschvink, J.L., (1980). The least-squares line and plane and the analysis of palaeomagnetic data. Geophysical Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society 62, 3, 699–718.Google Scholar
Liddicoat, J.C., (1992). Mono Lake excursion in Mono Basin, California, and at Carson Sink and Pyramid Lake, Nevada. Geophysical Journal International 108, 2, 442–452.Google Scholar
McDonald, E.V., Busacca, A.J., (1988). Record of pre-late Wisconsin giant floods in the channeled scabland interpreted from loess deposits. Geology 16, 8, 728–731.Google Scholar
McDonald, E.V., Busacca, A.J., (1992). Late Quaternary stratigraphy of loess in the channeled scabland and Palouse regions of Washington State. Quaternary Research 38, 2, 141–156.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McFadden, P.L., Reid, A.B., (1982). Analysis of palaeomagnetic inclination data. Geophysical Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society 69, 2, 307–319.Google Scholar
O'Connor, J.E., (1993). Hydrology, hydraulics, and geomorphology of the Bonneville flood. Special Paper-Geological Society of America 274, (83 pp.)Google Scholar
O'Connor, J.E., Baker, V.R., (1992). Magnitudes and implications of peak discharges from glacial Lake Missoula. Geological Society of America Bulletin 104, 3, 267–279.Google Scholar
Ozdemir, O., (1987). Inversion of titanomaghemites. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 46, 1–3, 184–196.Google Scholar
Packer, D.R., (1979). Johnston, J.M, A preliminary investigation of the magnetostratigraphy of the Ringold formation. Woodward-Clyde Consultants Report RHO-BWI-C-42. 49. pp.Google Scholar
Patton, P.C., Baker, V.R., (1978). New evidence for pre-Wisconsin flooding in the channeled scabland of eastern Washington. Geology 6, 9, 567–571.Google Scholar
Reidel, S.P., Ho, A.M., (2002). Geologic and Wireline Summaries from Fiscal Year 2002 ILAW Boreholes.. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA., Report PNNL-14029.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Serne, R.J., Bjornstad, B.N., Schaef, H.T., Williams, B.A., Lanigan, D.C., Horton, D.G., Clayton, R.E., Mitroshkov, A.V., Legore, V.L., O'Hara, M.J., Brown, C.F., Parker, K.E., Kutnyakov, I.V., Serne, J.N., Last, G.V., Smith, S.C., Lindenmeier, C.W., Zachara, J.M., Burke, D., (2002). Characterization of Vadose Zone Sediment: Uncontaminated RCRA Borehole Core Samples and Composite Samples.. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA., Report PNNL-13757-1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Serne, R.J., Bjornstad, B.N., Horton, D.G., Lanigan, D.C., Lindenmeier, C.W., Lindberg, M.J., Clayton, R.E., Legore, V.L., Geiszler, K.N., Baum, S.R., Valenta, M.M., Kutnyakov, I.V., Vickerman, T.S., Orr, R.D., Brown, C.F., (2004a). Characterization of Vadose Zone Sediments Below the T Tank Farm: Boreholes C4104, C4105, 299-W10-196 and RCRA Borehole 299-W11-39.. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA., Report PNNL-14849.Google Scholar
Serne, R.J., Bjornstad, B.N., Horton, D.G., Lanigan, D.C., Lindenmeier, C.W., Lindberg, M.J., Clayton, R.E., Legore, V.L., Orr, R.D., Kutnyakov, I.V., Baum, S.R., Geiszler, K.N., Valenta, M.M., Vickerman, T.S., (2004b). Characterization of Vadose Zone Sediments Below the TX Tank Farm: Probe Holes C3830, C3831, C3832 and 299-W10-27.. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA., Report PNNL-14594.Google Scholar
Shaw, J., Munro-Stasiuk, M., Sawyer, B., Beaney, C., Lesemann, J.-E., Musacchio, A., Rains, B., Young, R.R., (1999). The Channeled Scabland; back to Bretz?. Geology 27, 7, 605–608.2.3.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Singer, B.S., Pringle, M.S., (1996). Age and duration of the Matuyama–Brunhes geomagnetic polarity reversal from 40Ar/39Ar incremental heating analyses of lavas. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 139, 1–2, 47–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Singer, B.S., Relle, M.K., Hoffman, K.A., Battle, A., Laj, C., Guillou, H., Carracedo, J.C., (2002). Ar/Ar ages from transitionally magnetized lavas of La Palma, Canary Islands, and the geomagnetic instability timescale. Journal of Geophysical Research, B, Solid Earth and Planets 107(B11), 2307, 7:1–7:20.Google Scholar
Smith, G.A., (1993). Missoula flood dynamics and magnitudes inferred from sedimentology of slack-water deposits on the Columbia Plateau, Washington. Geological Society of America Bulletin 105, 1, 77–100.Google Scholar
Smith, G.R., Morgan, N., Gustafson, E., (2000). Fishes of the Mio-Pliocene Ringold Formation, Washington; Pliocene capture of the Snake River by the Columbia River. Papers on Paleontology vol. 32, University of Michigan, Museum of Paleontology, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.47Google Scholar
Steele, W.K., (1991). Paleomagnetic evidence for repeated glacial Lake Missoula floods from sediments of the Sanpoil River valley, northeastern Washington. Quaternary Research 35, 2, 197–207.Google Scholar
(2002). United States Department of Energy,Standardized Stratigraphic Nomenclature for Post-Ringold Formation Sediments within the Central Pasco Basin.. U.S. Department of Energy Report DOE/RL 2002-39, United States Department of Energy, Richland, WA. 121 pp.Google Scholar
Waitt, R.B. Jr., (1983). Tens of successive, colossal Missoula floods at north and east margins of channeled scabland.. U. S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 83-0671. 29 pp.Google Scholar
Waitt, R.B. Jr., (1985). Case for periodic, colossal joekulhlaups from Pleistocene glacial Lake Missoula. Geological Society of America Bulletin 96, 10, 1271–1286.Google Scholar
Walder, J.S., Costa, J.E., (1996). Outburst floods from glacier-dammed lakes; the effect of mode of lake drainage on flood magnitude. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 21, 8, 701–723.Google Scholar