Paleoclimatic significance of fossil ice wedges
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26485/BP/1966/15/8Keywords:
ice wedge casts, annual air temperature, former presence of permafrostAbstract
Fossil ice wedges (ice wedge casts, fente en glace remplie, etc.) have been described from temperate latitudes (Illinois, Poland, Germany, etc.) for decades but interpretations of their paleoclimatic significance are not strictly reliable because of lack of knowledge of the present day climatic significance of existing ice wedges in polar areas. It has been agreed, however, that fossil ice wedges indicate the former presence of permafrost.
Present work indicates that although permafrost will form in areas that have a mean annual air temperaturę of about 0°C or colder, it is thought that ice wedges form only when the mean annual air temperature is -6 to - 8 ° or colder many years, although in certain local environments ice wedges may form at slightly warmer temperatures.
Ice wedges may exist in an inactive state after climatic warming for thousands of years as long as permafrost remains. In general, permafrost thaws and ice wedges melt when mean annual air temperature warms to more than 0°C. Large areas of the subarctic contain dormant ice wedges.
References
Black, R. F., 1952 - Growth of ice-wedge polygons in permafrost near Barrow, Alaska (Abst.). Geol. Soc. America Bull., vol. 63, no 12, pt. 2; p. 1235.
Church, R. E., Péwé, T. L., Andresen, M. J., 1965 - Origin and environmental significance of large scale patterned ground, Donnelly Dome area, Alaska. CRREL Res. Rept., no 159; 71 pp.
Dimbleby, G. W., 1952 - Pleistocene ice wedges in north-east Yorkshire. Jour. Soil. Sci., vol. 3; p. 1-19.
Filipiuk, A., 1960 - Ice wedges in Podzamcze. Biuletyn Peryglacjalny, no 7; p. 39-47 (Polish text), p. 155-157 (English text, translated by T. Dmochowska).
Galloway, R. W., 1961 - Ice wedges and involutions in Scotland. Biuletyn Peryglacjalny, no 10; p. 169-193.
Hamelin, L. E., Clibbon, P., 1962 - Bilingual periglacial vocabulary. Cahiers Géog. Québec, vol. 6; p. 3-28.
Johnsson, G., 1959 - True and false ice-wedges in southern Sweden. Geografiska Annaler, vol. 41; p. 15-33.
Johnsson, G., 1962 - Periglacial phenomena in southern Sweden. Geografiska Annaler, vol. 44; p. 378-404.
Kotzebue, O. von 1821 - A voyage of discovery into the South Sea and Behring's Straits. for the purpose of exploring a northeast passage. English translation in 3 vol., London.
Lachenbruch, A. H., 1962 - Mechanics of thermal contraction cracks and ice-wedge polygons in permafrost. Geol. Soc. America Spec. Paper, 70; 69 pp.
Lachenbruch, A. H., 1963 - Contraction theory of ice-wedge polygons: a qualitative discussion. Proc. First Inter. Permafrost Conf.
Leffingwell, E. de K. 1915 - Ground-ice wedges; the dominant form of ground ice in the north coast of Alaska. Jour. Geology, vol. 23; p. 635-654.
Leffingwell, E. de K. 1919 - The Canning River region, northern Alaska. U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper, 109; 251 pp.
Péwé, T. L., 1948 - Terrain and permafrost, Galena Air Base, Alaska. U. S. Geol. Survey, Permafrost Program progress Rept., no 7; 52 pp.
Péwé, T. L., 1957 - Permafrost and its effect on life in the north, in Arctic Biology Oregon State Coll. 18th Ann. Biology Colloquium, Corvallis, April 19-20; p. 12-25.
Péwé, T. L., 1958 - Geology of the Fairbanks (D-2) quadrangle, Alaska. U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Map GQ-110, scale 1 : 63, 360.
Péwé, T. L.,1962 - Ice wedges in permafrost, lower Yukon River area, Galena, Alaska. Biuletyn Peryglacjalny, no 11; p. 65-76.
Péwé, T. L., 1966 - Ice wedges in Alaska - classification, distribution, and climatic significance. Proc. First Inter. Permafrost Conf.
Sekyra, J., 1961 - Periglacial phenomena. In: Quaternary deposits of Czechoslovakia. Prace Inst. Geol., t. 34, cz. 1; Warsaw. p. 99-108.
Shotton, F. W., 1960 - Large scale patterned ground in the valley of the Avon. Geol. Magazine Worhestershire (Great Britain), vol. 97, no 5; p. 404-408.
Soergel, W., 1936 - Diluviale Eiskeile. Ztschr. Deutsch. Geol. Ges., Bd. 88; p. 223-247.
Taber, S., 1943 - Perennially frozen ground in Alaska, its origin and history. Geol. Soc. America Bull., vol. 54; p. 1433-1548.
Washburn, A. L., 1956 - Classification of patterned ground and review of suggested origins. Geol. Soc. America Bull., vol. 67; p. 823-865.
Wilson, L. R., 1958 - Polygonal Structures in the soil of central Iowa. Oklahoma Geol. Survey, Okla. Geology Notes, vol. 18, no 1; p. 4-6.
Wright, H. E., 1961 - Late Pleistocene climate of Europe - a review. Geol. Soc. America Bull., vol. 72; p. 933-984.
