Geology of Hvitland beds (Late Pliocene), White Point Lowland, Ellesmere Island, Northwest Territories

Hvitland and Svartfjeld peninsulas have been glaciated at least two or three times since the Late Pliocene. The earliest recognized glaciation is constrained by amino acid ratios on in situ pelecypods from marine sediments stratigraphically overlying till in Otto Fiord. High amino acid ratios suggest that the shells may be Pliocene and related to recently discovered Late Pliocene Hvitland beds at White Point. The same samples yielded finite radiocarbon ages in the 30.2–34.8 ka BP range, which cautions against their acceptance. A second, mid Quaternary glaciation is suggested by intermediate amino acid ratios from in situ pelecypods and shell-bearing till covering coastal uplands along Nansen Sound. During the last glaciation the peninsula was covered by coalesced ice caps, with glacial tongues descending tributary valleys and extending into the fiords. Deglaciation of a tributary valley in outer Otto Fiord proceeded before 11.6 ka BP and before 9.1 ka BP in mid Otto Fiord, but major ice margins remained at the coast until 8–8.5 ka BP. Lateral meltwater channels record systematic ice retreat up tributary valleys into the interior of the peninsulas. The highest recognized marine limits are marked by prominent deltas at least 164 m asl on western Hvitland Peninsula. The marine limit declines eastward inside Otto, Jugeborg, and Hare fiords. The highest strandlines could not be dated; however, by ~8.3 ka BP relative sea level stood at 103 m asl.

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Accurate mapping of Arctic glaciers over 50 years ago

Annals of Glaciology ◽

10.1017/s0260305500011848 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 24 ◽

pp. 6-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

John Wright

Keyword(s):

Northwest Territories ◽

Ellesmere Island ◽

Successful Attempt

This paper will describe what it was like to map Arctic glaciers starling 62 years ago in Iceland; then in Nordaustland, Svalbard, in 1935–36; and finally in northwest Greenland and Ellesmere Island, Northwest Territories, Canada, in 1937–38. The glacier in Iceland was resurveyed by a party including me in 1992; and I made a less successful attempt to resurvey the Greenland glacier in 1993.

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HEXATYLUS MULVEYI N. SP. AND DELADENUS DURUS (COBB, 1922) THORNE, 1941 (NEMATODA: NEOTYLENCHIDAE) FROM THE CANADIAN ARCTIC

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z64-056 ◽

1964 ◽

Vol 42 (4) ◽

pp. 649-653 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

V. M. Das

Keyword(s):

Northwest Territories ◽

Canadian Arctic ◽

Ellesmere Island ◽

Single Line

Hexatylus mulveyi n. sp. and Deladenus durus (Cobb, 1922) Thorne, 1941, collected from soil in the Lake Hazen area of Ellesmere Island, Northwest Territories, are figured and described. H. mulveyi differs from H. viviparus Goodey, 1926 in the shape of the tail, the number of incisures, the single line of oocytes in the ovary, and in the vulva having elevated lips.

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