Correlation of Wisconsin Glacial Events Between the Eastern Great Lakes and the St
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Document generated on 09/25/2021 8:21 p.m. Géographie physique et Quaternaire Correlation of Wisconsin glacial events between the Eastern Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Lowlands Corrélation entre les événements glaciaires wisconsiniens de l’est des Grands Lacs et des basses terres du Saint-Laurent A. Dreimanis Troisième Colloque sur le Quaternaire du Québec : 1re partie Article abstract Volume 31, Number 1-2, 1977 The interrelationship of the Wisconsin glaciogenic events among the Upper St. Lawrence Lowland and the eastern Great Lakes, particularly the Lake Ontario URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1000053ar basin is controlled mainly by 3 factors: 1) presence or absence of a glacial dam DOI: https://doi.org/10.7202/1000053ar across the St. Lawrence Lowland; 2) isostatic lowering or rise of the outlet of Lake Ontario, related mainly to glacial loading or unloading in the Upper St. See table of contents Lawrence Lowland; 3) shifting in the regional direction of glacial movement through the Upper St. Lawrence Lowland, upglacier from it, and in the Lake Ontario basin. Changes in the above conditions result in detectable changes in lake levels, and in compositional changes of tills in the Lake Ontario basin. Publisher(s) Crosschecking of the above relationships supports the relative sequence Les Presses de l’Université de Montréal already proposed. However, the chronology of the events which are older than reliable finite 14C dates, may be reinterpreted by a comparison with oceanic stratigraphies. A possible re-interpretation of some late-glacial Late Wisconsin ISSN glacial fluctuations depends greatly upon the reliability of 14C dates on shells 0705-7199 (print) and correct interpretation of till-like deposits. For those glacial fluctuations in 1492-143X (digital) the St. Lawrence Lowlands which lack 14C dates, it is tempting to apply correlations with the 14C dated stratigraphie units of the Great Lakes Region, Explore this journal but we have to consider also possible regional differences in glacial dynamics. Cite this article Dreimanis, A. (1977). Correlation of Wisconsin glacial events between the Eastern Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Lowlands. Géographie physique et Quaternaire, 31(1-2), 37–51. https://doi.org/10.7202/1000053ar Tous droits réservés © Les Presses de l’Université de Montréal, 1977 This document is protected by copyright law. Use of the services of Érudit (including reproduction) is subject to its terms and conditions, which can be viewed online. https://apropos.erudit.org/en/users/policy-on-use/ This article is disseminated and preserved by Érudit. Érudit is a non-profit inter-university consortium of the Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and the Université du Québec à Montréal. Its mission is to promote and disseminate research. https://www.erudit.org/en/ Géogr. phys. Quat, 1977, vol. XXXI, n08 1-2, p. 37-51. CORRELATION OF WISCONSIN GLACIAL EVENTS BETWEEN THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES AND THE ST. LAWRENCE LOWLANDS A. DREIMANIS, Geology Department, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B7. ABSTRACT The interrelationship of the RÉSUMÉ Corrélation entre les événe PE3KDME B3AUM03ABHCHM0CTb BHCKOH- Wisconsin glaciogenic events among the ments glaciaires wisconsiniens de l'est CHHCKHX /lEflHMKOBblX HB/1EHHPI B PAflOHE MEWfly BOCTOMHOPI MACTbK) BE/1HKHX 03EP Upper St. Lawrence Lowland and the des Grands Lacs et des basses ferres H HH3MEHHOCTEPI BflOflb PEKH CB. /1ABPEH- eastern Great Lakes, particularly the du Saint-Laurent. Ces rapports sont régis TMR. B3anMOCBR3b BWCKOMCHHCKMX neAHMKOBO- Lake Ontario basin is controlled mainly principalement par les conditions sui pOAHblx HB/ieHufl B pa&OHax HM3M6HHOCTV1 BQpXHeR by 3 factors : 1) presence or absence of a vantes: 1) Présence ou absence d'un MaCTVI ÛO/lMHbl peKM CB./laBpeHTHR H BOCTOMHOM glacial dam across the St. Lawrence barrage glaciaire à travers les basses Mac™ BennKMx 03ep, OCOOOHHO B Oacceftae 03epa OHTapuo. perynupoBanocb rnaBHbiM o6pa30M Lowland ; 2) isostatic lowering or rise of terres du Saint-Laurent. 2) Affaissement TpeMfl ctraKTopaMw 1) HanviMne nnn OTcyTCTBue the outlet of Lake Ontario, related mainly ou relèvement isostatique du déversoir rnfluwaribHofl aanaôbi nepepe3aromnB Hti3MeHHOCTb to glacial loading or unloading in the du lac Ontario en fonction principale peKH CB./laBpeHTMw: 2) M3ocTaTHMecKoe noHmneHwe Upper St. Lawrence Lowland ; 3) shifting ment de la surcharge ou de l'allégement Mfin noBbiujeHue BbixoAa Ma 03epa OHTBPMO. CBR3aH- Hoe rnaBHbiM o6pa30M c neAHHKOBoR Harpy3K0ft H in the regional direction of glacial move glaciaire des basses terres du Saint- Bbirpy3KOR B HM3M6HHOCTV1 pacnonoweHHOfl B Bepx- ment through the Upper St. Lawrence Laurent supérieur. 3) Changement de la H6H MaCTVI AOHHHbl peKM CB TlaBPeHTHR: 3) CM8- Lowland, upglacier trom it, and in the direction régionale du mouvement gla uieHtae B nanpaB/ieHnn BbiujeynoMftHyTHOro paflOHa Lake Ontario basin. Changes in the ciaire: traversée des basses terres du neAHMKOBCTO ÛBUmeHUn BJlonb HH3M6HHOCTV1 Bepx- Hefl MaCTVI AO/iMHbi peKH CB/laBpeHTMH, noBepx above conditions result in detectable Saint-Laurent supérieur, remontée de 3Tort HM3M6HHOCTV1 M B ôaccettHe osepa OHTapvto. changes in lake levels, and in compo celles-ci et entrée dans le bassin du lac kl3MeHeHMn B 3THX diaxiopax naior o ce6e 3HaTb B sitional changes of tills in the Lake Ontario. Selon les variations de ces CnocOÔHblX K OÔHapyweHHK) M3MeH6HHHX ypoBHefl Ontario basin. Crosschecking of the conditions, des changements apparais oaepHbix BOA M B n3MeHeHnRx cocTaBa Tunned B 6acceHHe 03epa OmapHo nepexpeeman npoBepxa above relationships supports the sent dans le niveau du lac ainsi que dans BbiLueynoMBHyrbix CBR3efl nojTBepwAaeT ywe npeA- relative sequence already proposed. la composition des tills du bassin du lac ^îoweHHyio OTHocMTe/ibHbiio nocneflOBaTe/ibHOCTb. However, the chronology of the events Ontario. Une vérification par recoupe OAHaxo, xpoHonorMH RaneHtiR KOTopwe bonee CTa- which are older than reliable finite 14C ments de toutes ces interractions con Pbie Mean HaAemHan KOHeMHaR AaTvapoBxa paavto- yrnepOAHbiM M6T0A0M, MOMST 6biTb peMHTepnpe™- dates, may be reinterpreted by a com firme la séquence des principaux événe poBaHa c noMOLUbro cpaBHeHHH c OKeaHCKMMu CTpa- parison with oceanic stratigraphies. A ments de glaciation et de déglaciation TurpacbuRMn Bo3MO>KHafl penHTepnpeTauMR H6KO possible re-interpretation of some late- déjà proposée. Toutefois, la chronologie TOpblX n03AHe-neAHHKOBblx. n03AHeBHCKOHCHHCKHX glacial Late Wisconsin glacial fluctua des événements antérieurs aux dates rriRunanbHbix KoneoaHMR saBatcatT OMeHb OT Haaew- tions depends greatly upon the reliability déterminées avec certitude par le 14C HOCTVI paAHO-yrnepoAHOfl AaTnpo8Kn paKOBMH H npaBH/ibHOâl nHTepripeiaunn noxowMX Ha TMH/IM 14 of C dates on shells and correct in peut être réinterprétée au moyen d'une OTnoMeHMA. MTO xacaeTCR Tex /I6AHMKOB. HaxoanB- terpretation of till-like deposits. For comparaison avec des stratigraphies LUHXCR B Hkt3M6HHOCTVt peKH CB ZlaBpeMTMB, KOTOpbie those glacial fluctuations in the St. Law océaniques. Une réinterprétation pos npoRBHRH KonefiaHHH TO Ann HHX He cyiuecTByeT rence Lowlands which lack 14C dates, sible de certaines fluctuations tardigla- paaato-yrnepoAHaR AampoBKa paxosuH HienaTenbHO npuMeHMTb KoppenHunn c KoneoaHtanMai c paano- it is tempting to apply correlations with ciaires dépend en grande partie de yrneponHbiMM cTpaTvirpa<t>âiMecKMMai noAPaaaene- 14 the "C dated stratigraphie units of the l'exactitude des datations au C des co HMRMM HO Mbl AOnmHbl klMSTb B BMfly B03MOWHbl6 Great Lakes Region, but we have to quillages et la justesse de l'interprétation paiïoHHbie pa3nnMMH B neAHMKOBOfl AMHaMHxe. consider also possible regional differ de dépôts semblables aux tills dans les ences in glacial dynamics. séquences océaniques. 38 A. DREIMANIS INTRODUCTION The late Pleistocene events of St. Lawrence Low lands (for their outline see Fig. 8-1 in BIRD, 1972) and the eastern Great Lakes (Fig. 1) are closely interrelated during both the glacial and nonglacial episodes. Thus, presently, and whenever St. Lawrence Lowlands have been free of glacial cover, they serve as the lowest outlet for the Eastern Great Lakes of North America and as their biologic connection with the Atlantic Ocean. The role of the Lowlands has been reversed when they were occupied by glacial ice: the glacial plug raised the lake levels in the area to the east, forcing the lakes to find other alternative higher outlets. Also, during the expansion of the late Pleistocene glaciers, St. Lawrence Lowlands channeled ice from the Laurentide ice sheet, into the topographic depression of Lake Ontario. FIGURE 1. Location map. Double arrows: relatively low out This paper will deal mainly with the interrelationship lets of proglacial lakes: single arrows: higher outlets not of the Upper St. Lawrence Lowland (west of Montreal) discussed here. and the eastern Great Lakes, particularly Lake Ontario. Carfe de localisation. Flèches doubles: déversoirs inférieurs The factors which may have influenced their geologic des lacs proglaciaires; flèches simples: déversoirs supérieurs development during late Pleistocene will be discussed non décrits dans letexte . first, and the brief review of the presently generally ac cepted Wisconsin stratigraphy of the above areas will be b) The deepening of the St. Lawrence River by expanded by suggesting — for discussions — some stream erosion may lower the Lake Ontario