RECONSTRUCTION OF THE GLACIAL HISTORY OF TBE COLUMBIA ICEFIELD, ALBERTA Bonnie Jean Robinson Department of Geography Subrnitted in parital fuifilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Facdty of Graduate Studies The University of Western Ontario London, Canada February 1998 0 B.J. Robinson 1998 National Library Biblioth6que nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliogiaphic Services seMces bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 305. rue Wellington ûüawa ON K1A ON4 Otmwa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distniute or sell reproduire, prêter, disûi%uer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/^ de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fkom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. ABSTRACT Classically, glacier fluctuations have been used as phaty indicators of climate change. The histories of six glaciers at the Columbia Icefield (Castleguard, Columbia, Kitchener, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Stu~eld)were reconstructed using dendroglaciological techniques. Overridden trees document early Little Ice Age (LIA) advances after 127 1 at Stuffield and 1474 at Manitoba Glaciers. Athabasca, Dorne, Saskatchewan and Castleguard Glaciers reached their maxima in the mid 19" century when ail glaciers advanced to close to their LIA maximum positions. Columbia/Manitoba, Kitchener and Stutfield Glaciers record maxima Ca. 1739, 17 13 and 1758, respectively. Two sites have evidence for late 18' and early 19' century advances. Glacial recession has been dominant in the 20' century with maximum rates in the 1940's-60's and 1980's- 90's. Frontal recession rates decreased in the19603 and 70's and Kitchener and Columbia Glaciers advanced. Penods of LIA glacier advance were broadly synchronous between glaciers but the maximum positions were not achieved simultaneously. Keywords: Glacier, Dendroglaciology, Little Ice Age, Columbia Icefield, Canadian Rocky Mountains ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremoa, I'd like to thank my advisor, Brian Luckman. Kis dedication and commitment to his-midentsand willingness to drop everything for us does not go unnoticed. His enthusiasm for this project and his endless patience was invaluable, especially considering how many cirafts he read. Without his support, this project would never have been possible. Logistical support for this project was provided by an NSERC grant to Brian Luckman. in addition, Gerry Osbom provided pmial support for transportation to the Columbia Glacier, field assistance at Stutfield Glacier (retrieval of Tg60 LT9604) and outstanding raftsrnanship on Our daily crossings of the Columbia Lake. 1 would like to acknowledge lim Todgham and Parks Canada for providing facilities at the Tangle Creek Compound and permission to cary out this study, running around drilling holes into trees in Banffand Jasper. I also appreciate al1 the people at Tangle Creek for putting up with us. Patricia Chalk and David Mercer in the Cartographie Section provided several figures and much needed help, hints and suggestions for al1 the others. A special thanks to David for humouring me every time I asked "can 1 ask you a quick question?" I'd also like to recognise Graphic Se~cesfor the numerous colour figures in this tes. For their help in the field; I'd like to thank (some more than others): Brian Luckman, Bryan Watson, Scott St. George, Emma Watson, Heather Luckman and Nick Neary for sacrificing their feet to the Sunwapta River. And especially to Bryan Watson, for picking me up whenever 1 fell. Literaily. None of this would have been possible without the endless baiting, constant sarcasrn and yada, yada, yada provided by al1 my fkiends in London. You know. For their part, I'd like to th&: Joel and Sam, for the fiiendship, the coffee and being my sole link to home. I'm not sure 1 could've nirvived without you guys; Gillian (and Pepper) for putting up with my cleaning binges, just being there to taik to (especially Pepper) and generaiiy not wringing my neck; Scott for thinking I was totaiiy nuts and 1know you dont really hate my thesis; Jarnie for carving out a littie corner of his lab for me and providing some much needed entertainment; Rob, quit your whinging "buddy"; Emma for memly beeping along; Dave, for his great impression of a human milk fountain; Tnsh for her sick sense of humour; Lee- the soi1 queen, Rich for scraping me off the ceiling, Tmdy, the nacho-fea hostess with the mostess, Peie for dways insulting Edmonton, admit it, you loved it there; Aimee for the 'bplifting" conversation and Pither, for not destroying my apmment before 1 had a chance to live in it. Also not forgotten are Margaret, Gary, Brad, Vince, Fred and Alex. Al1 my fnends back home have also provided much needed support, astronomical phone bills and much anticipated emails. Special thanks to Viv, Lindsey and Ivy for not forgetting about me even when 1 was hundreds of kilometres away and Adrian, for his inventive methods of encouragement and electric personality. In a class (world) of his own, I'd like to thank Mladen; for understanding me, accepting me and making me laugh in his mily unique way. You're weird. Yeah. Finally and most importantly, 17dlike to thank my Fdmily; Judy, Doug, loe and Hannah for believing in me and supponing me no matter what I said or did. Their patience and understanding through the whole process was greatly appreciated and I love each of you more for it. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CERTlFICATE OF EXAMINATION ................................... ii ABSTRACT ...................................................... uiB.. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................. vi LISTOFTGBLES .................................................. xii LIST OF FIGURES ................................................. xiv LIST OF APPENDICES ............................................. xvii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ...................................... 1 1.1 introduction ....................................... 1 1.2 Site Selection ...................................... 2 1.3 ûutline of this Study ................................. 5 II CLIMATE CHANGE DOCUMENTED IN CONTEMPORARY GLACIERS ........................................... 6 2.1 Introduction. ...................................... 6 2.2 ChteChange and Glacier Fluctuations ................. 6 2.2.1 Mass Balance Studies .......................... 7 2.2.2 Changes in Glacier Dbensions ................... 9 2.2.3 Equilibrium-Line Altitude (ELA) Fluctuations ........ 11 2.2.4 Glacier Inventories ............................ 13 2.3 Conclusion. ....................................... 14 III THE COLUMBIA ICEFIELD AND GLACIAL FLUCTUATIONS IN THE SOUTHEN CANADIAN ROCKIES ................ 15 3.1 Introduction. ...................................... LS 3.2 Location and Topography ............................. 1 5 3.3 Geology .......................................... 16 3.4 Vegetation and Soils ................................. 16 3.5 . Chate ........................................... 17 3.6 Glacial History ..................................... 18 3.6.1 Crowfoot Advance and the Early Holocene .......... 21 3.6.2 Early Neoglacial Advances ...................... 22 3.6.3 Little Ice Age or Cave1 Advance ................. 24 3.6.3.1 Inception of the Little Ice Age in the Canadian Rockies ...................... 25 3.6.3.2 Little Ice Age Maximum ................. 26 3.6.3 -3 Intemediate Little Ice Age Activity ........ 30 3.7 Previous Glacial Studies at the Columbia Icefield ........... 33 3.7.1 Athabasca and Dome Glaciers .................... 34 3.8 Summary ......................................... 35 DATING GLACIER FLUCTUATIONS ...................... 36 4.1 htroduction ....................................... 36 4.2 Detedation of Former Glacier Extent .................. 36 4.3 Dating Techniques .................................. 36 4.3.1 Documentary Sources .......................... 37 4.3.2 Biological Techniques .......................... 37 4.3 .2.1 Dendrochronology ..................... 37 4.3.2.2 Damaged Trees ....................... 39 4.3.2.3 Trees Killed by the Glacier ............... 40 4.3 .2.4 Trees in the Forefield ................... 41 4.3.2.5 Detenninatioa of the Ecesis Interval ........ 43 4.3.3 Radiocarbon Dating ........................... 43 4.4 Data Collection, Preparaîion and Analysis in the PresentStudy ...................................... 44 vii 4.4.1 Mapphg ................................... 44 4.4.2 Dating ...................................... 46 4.4.2.1 Sarnpling of Living Trees ................ 46 4.4.2.1.1 Field Collection ............... 47 4.4.2.1.2 Laboratory Analysis of Cores .... 47 4.4.2.2 Ecesis Interval Estimates for the Columbia Icefield Area .......................... 48 4.4.2.3 Dating of Dead Trees ................... 52 4.4.2.3.1 Priaciples of Crosdating ........ 53 4.4.2.3.2 COFECHA .................. 54 4.4.2.3.3 Crossdating