Quaternary Glaciation of Mount Everest
* Manuscript and tables Click here to view linked References Quaternary glaciation of Mount Everest Lewis A. Owena, Ruth Robinsonb, Douglas I. Bennb, c, Robert C. Finkeld, Nicole K. Davisa, Chaolu Yie, Jaakko Putkonenf, Dewen Lig, Andrew S. Murrayh a Department of Geology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA b School of Geography and Geosciences, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 9AL, UK c Department of Geology, University Centre in Svalbard, N-9171 Longyearbyen, Norway d Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA 95064 USA and Centre Européen de Recherche et d'Enseignement des Géosciences de l'Environnement, 13545 Aix en Provence Cedex 4 France e Institute for Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China f Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, 81 Cornell St. - Stop 8358, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202-8358 USA g China Earthquake Disaster Prevention Center, Beijing, 100029,China h Nordic Laboratory for Luminescence Dating, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Aarhus, Risø DTU, DK 4000 Roskilde, Denmark Abstract The Quaternary glacial history of the Rongbuk valley on the northern slopes of Mount Everest is examined using field mapping, geomorphic and sedimentological methods, and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and 10Be terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) dating. Six major sets of moraines are present representing significant glacier advances or still-stands. These date to >330 ka (Tingri moraine), >41 ka (Dzakar moraine), 24-27 ka (Jilong Moraine), 14-17 ka (Rongbuk moraine), 8-2 ka (Samdupo moraines) and ~1.6 ka (Xarlungnama moraine). The Samdupo glacial stage is subdivided into Samdupo I (6.8-7.7 ka) and Samdupo II (~2.4 ka).
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