Climatically significant fossil periglacial phenomena in northcentral United States
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26485/BP/1969/20/14Keywords:
permafrost, periglacial phenomena, palaeoclimatic reconstructions, WisconsinAbstract
Studies of fossil periglacial features in the north-central United States indicate that ice wedges serve as a reliable diagnostic indicator of past climatic conditions, allowing reconstruction of air temperatures and of the extent of permafrost during the Late Wisconsinan Stage. Other periglacial phenomena, such as pingos, solifluction, patterned ground, or aeolian features, provide only qualitative information, whereas analysis of the distribution of ice wedges suggests mean annual temperatures between ˗5 °C and ˗10 °C, representing a 10–15 °C difference compared to present-day conditions. Despite limitations in dating the formation and melting of the wedges, the results allow a preliminary reconstruction of periglacial conditions, taking into account strong winds, low precipitation and the absence of forest cover, which were critical for the formation and accumulation of aeolian sediments.
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