Correlation of Late Pleistocene Glaciolacustrine and Marine Deposits by Means of Geomagnetic Secular Variation, with Examples from Northern New York and Southern Ontario

Abstract

The geomagnetic secular variation record retained by glaciolacustrine and marine sediments at nine sites in northern New York and southern Ontario provides a means for stratigraphic correlation of glacial deposits for the time period between about 12,600 to 9900 14C yr B.P. Measurement of the depositional remanent magnetism of sediments deposited in Glacial Lake Iroquois and the Champlain Sea has produced a geomagnetic secular variation curve that represents the time period immediately following deglaciation about 12,600 14 C yr B.P. The curve varies from about 358° to 344° declination and 51° to 61° inclination over approximately 180 valve years. Marine sediments of the Champlain Sea have preserved a record approximately 1500 yr long that varies from about 2° to 29° declination and 47° to 60° inclination. These combined glacial-paleomagnetic records may also correlate with those from glacial sequences beyond our study area. The shape and amplitude of the secular variation record in glaciolacustrine and marine sediments from the western Adirondack borderland show agreement with other glacial varve secular variation records and suggest possible correlations with secular variation curves from lake cores.