Eemian‐Weichselian stratigraphy of the Flakkerhuk ridge, southern Jameson Land, East Greenland

Abstract

The coast‐parallel Flakkerhuk ridge on southern Jameson Land revealed a succession of four marine formations separated by tills and glaciotectonic deformation zones representing glacier advances. Paleontological evidence. supported by 32 luminescence datings, indicates that deposition took place during the Eemian and Early Weichselian. A pronounced rise in sea‐level due to glacio‐isostatic depression is evidenced within the Late Eemian part of the sequence, indicating buildup of ice commencing while interglacial conditions still prevailed. A diamicton interpreted as a till deposited by a glacier moving from the interior of Jameson Land and overlying the interglacial deposits would seem to suggest the presence of a local ice cap on Jameson Land at the last interglacial/glacial transition. Three ice advances from the fjord onto the coast were identified following the last interglacial. The glaciers at no time advanced beyond 2–3 km inland from the coast in the investigated area. This demonstrates that the glaciers advancing through the Scoresby Sund fjord during the Weichselian were relatively thin, with a low longitudinal gradient. Glacier advances onto the coast were apparently strongly influenced by local topography and relative sea‐level. The Flakkerhuk ridge is mainly an erosional landform originating from continued fluvial downcutting of former drainage channels from along the Early Weichselian ice margin. Only the very top of the ridge is considered to he a constructional ice marginal ridge, related to the Flakkerhuk glaciation.