When and how did the continental ice retreat from Estonia?

Abstract

The territory of Estonia was freed from the continental ice in Gotiglacial time, which was charaterized by high activity of the glacial streams and lobes and a highly variable glacial morphogenesis. Glaciers left behind different landforms and deposits, up to 200 m thick. Glacial accumulation was concentrated in the interlobate subglacial uplands. During the course of the thinning of the ice sheet, the movement and dynamics of its individual lobes was controlled by the underlying subglacial topography. The deglaciation history has been dated using 14C, varve chronology, palynology, electron spin resonance (ESR), thermoluminescence (TL), optically stimulated luminescence and the 10Be methods. The majority of the radiocarbon dates obtained from submorainic and intermorainic sequences are younger than would be expected. The obtained OSL and cosmogenic beryllium dates are extremely heterogenous, and cannot be readily used to improve the existing stratigraphical charts for the late-glacial period. In varve years Estonia became ice free at about 14 000–12 600 years ago.