Timing and dynamics of glaciation in the Ikh Turgen Mountains, Altai region, High Asia.

Blomdin, Robin, Stroeven, Arjen P., Harbor, Jonathan M., Gribenski, Natacha, Caffee, Marc W., Heyman, Jakob, Rogozhina, Irina, Ivanov, Mikhail N., Petrakov, Dmitry A., Walther, Michael, Rudoy, Alexei N., Zhang, Wei, Orkhonselenge, Alexander, Hättestrand, Clas, Lifton, Nathaniel A. and Jansson, Krister N. (2018) Timing and dynamics of glaciation in the Ikh Turgen Mountains, Altai region, High Asia. Quaternary Geochronology, 47 . pp. 54-71. DOI 10.1016/j.quageo.2018.05.008.

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Abstract

Spanning the northern sector of High Asia, the Altai region contains a rich landform record of glaciation. We report the extent, chronologies, and dynamics of two paleoglaciers on opposite flanks of the Ikh Turgen mountains (In Russian: Chikhacheva Range), straddling the border between Russia and Mongolia, using a combination of remote sensing-based glacial geomorphological mapping, 10Be surface exposure dating, and geomorphometric analysis. On the eastern side (Mongolia), the Turgen-Asgat paleoglacier, with its potential for developing a large accumulation area (∼257 km2), expanded 40 km down valley, and mean ages from a latero-frontal moraine indicate deglaciation during marine oxygen isotope stage (MIS) 3 (45.1 ± 1.8 ka, n = 4) and MIS 2 (22.8 ± 3.3 ka, n = 5). These minimum age constraints are consistent with other 10Be glacial chronologies and paleoclimate records from the region, which indicates glacier culmination during cold and wet conditions coinciding with MIS 3 (piedmont-style glaciation; inferred for a few sites across the region) and glacier culmination during cold and dry conditions coinciding with MIS 2 (mainly valley-style glaciation; inferred from several sites across the region). On the western side (Russia), the Boguty paleoglacier had a smaller accumulation area (∼222 km2), and advanced 30 km down valley across a low gradient forefield. Surface exposure ages from two moraine complexes on this side of the mountains exhibit wide scatter (∼14–53 ka, n = 8), making paleoclimate inferences and comparison to other proxies difficult. Ice surface profile reconstructions imply that the two paleoglaciers likely shared an ice divide.

Document Type: Article
Keywords: Altai: Ikh Turgen mountains; Chikhacheva range Paleoglaciology; Glacial geomorphology; 10Be surface exposure dating; Geomorphometric analysis
Refereed: Yes
Open Access Journal?: No
Publisher: Elsevier
Related URLs:
Projects: PalMod
Date Deposited: 03 Sep 2018 10:38
Last Modified: 08 Feb 2021 07:35
URI: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/44114

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