A first 10Be cosmogenic glacial chronology from the High Atlas, Morocco, during the last glacial cycle

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dc.contributor.authorFink, Den_AU
dc.contributor.authorHughes, PDen_AU
dc.contributor.authorFenton, Cen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2017-02-12T23:04:11Zen_AU
dc.date.available2017-02-12T23:04:11Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2014-04-27en_AU
dc.date.statistics2017-02-13en_AU
dc.description.abstractGlacial geomorphological mapping, 10Be cosmogenic exposure ages of 21 erratics from cirque-valley systems and paleo-glacier climate modelling in the High Atlas Mountains, Morocco (31.1°N, 7.9°W), provides new and novel insights as to the history and evolution of the largest desert region on Earth. The Atlas Mountains display evidence of extensive and multiple Late Pleistocene glaciations whose extent is significantly larger than that recognised by previous workers. The largest glaciers formed in the Toubkal massif where we find 3 distinct phases of glacial advances within the last glacial cycle. The oldest moraines occurring at the lowest elevations have yielded eight 10Be ages ranging from 30 to 88 ka. Six of eight samples from moraines at intermediate elevations gave ages of 19 to 25 ka (2 outliers) which correlates well with the global Last Glacial Maximum (ca. 26-21 ka) and the last termination during marine isotope stage 2. Five erratics from the youngest and most elevated moraines yielded a suite of normally distributed exposure ages from 11 to 13 ka which supports a correlation with the northern hemisphere Younger Dryas (12.9-11.7 ka). The glacial record of the High Atlas effectively reflects moisture supply to the north-western Sahara Desert and can provide an indication of shifts between arid and pluvial conditions. The plaeo equilibrium line altitudes (ELA) of these three glacier phases was more than 1000 m lower than the predicted ELA based on today’s temperatures. Glacier-climate modelling indicates that for each of these glacier phases climate was not only significantly cooler than today, but also much wetter. The new evidence on the extent, timing and palaeoclimatic significance of glaciations in this region has major implications for understanding moisture transfer between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Sahara Desert during Pleistocene cold stages. © Author(s) 2014, CC Attribution 3.0 License.en_AU
dc.identifier.citationFink, D., Hughes, P., & Fenton, C. (April, 2014). A first 10Be cosmogenic glacial chronology from the High Atlas, Morocco, during the last glacial cycle. Paper presented at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2014 Vienna, Austria, 27 April – 02 May 2014.en_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceenddate2 May 2014en_AU
dc.identifier.conferencenameEuropean Geosciences Union General Assembly 2014en_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceplaceVienna, Austriaen_AU
dc.identifier.conferencestartdate27 April 2014en_AU
dc.identifier.govdoc7861en_AU
dc.identifier.issnEGU2014-1931en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2014/EGU2014-1931.pdfen_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/8297en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherGeophysical Research Abstractsen_AU
dc.subjectGlaciersen_AU
dc.subjectMoroccoen_AU
dc.subjectEarth planeten_AU
dc.subjectPleistocene epochen_AU
dc.subjectClimatesen_AU
dc.subjectAtlantic Oceanen_AU
dc.titleA first 10Be cosmogenic glacial chronology from the High Atlas, Morocco, during the last glacial cycleen_AU
dc.typeConference Abstracten_AU
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