Abstracts
Abstract
A depositional framework for late Pleistocene sediments in central British Columbia was developed from the composite stratigraphy of glacial sediments found in the Bulkley River region. Nonglacial deposits correlated to the Olympia Nonglacial Interval, are overlain in succession by sub-till, ice-advance sediments, Late Wisconsinan (Fraser Glaciation) till, and late-glacial sediments. Due to local erosion and depositional variability, some of the units are not continuous throughout the region and differ locally in their thickness and complexity. At the onset of the Fraser Glaciation, ice advance was marked by rising base levels in rivers, lake ponding, and ice marginal subaqueous deposition. Physiography and glacier dynamics influenced the position of drainage outlets, direction of water flow, and ponding. The region was completely ice covered during this glaciation and ice-flow directions were variable, being dominantly influenced by the migrating position of ice divides. Deglaciation was marked by the widespread deposition of fine-grained sediments in proglacial lakes and glaciofluvial sands and gravels at locations with unrestricted drainage.
Résumé
Un scénario de sédimentation datant du Pléistocène tardif est élaboré à partir de la stratigraphie glaciaire observée dans la région de la rivière Bulkley. Les dépôts non-glaciaires attribués à l’interstade d’Olympia sont surmontés d’un till d’une avancée glaciaire, d’un till datant du Wisconsinien supérieur (glaciation du Fraser) et de sédiments tardiglaciaires. Plusieurs unités ne sont pas continues dans la région et diffèrent par leur épaisseur et leur complexité, en raison de l’érosion locale et des taux de sédimentation variables. Au début de la glaciation du Fraser, l’avancée des glaces fut accompagnée d’une augmentation du niveau de base des rivières, la création d’étangs et d’une sédimentation près des marges glaciaires. La physiographie et la dynamique glaciaire influence l’emplacement des exutoires de drainage, la direction de l’écoulement des eaux et la création des bassins. La région fut alors entièrement couverte de glace et les directions d’écoulement glaciaire, très variables, furent fortement contrôlées par la migration des lignes de partage glaciaires. La déglaciation se caractérise par la sédimentation de sédiments fins dans les lacs proglaciaires, et des sables et des graviers fluvioglaciaires dans les zones de drainage libres.
Appendices
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