Mid-Holocene cultural adaptations to central Maine

Sanger, David; Almquist, Heather; Dieffenbacher-Krall, Ann C.

doi:10.1016/b978-012088390-5.50017-0

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Finally, we consider the possibility that the DLER rock glaciers may have been completely free of ice, and hence relict, during the middle Holocene when summers in New England were warmer (i.e. Sanger et al, 2007), and that the modern ground ice observed in the DLER region represents the regrowth of permafrost during late Holocene cooling. This hypothetical situation seems reasonable, though we have no data to confirm or deny the possibility.…”

Section: Palaeoclimate Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inactive and relict rock glaciers of the Deboullie Lakes Ecological Reserve, northern Maine, USA

Putnam

2009

J Quaternary Science

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Lobate talus slopes in the Deboullie Lakes Ecological Reserve (DLER) of northern Maine exhibit parabolic profiles characteristic of inactive and relict talus-derived rock glaciers. Vegetated rock glacier surfaces suggest that the landforms are no longer active, and lobes comprising two DLER rock glaciers document periods of past growth. Observations of perennial subsurface ice are supported by datalogger temperature measurements, indicating that sporadic permafrost exists throughout the DLER. We compare the DLER rock glaciers, along with similar features elsewhere in New England and adjacent Québec, to the modern alpine permafrost distribution. Results indicate that a mean annual temperature cooling of $68C is required to promote active rock glacier growth. Ages of plant remains recovered from the basal sediments of a local pond constrain deglaciation to before 11 320 14 C a BP, and core stratigraphy and organic content reveal that a periglacial environment persisted during the early postglacial era. Thus, we hypothesise that the DLER rock glaciers were active during Lateglacial time despite the lack of glacier activity in the region. We take this to suggest that north-eastern US rock glaciers formed in response to mean annual temperatures skewed towards the frigid winters of the Younger Dryas chronozone.

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Section: Palaeoclimate Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%