Middle-late holocene paleoclimate and weathering history in the norra storfjället mountains, sweden: deglacial record and soil stratigraphy applied to neoglaciation in lower latitudes

• Published in: Geografiska annaler. Series A, Physical geography Vol. 95; no. 2; pp. 145 - 158
• Main Authors: Mahaney, William C., Kalm, Volli
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Stockholm Taylor & Francis 01-06-2013; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography; Svenska sällskapet för antropologi och geografi
• Subjects: Bgi / Prodig; Europe; Holocene paleoclimate reconstruction; Holocene soils/paleosols; ice fluctuations; Neoglaciation; Physical geography; post-depositional weathering; Scandinavian States. Finland; Sweden; Moraine; C 14 dating; Glacier fluctuation; Little ice age; Mountain; Soil properties; Clay mineral; Palaeoclimate; Weathering; Palaeo-environment; Holocene; Deglaciation; Palaeosol
• ISSN: 0435-3676; 1468-0459
• DOI: 10.1111/geoa.12008

The retreat record of the tabre lacier into the orra torfjället mountains, after separation from the massive ärnaån lacier at some undetermined time in the tlantic hron, is documented by recessional moraines in the foreland. While poorly constrained by radiometric dating, the age of the middle group of moraines averages out to less than 4000 cal
14
yr , the older moraine group probably of ate tlantic age, with the youngest deposits of ittle ce ge. Soils/paleosols range from ntisols (youngest) and nceptisols (middle group) to mature podosols (outer group), existing either as single-story profiles or within pedostratigraphic columns, buried pedons either surfaced with weathered glacial or mass wasted deposits. Some profiles exhibit convoluted properties which could place them in the ryosolic order. The physico-mineral-chemical properties of soils/paleosols in recessional deposits across this sequence provide weathering indices over the mid to ate olocene in the wedish sub-rctic climate. It is likely the middle group of deposits represents stillstand of the retreating glacier offset by climatic deterioration with the onset of Early eoglacial climate which altered the glacial mass balance, at least until termination of the . Correlation to other alpine areas in the middle and tropical latitudes with similar records is attempted and discussed. While the tabre lacier disappeared after the , the nearby ärna lacier remains extant on the land surface, a presumed result of slight elevation differences between the two cirques which affects storm tracks and resultant variations in glacial mass balances.