The glacial geomorphology of the Mackenzie Mountains region, Canada

During the Last Glacial Maximum, the Mackenzie Mountains region was glaciated by three distinct ice sources; the Laurentide Ice Sheet, the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, and independent montane glaciers. Rapid ice sheet thinning of the Laurentide-Cordilleran ice saddle in the south of this region contributed to rapid sea level rise events and influenced the style of deglaciation to the north. The current understanding of the glacial history of the broader region has been established through mapping from aerial imagery and early surveys between the early 1970s to the 2010s. The central portions of the Mackenzie Mountains have not yet been mapped. We present a new glacial geomorphological map for the Mackenzie Mountains region covering over 220,000 km(2). This updated geomorphological map will form the basis of future work to reconstruct the former maximum ice extents, flow dynamics, and retreat pattern.

Automated summary

During the Last Glacial Maximum, the Mackenzie Mountains region was affected by three different ice sources - the Laurentide Ice Sheet, the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, and independent montane glaciers. The thinning of the Laurentide-Cordilleran ice saddle led to rapid sea level rise events and influenced the deglaciation process in the north. A new glacial geomorphological map covering over 220,000 km(2) has been presented for the Mackenzie Mountains region, which will serve as a foundation for future studies on the ice extents and dynamics.