Geomorphic evolution of Montezuma wetlands, central New York State: A subglacial drainage network
- Syracuse Univ., Syracuse, NY (United States). Dept. of Geology
Analysis of [approximately]12 km of on-land, multichannel seismic reflection data acquired from Montezuma Wetlands of Central New York State, in conjunction with water- and gas-well data, suggest that subglacial meltwaters may have played an important role in the geomorphic evolution of this large wetland. The wetlands (125 m[sup 2]) display a southward-directed surficial drainage pattern which terminates at the north end of Cayuga Lake. Bedrock extends as much as 56 m beneath the wetlands and has an undulatory, southward slope before rising over a sill at the north end of Cayuga Lake. The authors suggest that the incision of this southward-directed channel system into late Quaternary sediments and Paleozoic bedrock occurred via high-velocity meltwaters beneath the southern margin of the Laurentide ice sheet. Reflection data acquired from northern Cayuga Lake reveal a wedge of sediment which may have been eroded from the Montezuma channels. Morphostratigraphic relationships suggest that channel excavation and drumlin development were contemporaneous during a late stage glacial surge. Ice sheet recession caused a drainage reversal to the north and the creation of large proglacial lakes which flooded the Montezuma channels. fine-grained, glaciolacustrine sediments subsequently infilled these meltwater channels. Modern underfit, northward-directed drainage through the wetlands bears little resemblance to the southward-directed subglacial meltwaters that appear to have formed the Montezuma channels during deglaciation of the Laurentide ice sheet. These data and interpretations add to the growing list of evidence for significant subglacial meltwater discharge from beneath the southern margin of the Laurentide ice sheet during the last deglaciation.
- OSTI ID:
- 5807628
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-921058-; CODEN: GAAPBC
- Journal Information:
- Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States), Vol. 24:7; Conference: 1992 annual meeting of the Geological Society of America (GSA), Cincinnati, OH (United States), 26-29 Oct 1992; ISSN 0016-7592
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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