Abstract
Two new records of glacial stratigraphy obtained from borecores collected in southcentral Saskatchewan are compared to previously published records from Wellsch Valley and Swift Current Creek in southern Saskatchewan. The comparisons are based on magnetostratigraphy and tephrochronology, and describe preglacial, glacial, and interglacial deposits. The new stratigraphy is compared to the composite global marine oxygen isotope record.
Although the ages and extents of late Pleistocene continental glaciations are relatively well constrained, they are less well defined for the middle and early Pleistocene. Data presented here highlight recent studies carried out from borecores and outcrops of extensive pre-Illinoian (pre-Saalian) glacial deposits. Based on this new data, at least seven Laurentide (continental) glaciations are recognized in Saskatchewan, and these records are the most extensive to date in the Northern Interior Plains of Canada.
The magnetostratigraphic records from the Sutherland Overpass and Wascana Creek sites provide the first evidence of reversely magnetized glacial deposits in the Canadian Prairies. These deposits can be assigned to the latest Matuyama (MIS 20) and indicate that Laurentide (continental) glaciations did not impact southern Saskatchewan until the late Early Pleistocene.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barendregt R.W., 2010. Magnetostratigraphy of Quaternary sections in Eastern Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Travaux Géophysiques, XXXIX, 5.
Barendregt R.W., 2011. Magnetostratigraphy of Quaternary sections in Eastern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. In: Ehlers J., Gibbard P.L. and Hughes P.D. (Eds), Quaternary Glaciations — Extent and Chronology: A Closer Look. Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 591–600.
Barendregt R.W. and Duk-Rodkin A., 2011. Chronology and extent of late Cenozoic ice sheets in North America: A magnetostratigraphic assessment. In: Ehlers J., Gibbard P.L. and Hughes P.D. (Eds), Quaternary Glaciations — Extent and Chronology: A Closer Look. Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 419–426.
Barendregt R.W., Duk-Rodkin A., Enkin R.E., Baker J., Christiansen E., Naeser N.D. and Westgate J., 2007. New magnetostratigraphic data from central Saskatchewan and from the Horton Plateau, Mackenzie District, NWT: evidence for Matuyama Chron glaciations in the Interior Plains of Canada. Abstract, XVII INQUA Congress, Cairns, Australia, 28 July 2–3 August, 2007 (http://www.icms.com.au/inqua2007/abstract/1361.htm).
Barendregt R.W. and Irving E., 1998. Changes in the extent of North American ice sheets during the late Cenozoic. Can. J. Earth Sci., 35, 504–509.
Barendregt R.W., Irving E., Christiansen E.A., Sauer E.K. and Schreiner B.T., 1998. Stratigraphy and paleomagnetism of Late Pliocene and Pleistocene sediments from Wellsch Valley and Swift Current Creek areas, southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada. Can. J. Earth Sci., 35, 1347–1361.
Barendregt R.W., Thomas F.F., Irving E., Baker J., Stalker A.M. and Churcher C.S., 1991. Stratigraphy and paleomagnetism of the Jaw Face section, Wellsch Valley site, Saskatchewan. Can. J. Earth Sci., 28, 1353–1364.
Cande S.C. and Kent D.V., 1995. Revised calibration of the geomagnetic timescale for the Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic. J. Geophys. Res., 100(B4), 6093–6095.
Christiansen E.A., 1968. Pleistocene stratigraphy of the Saskatoon area, Saskatachewan, Canada. Can. J. Earth Sci., 5, 1167–1173.
Christiansen E.A., 1992. Pleistocene stratigraphy of the Saskatoon area, Saskatchewan, Canada: an update. Can. J. Earth Sci., 29, 1767–1778.
David P.P., 1966. The Late-Wisconsin prelate ferry paleosol of Saskatchewan. Can. J. Earth Sci., 3, 685–696.
David P.P., 1987. The Prelate Ferry Paleosol: a new date. GAC-MAC 1987 Saskatoon: Joint Annual Meeting, May 25–27, 1987, University of Saskatchewan. Volume 12 of Abstracts of Papers, Geological Association of Canada Meeting. Dept. of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 36.
Gibbard P.L., Head M.J., Walker M.J.C. and the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy, 2010. Formal ratification of the Quaternary System/Period and the Pleistocene Series/Epoch with a base at 2.58 Ma. J. Quat. Sci., 25, 96–102.
Kirschvink J.L. 1980. The least-squares line and plane and the analysis of paleomagnetic data. Geophys. J. Roy. Astr. Soc., 62, 699–718.
Lanphere M.A., Champion D.E., Christiansen R.L., Izett G.A. and Obradovich J.D., 2002. Revised age for tuffs of the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field — assignment of the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff to a new geomagnetic polarity event. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 114, 559–568.
Lisiecki L.E. and Raymo M., 2005. A Pliocene-Pleistocene stack of 57 globally distributed benthic δ18O records. Paleoceanography, 20, PA1003. DOI:10.1029/2004PA001071.
Raymo M.E., 1992. Global climate change: a three million year perspective. In: Kukla G.K. and Went E. (Eds.), Start of a Glacial. NATO ASI Series, Series I, Global Environmental Change, 3, 207–223.
Raymo M.E., Ruddiman W.F., Backman J., Clement B.M. and Martinson D.G., 1989. Late Pliocene variation in Northern Hemisphere ice sheets and North Atlantic Deep Water Circulation. Paleoceanography, 4, 413–446.
Roy M., Clark P.U., Barendregt R.W., Glasmann J.R. and Enkin R.J., 2004. Glacial stratigraphy and paleomagnetism of late Cenzoic deposits of the north-central United States. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 116, 30–41.
Ruddiman W.F., Raymo M.E., Martinson D.G., Clement B.M. and Backman J., 1989. Pleistocene evolution of Northern Hemisphere climate. Paleoceanography, 4, 353–412.
Ruddiman W.F., Raymo M.E. and McIntyre A., 1986. Matuyama 41,000-year cycles; North Atlantic Ocean and northern hemisphere ice sheets. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 80, 117–129.
Shackleton N.J., Hall M.A. and Pate D., 1995. Pliocene stable isotope stratigraphy of site 846. Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program: Scientific Results, 138, 337–353.
Skwara Woolf T. 1981. Biostratigraphy and paleoecology of Pleistocene deposits (Riddell Member, Floral Formation, Late Rancholabrean), Saskatoon, Canada. Can. J. Earth Sci., 18, 311–322.
Westgate J.A., Christensen E.A. and Boellstorff J.D., 1977. Wascana Creek Ash (Middle Pleistocene) in southern Saskatchewan: characterization, source, fission track age, paleomagnetism and stratigraphic significance. Can. J. Earth Sci., 14, 357–374.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Barendregt, R.W., Enkin, R.J. & Tessler, D.L. Magnetostratigraphy of late neogene glacial, interglacial, and preglacial sediments in the Saskatoon and Regina areas, Saskatchewan, Canada. Stud Geophys Geod 56, 705–724 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11200-011-9019-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11200-011-9019-3