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Title: Cosmogenic nuclide chronology of pre-last glacial maximum moraines at Lago Buenos Aires, 46°S, Argentina
At Lago Buenos Aires, Argentina, 10 Be, 26 Al, and 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages range from 190,000 to 109,000 yr for two moraines deposited prior to the last glaciation, 23,000—16,000 yr ago. Two approaches, maximum boulder ages assuming no erosion, and the average age of all boulders and an erosion rate of 1.4 mm/10 3 yr, both yield a common estimate age of 150,000—140,000 yr for the two moraines. The erosion rate estimate derives from 10 Be and 26 Al concentrations in old erratics, deposited on moraines that are >760,000 yr old on the basis of interbedded 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dated lavas. The new cosmogenic ages indicate that a major glaciation during marine oxygen isotope stage 6 occurred in the mid-latitude Andes. The next five youngest moraines correspond to stage 2. There is no preserved record of a glacial advance during stage 4. The distribution of dated boulders and their ages suggest that at least one major glaciation occurred between 760,000 and >200,000 yr ago. The mid-latitude Patagonian glacial record, which is well preserved because of low erosion rates, indicates that during the last two glacial cycles major glaciations in the southern Andes have been in phase with growth and decay of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets, especially at the 100,000 yr periodicity. Thus, glacial maxima are global in nature and are ultimately paced by small changes in Northern Hemisphere insolation.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
0212450
PAR ID:
10041769
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Quaternary Research
Volume:
63
Issue:
03
ISSN:
0033-5894
Page Range / eLocation ID:
301 to 315
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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