Glacial History of the Northeastern United States

OVERVIEW

The Laurentide Ice Sheet has advanced and retreated several dozen times over the past 2.5 million years. During each glaciation, it has progressively shaped the topography in the northeastern United States that we know today. Having grown up and lived in Vermont for most of my life, I know this landscape intimately. But how was it carved by the Laurentide Ice Sheet? Are there areas that were more deeply eroded than others? How have our highest peaks survived repeated inundation by glacial ice? Did valley glaciers ever exist here, or just the continental ice sheet? When did the last deglaciation occur, and how quickly did ice retreat from New England? To address these questions, I use analysis of multiple cosmogenic isotopes in rock surfaces across the Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and New Jersey landscapes.

PUBLICATIONS

Halsted, C.T., Bierman, P.R., Shakun, J.D., Davis, P.T., Corbett, L.B., Drebber, J.S., and Ridge, JC. 2024. A critical re-analysis of constraints on the timing and rate of Laurentide Ice Sheet recession in the northeastern United States. Journal of Quaternary Science 39(1): 54-69.

Drebber, J.S., Halsted, C.T., Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., and Caffee, M.W. 2023. In situ cosmogenic 10Be dating of Laurentide Ice Sheet retreat from central New England, USA. Geosciences 13: 213.

Halsted, C.T., Bierman, P.R., Shakun, J.D., Davis, P.T., Corbett, L.B., Caffee, M.W., Hodgdon, T.S., and Licciardi, J.M. 2023. Rapid southeastern Laurentide Ice Sheet thinning during the last deglaciation revealed by elevation profiles of in-situ cosmogenic 10Be. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America 135 (7/8): 2075-2087. (Featured on the cover of this issue of GSA Bulletin).

Koester, A.J., Shakun, J.D., Bierman, P.R., Davis, P.T. Corbett, L.B., Goehring, B.M., Vickers, A.C., and Zimmerman, S.R. 2020. Laurentide Ice Sheet thinning and erosive regimes at Mount Washington, New Hampshire, inferred from multiple cosmogenic nuclides. In Waitt, R.B., Thackray, G.D., and Gillespie, A.R., eds., Untangling the Quaternary Period- A legacy of Stephen C. Porter, Geological Society of America Special Paper 548.

Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., Wright, S.F., Shakun, J.D., Davis, P.T., Goehring, B.M., Halsted, C.T., Koester, A.J., Caffee, M.W., and Zimmerman, S.R. 2019. Analysis of multiple cosmogenic nuclides constrains Laurentide Ice Sheet history and process on Mt. Mansfield, Vermont highest peak. Quaternary Science Reviews 205: 234-246. (Featured on WCAX Burlington VT Channel 3 news on January 25, 2019; watch the video here)

Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., Stone, B.D., Caffee, M.W., and Larsen, P.L. 2017. Cosmogenic nuclide age estimate for Laurentide Ice Sheet recession from the terminal moraine, New Jersey, USA, and constraints on Latest Pleistocene ice sheet behavior. Quaternary Research 87(3): 482-498.

Koester, A.J., Shakun, J.D, Bierman, P.R, Davis, P.T., Corbett, L.B., Braun, D., and Zimmerman, S.R. 2017. Rapid thinning of the Laurentide Ice Sheet in coastal Maine, USA, during late Heinrich Stadial 1. Quaternary Science Reviews 163: 180-192.

Bierman, P.R., Davis, P.T., Corbett, L.B., Lifton, N.A., and Finkel, R.C. 2015. Cold-based, Laurentide ice covered New England’s highest summits during the Last Glacial Maximum. Geology 43: 1059-1062.

Davis, P.T., Bierman, P.R., Corbett, L.B., and Finkel, R.C. 2015. Cosmogenic exposure age evidence for rapid Laurentide deglaciation of the Katahdin area, west-central Maine, USA, 16 to 15 ky. Quaternary Science Reviews 116, 95-105.

GUIDEBOOK CHAPTERS

Davis, P.T., Halsted, C.T., Rogers, J.N., Arcone, S.A., Shakun, J.D., Bierman, P.R., Corbett, L.B., and Koester, A.J. 2019. Glacial, deglacial, and postglacial history of Franconia Notch, New Hampshire, from constructing a cosmogenic nuclide dipstick to determining a landscape history from lake sediment cores and ground penetrating radar images. New England Intercollegiate Geology Conference, Lake George, NY, p. 235-286.

Bierman, P.R., Corbett, L.B., Wright, S.F., Davis, P.T., Halsted, C.T., and Shakun, J.D. 2018. New views on the deglaciation of Mt. Mansfield. New England Intercollegiate Geology Conference, Lake George, NY, p. 69-79.

Halsted, C.T., Shakun, J.D., Bierman, P.R., Davis, P.T., Koester, A.J., and Corbett, L.B. 2018. Mt. Greylock as a cosmogenic nuclide dipstick to determing the timing and rate of southeastern Laurentide Ice Sheet thinning. New England Intercollegiate Geology Conference, Lake George, NY, p. 269-289.

Davis, P.T., Koester, A.J., Shakun, J.D., Bierman, P.R., and Corbett, L.B. 2017. Testing the cosmogenic nuclide dipstick model for deglaciation of Mount Washington. New England Intercollegiate Geology Conference, Bethel, ME, p. 247-272.

CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS

Davis, P.T., Halsted, C.T., Koester, A.J., Bierman, P.R., Corbett, L.B., Shakun, J.D., Goehring, B.M., and Caffee, M.W. 2022. Lack of MIS-3 ice in northern New England, USA, as constrained by multiple cosmogenic nuclides. Geological Society of American Annual Meeting, Denver, CO. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 54(5): 378207.

Drebber, J.S., Halsted, C.T., Bierman, P.R., Corbett, L.B., Shakun, J.D., Davis, P.T., and Caffee, M.W. 2022. Exploring the timing of Laurentide Ice Sheet retreat and 10Be/14C mismatch in central New England. Geological Society of American Annual Meeting, Denver, CO. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 54(5): 376711.

Drebber, J.S., Halsted, C.T., Bierman, P.R., Corbett, L.B., Shakun, J.D., Davis, P.T., and Caffee, M.W. 2022. Investigating 10Be/14C chronometer age divergence in Southern New England to assess the timing of Laurentide Ice Sheet deglaciation. Northeastern Geological Society of American Meeting, Lancaster, PA. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 54(3): 10.1130/abs/2022NE-374675.

Halsted, C.T., Bierman, P.R., Corbett, L.B., Shakun, J.D., Davis, P.T., and Caffee, M.W. 2021. Inaccuracies in deglacial chronometers recording Laurentide Ice Sheet retreat in the northeastern United States: presence, magnitude, and controls. Geological Society of America National Meeting, Portland, OR. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 53(6): 370802.

Halsted, C.T., Shakun, J.D., Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., Davis, P.T., Goehring, B., Koester, A.J., and Caffee, M.W. 2021. Rapid Laurentide Ice Sheet mass loss (and associated sea level rise) during the Bølling/Allerød constrained by 10Be elevation transects in the northeastern United States. Paleo Constraints on Sea Level Rise virtual meeting.

Halsted, C.T., Shakun, J.D., Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., Davis, P.T., Goehring, B.M., Koester, A.J., and Caffee, M.W. 2020. Improved reconstruction of the southeastern Laurentide Ice Sheet deglaciation: constraining ice thinning using in situ cosmogenic 10Be and 14C and critically evaluating different retreat rate chronometers. European Geosciences Union General Assembly Virtual Meeting. Geophysical Research Abstracts, EGU2020-11787.

Halsted, C.T., Shakun, J.D., Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., Davis, P.T., Goehring, B.M., Koester, A.J., and Caffee, M.W. 2019. Assessing the erosivity and deglacial thinning history of the southeastern Laurentide Ice Sheet using in situ cosmogenic 10Be and 14C. International Union for Quaternary Research Congress, Dublin, Ireland.

Halsted, C.T., Shakun, J.D., Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., Davis, P.T., Goehring, B.M., Koester, A.J., and Caffee, M.W. 2019. Reconstructing the deglacial thinning history of the southeastern Laurentide Ice Sheet using in situ cosmogenic 10Be and 14C: a glacial dipstick approach. Geological Society of America National Meeting, Phoenix, AZ.  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 51(5).

Halsted, C.T., Shakun, J.D., Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., Davis, P.T., Goehring, B.M., Koester, A.J., and Caffee, M.W. 2019. Reconstructing the paleo-elevation and erosion patterns of the southeastern Laurentide Ice Sheet using in situ cosmogenic 10Be and 14C. International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics General Assembly, Montreal, Canada. Abstract ID JP04p-127.

Braun, D.D., Thompson, W.B., Davis, P.T., Shakun, J.D., Bierman, P.R., and Corbett, L.B. 2019. Correlation of the eastern Maine Pineo Ridge system to moraines on Mount Desert Island through LiDAR imagery and 10Be surface exposure ages. Northeastern Geological Society of American Meeting, Portland, ME. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 51(2).

Fowler, B.K., Davis, P.T., Shakun, J.D., Bierman, P.R., Corbett, L.B., Mattison, P., and Mattison, R. 2019. A new cosmogenic exposure age for emplacement of New Hampshire’s Madison Boulder, reputedly the largest erratic in North America. Northeastern Geological Society of American Meeting, Portland, ME. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 51(2).

Halsted, C.T., Shakun, J.D., Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., Davis, P.T., Koester, A.J., and Caffee, M.W. 2019. Determining the timing and rate of southeastern Laurentide Ice Sheet thinning using in situ cosmogenic 10Be. Northeastern Geological Society of American Meeting, Portland, ME. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 51(2).

Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., Wright, S.F., Shakun, J.D., Davis, P.T., Hasted, C.F., Goehring, B.M., Koester, A.J., Caffee, M.W., and Zimmerman, S.R.H. 2018. Multiple cosmogenic nuclides constrain Laurentide Ice Sheet history and process on Mt. Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak. Geological Society of America National Meeting, Indianapolis, IN. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 50(6).

Halsted, C.T., Shakun, J.D., Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., Davis, P.T., Caffee, M.W., and Koester, A.J. 2018. Determining the timing and rate of southeastern Laurentide Ice Sheet thinning using in situ 10Be dipsticks. Geological Society of America National Meeting, Indianapolis, IN. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 50(6).

Koester, A.J., Shakun, J.D., Bierman, P.R., Davis, P.T., Corbett, L.B., Goehring, B.M., Vickers, A.C., and Zimmerman, S.R. 2018. Cosmogenic nuclides record variable ice sheet thinning and erosion down Mt. Washington, New Hampshire. Joint Meeting of the Canadian and American Quaternary Associations, Ottawa, Canada.

Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., Shakun, J.D., Davis, P.T., Goehring, B.M., Koester, A.J., and Halsted, C.T. 2018. Constraining glacial history and process on Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak, with in situ cosmogenic 10Be and 14C. Northeastern Geological Society of American Meeting, Burlington, VT. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 50(2).

Davis, P.T., Shakun, J.D., Bierman, P.R., Koester, A.J., Corbett, L.B., and Halsted, C.T. 2018. Boise rock, not the glacial erratic we thought, but rather part of the landslide history of Franconia Notch, New Hampshire. Northeastern Geological Society of American Meeting, Burlington, VT. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 50(2).

Halsted, C.T., Shakun, J.D., Bierman, P.R., Davis, P.T., Corbett, L.B., and Caffee, M.W. 2018. Measuring 10Be ages from top to bottom in Franconia Notch, New Hampshire, to constrain Laurentide Ice Sheet history. Northeastern Geological Society of American Meeting, Burlington, VT. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 50(2).

Koester, A.J., Shakun, J.D., Bierman, P.R., Davis, P.T., Corbett, L.B., Goehring, B.M., Vickers, A., and Zimmerman, S.R. 2017. Rapid thinning of the Laurentide Ice Sheet at Mt Washington, NH, during the Bølling warming, constrained by analysis of cosmogenic 14C and 10Be. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 49(6).

Koester, A.J., Shakun, J.D., Bierman, P.R., Davis, P.T., and Corbett, L.B. 2016. Rapid thinning of the Laurentide Ice Sheet in coastal Maine, USA, during late Heinrich Stadial 1. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA. Abstract ID PP11E-06.

Bierman, P.R., Davis, P.T., Corbett, L.B., and Lifton, N.A. 2015. Old surfaces at the top of New England’s highest peaks suggest weakly erosive ice. Northeastern Geological Society of America Meeting, Bretton Woods NH. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 47(3): 62.

Davis, P.T., Bierman, P.R., and Corbett, L.B. 2015. 10-Beryllium evidence for rapid Laurentide deglaciation of the Katahdin area, west-central Maine, USA, 16 to 15 ky. Northeastern Geological Society of America Meeting, Bretton Woods NH. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 47(3): 62.