Jeffrey
S. Munroe
Department
of Geology & Geophysics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1215 West Dayton
Street, Madison WI, U.S.A., 53706-1692
Current email: jmunroe@middlebury.edu
In
July of 1995, the glacial geology of a 50 square mile area between Galbraith
Lake and Toolik Lake in the Arctic Foothills was mapped on color infrared
airphotos in the field at approximately 1:40000. Map units include lake plain,
stabilized Holocene alluvium, active Holocene alluvium, active slumps, ground
moraine, end moraine, kames, eskers, outwash, and dissected outwash terraces.
Areas of extensive patterned ground features were also mapped. Three glacial
advances, dating to early Wisconsin, late Wisconsin and latest Wisconsin are reported
from the mapping area. Thirty-six soil
profiles were described; all classify as Gelisols. The physical similarity of soils on the different age surfaces
was striking, and presumably reflects the effects of active frost churning in
the soils. Yet calculation of profile
weathering products within the soil pedons indicates that weathering products have
accumulated in these soils over time.
This result indicates that the soil chronosequence model can be applied
to carefully selected suites of cryoturbated soils.
This page was last updated in March 1996, by J.
Munroe.