Radiocarbon-Dated Postglacial Delevelling in Northeast Greenland and Its Implications

Abstract

Reconstructs the postglacial emergence from radiocarbon dating, at the Yale Geochronometric Laboratory, of shells and driftwood collected in the Mesters Vig area. Localities and altitudes at which the specimens were collected, species of the shells, and radiocarbon ages are tabulated, and the ages plotted against altitude. The evidence indicates that the area has been deglaciated since 9000-8500 B.P., and that the deglaciation is closely related in time and effect to the Hypsithermal. The emergence, primarily isostatic, decreased from an initial rate of 9 m/100 yrs to approx. 0.6 m/100 yrs in 6000 BP and, possibly, as little as 7 cm/100 yrs since then. A local till-like material was determined, from the shells, to be an emerged fiord-bottom rather than glacial deposit.