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Quaternary Science Reviews 28 (2009) 3236–3245<br />

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect<br />

Quaternary Science Reviews<br />

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/quascirev<br />

<strong>Sediment</strong> <strong>sources</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>northern</strong> Québec <strong>and</strong> <strong>Labrador</strong> <strong>glacial</strong> deposits <strong>and</strong> the<br />

northeastern sector <strong>of</strong> the Laurentide Ice Sheet during ice-rafting events<br />

<strong>of</strong> the last <strong>glacial</strong> cycle<br />

Martin Roy a, *, Sidney R. Hemming b , Michel Parent c<br />

a Département des Sciences de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère <strong>and</strong> GEOTOP Geochemistry <strong>and</strong> Geodynamics Research Center, Université du Québec à Montréal,<br />

Succ. Centre-Ville, C.P. 8888, Montréal, QC, Canada H3C 3P8<br />

b Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory <strong>of</strong> Columbia University, Rt. 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, USA<br />

c Geological Survey <strong>of</strong> Canada, 490 de la Couronne St., Québec City, QC, Canada G1K 9A9<br />

article<br />

info<br />

abstract<br />

Article history:<br />

Received 2 December 2008<br />

Received in revised form<br />

10 August 2009<br />

Accepted 10 August 2009<br />

Provenance studies <strong>of</strong> anomalously high-flux layers <strong>of</strong> ice-rafted detritus (IRD) in North Atlantic sediments<br />

<strong>of</strong> the last <strong>glacial</strong> cycle show evidence for massive iceberg discharges coming from the Hudson<br />

Strait region <strong>of</strong> the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS). Although these so-called Heinrich events (H events) are<br />

commonly thought to be associated with abrupt drawdown <strong>of</strong> the LIS interior, uncertainties remain<br />

regarding the sector(s) <strong>of</strong> this multi-domed ice sheet that conveyed ice through Hudson Strait. In<br />

Northern Québec <strong>and</strong> <strong>Labrador</strong> (NQL), large-scale patterns <strong>of</strong> <strong>glacial</strong> lineations indicate massive ice flows<br />

towards Ungava Bay <strong>and</strong> Hudson Strait that could reflect the participation <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Labrador</strong>–Québec ice<br />

dome in H events. Here we evaluate this hypothesis by constraining the source <strong>of</strong> NQL <strong>glacial</strong> deposits,<br />

which provide an estimate <strong>of</strong> the provenance characteristics <strong>of</strong> IRD originating from this sector.<br />

Specifically, we use 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages <strong>of</strong> detrital hornblende grains in 25 till samples distributed along<br />

a latitudinal transect (lat. 58 ) extending east <strong>and</strong> west <strong>of</strong> Ungava Bay. The data show that tills located<br />

west <strong>and</strong> southwest <strong>of</strong> the Ungava Bay region are largely dominated by hornblende grains with Archean<br />

ages (>2.6 Ga), while tills located east <strong>of</strong> Ungava Bay are characterized by grains with early Paleoproterozoic<br />

ages (2.0–1.8 Ga), although most samples contain a few Archean-age grains. IRD derived from<br />

the NQL region should thus be characterized by a large proportion <strong>of</strong> Archean-age detrital grains, which<br />

contrasts significantly with the predominant Paleoproterozoic 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages (1.8–1.6 Ga) typically<br />

reported for the dominant age population <strong>of</strong> hornblende grains in H layers. Comparisons with IRD<br />

through the last <strong>glacial</strong> cycle from a western North Atlantic core <strong>of</strong>f Newfoundl<strong>and</strong> do not show evidence<br />

for any prominent ice-rafted event with the provenance characteristics <strong>of</strong> NQL <strong>glacial</strong> deposits, thereby<br />

suggesting that significant ice-calving event(s) from the <strong>Labrador</strong>–Québec sector may have been limited<br />

throughout that interval. Although these results tend to point towards a relative stability <strong>of</strong> this ice dome<br />

during H events, our study also indicates that further provenance work is required on IRD proximal to the<br />

Hudson Strait mouth in order to constrain with a greater confidence the sector(s) <strong>of</strong> the LIS that fed ice<br />

into Hudson Strait during H events. Alternatively, these results <strong>and</strong> other paleogeographic considerations<br />

tend to support models suggesting that part <strong>of</strong> the Ungava Bay <strong>glacial</strong> lineations could be associated with<br />

a Late-Glacial ice flow across Hudson Strait.<br />

Ó 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.<br />

1. Introduction<br />

The greater Hudson Strait region was subject to important icedynamic<br />

events during the last <strong>glacial</strong> cycle, notably in the form <strong>of</strong><br />

* Corresponding author. Tel.: þ1 514 987 3000; fax: þ1 514 987 7749.<br />

E-mail addresses: roy.martin@uqam.ca (M. Roy), sidney@ldeo.columbia.edu<br />

(S.R. Hemming), miparent@nrcan.gc.ca (M. Parent).<br />

large drainage episodes <strong>of</strong> <strong>glacial</strong> ice through Hudson Strait (e.g.<br />

Andrews, 1998), with concomitant massive iceberg discharges in the<br />

North Atlantic ocean that have had a strong impact on climate (Bond<br />

et al., 1992; Broecker et al., 1992). These so-called Heinrich events (H<br />

events) are also significant in terms <strong>of</strong> ice sheet dynamics because<br />

the composition <strong>and</strong> sedimentological characteristics <strong>of</strong> the associated<br />

ice-rafted detritus (IRD) imply sudden <strong>and</strong> episodic collapses <strong>of</strong><br />

the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) (Andrews <strong>and</strong> Tedesco, 1992; Dowdeswell<br />

et al.,1995; Gwiazda et al.,1996; Hemming et al.,1998, 2000;<br />

0277-3791/$ – see front matter Ó 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.<br />

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2009.08.008


M. Roy et al. / Quaternary Science Reviews 28 (2009) 3236–3245 3237<br />

see also Hemming, 2004 for a review). Other North Atlantic ice<br />

sheets appear to have released icebergs in approximate synchroneity<br />

(Grousset et al.,1993, 2000, 2001; Bond <strong>and</strong> Lotti,1995; Scourse et al.,<br />

2000; Knutz et al., 2001, 2002, 2007; 2003; Jullien et al., 2006; Peck<br />

et al., 2006, 2007), but their contribution to IRD concentrations was<br />

small with respect to the LIS. Although multiple mechanisms have<br />

been suggested to explain the cause/origin <strong>of</strong> H events (e.g.<br />

Hemming, 2004), most glaciological <strong>and</strong> paleoclimatic proxy-based<br />

models put forward to explain these large iceberg discharges involve<br />

drawdown <strong>of</strong> large amount <strong>of</strong> ice from the central part <strong>of</strong> the LIS<br />

(MacAyeal, 1993; Alley <strong>and</strong> MacAyeal, 1994; Alley et al., 2005;<br />

Marshall <strong>and</strong> Koutnik, 2006). The spatial distribution <strong>of</strong> <strong>glacial</strong><br />

lineations <strong>and</strong> patterns <strong>of</strong> post-<strong>glacial</strong> rebound (e.g. Peltier, 2002;<br />

Tarasov <strong>and</strong> Peltier, 2004), however, indicate that Hudson Bay was<br />

not the area with the thickest ice, but was rather surrounded by three<br />

important ice domes that fed the margins as well as the interior <strong>of</strong><br />

the LIS (Fig. 1a)(Dyke <strong>and</strong> Prest, 1987). Extensive mapping <strong>of</strong> <strong>glacial</strong><br />

striations on multifaceted rock outcrops <strong>and</strong> boulder tracing <strong>of</strong><br />

lithological indicators <strong>of</strong> <strong>glacial</strong> transport indicate large-scale<br />

displacements <strong>of</strong> these ice domes during the last <strong>glacial</strong> cycle (Parent<br />

et al., 1995; Veillette et al., 1999; Clark et al., 2000; Jansson et al.,<br />

2002; McMartin <strong>and</strong> Henderson, 2004; Veillette, 2004). These<br />

reorganizations <strong>of</strong> the ice divide system likely reflect important icesurface<br />

changes <strong>of</strong> the LIS, which could be related to the postulated<br />

ice sheet collapses during Heinrich events (Clark et al., 2000; Dyke<br />

et al., 2002).<br />

Additionally, the occurrence <strong>of</strong> major ice-flow patterns that<br />

converge towards Hudson Bay <strong>and</strong> Hudson Strait could also reflect<br />

disintegration paths associated with Heinrich-type drawdown<br />

episodes <strong>of</strong> the LIS. This is well illustrated in Northern Québec <strong>and</strong><br />

<strong>Labrador</strong> (NQL) where the numerous fields <strong>of</strong> <strong>glacial</strong> lineations that<br />

characterize the Ungava Bay region (Fig. 1b) were linked to a major<br />

ice-draining event (or several synchronous events) <strong>of</strong> the northeastern<br />

sector <strong>of</strong> the LIS that may have contributed to the massive<br />

iceberg discharges associated with H events (Jansson et al., 2003).<br />

The contribution <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Labrador</strong>–Québec ice dome to H events<br />

during the Last Glacial cycle <strong>and</strong> the significance <strong>of</strong> the NQL <strong>glacial</strong><br />

flutings in such events, however, remain largely unconstrained.<br />

Overall, little is known on the sector(s) <strong>of</strong> the LIS <strong>and</strong> associated iceflow<br />

paths that conveyed ice to the Hudson Bay/Strait region during<br />

H events, <strong>and</strong> this represents an important limitation in our<br />

underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong> the LIS in the context <strong>of</strong> H events.<br />

Here we document the provenance <strong>of</strong> NQL <strong>glacial</strong> sediments<br />

(tills) representing the sediment source carried by Ungava Bay ice<br />

streams <strong>and</strong> other regional ice-flow trajectories, which ultimately<br />

delivered ice <strong>and</strong> associated IRD to the ocean. For this purpose, we<br />

use the single-step laser fusion 40 Ar/ 39 Ar method to date 241<br />

detrital hornblende grains from 25 samples roughly located on the<br />

A<br />

B<br />

Fig. 1. A) Schematic configuration <strong>of</strong> the Laurentide ice sheet around the last <strong>glacial</strong> maximum (after Dyke <strong>and</strong> Prest, 1987; Dyke et al., 2002). Thin <strong>and</strong> discontinuous lines represent<br />

<strong>glacial</strong> flow-lines coming from three main ice-dispersal centers located around Hudson Bay. Glacial flow-lines are based on the trend <strong>of</strong> <strong>glacial</strong> lineations that were mapped from<br />

drumlins <strong>and</strong> <strong>glacial</strong>ly molded outcrops from aerial photographs <strong>and</strong> field observations. Continuous lines within the ice sheet mark the approximate extent <strong>of</strong> each sector. V23–14<br />

indicates the name <strong>and</strong> location <strong>of</strong> the marine core used in this study. The letters A <strong>and</strong> G designate the Appalachians <strong>and</strong> the Gulf <strong>of</strong> St-Lawrence regions, respectively. B) Details <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>glacial</strong> lineations in the study area (modified from Prest et al., 1968; Clark et al., 2000). The extent <strong>of</strong> the post-<strong>glacial</strong> marine limit is shown by a light gray zone around the coasts.<br />

Location <strong>of</strong> till samples is marked by dark gray squares.


3238<br />

M. Roy et al. / Quaternary Science Reviews 28 (2009) 3236–3245<br />

58th parallel <strong>and</strong> covering three main regions west, southwest, <strong>and</strong><br />

east <strong>of</strong> Ungava Bay (Figs. 1b <strong>and</strong> 2). We compare the results to<br />

published 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages obtained from H layers <strong>and</strong> other minor<br />

IRD in a western North Atlantic core located east <strong>of</strong> Newfoundl<strong>and</strong><br />

(Fig. 1a) (Hemming <strong>and</strong> Hajdas, 2003) to evaluate whether the<br />

provenance signature <strong>of</strong> NQL <strong>glacial</strong> deposits can be recognized in<br />

marine sediments <strong>of</strong> the last <strong>glacial</strong> cycle.<br />

2. What sector <strong>of</strong> the LIS contributed to the ice discharges?<br />

The identification <strong>of</strong> the LIS as the main source for the massive<br />

iceberg discharges associated with H events comes primarily from<br />

provenance work on anomalously high-flux layers <strong>of</strong> IRD in North<br />

Atlantic deep-sea sediments <strong>of</strong> the last <strong>glacial</strong> cycle, which were<br />

first recognized by the high concentrations <strong>of</strong> lithic grains in the<br />

coarse fraction <strong>of</strong> IRD (Heinrich, 1988). The high detrital carbonate<br />

concentration that characterizes the terrigenous sediment fraction<br />

<strong>of</strong> H layers was attributed to a calving ice margin that overrode<br />

a carbonate-floored substrate, likely corresponding to the one that<br />

covers large areas <strong>of</strong> Hudson Bay <strong>and</strong> Hudson Strait (Andrews <strong>and</strong><br />

Tedesco, 1992; Bond et al., 1992; Broecker et al., 1992). The LIS origin<br />

for H event was also reinforced by radiogenic provenance studies.<br />

Lead <strong>and</strong> neodymium isotope systematics measured on bulk sediment<br />

suggested an Archean heritage <strong>of</strong> the terrigenous fraction <strong>of</strong> H<br />

layers, while Pb isotopes <strong>of</strong> feldspar grains <strong>and</strong> 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages <strong>of</strong><br />

hornblende grains indicated Paleoproterozoic metamorphism<br />

(w1.8 Ga) <strong>of</strong> the source-rocks <strong>of</strong> H layers (Gwiazda et al., 1996;<br />

Hemming et al., 1998, 2000; Hemming, 2004). These characteristics<br />

further confined the source region <strong>of</strong> H layers to the rocks <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Paleoproterozoic Churchill Province <strong>of</strong> the Canadian Shield, which<br />

outcrop in the Hudson Strait area (Fig. 3). These results, along with<br />

other sedimentological data, led to the interpretation that a large<br />

fraction <strong>of</strong> the LIS in Hudson Bay drained repeatedly through an ice<br />

stream flowing in Hudson Strait (e.g. Andrews, 1998).<br />

Although the LIS was unequivocally the main contributor <strong>of</strong><br />

detrital material to H layers, the exact sector <strong>of</strong> the LIS that<br />

conveyed ice through Hudson Strait has yet to be identified. Hudson<br />

Bay is commonly regarded as the source <strong>of</strong> the drawdown <strong>of</strong><br />

large amount <strong>of</strong> ice, mostly because this region is underlain by<br />

Paleozoic carbonates. Unlike the coarse-grained crystalline rocks <strong>of</strong><br />

the Shield, this substrate provides s<strong>of</strong>t-bedded conditions that are<br />

necessary to generate the fast-flowing ice that has been invoked to<br />

accommodate the massive iceberg discharges, in addition to<br />

provide a source for the high detrital carbonate content <strong>of</strong> most H<br />

layers (Andrews <strong>and</strong> Tedesco, 1992; Marshall <strong>and</strong> Clarke, 1997).<br />

However, field-based paleogeographic reconstructions <strong>and</strong><br />

patterns <strong>of</strong> post-<strong>glacial</strong> uplift indicate that Hudson Bay was a site <strong>of</strong><br />

lower ice-surface elevation where ice flows were converging from<br />

the three nearby centers <strong>of</strong> outflow (Dyke <strong>and</strong> Prest, 1987; Dyke,<br />

2004; Tarasov <strong>and</strong> Peltier, 2004) (Fig. 1a). The difficulty in identifying<br />

the sector <strong>of</strong> the LIS that fed the Hudson Strait ice stream on<br />

the basis <strong>of</strong> sedimentary <strong>and</strong> radiogenic data from ocean cores also<br />

comes from the occurrence at the mouth <strong>of</strong> Hudson Strait <strong>of</strong><br />

a bedrock sill, which is composed <strong>of</strong> Paleoproterozoic crystalline<br />

rocks <strong>of</strong> the Churchill Province (Fig. 3). Because this sill rises w300–<br />

400 m above the seafloor, it likely acted as an important grounding<br />

line for this ice stream (Andrews <strong>and</strong> MacLean, 2003; Hulbe et al.,<br />

2004; Alley et al., 2005). The occurrence <strong>of</strong> a significant overdeepened<br />

zone located up-ice from the sill further suggests that it<br />

may have been an area <strong>of</strong> important sub<strong>glacial</strong> erosion during the<br />

calving/streaming episodes that led to H events (Hemming, 2004).<br />

Consequently, part <strong>of</strong> the geochemical signature <strong>of</strong> H layers likely<br />

contain erosional products <strong>of</strong> this bedrock protuberance, thereby<br />

complicating the identification <strong>of</strong> ice flow coming from the LIS<br />

interior on the basis <strong>of</strong> IRD data alone. This points to the need <strong>of</strong><br />

Fig. 2. Location <strong>of</strong> till samples investigated in this study (red squares) with respect to the main ice-flow patterns in Northern Quebec <strong>and</strong> <strong>Labrador</strong>, shown here as flow-sets. Iceflow<br />

sets were defined by Clark et al. (2000) on the basis <strong>of</strong> detailed mapping <strong>of</strong> <strong>glacial</strong> lineations. Ice-flow set fsJ03 comes from Jansson et al. (2003). These ice-flow patterns are<br />

here used to identify the main trajectories along which detrital material can be transported to the ocean, regardless <strong>of</strong> the age <strong>of</strong> formation <strong>of</strong> these features. Black arrows show<br />

postulated ice flows within <strong>and</strong> around the Hudson Strait <strong>and</strong> Ungava Bay regions based from field evidence <strong>and</strong> inferred by glaciological modeling. Light gray areas around the<br />

coasts <strong>and</strong> main river valleys show the approximate extent <strong>of</strong> the post-<strong>glacial</strong> marine invasion. For interpretation <strong>of</strong> the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is<br />

referred to the web version <strong>of</strong> this article.


M. Roy et al. / Quaternary Science Reviews 28 (2009) 3236–3245 3239<br />

Fig. 3. Bedrock geology map showing the main lithology mantling the floor <strong>of</strong> Hudson Strait <strong>and</strong> Ungava Bay (modified from Andrews <strong>and</strong> MacLean, 2003). Inset shows the location<br />

<strong>of</strong> the Abloviak sill, which is composed <strong>of</strong> Paleoproterozoic crystalline basement rocks that raise w350 m above the Hudson Strait floor (MacLean, 2001).<br />

better documenting the provenance <strong>of</strong> <strong>glacial</strong> deposits that are<br />

associated with massive ice-flow paths extending from the<br />

different ice domes into the Hudson Bay <strong>and</strong> Hudson Strait region<br />

in order to further constrain the source <strong>of</strong> LIS ice for H events.<br />

Nonetheless, in addition to large-scale patterns <strong>of</strong> <strong>glacial</strong> lineations<br />

that indicate massive ice flows towards Hudson Bay/Strait<br />

(e.g. Clark et al., 2000; Jansson et al., 2003), Heinrich-type drawdown<br />

episodes are suggested by the occurrence <strong>of</strong> sequences <strong>of</strong><br />

shifting ice flows documented from rock outcrops all around<br />

Hudson Bay (Parent et al., 1995; Veillette et al., 1999; McMartin <strong>and</strong><br />

Henderson, 2004; Veillette, 2004), mostly because these reorganizations<br />

<strong>of</strong> ice sheet pr<strong>of</strong>ile require significant ice-surface<br />

lowering <strong>of</strong> certain sectors <strong>of</strong> the LIS. These erosive <strong>and</strong> geomorphic<br />

features, however, have yet to be documented within the context <strong>of</strong><br />

H events.<br />

3. NQL <strong>glacial</strong> lineations <strong>and</strong> the northeastern sector <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Laurentide Ice Sheet<br />

The NQL region comprises a large fraction <strong>of</strong> the area formerly<br />

occupied by the <strong>Labrador</strong>–Quebec ice dome, which was the main<br />

center <strong>of</strong> ice outflow <strong>of</strong> the northeastern sector <strong>of</strong> the LIS (Fig.1). The<br />

l<strong>and</strong>scape <strong>of</strong> this region is characterized by abundant drumlins,<br />

crag-<strong>and</strong>-tails, <strong>glacial</strong>ly molded bedrock outcrops, <strong>and</strong> fluted till<br />

plains with disseminated areas <strong>of</strong> crystalline rock outcrops (Fig. 4)<br />

(Hughes, 1964; Prest et al., 1968; Lauriol, 1982; Gray <strong>and</strong> Lauriol,<br />

1985; Bouchard <strong>and</strong> Marcotte, 1986; Gray et al., 1993; Parent et al.,<br />

1995; Clark et al., 2000; Gray, 2001; Jansson et al., 2003). These<br />

<strong>glacial</strong> lineations are associated with former <strong>glacial</strong> flow-lines that<br />

were coming from this ice dome, presumably sometime after the<br />

last <strong>glacial</strong> maximum (LGM) (Fig. 1). This region encompasses<br />

Ungava Bay where the long axis <strong>of</strong> most <strong>glacial</strong> lineations shows an<br />

impressive pattern <strong>of</strong> converging ice flows towards Ungava Bay<br />

(Fig. 2)(Clark et al., 2000; Jansson et al., 2002). Detailed examination<br />

<strong>of</strong> aerial photographs <strong>and</strong> satellite images showed that the Ungava<br />

Bay <strong>glacial</strong> lineations can be grouped into discrete networks <strong>of</strong> iceflow<br />

sets (Clark et al., 2000; Jansson et al., 2003). These swarms <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>glacial</strong> lineations were attributed to fast-flowing ice <strong>and</strong> interpreted<br />

to reflect imprints <strong>of</strong> former ice streams. On the basis <strong>of</strong> crosscutting<br />

relationships, as evidenced by abrupt lateral margins <strong>of</strong> the<br />

different ice-flow fans <strong>and</strong> other geomorphological features, a relative<br />

chronology describing a sequence <strong>of</strong> ice stream development<br />

was further proposed. In this model, these l<strong>and</strong>form systems would<br />

have formed over a relatively broad time-interval spanning part <strong>of</strong><br />

the last <strong>glacial</strong> cycle (Jansson et al., 2003). There are, however,<br />

almost no chronological constraints for these events. This lack <strong>of</strong><br />

constraints is at the origin <strong>of</strong> considerable contrasting interpretations<br />

regarding the age <strong>of</strong> these <strong>glacial</strong> lineations (e.g. Clark et al.,<br />

2000; Jansson et al., 2002), ranging from relict l<strong>and</strong>forms from an<br />

older deglaciation preserved under cold-based ice during the last<br />

<strong>glacial</strong> cycle (Kleman et al., 1994), to Late-Glacial features <strong>of</strong> the last<br />

glaciation (Veillette et al., 1999; Dyke et al., 2002).<br />

Of importance here is that the ice-dynamic conditions imposed<br />

by the large-scale ice-flow patterns formed by the Ungava Bay <strong>glacial</strong><br />

lineations led to the suggestion that these Ungava Bay ice-flow<br />

systems were likely the results <strong>of</strong> a major ice-flow event(s) that<br />

drained the <strong>Labrador</strong>–Québec ice dome interior during H events,<br />

supposedly through <strong>glacial</strong> flow-lines feeding the Hudson Strait ice<br />

stream (Jansson et al., 2003). This link between the <strong>Labrador</strong>–Québec<br />

sector <strong>and</strong> drawdown episodes <strong>of</strong> the LIS can also be seen in various<br />

geological models <strong>and</strong> paleogeographic reconstructions on H events,<br />

mainly in the form <strong>of</strong> a branch <strong>of</strong> the Hudson Strait ice stream (Fig. 2)<br />

(Andrews, 1998; Andrews <strong>and</strong> MacLean, 2003; Hulbe et al., 2004).<br />

Although involving the <strong>Labrador</strong>–Québec ice dome in Heinrich-type<br />

events appears to be a logical mechanism to drain large amount <strong>of</strong> ice<br />

from the deep interior <strong>of</strong> the ice sheet, there is little direct evidence<br />

to support such a model. Involving the northeastern sector <strong>of</strong> the LIS<br />

in the ice discharges <strong>of</strong> H events through Ungava Bay also requires<br />

important constraints to be met, notably an ice-free Hudson Strait<br />

(i.e. an ice stream retracted west <strong>of</strong> Ungava Bay), or, alternatively, the<br />

presence <strong>of</strong> a Hudson Strait ice stream that has ice thickness/velocity<br />

characteristics that allows ice from the Ungava ice stream network to<br />

feed this main ice outlet (e.g. Kirby <strong>and</strong> Andrews,1999; Andrews <strong>and</strong><br />

MacLean, 2003).<br />

4. Approach <strong>and</strong> methods<br />

Twenty-five till samples were collected along an east–west<br />

transect roughly centered on latitude 58 North (Figs. 1 <strong>and</strong> 2). This<br />

transect is broken into three sectors due to the presence <strong>of</strong> extensive<br />

marine deposits that mask the underlying <strong>glacial</strong> deposits in<br />

low-lying areas around the coasts <strong>of</strong> Ungava Bay <strong>and</strong> eastern<br />

Hudson Bay (Figs. 1b <strong>and</strong> 2). The surficial till samples used in this<br />

study were collected above the post-<strong>glacial</strong> marine limit to avoid


3240<br />

M. Roy et al. / Quaternary Science Reviews 28 (2009) 3236–3245<br />

Fig. 4. Aerial photograph (A) <strong>and</strong> oblique photograph (B) showing the <strong>glacial</strong> l<strong>and</strong>scape <strong>of</strong> the study area, which is characterized by drumlin fields, fluted till plains, crag-<strong>and</strong>-tails,<br />

molded bedrock outcrops, <strong>and</strong> disseminated outcrops <strong>of</strong> bare crystalline bedrock. Aerial photographs no. R6076-L-55, from National Airphoto Library, 1:60,000 scale. Photograph<br />

taken nearby Lac Peters, west <strong>of</strong> Ungava Bay, 71 00 0 W, 59 30 0 N; drumlins axis w065 N.<br />

any possible reworking <strong>of</strong> the <strong>glacial</strong> deposits. The samples come<br />

from <strong>glacial</strong>ly fluted till plain composed <strong>of</strong> a relatively thin mantle<br />

(2–3 m) <strong>of</strong> <strong>glacial</strong> deposits that is broken in places by rock outcrops<br />

(Fig. 4). Till in this area is characterized by a coarse (s<strong>and</strong>y) matrix<br />

containing abundant clasts, reflecting the erosion <strong>of</strong> local crystalline<br />

lithologies (Parent et al., 2004).<br />

Figs. 1 <strong>and</strong> 2 show the position <strong>of</strong> the three sectors <strong>of</strong> till<br />

samples with respect to the main <strong>glacial</strong> flow-lines in this region.<br />

These flow-lines are largely based on the geomorphologic <strong>and</strong><br />

striation records, for which chronological constraints are <strong>of</strong>ten<br />

lacking. Although some <strong>of</strong> these flow-lines may be asynchronous,<br />

<strong>and</strong> thus schematic, they provide important information on the<br />

possible trajectories along which ice may have flowed from the ice<br />

dome to the ocean. Within the context <strong>of</strong> the main ice-flow paths<br />

in the NQL region (Clark et al., 2000; Jansson et al., 2003), the till<br />

samples are expected to characterize the catchment areas <strong>of</strong> the<br />

<strong>glacial</strong> debris entrained by ice flowing toward north-northeast <strong>and</strong><br />

northwest into Ungava Bay westard into northeastern Hudson Bay,<br />

<strong>and</strong> to the eastward (into the <strong>Labrador</strong> Sea (Fig. 2). Although there<br />

are no till samples located directly south <strong>of</strong> Ungava Bay in the area<br />

comprising ice-flow sets extending northward into the bay, the<br />

regional ice-flow patterns (Clark et al., 2000; Jansson et al., 2003)<br />

indicate that the till samples <strong>of</strong> the middle sector lie on the<br />

western edge <strong>of</strong> such former ice-flow paths (Fig. 2). The patterns <strong>of</strong><br />

regional ice flows also indicate that the till <strong>of</strong> the middle sector,<br />

like the till south <strong>of</strong> Ungava Bay, orginates from ice taking its<br />

source in the interior <strong>of</strong> <strong>Labrador</strong>–Quebec ice dome. Because <strong>of</strong><br />

their nature (till genesis), the composition <strong>of</strong> these deposits should<br />

represent a mixture <strong>of</strong> the lithologies that were progressively<br />

incorporated during <strong>glacial</strong> transport, <strong>and</strong> their provenance characteristics<br />

should thus reflect the general bedrock composition <strong>of</strong><br />

this region. The main geological divisions show that tills southwest<br />

<strong>and</strong> south <strong>of</strong> Ungava Bay derive largely from the erosion <strong>of</strong> the<br />

same source-rock, i.e. the Superior Province (Fig. 5). Consequently,<br />

whether the middle sector till samples are associated with<br />

erosion/deposition <strong>of</strong> a northeastward flowing ice (as suggested by<br />

the dominant ice-flow pattern) or by northward-flowing ice (as<br />

suggested by regional ice-flow patterns), the geological setting <strong>of</strong><br />

this area indicates that these tills should integrate the same<br />

source-rock. Accordingly, the provenance characteristics <strong>of</strong> the<br />

middle sector till samples can be considered representative <strong>of</strong><br />

sediments that would be carried by ice flowing northward into<br />

Ungava Bay.<br />

Individual hornblende grains <strong>of</strong> 125–250 mm in size were<br />

extracted from the fine-grained matrix <strong>of</strong> till samples using<br />

a binocular microscope. Hornblende grains were irradiated for ten<br />

hours in the Cd-lined, in-core facility (CLICIT) <strong>of</strong> the TRIGA reactor at<br />

Oregon State University, along with hornblende-monitor st<strong>and</strong>ard<br />

Mmhb (age <strong>of</strong> 525 Ma; Samson <strong>and</strong> Alex<strong>and</strong>er, 1987) <strong>and</strong> a sanidine<br />

st<strong>and</strong>ard (Cima, 18.9 Ma, relative to MMhb-1 age <strong>of</strong> 523.2 2.3 Ma;<br />

Spell <strong>and</strong> McDougall, 2003). Approximately 10 detrital hornblende<br />

grains were dated in each sample using the 40 Ar/ 39 Ar method<br />

through single-step laser fusion at Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory<br />

(LDEO), for a total <strong>of</strong> 241 age-determinations. Ages were<br />

calculated from Ar isotope ratios corrected for mass fractionation,<br />

interfering nuclear reactions, procedural blanks, <strong>and</strong> atmospheric Ar<br />

contamination.<br />

The 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages <strong>of</strong> detrital hornblendes are first evaluated<br />

within the context <strong>of</strong> the numerical ages reported for the potential<br />

rock-source areas (i.e. the main geological provinces found in the<br />

region, described in the next section). The 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages <strong>of</strong> hornblende<br />

correspond to either an estimate <strong>of</strong> igneous crystallization,<br />

or, alternatively, the last time the source terrane was subjected to<br />

high-temperature metamorphism (i.e. >450 C) (McDougall <strong>and</strong><br />

Harrison, 1999). Given the numerous orogens that characterize the<br />

geological history <strong>of</strong> this part <strong>of</strong> the Canadian Shield, the 40 Ar/ 39 Ar<br />

ages <strong>of</strong> hornblende grains from NQL tills should primarily reflect<br />

the last time the source terranes were involved in a major metamorphic<br />

event. These 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages provide information on the<br />

provenance <strong>of</strong> the <strong>glacial</strong> sediments entrained by ice, <strong>and</strong> thus the<br />

geochemical signature <strong>of</strong> ice-rafted material that would be associated<br />

with iceberg discharges coming from the NQL region.<br />

The 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages <strong>of</strong> hornblende grains <strong>of</strong> tills are also<br />

compared to 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages <strong>of</strong> IRD grains from H layers <strong>and</strong> minor<br />

IRD layers <strong>of</strong> marine sediments spanning the time-interval<br />

comprised between the early Holocene <strong>and</strong> 43 ka (Hemming <strong>and</strong><br />

Hajdas, 2003).<br />

5. Geological setting <strong>of</strong> the Ungava Bay region<br />

With the exception <strong>of</strong> the Paleozoic carbonate rocks covering<br />

the floor <strong>of</strong> Hudson Strait <strong>and</strong> part <strong>of</strong> Ungava Bay, the rocks<br />

underlying the study area are almost entirely composed <strong>of</strong><br />

Precambrian basement rocks <strong>of</strong> the Canadian Shield, which in the<br />

Ungava Bay region, includes three structural provinces that were<br />

assembled during various orogens: the Superior, Churchill, <strong>and</strong>


M. Roy et al. / Quaternary Science Reviews 28 (2009) 3236–3245 3241<br />

Fig. 5. Simplified bedrock geology <strong>of</strong> the Hudson Strait <strong>and</strong> Ungava Bay regions (based on the Geological Survey map 1860A by Wheeler et al., 1996).<br />

Nain provinces (Fig. 5) (H<strong>of</strong>fman, 1989). The rocks forming these<br />

provinces, <strong>and</strong> thus rock-source regions for this study, can be<br />

distinguished according to their dominant radiometric imprint,<br />

which generally reflects the last major orogenic (metamorphic)<br />

event to affect the province (i.e. age <strong>of</strong> thermotectonic resetting).<br />

Specifically, the region west <strong>of</strong> Ungava Bay is composed <strong>of</strong><br />

Archean gneiss <strong>and</strong> other high-grade metamorphic rocks <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Superior Province (Minto sub-province). Hornblende grains<br />

derived from the <strong>glacial</strong> erosion <strong>of</strong> these rocks should thus be<br />

characterized by 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages <strong>of</strong> w >2.6 Ga (Card, 1990). The<br />

<strong>northern</strong> tip <strong>of</strong> the Ungava Peninsula consists primarily in Paleoproterozoic<br />

(2.5–1.6 Ga) volcanic-arc terranes <strong>of</strong> the Cape Smith<br />

thrust belt that were accreted during the New-Quebec orogen<br />

(St-Onge et al., 1999). This orogen is also responsible for the<br />

formation <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Labrador</strong> Trough that extends southward from<br />

Ungava Bay, along a b<strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong> a few hundred kilometers wide. The<br />

rocks east <strong>and</strong> southeast <strong>of</strong> Ungava Bay also belong to the eastern<br />

Churchill (Rae) Province (Lewry <strong>and</strong> Stauffer, 1990) <strong>and</strong> although<br />

they have an Archean heritage, they are primarily characterized by<br />

a strong Paleoproterozoic imprint inherited from major episodes<br />

<strong>of</strong> high-temperature metamorphism (Lewry <strong>and</strong> Stauffer, 1990),<br />

notably during the Torngat Orogen that produced the prominent<br />

Torngat mountain range that separates Ungava Bay from the <strong>Labrador</strong><br />

Sea. In this area, the Nain Province shows up as a series <strong>of</strong><br />

Mesoproterozoic (1.6–0.9 Ga) intrusions that cover a large area<br />

extending from the <strong>Labrador</strong> coast to the southernmost extent <strong>of</strong><br />

the <strong>Labrador</strong> Trough. Consequently, 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages <strong>of</strong> the hornblende<br />

grains originating from the erosion <strong>of</strong> the Churchill (Rae)<br />

rocks should cluster around 1.9–1.7 Ga, while tills derived from ice<br />

advances having overridden the Nain sector should have<br />

hornblende grains yielding 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages <strong>of</strong> w1.6–1.4 Ga. Metasedimentary<br />

rocks <strong>of</strong> the Churchill Province also crop out at the<br />

eastern end <strong>of</strong> Hudson Strait, within the Abloviak shear zone that<br />

extents from the Torngat Mountains in a NW–SE trend, parallel to<br />

the main regional structural boundaries (MacLean, 2001).<br />

6. Results<br />

The results <strong>of</strong> 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dating <strong>of</strong> individual hornblende grains<br />

from tills are shown as individual probability plots in Fig. 6 where<br />

data are grouped into 5 sectors according to the position <strong>of</strong> the<br />

major ice-flow trajectories defined by the patterns <strong>of</strong> <strong>glacial</strong> flowlines<br />

in the region (Bouchard <strong>and</strong> Marcotte, 1986; Clark et al., 2000;<br />

Jansson et al., 2003). Till samples from the eastern, west-central, <strong>and</strong><br />

western sectors should represent the characteristics <strong>of</strong> sediments<br />

transported by ice converging into Ungava Bay (Fig. 2). Tills <strong>of</strong> the<br />

westernmost sector represent sediment source from ice draining into<br />

northeastern Hudson Bay, while tills from the easternmost sector<br />

characterize material draining directly into the <strong>Labrador</strong> Sea (Fig. 2).<br />

Tills from the westernmost <strong>and</strong> western sectors show detrital<br />

hornblende grains with Archean ages, with 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages ranging<br />

predominantly from 2.60 to 2.75 Ga (Fig. 6), thus in agreement with<br />

age <strong>of</strong> the source-rock from this region – the Superior Province. Tills<br />

from the eastern <strong>and</strong> easternmost sectors are largely dominated by<br />

40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages ranging from 1.95 to 1.60 Ga (Fig. 6), reflecting the<br />

erosion <strong>of</strong> the underlying Paleoproterozoic bedrock <strong>of</strong> the Churchill<br />

<strong>and</strong> Nain provinces present in this area. A few grains with Archean<br />

ages are also found in tills adjacent to the eastern Ungava Bay<br />

coastline. This could reflect ice advance across the bay, from western<br />

Ungava Bay, as suggested by erosional marks that indicate the<br />

occurrence <strong>of</strong> such ice flow in this region (Paradis <strong>and</strong> Parent, 2002).<br />

Alternatively, the occurrence <strong>of</strong> sparse Archean-age grains may also<br />

reflect ice flow coming from the south. The ice-flow patterns in the<br />

Ungava Bay region (Clark et al., 2000; Jansson et al., 2003). show that<br />

some <strong>of</strong> the northward-flowing fans appear to take their source<br />

deep enough into the <strong>Labrador</strong>–Quebec sector to reach rocks <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Superior Province (Figs. 2 <strong>and</strong> 5). Tills from the west-central sector<br />

show a large population <strong>of</strong> hornblende grains with Archean ages, as<br />

well as abundant Paleoproterozoic-age grains (Fig. 6). This likely<br />

reflect the geographic position <strong>of</strong> these samples, which are located<br />

nearby the boundary between Archean <strong>and</strong> Paleoproterozoic


3242<br />

M. Roy et al. / Quaternary Science Reviews 28 (2009) 3236–3245<br />

A<br />

B<br />

Fig. 6. A) Normalized probability plot showing 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages <strong>of</strong> hornblende grains dated in till samples <strong>of</strong> the study area. Colors correspond to the different sectors discussed in<br />

text. B) Stack histograms showing the distribution <strong>of</strong> 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages <strong>of</strong> hornblendes for the 25 till samples <strong>of</strong> the different sectors. Note that Y axes are different in each histograms,<br />

while X axes are all identical, with 50-Myr bins. The number (n) <strong>of</strong> dated hornblende grains <strong>and</strong> associated samples in each sector are given at top <strong>of</strong> each histogram. The complete<br />

40 Ar/ 39 Ar data set <strong>and</strong> samples coordinates are presented in Table DR1, as supplementary material in the on-line appendix.


M. Roy et al. / Quaternary Science Reviews 28 (2009) 3236–3245 3243<br />

terranes (Fig. 5). The occurrence <strong>of</strong> Paleoproterozoic-age grains<br />

could also be attributed to ice-flow paths taking their source slightly<br />

to the east, on the Paleoproterozoic rocks <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Labrador</strong> Through,<br />

as indicated by the regional ice-flow patterns (Fig. 2).<br />

7. Discussion – conclusions<br />

<strong>Sediment</strong>ary <strong>and</strong> radiogenic provenance studies indicate that<br />

the detrital carbonate <strong>and</strong> crystalline rock fractions <strong>of</strong> IRD forming<br />

H layers derive from the Hudson Strait region (Hemming, 2004).<br />

Based on the age <strong>and</strong> geochemical composition <strong>of</strong> the IRD crystalline<br />

fraction, H layers show a clear link with the rocks forming<br />

the Hudson Strait sill, but the carbonate clast content <strong>of</strong> H layers<br />

implies a larger catchment area for which the extent is unconstrained.<br />

Ambient (non-Heinrich) IRD <strong>of</strong>f Hudson Strait does not<br />

include abundant carbonate clasts (e.g. Andrews <strong>and</strong> Tedesco,<br />

1992), thereby indicating that the ice discharges related to H events<br />

represent a different calving mechanism than those occurring<br />

between H events. Taken together, these results support models<br />

attributing the iceberg discharges <strong>of</strong> H events to an ice stream<br />

draining the LIS interior <strong>and</strong> calving at the mouth <strong>of</strong> Hudson Strait.<br />

How the LIS fed this ice stream is currently unknown, <strong>and</strong> an<br />

objective <strong>of</strong> this study was to examine whether the <strong>Labrador</strong>–<br />

Québec sector may have been a contributor. Large-scale patterns <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>glacial</strong> lineations around Hudson Bay tend to agree with the<br />

postulated disintegration models <strong>of</strong> the LIS, whereby they indicate<br />

the convergence <strong>of</strong> massive ice flows from the three major icedispersal<br />

centers towards Hudson Bay/Strait (Dyke et al., 2002).<br />

Problems in identifying which <strong>of</strong> these ice domes fed the ice flow<br />

along the axis <strong>of</strong> Hudson Strait come from the fact that Churchillage<br />

rocks are found in the western <strong>and</strong> <strong>northern</strong> Hudson Bay<br />

regions, directly under or adjacent to the former position <strong>of</strong> these<br />

three major centers <strong>of</strong> ice outflow.<br />

Another difficulty comes from uncertainty in interpreting the<br />

significance <strong>of</strong> these major ice-flow patterns converging towards<br />

Hudson Bay <strong>and</strong> Hudson Strait. This complexity is well exemplified<br />

in the NQL region where multiple sets <strong>of</strong> <strong>glacial</strong> lineations indicating<br />

convergent ice flows towards Ungava Bay were interpreted<br />

to reflect a drainage-event(s) <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Labrador</strong>-Quebec ice dome<br />

interior during H events (Jansson et al., 2003). The data presented<br />

in this paper suggest that it may be possible to evaluate this<br />

hypothesis by constraining the rock-source <strong>of</strong> the <strong>glacial</strong> sediments<br />

from three sectors located west, southwest, <strong>and</strong> east from Ungava<br />

Bay, which should provide an estimate <strong>of</strong> the provenance characteristics<br />

<strong>of</strong> IRD deriving from ice exiting these sectors. Specifically,<br />

40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages <strong>of</strong> detrital hornblende grains from NQL <strong>glacial</strong><br />

sediments indicate that ice flow from the northeastern sector <strong>of</strong> the<br />

LIS through northeastern Hudson Bay <strong>and</strong> Ungava Bay should have<br />

incorporated debris characterized by a significant portion <strong>of</strong><br />

Archean-age detrital grains.<br />

Insights on the occurrence <strong>of</strong> ice-draining event(s) from the<br />

<strong>Labrador</strong>–Québec sector can be obtained from the provenance <strong>of</strong><br />

major (Heinrich) <strong>and</strong> minor (non-Heinrich) IRD deposits in North<br />

Atlantic sediment cores located downstream from Hudson Strait.<br />

The chronology <strong>of</strong> deep-sea record could further provide timing for<br />

this event(s). Hemming <strong>and</strong> Hajdas (2003) report an extensive<br />

record <strong>of</strong> near-continuous IRD <strong>sources</strong> in a core that spans the last<br />

43 ka, an interval encompassing Heinrich event 0 (H0) through H4<br />

(dated at w11, 14.5, 20.5, 27, 34 14 C ka, respectively). Because <strong>of</strong> its<br />

location <strong>of</strong>f Newfoundl<strong>and</strong>, in the western part <strong>of</strong> the Ruddiman<br />

IRD belt, this core (V23–14) provides a record <strong>of</strong> LIS iceberg<br />

contributions coming from the Gulf <strong>of</strong> St-Lawrence as well as the<br />

<strong>Labrador</strong> Sea, thus including the Hudson Strait region (Fig. 1). The<br />

40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages <strong>of</strong> hornblende grains reported show a predominance<br />

<strong>of</strong> Paleoproterozoic-age IRD during <strong>and</strong> between H events from 43<br />

to 30 ka, <strong>and</strong> after 17 ka. The data also document the a real evolution<br />

<strong>of</strong> the LIS through time, with IRD contribution from the<br />

Grenville <strong>and</strong> Appalachians becoming more common from H3<br />

(w30 ka) to H1 (w17 ka), as the ice sheet gained in volume <strong>and</strong><br />

exp<strong>and</strong>ed over southern latitudes (Fig. 7). Does this record contain<br />

IRD with a strong Archean-age signature such as the one that would<br />

be expected for ice draining the NQL region?<br />

IRD layers with grains corresponding to source-rocks typical <strong>of</strong><br />

the Superior Province are present throughout this interval, but they<br />

form at most 5–10% <strong>of</strong> the population <strong>of</strong> grains dated. No significant<br />

ice-rafting event with a predominant Archean source-rock has<br />

been identified throughout this interval. However, the overall<br />

predominance <strong>of</strong> IRD derived from a Paleoproterozoic rock-source<br />

may also be related to the bedrock sill <strong>of</strong> this age at the mouth <strong>of</strong><br />

Hudson Strait, as discussed earlier. If this site was subject to<br />

important <strong>glacial</strong> erosion, this may have resulted in the production<br />

<strong>of</strong> a large volume <strong>of</strong> sediments, which may have diluted the signal<br />

<strong>of</strong> other rock-<strong>sources</strong> associated with ice flows coming from the ice<br />

sheet interior. On the other h<strong>and</strong>, the occurrence <strong>of</strong> a prominent<br />

dispersal train <strong>of</strong> distinctive <strong>glacial</strong> erratics (reddish rocks <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Dubawnt Group) coming from Keewatin <strong>and</strong> going across <strong>northern</strong><br />

Hudson Bay (Shilts, 1980) suggests that important amount <strong>of</strong><br />

detrital material can be transported into the Strait, <strong>and</strong> possibly<br />

into <strong>Labrador</strong> Sea. The presence <strong>of</strong> significant amount <strong>of</strong> carbonate<br />

grains in IRD also suggests that detrital material up stream from the<br />

sill can reach the ocean. The greater proximity <strong>of</strong> Ungava Bay to the<br />

Fig. 7. Scatter plot <strong>of</strong> 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages <strong>of</strong> detrital hornblende grains sampled from major<br />

<strong>and</strong> minor IRD in core V23–14 in the northwest Atlantic ocean (43.4 N, 45.25 W,<br />

3177 m; data from Hemming <strong>and</strong> Hajdas, 2003). The horizontal zones labeled H1–H4<br />

indicate the position <strong>of</strong> the Heinrich layers; the vertical lines on each side <strong>of</strong> the C <strong>and</strong><br />

S letters delineate the age-range associated with the Churchill <strong>and</strong> Superior provinces,<br />

respectively.


3244<br />

M. Roy et al. / Quaternary Science Reviews 28 (2009) 3236–3245<br />

Hudson Strait outlet thus tends to suggest that a drawdown from<br />

this sector can potentially be reflected in the marine IRD record.<br />

These issues clearly indicate that quantifying the amount <strong>of</strong> detrital<br />

sediments produced at the mouth <strong>of</strong> Hudson Strait sill <strong>and</strong> differentiating<br />

these sediments from other rock-<strong>sources</strong> in North Atlantic<br />

IRD represents an important challenge that should be the focus <strong>of</strong><br />

future studies. Although our results tend to preclude the occurrence<br />

<strong>of</strong> a major draining-event from the <strong>Labrador</strong>-Québec sector,<br />

we believe that a detailed study involving large volume <strong>of</strong> IRD in<br />

the <strong>Labrador</strong> Sea near the Hudson Strait is needed to provide<br />

a more rigorous test <strong>of</strong> the contribution <strong>of</strong> NQL in H events, even<br />

though the Archean-age fraction may end up to be diluted by<br />

erosional processes at the mouth <strong>of</strong> Hudson Strait.<br />

These results also leave open the question <strong>of</strong> when the Ungava<br />

Bay <strong>glacial</strong> lineations were formed, <strong>and</strong> where was the outlet <strong>of</strong> the<br />

ice involved? Direct interaction between the <strong>Labrador</strong>–Quebec<br />

sector <strong>and</strong> the <strong>Labrador</strong> Sea through Ungava Bay is intimately<br />

linked with the dynamics <strong>and</strong> position <strong>of</strong> the Hudson Strait ice<br />

stream. Although interpretation <strong>of</strong> airphotos <strong>and</strong> satellite images<br />

have led to the suggestion that parts <strong>of</strong> the Ungava Bay l<strong>and</strong>form<br />

swarm may have been formed over different time-intervals spanning<br />

part <strong>of</strong> the last glaciation (Clark et al., 2000; Jansson et al.,<br />

2003), extensive field measurements <strong>of</strong> ice-flow erosional features<br />

in NQL suggest that a large fraction <strong>of</strong> the Ungava Bay <strong>glacial</strong><br />

lineations were formed in Late-Glacial time, through the inl<strong>and</strong><br />

propagation <strong>of</strong> a northward ice flow that was initially confined into<br />

the Ungava Bay basin, <strong>and</strong> that eventually altered the radial outflow<br />

<strong>of</strong> the <strong>Labrador</strong>–Québec ice dome (Veillette et al., 1999). This<br />

capture event was attributed to the Gold Cove ice advance, which<br />

crossed Hudson Strait from Ungava Bay <strong>and</strong> reached the southern<br />

tip <strong>of</strong> Baffin Isl<strong>and</strong> at w10 14 Cka BP (Miller <strong>and</strong> Kaufman, 1990;<br />

Kaufman et al., 1993). If this scenario is correct, the northward<br />

trending Ungava Bay <strong>glacial</strong> lineations could be associated with an<br />

ice advance that took place either before or after H0 (wYounger<br />

Dryas), during a period when the Hudson Strait ice stream had<br />

retreated westward, away from the mouth <strong>of</strong> the Strait (Andrews,<br />

1998; Kirby <strong>and</strong> Andrews, 1999; Clark et al., 2000; Dyke et al., 2002;<br />

Andrews <strong>and</strong> MacLean, 2003). Another alternative would be that<br />

the Ungava Bay <strong>glacial</strong> lineations were formed during H3, late in<br />

Middle Wisconsinan time, because the provenance characteristics<br />

<strong>of</strong> H3 layers differ significantly from the other H layers. This<br />

suggests that through flow <strong>of</strong> ice along the eastern axis <strong>of</strong> Hudson<br />

Strait was probably absent at that time, <strong>and</strong> this setting would then<br />

allow across-the-strait flow from Ungava Bay. However, the relative<br />

chronology deduced from the striation record does not appear to<br />

support this hypothesis (e.g. Veillette et al., 1999).<br />

In summary, the comparison <strong>of</strong> provenance characteristics <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>glacial</strong> deposits underlying distinct flow patterns <strong>of</strong> the NQL region<br />

<strong>and</strong> IRD <strong>of</strong> the North Atlantic marine record suggests that the<br />

<strong>Labrador</strong>–Québec sector contribution to calving event(s) into the<br />

North Atlantic appears to have been limited during the last <strong>glacial</strong><br />

cycle. Although these results suggest a relative stability <strong>of</strong> the<br />

<strong>Labrador</strong>–Québec ice dome during H events, this interpretation<br />

needs to be evaluated within the geological <strong>and</strong> geomorphological<br />

context <strong>of</strong> the Hudson Strait region.This study indicates indeed that<br />

further constraining the role <strong>of</strong> the Hudson Strait sill in the<br />

production <strong>of</strong> detrital sediments is critical to our underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong><br />

the exact sector <strong>of</strong> the LIS (<strong>and</strong> other North Atlantic ice sheets) that<br />

contributed to the marine IRD record throughout the last <strong>glacial</strong><br />

cycle. Similarly, the composition (radiogenic fingerprinting) <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>glacial</strong> deposits associated with distinct flow patterns on l<strong>and</strong><br />

should be further investigated in order to better define ice<br />

sheet ocean interactions <strong>and</strong> the role <strong>of</strong> ice sheets in climate<br />

changes, as well as to bring additional information on the disintegration<br />

patterns <strong>of</strong> the LIS.<br />

Acknowledgements<br />

M. Charette contributed to sedimentological treatments <strong>of</strong><br />

samples <strong>and</strong> M. Laithier drafted some <strong>of</strong> the figures. An anonymous<br />

reviewer provided helpful <strong>and</strong> constructive comments on the<br />

manuscript. Funding for this project came from the LDEO Climate<br />

Center (MR <strong>and</strong> SRH), NSERC (MR), NOAA (SRH) <strong>and</strong> the GSC (MP).<br />

This is GEOTOP publication no. 2009-0019.<br />

Appendix. Supplementary information<br />

Supplementary data associated with this article can be found in<br />

the version at doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2009.08.008<br />

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