The glacial history of the Hans Tausen Iskappe and the last glaciation of Peary Land, North Greenland

Abstract

Studies of glacial geology near the Hans Tausen Iskappe, 82°N, suggest that the Greenland Ice Sheet covered Peary Land during the Late Weichselian. The ice sheet experienced successive marginal retreat due to calving along the major fjords, and an extensive thinning in response to the climatic amelioration during the early Holocene. Local ice caps had melted by ca. 8100 cal years ago, a result which is compatible with the studies of an ice core record from the Hans Tausen Iskappe. The present ice caps are thus not relicts from the Weichselian, but have formed during the Holocene. Findings of 5000-6000 year-old driftwood along fjords that connect to the Arctic Ocean indicate that the perennial sea-ice cover was gone during the mid-Holocene.

Full text

Introduction
During recent decades, investigations of
the Quaternary history of the land areas
surrounding the North Atlantic have
demonstrated a close coupling between
the oceanic conditions and terrestrial cli-
mate. The Greenland ice core studies as
well as stratigraphic studies (Johnsen et
al. 1992, Dansgaard et al. 1993) in the ice-
free areas of Greenland and Svalbard
(Funder et al. 1998, Mangerud et al. 1998)
have shown a correlation with the paleo-
ceanographic records of the North
Atlantic (Bond et al. 1993). Even though
our present understanding of the cli-
matic interaction between the North
Atlantic and the adjacent land areas has
increased, more needs to be learned
about the parts of the Arctic that are
closer to sources of moisture such as the
Arctic Ocean.
This study is a part of the Hans
Tausen Iskappe project which was
designed to investigate the present and
Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 39
The glacial history of the Hans
Tausen Iskappe and the last
glaciation of Peary Land, North
Greenland
By Jon Y. Landvik, Anker Weidick and Anette Hansen
Abstract
Jon Y. Landvik, Anker Weidick and Anette Hansen 2001. The glacial history of
the Hans Tausen Iskappe and the last glaciation of Peary Land, North Green-
land. Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 39, Copenhagen, pp. 27-44.
Studies of glacial geology near the Hans Tausen Iskappe, 82°N, suggest that the
Greenland Ice Sheet covered Peary Land during the Late Weichselian. The ice
sheet experienced successive marginal retreat due to calving along the major
fjords, and an extensive thinning in response to the climatic amelioration
during the early Holocene. Local ice caps had melted by ca. 8100 cal years ago,
a result which is compatible with the studies of an ice core record from the Hans
Tausen Iskappe. The present ice caps are thus not relicts from the Weichselian,
but have formed during the Holocene. Findings of 5000-6000 year-old drift-
wood along fjords that connect to the Arctic Ocean indicate that the perennial
sea-ice cover was gone during the mid-Holocene.
Keywords: Greenland; glacial history; ice caps; Weichselian; Holocene; climate.
Jon Y. Landvik, The University Courses on Svalbard (UNIS), P.O. Box 156, N-9171
Longyearbyen, Norway (Present address: Agricultural University of Norway, Depart-
ment of Soil and Water Sciences, P.O. Box 5028, N-1432 Ås, Norway.
Anker Weidick, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Thoravej 8,
DK-2000 Copenhagen NV, Denmark.
Anette Hansen, COWI, Thulebakken 34, DK-9000 Aalborg, Denmark.

past climate and glacier dynamics of
North Greenland by means of ice-core
records (Hammer et al. 2001), mass bal-
ance studies and the local glacial history
on a geologic time scale (this paper).
The research strategy for the geolog-
ical investigations has been to search for
stratigraphic and geomorphologic evi-
dence for fluctuations in volume and
extent of the Hans Tausen Iskappe. The
northern and northwestern margins of
the ice cap were considered as most suit-
able for new field investigations. In this
area, the outlet glacier and associated
deposits can be found below the Holo-
cene marine limits. Due to this interac-
tion with Late Quaternary fjord environ-
ments, marine fossils enable radiocar-
bon age control on glacial fluctuations.
The paper will also review and discuss
previous investigations and unpub-
lished observations from the southern
margin of the ice cap and the major
fjords systems such as Independence
Fjord and J. P. Koch Fjord (Fig. 1).
Methods
The new field studies were based on air
photo interpretations succeeded by field
investigations in three selected areas,
supported by helicopter reconnaissance
during camp moves.
The geographic sample positions were
determined by use of a GPS receiver,
using the WGS-84 datum. Altimetry was
28 Landvik et al: The glacial history
Fig. 1. Location map.
Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 39

carried out through parallel use of two
electronic altimeters, and readings were
corrected for air pressure changes
during the day. The elevations refer to
the high tide mark. The tidal range in the
area appeared to be small, and in Jørgen
Brønlund Fjord (Fig. 1) it is reported to
be only 20-30 cm (Høy 1970).
For comparison with the ice core
record, all radiocarbon ages (Table 1)
have been converted to calendar years
according the calibration data-sets by
Landvik et al: The glacial history 29
Sample Lab ref. Location Co-ordinates Eleva- Material 14C Reser- Conven- Cali- Remarks
tion voir cor- tional brated
rected 14C age age
Northern margin:
GGU 417602 T-11769 Nordpasset E 82°53.7'N 36°09.2'W 32 Mt 7260±55 7810±55 8120 In growth
position above till.
GGU 417611 T-11773 Nordpasset E 82°54.9'N 36°23.4'W 37 Mt 7245±95 7795±95 8100 Growth position in
marine sed.
GGU 417601 T-11768 Nordpasset E 82°53.8'N 36°08.6'W 49 Ha, Mt 7085±95 7635±95 7930 On delta surface
GGU 417609 T-11772 Nordpasset E 82°54.7'N 36°10.5'W 43 Ha, Mt 6910±140 7460±140 7750 Raised shoreline
GGU 417606 T-11771 Nordpasset E 82°54.0'N 36°11.1'W 18 Ha 6450±120 7000±120 7370 Frozen up on
delta front
GGU 417605 T-11770 Nordpasset E 82°53.7'N 36°09.1'W 24 Picea sp. – 5855±50 6710
or 6670
GGU 417620 T-11776 Nordpasset W 82°58.0'N 37°41.3'W 28 Shell 6945±140 7495±140 7790 In redeposited silt.
frag.
GGU 417621 TUa-1079 Nordpasset W 82°58.2'N 37°43.9'W 29 Ha 6680±70 7230±70 7560 AMS-date of single
valve
GGU 417612 T-11774 Kap Bopa 82°59.4'N 39°40.1'W 33 Ha, Mt 7140±85 7690±85 7970
GGU 417614 T-11775 Kap Bopa 82°59.4'N 36°40.6'W 13 Larix? - 5470±100 6280
GGU 417613 TUa-1078 Kap Bopa 82°59.3'N 39°40.2'W 46 Shell 36,870± 36,980±605
frag. 605
Southwestern margin:
GGU 226451 I-9664 E. of 82°24'N 40°30'W 30-35 Shells 5550±110 5700±105 6350 Weidick (1977)
J.P. Koch Fj.
GGU 226450 Ua-4586 E. of 82°17'N 39°55'W Ca 25 Ha 5085±60 5635±60 5880
J.P. Koch Fj.
GGU 226451 Ua-4587 E of 82°16'20''N 39°59'W 30-36 Ha 5480±80 6030±80 6280
J.P. Koch Fj.
GGU 215308 GSC-2279 Adams 82°21.2'N 40°51'W 2-3 Shells 4040±150 4590±140 4590 Weidick (1977)
Gletcher
GGU 215308 I-9130 Adams 82°21.2'N 40°51'W Twigs - 220 Weidick (1977)
Gletcher
Table 1. Radiocarbon dates from the Hans Tausen Iskappe area. The conventional radiocarbon age has been normalised to
δ
13C = –25 %.
The dates from Weidick (1977) have been normalised by the authors. All dates on marine material have been corrected for a reservoir
age effect of –550 yrs (Funder 1982). A recent survey suggests that the reservoir age could be up to 760 yrs. in North Greenland (Ras-
mussen & Rahbek). Prefixes TUa- and Ua- are AMS-dates. Calibration to calendar years is obtained using the CALIB programme (Stuiver &
Reimer 1993). Ha = Hiatella arctica, Mt = Mya truncata.
Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 39

Stuiver et al. (1998a) and Stuiver et al.
(1998b) using the CALIB 4.1 calibration
programme (Stuiver & Reimer 1993).
Physiography
Hans Tausen Iskappe is the second
largest ice cap in North Greenland, cov-
ering an area of 4208 km2. It is not only
one of the northernmost ice caps in the
world, but also one of the few that is
located close to the Arctic Ocean. Most
of the present day ice cap has an eleva-
tion exceeding 1000 m a.s.l. Its southern
parts rest on a 800-900 m high plateau,
whereas the northern part of the ice cap
sits on more rugged bedrock (Reeh 1995,
Reeh et al. 2001). To the south, the
Wandel Dal valley, connecting J. P. Koch
Fjord to the west with Independence
Fjord to the east, separates the ice cap
from the Greenland Ice Sheet. The
southern margin of the ice cap (Fig. 1)
terminates on dry land at ca. 500 m a.s.l.
To the north, however, outlet glaciers
reach elevations of ca 100 m a.s.l. in
Nordpasset and terminate as tidewater
glaciers at the head of Adolf Jensen Fjord
to the north-west (Fig. 2).
Nordpasset is a 2-3 km-wide and 25
km long u-shaped, probably glacially
eroded valley that connects Frederick E.
Hyde Fjord to O.B. Bøggild Fjord. The
central part of the pass is 150-200 m a.s.l.
and mountains to the north and south
reach elevations up to 800 m a.s.l. (Fig.
2). Rock glaciers are developed along the
mountain slopes in the central part of
the valley, and the valley floor is charac-
terised by vigorous periglacial activity
and cryoturbation of the Quaternary
deposits. Outlet glaciers from the Hans
Tausen Iskappe reach Nordpasset in its
eastern parts.
The bedrock of North Greenland is
dominated by Late Precambrian to
Palaeozoic sedimentary rocks that
become successively younger towards
30 Landvik et al: The glacial history
Fig. 2. The glacial
geology along the
northern margins of
Hans Tausen Iskappe
and Nordpasset.
Moraines and melt-
water channels have
been mapped in the
field. Black triangles:
deltas; numerals: eleva-
tion of marine limit in
metres. The map is
extracted from a digital
terrain model con-
structed by Wolfgang
Starzer, GEUS.
Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 39

the north. They are generally found in
east-west trending zones related to the
formation of the North Greenland fold
belt in the Devonian/Early Carbonif-
erous (Henriksen 1992). The Greenland
Ice Sheet probably covers the crystalline
basement. The finding of erratics of
high-grade metamorphic and plutonic
origin along the north coast of Peary
Land points to sources under the present
ice sheet (Dawes 1986).
The present glaciation limit rises from
ca. 200 m along the coast to ca. 800 m
a.s.l. in the Hans Tausen Iskappe area
(Weidick 2001).
The North Side of
Hans Tausen Iskappe
The studies along the northern margin
of the Hans Tausen Iskappe were based
on air photo interpretation and heli-
copter reconnaissance, supported by
field work in both ends of Nordpasset,
and at Kap Bopa where O.B. Bøggild
Fjord and Adolf Jensen Fjord meet (Fig.
2). The observations will be discussed
from east to west.
Odin Fjord
Odin Fjord cuts the eastern part of the
Hans Tausen plateau (Fig. 2). Its
southern part is filled by two outlets
from the surrounding ice caps: a
northern outlet from the Heimdal Is-
kappe east of Odin Fjord (2KH01013 in
Weidick 2001), and a southern outlet
called Ymer Gletcher from the Hans
Tausen Iskappe west of the fjord
(2KH01034 in Weidick 2001). The rims of
the plateau on both sides of Odin Fjord
and Ymer Gletcher are ca. 600 m a.s.l.
These plateaus, particularly east of the
fjord, are all characterised by glacial and
glaciofluvial sediments and a series of
well-developed lateral meltwater chan-
nels that were formed by water draining
towards the north. The vertical distribu-
tion of these channels suggests erosion
along the margin of a successively lower
fjord glacier in Odin Fjord. A suite of
channels drain an over 500 m-high pass
towards the northwest, which are today
cross-cut by the north-eastward outlet of
the Hans Tausen Iskappe (Fig. 2). This
relationship shows that the ice cap was
less extensive at the time when the melt-
water channels were formed.
Eastern Nordpasset
The eastern part of Nordpasset is a key
area for the reconstruction of the glacial
history of the Hans Tausen Iskappe. The
lower parts of the mountain slopes are
generally covered by a diamicton of
glacial origin. However, they have been
subject to extensive downslope move-
ment by solifluction and only a few dis-
tinct moraine ridges are found above the
marine limit (Fig. 2). Large glaciofluvial
deltas, partly covered with beach sedi-
ments, are found in front of major melt-
water pathways, whereas cryoturbated
pebbly silt deposits, interpreted to be of
glaciomarine and littoral origin, cover
the valley floor below the marine limit.
As for the Odin Fjord area, the eastern
part of Nordpasset shows evidence of
downwasting of a former glacier. Three
sets of geomorphological features are
important for the interpretation of the
glacial history: a) glacial meltwater
channels; b) moraine ridges; c) glacioflu-
vial deltas.
Meltwater channels
Two transects of the southern slope of
Nordpasset were studied in detail. The
area between ca. 900 and 600 m a.s.l. is
dominated by blocks and a silty matrix
derived from weathering of the under-
lying siltstone. Patches of sub-rounded
gravel are found locally in the block-
field. In a horizontal zone at 600 m a.s.l.,
no blocks are found and only in situ
weathered bedrock is exposed, probably
due to removal of the blocks by glacial
Landvik et al: The glacial history 31
Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 39

meltwater. Below this level, there is a
series of distinct ice marginal features,
predominately meltwater channels cut
into bedrock at successively lower alti-
tudes (Figs. 2 and 3). Several of the chan-
nels are 20-30 m deep, dip towards the
east, and begin and end in open air (Fig.
4). Their formation requires that melt-
water from a valley glacier in Nord-
passet turned into ice marginal drainage
before it re-entered the glacier either
supra- or subglacially.
Moraines
Evidence that a thick glacier filled Nord-
passet is also found on the steep northern
side of the valley. On a ledge 405 m a.s.l.
(Fig. 3, A), there is a ca. 50 m-long
moraine ridge comprised of a diamicton
with subrounded to rounded boulders in
a silty sandy matrix. The ridge has a
sharp crest and a fresh-looking appear-
ance (Fig. 5). The lobate shape indicates
deposition from a glacier flowing east-
wards through Nordpasset, compatible
with the dip of the meltwater channels
on the south side.
A set of more continuous moraine
ridges formed during a later stage of the
Nordpasset glacier can be found below
ca. 300 m a.s.l. At the eastern end of
Nordpasset, a 14 km-long valley con-
nects to the wide east-west running
Vølvedal valley to the north. On the
western slope of the connecting valley, a
32 Landvik et al: The glacial history
Fig. 3. Vertical air
photo of the eastern
part of Nordpasset.
Localities discussed in
the text are marked A
to C. Aerial photo-
graph 255K 822, July
1960. Copyright: Kort-
og Matrikelstyrelsen,
Copenhagen.
Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 39

moraine ridge with declining elevation
to the north can be mapped over a dis-
tance of 6 to 8 km (Fig. 2). The elevation
of the moraine is >600 m a.s.l. in the
southern part of the valley, and the
northward dip of the moraine shows
that it was deposited from a glacier that
once filled Nordpasset. The slopes and
valley floor below the moraines are
characterised by glacial and glacioflu-
vial deposits.
Another set of moraine ridges is found
south of Harebugt at the head of Freder-
ick E. Hyde Fjord. A moraine lobe de-
posited from the 200 m-high pass be-
tween Odin Fjord and Nordpasset cross-
cuts the lowermost meltwater channels
discussed above (Fig. 2). As we infer that
no ice existed on the Hans Tausen
plateau at his time, it shows that an out-
let glacier from Odin Fjord entered the
eastern part of Nordpasset during a late
stage of the last deglaciation.
Glacial erratics (Fig. 6) are found at
Landvik et al: The glacial history 33
Fig. 4. One of the melt-
water channels in the
southern slope of
Nordpasset.
Fig. 5. Moraine ridge
on a ledge 450 m a.s.l.
on northern side of
Nordpasset.
Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 39

several elevations on the mountains sur-
rounding Nordpasset. The lithologies
have not been traced to their area of
origin, but the erratics demonstrate the
overriding by a glacier prior to the for-
mation of the meltwater channels.
Raised deltas and the marine limit
The marine limit in the area was formed
during the last deglaciation. In eastern
Nordpasset it can be determined by the
elevation of three glaciofluvial deltas
(Figs. 2 and 3). The largest one is located
1 km north of the present snout of the
outlet from Hans Tausen Iskappe (infor-
mally named Hare Glacier by Reeh et al.
2001, 2KG01002 by Weidick 2001). The
delta surface is ca. 1000 m wide, has its
apex close to the present meltwater river
from the glacier, and slopes gently with
a distinct break towards the delta front.
The raised delta is cut by the present
river that forms a large modern delta at
sea level (Figs. 2 and 3). The distal break
of the delta plain is 49 m a.s.l. which is
assumed to have formed a few metres
below sea level during deposition. Shell
fragments of Hiatella arctica and Mya
truncata that were brought to the surface
by cryoturbation at the outer part of the
delta plain were radiocarbon dated to
7085±95 BP (7930 cal. yrs. BP, T-11768). In
a 5 m-high section in the delta front,
glaciomarine silty sand is observed
above a diamicton interpreted as till.
Shells of Mya truncata in living position
1.75 m above the diamicton were dated
to 7260±55 BP (8120 cal. yrs. BP, T-11769).
A series of raised shorelines where the
uppermost beach deposit was hand-lev-
eled to 51 m a.s.l. is found ca 1000 m
north-west of the delta (Fig. 3, B). The
beach sediments are overrun in places
by solifluction deposits suggesting that
they represent a minimum estimate for
the elevation of the marine limit. When
compared to the elevation of the delta
plain, however, 51 m seems to be a fair
determination of the marine limit in the
area. The uppermost occurrence of shell
fragments in the beach sediments at 43
m a.s.l is dated to 6910±140 BP (7750 cal.
yrs. BP, T-11772).
On the north side of the valley are two
smaller raised deltas (Fig. 2). The
western one has a steeper fan-delta like
surface with a front break at 41 m a.s.l.,
whereas the eastern one is built up to 50
m a.s.l. Shells brought to the surface by
34 Landvik et al: The glacial history
Fig. 6. Erratic boulders
470 m a.s.l. on the
mountains south of
Nordpasset.
Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 39

cryoturbation in the latter delta front
were dated to 6450±120 BP (7370 cal. yrs.
BP, T-11771).
Below the marine limit, the valley
slopes and floor are covered predomi-
nately by solifluction deposits, which
comprise a mixture of marine fine-
grained sediments, beach gravel and
diamicton. In the centre of the valley
(Fig. 3, C) there is a mound of marine
silt. Redeposited sediments mantle most
of the deposit, and the 20 cm-thick active
layer only melts the outer part of this
mantle. However, the appearance of
larger clasts in the lower part of the
slopes suggests that the silt deposit is
stratigraphically underlain by a
diamicton. At the surface, ca. 3 m above
the top of the diamicton, numerous
valves of Mya truncata were found in
living position and dated to 7245±95 BP
(8100 cal. yrs. BP, T-11773).
Inner Frederick E. Hyde Fjord
As discussed above, the marine limit in
western and eastern Nordpasset is 50
and 51 m a.s.l., formed at ca 6900 and
7200 BP (7800 and 8100 cal. yrs. BP),
respectively (Fig. 7).
A glaciofluvial delta at the mouth of
Vølvedal (83°00’N 34°10’W) is related to
the deglaciation of both Vølvedal and
Frederick E. Hyde Fjord, and was
deposited during a sea level of 53 m a.s.l.
However, the exact age of this deposit is
not known. Asimilar height of 55 m a.s.l.
was reported by Bennike (1983) from a
kame delta at the entrance to the Vøl-
vedal valley. Along the northwestern
margin of the Hans Tausen Iskappe,
mapping of the marine limit along the
eastern coast of Adolf Jensen Fjord gave
estimates of >46 m a.s.l.
The drop in the marine limit from 53
m a.s.l. in Frederick E. Hyde Fjord to 51
m in eastern Nordpasset may indicate a
slightly earlier deglaciation of the fjord
basin, probably due to calving of the
glacier. This is also supported by the dip
of the moraines from Nordpasset into
Vølvedal (see below), which also sug-
gests a deglaciation of the Vølvedal/
Fredrick E. Hyde Fjord valley prior to
the final deglaciation of Nordpasset.
Western Nordpasset
Areas below the marine limit are also
found in the westernmost 5 km or so of
Nordpasset, at the head of O.B. Bøggild
Fjord (Fig. 2). The morphology of the
Landvik et al: The glacial history 35
Fig. 7. Distribution of
new radiocarbon dates
from the Hans Tausen
Iskappe area.
Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 39

glacial deposits is not as well expressed
as in the eastern part of the valley, partly
due to disturbance by cryogenic pro-
cesses.
A large raised delta is found at the
mouth of a tributary valley entering
Nordpasset from the north. The delta is
ca. 1 km wide, and reaches halfway into
Nordpasset. To the west, it is dissected
by river erosion, and terraces are formed
at different levels. All terrace surfaces
are dissected by up to 1 m-deep ice-
wedge polygons. The frontal part of the
uppermost terrace surface is slightly
offset by a series of front-parallel faults,
and the elevation on the ice-proximal
side of the innermost fault is 50 m a.s.l.
Paired Hiatella arctica and Mya truncata
were found in sediments on the delta
front, and a single valve of Hiatella was
radiocarbon dated to 6680±70 BP (7560
cal. yrs. BP, TUa-1079).
A slightly higher minimum age for the
deglaciation is recorded from the
southern side of the valley, where shell
fragments in a silt subjected to solifluc-
tion were dated to 6945±140 BP (7790
cal. yrs. BP, T-11776).
Three km from the coast, a fan delta
deposited from Nordpasset sits in the
middle of the valley. The lowermost
mapable river channels on the fan sur-
face were found at 55 m, an elevation
which is compatible with a marine limit
of 50 m a.s.l., as discussed above.
Valleys north of Nordpasset
An air photo study and helicopter recon-
naissance of the Vølvedal and Norne-
gæst Dal valleys were carried out in
order to track the northward distribu-
tion of the glacial deposits mapped in
Nordpasset. The moraines and associ-
ated glacial sediments that were
mapped in the valley connecting Nord-
passet and Vølvedal (see above) con-
tinue over the 400 m-high pass into
Vølvedal. The valley floor of the inner
part of Vølvedal is 200-300 m a.s.l. and
characterised by thick glacial and
glaciofluvial deposits dissected by melt-
water channels. Several large meltwater
channels are also cut into bedrock, and
there has been a stage of meltwater over-
flow from Nordpasset into Vølvedal
over a pass ca. 600 m a.s.l.
Also in Nornegæst Dal north of
Vølvedal, a similar distribution of sedi-
ments is found. Here, the glacial and
glaciofluvial sediments cover the valley
floor and continue up along the slopes.
However, the upper limits of glacial sed-
iments or any marginal moraines could
not be determined during our reconnais-
sance. Outlet glaciers from Roosevelt
Fjelde apparently overrun the glacial
deposits along the northern side of the
valley. Several large meltwater channels
and kame terraces, especially along the
southern side of Nornegæst Dal and
Frigg Fjord, show that considerable
meltwater drainage entered Frederick E.
Hyde Fjord through the Frigg Fjord trib-
utary during the last deglaciation.
The South Side of Hans Tausen
Iskappe
The present information on the Holo-
cene deglaciation of the region from J.P.
Koch Fjord to Independence Fjord is
illustrated in the map of Fig. 8. The sim-
plified trend lines are based on detailed
mapping of recessional ice marginal fea-
tures such as moraines, meltwater chan-
nels, etc., by W. Davies (in GEUS files,
unpublished). A more comprehensive
account of these maps is given by Wei-
dick & Dawes (1999). The trend lines
indicate a deglaciation pattern in which
rapid deglaciation along Independence
Fjord and the lowland along Jørgen
Brønlund Fjord and Wandel Dal resulted
in ice remains over the land areas
presently covered by Hans Tausen
Iskappe and Heinrich Wild Iskappe.
The chronology of this recessional pat-
tern is fragmentary. In the J. P. Koch
Fjord basin, the recession of the Green-
36 Landvik et al: The glacial history
Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 39

land Ice Sheet margin is not well dated.
The Warming Land stade, represented
by moraines in the central part of J. P.
Koch Fjord (Fig. 8), were assumed by
Kelly & Bennike (1992) to date from
9500-8000 BP (ca 11,200-8900 cal. yrs BP).
West of this fjord, in Wulff Land,
Warming Land and Nyeboe Land, this
recession was related to extensive down-
wasting of the ice, resulting in the for-
mation of dead ice terrain at these locali-
ties (Kelly & Bennike 1992). We also
know that the ice retreat in Indepen-
dence Fjord had reached the mouth of
the tributary Jørgen Brønlund Fjord by
8000 BP (ca. 8900 cal. yrs. BP)(Bennike
1987).
Inner J.P. Koch Fjord
Extensive deposits of Holocene age are
located around the head of J. P. Koch
Fjord and in the east-west trending
valley between the fjord head (terminus
of Adam Gletcher, an outlet of the
Greenland Ice Sheet) and the outlets of
the Hans Tausen Iskappe. Marine ter-
races are found up to the marine limit,
estimated to be ca. 42 m a.s.l.
During fieldwork in 1976, shells were
collected from silt in a terrace 30-36 m
a.s.l. The silt is overlain by gravel that
can be mapped up to the marine limit of
ca. 42 m a.s.l. The shells yielded ages of
5550±105 BP (6350 cal. yrs. BP, I-9664)
and 5480±80 (6280 cal. yrs. BP, Ua- 4587)
Landvik et al: The glacial history 37
Fig. 8. Trend lines of
early and mid-
Holocene deglaciation
simplified from mor-
phological maps of
North Greenland made
by W. Davies, U.S.
Geological Survey
(Weidick & Dawes
1999). The maps are
not published, but can
be found in the files of
GEUS. The age of
deglaciation expressed
in cal. yrs. BP.
Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 39

(Table 1). Shells embedded in fine-
grained sand and laminated silt in a
slightly lower terrace, 1.5 km down-
stream, were dated to 5085±60 BP
(5880cal. yrs. BP, Ua-4586) (Table 1),
whereas shells and twigs from the outer-
most silty neoglacial moraines of Adams
Gletcher were dated to 4040±150 BP
(4590 cal. yrs. BP, GSC-2279) and 220 BP
(I-9130).
These dates from the southwestern
margin of the Hans Tausen Iskappe sug-
gest that the ice cover was close to or less
than present prior to 5500 BP (6300 cal.
yrs. BP), and that the Adams Gletcher
had a readvance to its present position
some time during the last 300 years, i.e.
at the end of the Little Ice Age.
Independence Fjord
A reconstruction of the marine limit dis-
tribution in Northern Greenland has
emerged from the increasing number of
field observations in recent decades
(Funder & Hjort 1980, Bennike 1987,
Kelly & Bennike 1992, see also compila-
tion by Funder & Hansen 1996). Relative
sea-level curves (Fig. 9) for the inner
part of Independence Fjord have been
supplied from Jørgen Brønlund Fjord
and from the mouth of the fjord at Kap
København and Prinsesse Ingeborg
Halvø, respectively (Funder & Abra-
hamsen 1988).
For the outer part of Independence
Fjord, a marine limit of 65-100 m a.s.l.
was determined by Funder & Hjort
(1980). Based on the shoreline diagram
(Fig. 10), the initial deglaciation of the
area probably took place at about 9000
BP (10,200 cal. yrs. BP), which complies
with earlier age estimates of an ice
margin in the area at 9000-10,000 yrs. BP
(10,200-11,500 cal. yrs. BP).
Based on the relative sea level curve
(Fig. 9) and a marine limit of 80 m a.s.l.
(Bennike 1987), we assume that the
deglaciation of Independence Fjord
reached Jørgen Brønlund Fjord by 8000
BP (8900 cal. yrs. BP), and about 7500 BP
(8350 cal. yrs. BP) at the head of Jørgen
Brønlund Fjord. This is somewhat
younger than the age of 9500 ± 500 cal.
yrs. BP as suggested by Bennike (1987).
The emergence curve for the inner
part of the Independence Fjord shows
that the relative sea level reached pre-
sent level around 1000 years ago. The
information is based on a Thule eskimo
38 Landvik et al: The glacial history
Fig. 9. Emergence
curves of inner and
outer part of Indepen-
dence Fjord. Inner part
covers the region
around Jørgen Brøn-
lund Fjord, the outer
part the region around
the mouth of Indepen-
dence Fjord between
Kap København and
Prinsesse Ingeborg
Halvø (see Fig. 10).
Curves drawn by full
lines are based on com-
pilation of 14C-datings,
for the interior region
by Bennike (1987) and
for the outer region by
Funder & Abrahamsen
(1988). The broken
lines are emergence
curves based on cal-
endar years.
Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 39

ruin on the south coast of Jørgen Brøn-
lund Fjord which is transgressed by the
sea (Bennike 1987). The emergence
curves of the outer Independence Fjord
do not extend to this period. However,
drowned Thule culture ruins from this
region (Kronprins Christian Land) were
also reported by Hjort (1997). In both
cases the sea level related to the Thule
culture is only slightly (1 m or so) under
the present one.
The calendar ages of the emergence
curves of Fig. 9 are applied in the con-
struction of the conceptual equidistant
shoreline diagram along Independence
Fjord (Fig. 10). A shoreline dip towards
the outer coast can be seen, even if the
gradient of the highest shorelines (8000
to 9000 cal. yrs BP) is only ca 10 cm/km.
This is significantly lower than the 50
cm/km of a 9400 cal. yrs BP shoreline at
Germania Land 600 km further to the
south (Landvik 1994, Weidick et al.
1996). However, this could be an artifact
due to limited control of the exact direc-
tion of the isobases in the area. The rela-
tively low marine limits close to the
Hans Tausen Iskappe indicate a late
local deglaciation compared to the
middle and outer parts of Independence
Fjord.
Glacial History of the Hans
Tausen Iskappe – Discussion
The extent of the last ice sheet
Our studies in Nordpasset show that an
ice sheet that also filled adjacent fjords
and valleys during the last glaciation
inundated the 900-1000 m high bedrock
plateau, which is covered by the
northern dome of the Hans Tausen
Iskappe. There is also strong evidence
for a confluence between this ice sheet
and the Greenland Ice Sheet to the
south. Evidence for such a continuous
ice cover during the Late Weichselian
has also been found in the Jørgen Brøn-
lund Fjord area, at the eastern end of the
Landvik et al: The glacial history 39
Fig. 10. Simplified out-
line of the marine limit
and the conceptual
trends of strandlines in
a profile from the head
of J.P. Koch Fjord in
the west to the mouth
of Independence Fjord
in the east. Large fig-
ures: Estimated time
for deglaciation
expressed in calibrated
ka BP. Hatched areas of
the curves: areas cov-
ered by the two emer-
gence curves of Fig. 9.
Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 39

Wandel Dal ice-free corridor, by Bennike
(1987). He showed that outlets from both
the Greenland Ice Sheet and a “Peary
Land ice cap” reached Independence
Fjord through the Wandel Dal, and that
there was a halt in ice recession at the
mouth of Jørgen Brønlund Fjord ca. 9000
to 7600 BP. Such an easterly ice flow in
Jørgen Brønlund Fjord is not possible
without a full confluence between the
Late Weichselian Greenland Ice Sheet
and the ice over the Hans Tausen
plateau.
The extensive glaciofluvial deposits in
the large valleys north of Nordpasset
suggest further confluence with ice over
the mountains of northern Peary Land
(namely, Johannes V. Jensen Land). Wei-
dick (1976) pointed out that only a slight
depression of the present glaciation limit
would lead to the formation of an ice cap
over Peary Land. As reviewed by
Funder & Hansen (1996), there are still
large uncertainties whether large ice
shelves existed along the coast of Peary
Land (Funder & Larsen 1982, Dawes
1986), or only restricted piedmont
glaciers reached the western parts of the
coastline.
The last deglaciation
Northern margin of Hans Tausen
Iskappe
The successive lowering of the glacier
surface in Nordpasset shows that the
whole ice mass must have experienced
large surface melting during the
deglaciation. Even the highest areas
were brought under the equilibrium line
due to the climatic amelioration. Such a
style of deglaciation over the area
implies that the whole Hans Tausen
plateau must have been ice-free before
the formation of the ice marginal fea-
tures we have reported from Odin Fjord
and Nordpasset. The higher ground,
including the Hans Tausen plateau,
must have been deglaciated prior to ca.
7200 BP (8100 cal. yrs. BP), as indicated
by the deglaciation dates in eastern
Nordpasset.
The consequence of this deglaciation
model is that the present-day Hans
Tausen Iskappe formed after 8100 cal.
yrs. BP as a result of an equilibrium line
lowering during the Middle or Late
Holocene. This conclusion is supported
by the results of the ice core from the ice
cap. The age estimates of the 345 m-long
core suggests that the entire ice cap
formed after 3500-4000 years BP (Ham-
mer et al. 2001).
The margins of several outlet glaciers
along the northern margins of the Hans
Tausen Iskappe were studied in order to
reconstruct any Late Holocene glacier
fluctuations. There are fresh-looking
moraine ridges in close contact with the
glacier snout. In front of most of the
outlet glaciers there is a clear morpho-
logical contrast between these ridges
and the old landscape which lacks pro-
nounced moraine ridges. This maximum
position in the area was generally
reached ca AD1900, with a subsequent
recession or still-stand (Weidick 2001).
The morphological contrast and lack of
older moraine ridges suggest that the
present glacier margins were at their
outermost position during the whole
Holocene. The terminal moraines of two
outlet glaciers from the northern dome,
the one in eastern Nordpasset and in
Tjalfe Gletcher at the head of Adolf
Jensen Fjord, were visited in 1994.
Despite a thorough search for radio-
carbon-datable material, neither of the
advances to the present day position
could be dated.
The southern margin and the
Independence Fjord basin
The onset of the Holocene ice retreat in
the area between the Hans Tausen
Iskappe and the Greenland Ice Sheet
cannot be settled exactly. With al-
lowance for the preceding readvances of
40 Landvik et al: The glacial history
Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 39

the Warming Land stade (Kelly & Ben-
nike 1992) in North Greenland (around
J. P. Koch Fjord) and the dated events of
Independence Fjord, the retreat might be
ascribed to around 9000 BP (10,200 cal.
yrs. BP)(Bennike 1987). The ice margin
retreat must have occurred as a fast
break-up due to calving in the fjords.
This is supported by the annual reces-
sion rate of 100 m/year or more that we
have calculated in Independence Fjord,
which contrasts with only 50 m/year in
the narrower Jørgen Brønlund Fjord.
Here, as elsewhere, topographic condi-
tions (sills, narrowings of the fjords)
might have caused halts of the recession
through the fjords (cf. Mercer 1961).
However, with exception of the 85 m-
deep Jørgen Brønlund Fjord (Høy 1970),
the bathymetry of the North Greenland
fjords is unknown.
The approximate rate of ice recession
over the land area can be calculated
from the deglaciation of Jørgen Brøn-
lund Fjord, i.e. 50 m/year. This is similar
to a recession rate of 47 m/year over
Germania Land further south (Weidick
et al. 1996). The recession to the present
extent of most larger ice caps in the area
north of Independence Fjord then would
have taken 1-2 ka.
The fast recession of the outlet glaciers
occurred at the same time as the first
openings in the permanent fjord ice
cover (see below) which is probably
related to the early Holocene tempera-
ture increase of the surface waters in the
Greenland Sea (Koç et al. 1993, Koç &
Jansen 1994). During this change, the
glaciers presumably shifted their frontal
characteristics to a “temperate mode”.
The recession rates were dependent on
fjord width and calving rate. We con-
clude that the ice in the larger fjords
(e.g., Independence Fjord) attained its
present position at about 8000-9000 cal.
yrs. BP, whereas this was reached at
about 6300 cal. yrs. BP in the narrower
fjord systems such as J. P. Koch Fjord.
Here, the ice recession to a position
behind the present margin occurred
shortly before 5600 BP (6350 cal. yrs. BP).
This development is comparable to
other dated sites in North Greenland.
Reworked shells in the present moraines
are dated to 5000 BP (5700 cal. yrs. BP) at
C.H. Ostenfeldt Gletscher, ca. 100 km
WSW of Adams Gletscher, and to 4700
BP (5400 cal. yrs. BP) at Steensby
Gletscher, nearly 250 km WSW of
Adams Gletscher at 12 km behind its
front (Kelly & Bennike 1992). Similar
evidence is obtained from the Inland Ice
outlet Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden Gletscher
at 79(N in Northeast Greenland. The
fjord was deglaciated to 80 km behind
its present front shortly after 8000 cal.
yrs. BP and became glacier-filled to its
present extent after ca 4500 cal. yrs. BP
(Bennike & Weidick 1999).
As shown by our studies from Hans
Tausen Iskappe, the glacier recession in
the fjords occurred at the same time as
surface ablation and thinning of the ice
cap. It must be presumed that the appar-
ently thin ice caps such as Storm Iskappe
and Chr. Erichsen Iskappe, as well as
those to the south of Independence
Fjord, disappeared. The trend lines of
the deglaciation around these ice caps
are cross-cut by the present ice cap mar-
gins (Fig. 8), which indicates a substan-
tial regrowth of the ice caps after the ini-
tial deglaciation of the region. Some of
the largest ice caps (e.g., Hans Tausen,
Nordkronen, Heinrich Wild) conceal a
subglacial alpine topography, covered
by several hundred metres of glacier ice,
as shown for the Hans Tausen Iskappe.
Post-Glacial Climate
The fjords in this part of north Green-
land today experience a semi-permanent
sea-ice cover where the fjord ice melts
only at rare intervals (>30 years)(Hig-
gins 1990). The finding of driftwood
both at the eastern end of Nordpasset
and Kap Bopa (Table 1) shows that the
fjords were seasonally ice-free 5850-5500
Landvik et al: The glacial history 41
Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 39

BP (6700-6300 cal. yrs. BP). The two
driftwood samples have been identified
as either Picea sp. or Larix sp., but could
not be identified to species level due to
poor preservation (L.M. Paulssen,
written comm. 1995). Thus, their geo-
graphical growth area could not be
determined.
There are several reports of driftwood
from North Greenland. From the Jørgen
Brønlund Fjord area, Bennike (1987)
compiled radiocarbon dates from dif-
ferent sources, including 17 samples of
wood, both driftwood and charcoal.
These dates cover a time-span from 5900
to 2500 BP (6600-2550 cal. yrs. BP),
which is in agreement with our dates
showing that the fjords were seasonally
free from fjord ice shortly after 6000 BP.
Several pieces of driftwood below the
2500 BP date at 6 m a.s.l. (Bennike 1987)
suggest that predominantly seasonally
open conditions prevailed until at least
1000-1500 BP, when sea-level dropped
below present (Fig. 9). However, there
seems to be a contrast in sea-ice survival
between the fjords facing the Arctic
Ocean, as discussed by Higgins (1990),
and the fjords facing the northern Fram
Strait, such as Independence Fjord and
the tributary Jørgen Brønlund Fjord.
Hjort (1997) suggested ice-free fjords
during the early and mid-Holocene
warming in Northeast Greenland, fol-
lowed by intermittent periods of ice-
covered and ice-free fjords during the
subsequent neoglacial climate decline
after ca. 5700 cal. yrs. BP. It is unknown
to what degree such periods of ice-free
fjords increased the regional precipita-
tion, especially in summer months, but
its importance for the acceleration of
calving from outlet glaciers is substanti-
ated by the descriptions by Higgins
(1989, 1990).
The vegetation records give some
other constraints on the Holocene cli-
matic optimum in North Greenland. In a
study of the vegetation history from
Klaresø on the south coast of Jørgen
Brønlund Fjord, Fredskild (1969, 1973)
showed that the period from 5000 to
3300 BP (5700 to 3500 cal. yrs. BP) was
characterised by richer vegetation than
today, probably caused by enhanced
precipitation due to locally open fjords.
Distinct drops in the local sedimentation
rate and pollen influx occurred at 3300
BP (3500 cal. yrs. BP) and 2100 BP (2100
cal. yrs. BP). A slightly earlier transition
to colder summers at 3900 BP (4400 cal.
yrs. BP) was concluded for lake Som-
mersø close to Station Nord (Funder &
Abrahamsen 1988). The fact that this
lake has a more oceanic setting than the
lake in the Jørgen Brønlund Fjord area
suggests that a cooling of regional sig-
nificance occurred, as is also suggested
by Funder & Abrahamsen (1988).
These intervals also coincide with the
interpretation of the ice core records
from the Hans Tausen Iskappe, which
suggests that the build-up of the ice cap
started after ca. 3500-4000 cal. yrs. BP,
probably as a response to increased pre-
cipitation during summer (Hammer et
al. 2001).
The period of ice-free conditions in
the fjords also encompasses the date
range of the paleo-eskimo cultures in
Peary Land. They have been dated to
4400-4000 BP (4900-4500 cal. yrs. BP)
(Independence I) and 2800-2400 BP
(2900-2400 cal. yrs BP) (Independence II)
(Knuth 1984, Andreasen 1996). The end
of Independence II occurs at the same
time as the driftwood stranding ceased
in the fjord region.
Conclusions
The plateau covered by the Hans Tausen
Iskappe, and adjacent areas, were fully
glaciated during the last glaciation (Late
Weichselian).
The ice cap was probably confluent
with the Greenland Ice Sheet to the
south, and with ice caps over northern
Peary Land to the north.
The last deglaciation occurred as a
42 Landvik et al: The glacial history
Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 39

downwasting of the ice sheet and ice
caps, combined with a rapid recession
by calving along the large fjords, leaving
the Hans Tausen plateau ice-free by 7200
BP (8100 calendar years BP).
There was a rapid ice recession along
the large Independence Fjord, which
was essentially completed by 9000 cal.
yrs. BP.
Dates of driftwood show that the
presently sea-ice covered fjords were
seasonally ice-free during the Mid-
Holocene (6800-2500 cal. yrs. BP). This
correlates with the presence of the paleo-
eskimo cultures in North Greenland.
Acknowledgements
The investigations were funded by The
Nordic Environmental Research Programme
1993-1997 of the Nordic Council of Minis-
ters. Fieldwork in 1994 was supported
by the North Greenland expedition of
the Geological Survey of Greenland.
Platinova A/S and BGR, Hannover, also
kindly provided additional helicopter
transport in the field. The manuscript
has benefited from critical reviews by
Ole Bennike and Arthur S. Dyke.
References
Andreasen C. 1996. Asurvey of paleo-eskimo
sites in northern Eastgreenland. In: B.
Grønnow (ed). The paleo-eskimo cultures of
Greenland. New perspectives in Greenlandic
archaeology. Copenhagen, Danish Polar
Center, pp. 177-189.
Bennike, O. 1983. Paleoecological investiga-
tions of a Holocene peat deposit from
Vølvedal, Peary Land, North Greenland.
Grønlands Geologiske Undersøgelse Rapport
115: 15-20.
Bennike, O. 1987. Quaternary geology and
biology of the Jørgen Brønlund Fjord area,
North Greenland. Meddelelser om Grøn-
land, Geoscience 18, 23 pp.
Bennike, O. and A. Weidick 1999. Observa-
tions on the Quaternary geology around
Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden, eastern North
Greenland. Geology of Greenland Survey
Bulletin 183: 57-60.
Bond, G., W. S. Broecker, S. Johnsen, J.
Mcmanus, L. Labeyrie, J. Jouzel and G.
Bonani 1993. Correlations Between Cli-
mate Records from North Atlantic Sedi-
ments and Greenland Ice. Nature 365: 143-
147.
Dansgaard, W., S. J. Johnsen, H. B. Clausen,
D. Dahl Jensen, N. S. Gundestrup, C. U.
Hammer, C. S. Hvidberg, J. P. Steffensen,
A. E. Sveinbjørnsdóttir, J. Jouzel and G.
Bond 1993. Evidence for General Insta-
bility of Past Climate from a 250- kyr Ice-
Core Record. Nature 364: 218-220.
Dawes, P. R. 1986. Glacial erratics on the
Arctic Ocean margin of North Greenland:
implications for an extensive ice-shelf. Geo-
logical Society of Denmark Bulletin 35: 59-69.
Fredskild, B. 1969. A postglacial standard
pollen diagram from Peary Land, North
Greenland. Pollen et Spores 11: 573-583.
Fredskild, B. 1973. Studies in the vegetational
history of Greenland. Palaeobotanical investi-
gations of some Holocene lake and bog deposits.
Meddelelser om Grønland 198: 1-245.
Funder, S. 1982. 14C-dating of samples col-
lected during the 1979 expedition to North
Greenland. Grønlands Geologiske Under-
søgelse Rapport 110: 9-14.
Funder, S. and N. Abrahamsen 1988. Paly-
nology in a polar desert, eastern North
Greenland. Boreas 17: 195-207.
Funder, S. and L. Hansen 1996. The Green-
land ice sheet – a model for its culmination
and decay during and after the last glacial
maximum. Geological Society of Denmark
Bulletin 42: 137-152.
Funder, S. and C. Hjort 1980. A reconnais-
sance of the Quaternary geology of eastern
north Greenland. Grønlands Geologiske Un-
dersøgelse Rapport 99: 99-105.
Funder, S., C. Hjort, J. Y. Landvik, S. I. Nam,
N. Reeh and R. Stein 1998. History of a
stable ice margin – Greenland during the
Middle and Upper Pleistocene. Quaternary
Science Reviews 17: 77-123.
Funder, S. and O. Larsen 1982. Implications
of volcanic erratics in Quaternary deposits
of North Greenland. Geological Society of
Denmark Bulletin 31: 57-61.
Hammer, C. U. , S. J. Johnsen, H. B. Clausen,
D. Dahl-Jensen, N. Gundestrup and J. P.
Steffensen 2001. The paleoclimatic record
Landvik et al: The glacial history 43
Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 39

from a 345 m long ice core from the Hans
Tausen Ice Cap. Meddelelser om Grønland,
Geoscience 39: 87-95.
Henriksen N. 1992. Geological map of Green-
land 1:500,000. Nyeboe Land sheet 7 and
Peary Land sheet 8. Descriptive text. Grøn-
lands Geologiske Undersøgelse, Copen-
hagen: 40 pp.
Higgins, A. K. 1989. North Greenland ice
islands. Polar Record 25: 207-212.
Higgins, A. K. 1990. North Greenland glacier
velocities and calf ice production. Polar-
forschung 60: 1-23.
Hjort, C. 1997. Glaciation, climate history,
changing marine levels and the evolution
of the Northeast Water Polynya. Journal of
Marine Systems 10: 23-33.
Høy, T. 1970. Surveying and mapping in
southern Peary Land, North Greenland. Med-
delelser om Grønland 182: 1-50.
Johnsen, S. J., H. B. Clausen, W. Dansgaard,
K. Fuhrer, N. Gundestrup, C. U. Hammer,
P. Iversen, J. Jouzel, B. Stauffer and J. P.
Steffensen 1992. Irregular glacial intersta-
dials recorded in a new Greenland ice core.
Nature 359: 311-313.
Kelly, M. and O. Bennike 1992. Quaternary
geology of western and central North
Greenland. Grønlands Geologiske Undersø-
gelse Rapport 153: 1-34.
Knuth E. 1984. Reports from the Musk-ox Way.
A compilation of previously published articles
with the insertion of some new illustrations
and with a slightly altered radiocarbon dating
list. Copenhagen.
Koç, N. and E. Jansen 1994. Response of the
high-latitude northern hemisphere to
orbital climate forcing – evidence from the
Nordic Seas. Geology 22: 523-526.
Koç, N., Jansen, E. and H. Haflidason 1993.
Paleoceanographic Reconstructions of Sur-
face Ocean Conditions in the Greenland,
Iceland and Norwegian Seas Through the
Last 14-KA Based on Diatoms. Quaternary
Science Reviews 12: 115-140.
Landvik, J. Y. 1994. The last glaciation of Ger-
mania Land and adjacent areas, northeast
Greenland. Journal of Quaternary Science 9:
81-92.
Mangerud, J., T. M. Dokken, D. Hebbeln, B.
Heggen, Ó. Ingólfsson, J. Y. Landvik, V.
Mejdahl, J. I. Svendsen and T. O. Vorren
1998. Fluctuations of the Svalbard-Barents
Sea Ice Sheet the last 150,000 years. Quater-
nary Science Reviews 17: 11-42.
Mercer, J. 1961. The estimation of the reg-
imen and former firn limit of a glacier.
Journal of Glaciology 3: 1053-1062.
Rasmussen K. L. and U. Rahbek 1996. The 14C
reservoir effect in Greenland. In: B.
Grønnow (ed). The paleo-eskimo cultures of
Greenland. New perspectives in Greenlandic
archaeology. 237-242. Danish Polar Center,
Copenhagen.
Reeh N. 1995. Hans Tavsen Ice Cap Project –
Glacier and Climate Change Research, North
Greenland. Report. Geological Survey of
Denmark and Greenland, Copenhagen. 1-
52.
Reeh, N., O. Olesen, H. H. Thomsen, W.
Starzer and C. E. Bøggild 2001. Mass bal-
ance paramerization for Hans Tausen
Iskappe, Peary Land, eastern North Green-
land. Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience
39: 57-69.
Stuiver, M. & Reimer, P. 1993. Extended 14C
data base and revised Calib 3.0 14C age cal-
ibration program. Radiocarbon 35: 215-230.
Stuiver, M., P. J. Reimer, E. Bard, J. W. Beck,
G. S. Burr, K. A. Hughen, B. Kromer, G.
McCormac, J. van der Plicht and M. Spurk
1998a. INTCAL98 radiocarbon age calibra-
tion, 24,000-0 cal BP. Radiocarbon 40: 1041-
1083.
Stuiver, M., P. J. Reimer and T. F. Braziunas
1998b. High-precision radiocarbon age cal-
ibration for terrestrial and marine samples.
Radiocarbon 40: 1127-1151.
Weidick, A. 1976. Glaciations of Northern
Greenland – New evidence. Polarforschung
46: 26-33.
Weidick, A. 1977. C14 dating of Survey mate-
rial carried out in 1976. Grønlands Geolo-
giske Undersøgelse Rapport 127-129.
Weidick, A. . Neoglacial glaciations around
Hans Tausen Iskappe, Peary Land, North
Greenland. Meddelelser om Grønland, Geo-
science 39: 5-26.
Weidick, A. et al. 1996. Neoglacial glacier
changes around Storstrømmen, North-
East Greenland. Polarforschung 64: 95-108.
Weidick, A. and P. R. Dawes 1999. W.E.
Davies, hans arbejde i Nordgrønland og
hans systematiske kortlægning af de
istidsgeologiske aflejringer. Tidsskriftet
Grønland 7-8 1999: 270-282.
44 Landvik et al: The glacial history
Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 39