Late Quaternary History of the Hermitage Bay Area, Newfoundland

Abstract

<p>Geomorphologic, sedimentologic and stratigraphic investigations have served to provide an interpretation of the late Quaternary history and environments in the Hermitage Bay area, Newfoundland. The area has been affected by at least two major glacial events, the most recent being much less extensive than the earlier one. The earlier event completely inundated the field area, contributing to the molding of large bedrock hills into southwards oriented stoss and lee forms, and eroding broad U-shaped valleys. It is represented by tills at Pass Island Tickle, Seal Cove, and near Salmonier Cove Pond, and a lower till in a two till section at Trout Hole Falls Community Park. Foraminifera recovered from an "old" till in a coastal section at Seal Cove have been assigned a tentative age of - 70,000 years.</p> <p>The most recent glacial event, considered Late Wisconsin in age, was not all encompassing. Differences in till cover, weathering zonations and ice marginal features indicate that a small ice cap centred north and east of the head of Hermitage Bay was separated by the Garrison Hills from a main island icecap to the north. The southern limit of the large island icecap can be traced eastwards to north of the Burin Peninsula where it had been recognized by Tucker (1979). This limit is proposed to represent the maximum extent of the Late Wisconsin glaciation rather than the recessional position of a more extensive advance as suggested by Jenness (1960). Isopleths of Late Wisconsin postglacial emergence show that maximum uplift (30-32 m) occurred in the Hermitage-Sandyville area.</p> <p>During deglaciation a tongue of ice feeding down the Little River valley created a large ice-dammed lake in northern Bay d'Espoir which was subsequently infilled by glaciofluvial/lacustrine sediment. Deposits at Conne River suggest that the style of sedimentation was a series of low slope, prograding deltas advancing over glaciolacustrine bottom sediments.</p>