Pre-`Little Ice Age' glacier fluctuations in Garibaldi Provincial Park, Coast Mountains, British Columbia, Canada

Abstract

Holocene glacier fluctuations prior to the `Little Ice Age' in Garibaldi Provincial Park in the British Columbia Coast Mountains were reconstructed from geomorphic mapping and radiocarbon ages on 37 samples of growth-position and detrital wood from glacier forefields. Glaciers in Garibaldi Park were smaller than at present in the early Holocene, although some evidence exists for minor, short-lived advances at this time. The first well-documented advance dates to 7700—7300 14C yr BP. Subsequent advances date to 6400—5100, 4300, 4100—2900 and 1600—1100 14C yr BP. Some glaciers approached their maximum Holocene limits several times during the past 10 000 years. Periods of advance in Garibaldi Park are broadly synchronous with advances elsewhere in the Canadian Cordillera, suggesting a common climatic cause. The Garibaldi Park glacier record is also broadly synchronous with the record of Holocene sunspot numbers, supporting previous research that suggests solar activity may be an important climate forcing mechanism.