Glacial geomorphology of the central sector of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, Northern British Columbia, Canada

Northern British Columbia was repeatedly covered by the Cordilleran Ice Sheet (CIS) during the glacial periods. However, its mountainous terrain and remote location have thus far impeded our understanding of the central sector of the ice sheet. The improved resolution of remotely sensed data provides new opportunities to unravel the glacial history of this inaccessible location. Here, we present a comprehensive map of glacial landforms for the central sector of the CIS (55° to 60° N). Seven landform categories were mapped: ice flow parallel lineations, moraines (CIS outlet glacier moraines, Late Glacial moraines and moraines of unknown origin), meltwater channels (lateral and submarginal, subglacial, proglacial, and meltwater channels of unknown origin), kame terraces, eskers (single ridges and esker complexes), perched deltas and subglacial ribs. Collectively, these landforms provide a record of the extent, thickness and behaviour of the CIS, the direction of its movement and pattern of ice retreat.加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省北部在冰期多次被科迪勒拉冰盖（Cordilleran Ice Sheet, CIS）覆盖。然而，该区域多山的地形与偏远的区位，迄今仍阻碍了学界对该冰盖中部区段的认知。遥感数据分辨率的提升，为阐明这片难以抵达区域的冰川历史提供了全新契机。本研究针对CIS中部区段（北纬55°至60°）构建了一套完整的冰川地貌分布图集。本次共识别并测绘了七类地貌：冰流平行流线、冰碛物（涵盖CIS出口冰川冰碛、晚冰期冰碛及成因不明冰碛）、冰融水河道（包括侧缘与冰缘下冰融水道、冰下冰融水道、冰前冰融水道及成因不明冰融水河道）、冰砾阜阶地、蛇形丘（含单脊蛇形丘与蛇形丘复合体）、悬置三角洲以及冰下脊。综合来看，这些地貌记录了CIS的分布范围、厚度、运动特性、流动方向以及冰退模式。