Abstract
Detailed mapping of over 10 km of cliff exposure on Whidbey Island, Washington has resulted in the recognition of five major lithofacies within “Everson” age glacial-marine deposits (late-Pleistocene). These lithofacies were deposited in an isostatically depressed basin, comprise up to 25 m of exposed section, and occur in a predictable vertical succession. Proximity to both the ice margin and sources of meltwater input played a key role in facies distribution. Stratified and convoluted beds of muddy gravel and diamicton exhibit sedimentary characteristics indicative of sediment gravity flow processes and, in places, are interbedded with marine sediments. These lithologies comprise an Ice Marginal Sediment Flow Facies.
In most exposures, stratified diamictons are directly overlain by pebbly silts, muds, and massive, fossiliferous diamictons. Locally, small (300 m wide) delta-like sequences of stratified silty sand and interbedded pebbly mud comprise a Proximal Meltwater Fan Facies. Distal equivalents of this facies consist of interlaminated silt and clay. Turbidite Channel Facies consist of normally graded, laminated sands which fine upwards into laminated sand-silt and silt-clay. Pebbly silt and mud comprise a Dispersed Meltwater and Ice-Rafted Facies and most often grade texturally into overlying, massive, fossiliferous diamicton. The fossiliferous diamicton is assigned to an Ice-Rafted and Mass Flow Facies which is interpreted as the most ice-distal facies.
All exposures are capped by sandy gravel lags which are overlain by beach and eolian sediments. These deposits represent emergence of the basin above sea level and are assigned to an Emergence Facies, which is not stratigraphically part of the glacial-marine sequence. Erosional surfaces at the base of the sequence (of glacial and/or meltwater origin) and above (of regressive shoreline origin) serve to define an isostatic glacial-marine sequence which was deposited within the limits of both grounded ice and post-glacial sea level.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Anderson, F.E., 1968, Seaward terminus of the Vashon continental glacier in the Strait of Juan de Fuca: Marine Geology, v. 6, p. 419–438.
Anderson, J.B., Kurtz, D.D., Domack, E.W., and Balshaw, K.M., 1980, Glacial and glacial marine sediments of the Antarctic continental shelf: Journal of Geology, v. 88, p. 399–414.
Armstrong, J.E., and Brown, W.L., 1954, Late Wisconsin marine drift and ssociated sediments of the lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 65, p. 349–364.
Armstrong, J.E., 1981, Post-Vashon Wisconsin Glaciation, Fraser Lowland, British Columbia: Geological Survey of Canada Bulletin 322, 33 p.
Armstrong, J.E., Crandell, D.R., Easterbrook, D.J., and Noble, J.B., 1965, Late Pleistocene stratigraphy and chronology in southwestern British Columbia and northwestern Washington: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 76, p. 321–330.
Balzarini, M.A., 1981, Paleoecology of Everson-age glacialmarine drifts in Northwestern Washington and Southwestern British Columbia: Seattle, University of Washington, M.S. Thesis, 110 p.
Bretz, J.H., 1913, Glaciation of the Puget Sound Region: Washington Geological Survey Bulletin, v. 8, p. 1–244.
Cole, M.L., 1979, Nearshore glacial-marine sedimentation, based on late Pleistocene deposits of the Puget Lowlands, Washington and British Columbia: Houston, Rice University, M.A. Thesis, 178 p.
Croll, T.C., 1980, Stratigraphy and depositional history of the Deming Sand in northwestern Washington: Seattle, University of Washington, M.S. Thesis, 57 p.
Dalland, A., 1976, Erratic clasts in the Lower Tertiary deposits of Svalbard: evidence of transport by winter ice: Norsk Polarinstitutt Arbok, p. 151–165.
Domack, E.W., 1982a, Sedimentology of glacial and glacial marine deposits on the George V-Adelie continental shelf, East Antarctica: Boreas, v. 11, p. 79–97.
Domack, E.W., 1982b, Facies of late Pleistocene glacial-marine sediments on Whidbey Island, Washington: Houston, Rice University, Ph.D. dissertation, 312 p.
Domack, E.W., Rhythmically bedded glacial-marine sediments on Whidbey Island, Washington: in review.
Domack, E.W., Anderson, J.B., and Kurtz, D.D., 1980, Clast shape as an indicator of transport and depositional mechanisms in glacial marine sediments: George V Continental Shelf, Antarctica: Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, v. 50, no. 3, p. 813–820.
Domack, E.W., 1982, Distinction of glacial and glacial-marine diamicton: International Congress on Sedimentology, Hamilton, Ontario, Abstracts of Papers, p. 74.
Easterbrook, D.J., 1962, Pleistocene geology of the northern part of the Puget Lowland, Washington: Seattle, University of Washington, Ph.D. Dissertation, 106 p.
Easterbrook, D.J., 1963, Late Pleistocene glacial events and relative sea level changes in the northern Puget Lowland: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 7, p. 1465–1484.
Easterbrook, D.J., 1968, Pleistocene Stratigraphy of Island County, Washington: Washington State Division of Water Resources Bulletin 25, p. 1–34.
Easterbrook, D.J., 1969, Pleistocene chronology of the Puget Lowland and San Juan Islands, Washington: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 80, p. 2273–2286.
Easterbrook, D.J., Biggs, N.D., and Westgate, J.A., and Gorton, M.P., 1981, Age of the Salmon Springs Glaciation in Washington, Geology, v. 9, p. 87–93.
Easterbrook, D.J., Crandell, D.R., and Leopold, E.B., 1967, Pre-Olympia Pleistocene stratigraphy and chronology in the central Puget Lowland, Washington: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 78, p. 13–20.
Easterbrook, D.J., and Rutter, N.W., 1981, Amino acid ages of Pleistocene glacial and interglacial sediments in Western Washington: Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Cincinatti, Abstracts, v. 13, no. 7, p. 444–445.
Evenson, E.B., Dreimainis, A., and Newsome, J.W., 1977, Subaquatic flow tills: a new interpretation for the genesis of some laminated till deposits: Boreas, v. 6, p. 115–133.
Eyles, Nicholas, Eyles, C.H., and Miall, A.D., (in press), Lithofacies types and vertical profile models: an alternative approach to the description and interpretation of glacial diamict and diamictite sequences: Sedimentology.
Flint, R.F., Sanders, J.E., and Rodgers, J., 1960a, Symmictite: a name for nonsorted terrigenous sedimentary rocks that contain a wide range of particle sizes: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 71, p. 507–510.
Flint, R.F., 1960b, Diamictite: a substitute term for symmictite: Geological Society of America Bulletin: v. 71, p. 1809–1810.
Gibbard, P.L., 1980, The origin of stratified Catfish Creek Till by basal melting: Boreas, v. 9, p. 71–85.
Hicock, S.R., Dreimanis, Aleksis, and Broster, B.E., 1981, Submarine flow tills at Victoria, British Columbia: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 18, p. 71–80.
Hoskin, C.M., and Burrell, D.C., 1972, Sediment transport and accumulation in a fjord basin, Glacier Bay, Alaska: Journal of Geology, v. 80, p. 539–551.
Johnston, W.A., 1923, Geology of Fraser River delta map-area: Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 135, 87 p.
Lawson, D.C., 1979, Sedimentologic analysis of the western terminus region of the Matanuska Glacier, Alaska, CREEL report no. 79–9, Hanover, New Hampshire, 112 p.
Nelson, C.H., and Kulm, L.D., 1973, Submarine fans and channels, in Turbidites and Deep Water Sedimentation:Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Short Course, Pacific Section, Anaheim.
Pessl, F., Jr., Dethier, D.P., Keuler, R.F., Minard, J.P., and Balzarini, M.A., 1981, Sedimentary facies and depositional environments of late Wisconsin glacialmarine deposits in the central Puget Lowland, Washington: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Abstracts Annual Meeting, San Francisco.
Powell, R.D., 1980, Holocene glacimarine deposition by tidewater glaciers in Glacier Bay, Alaska: Columbus, Ohio State University, Ph.D. thesis.
Reagan, A.B., 1907, Some geological studies on northwestern Washington and adjacent British territory: Kansas Academy of Science Transactions, v. 255, p. 95–121.
Shaw, J.D., 1972, Late Pleistocene paleontology of Orcas, Shaw, Lopez and San Juan Islands of the San Juan Archipelago: Seattle, University of Washington, M.S. thesis, 60 p.
Thorson, R.M., 1980, Ice-sheet glaciation of the Puget Lowland, Washington, during the Vashon Stade (Late Pleistocene): Quaternary Research, v. 13, p. 303–321.
Thorson, R.M., 1981, Isostatic effects of the last glaciation in the Puget Lowland, Washington: U.S. Geological Survey, Open File Report 81–370, 100 p.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1983 Plenum Press, New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Domack, E.W. (1983). Facies of Late Pleistocene Glacial-Marine Sediments on Whidbey Island, Washington: An Isostatic Glacial-Marine Sequence. In: Molnia, B.F. (eds) Glacial-Marine Sedimentation. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3793-5_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3793-5_13
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-3795-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-3793-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive