35-7 Bridging the Gap: Glacial Geomorphic Mapping in the Adirondack Upland, New York

Session: Ice sheets, glaciers, and landscapes, oh my! (Posters)

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Abstract:

The deglacial chronology of the Adirondack Upland in northern New York provides a critical link between well-documented deglacial events in central New York, the Hudson–Mohawk–Champlain lowlands, and New England. Despite this strategic location, recent studies largely focus on glacial deposits and landforms in the surrounding lowlands. Comparatively few investigations address glacial features within the Adirondack interior, where dense forest cover, steep terrain, and limited accessibility have hindered research. Consequently, the deglacial history of much of the region remains poorly constrained. Here we employ high-resolution (1m) LiDAR-derived digital terrain models to identify and map glacial landforms across the Adirondack interior. The spatial relationships with other landforms and the material—inferred from the imagery, derived from geological reports or field observations—are noted and used to interpret the formative process for each landform. This approach permits reconstruction of ice-flow directions, correlated ice margins, proglacial lakes, and meltwater pathways. Integration of morphostratigraphic relationships with locations having cosmogenic exposure and radiocarbon ages will enable development of a deglacial chronology for the entire Adirondack Upland, which is important for understanding ice sheet behavior through key climate intervals such as the HS1-Bølling transition.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 2, 2026

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