A long time ago, from 1966 to 1980, I was on the faculty at the University of Vermont, initially involved with teaching and research on Pleistocene glacial geology, specifically in Vermont. Unfortunately, that research, which involved mapping from the Quebec border to Middlebury in the Champlain Valley and from Lake Champlain on the west into the Green Mountains on the east, generated substantial information but failed to definitively establish the deglacial history of this region. Whereas substantial research by others subsequently has been done since then, this has focused primarily on detailed mapping with inferred ice margin positions based on proglacial lake history but has not specifically identified and mapped ice margin positions per se. Thus, the deglacial history of Vermont has not been established, representing a gap in the record. In time, my interests turned to applied environmental geology and hydrogeology, whereby I eventually left academia. But unrequited curiosity can be a plaguing thing and a huge motivator. So now, late in life, I am once again revisiting this history.
Thanks to LiDAR and other new technologies, much more information is now available. I think of this as like solving pieces of a gigantic, three-dimensional spatial puzzle, in which time, representing the deglacial history element, is also a puzzling part. This is complex, especially given that many of the puzzle pieces are missing, and some require study as to how they were formed by the ice sheet or meltwater. The study of deglacial history is a process of fact finding and interpretation, the basic scientific process of hypothesis formulation and testing. When this works, which is not always the case, this can be great fun. And in fact my return to my academic roots has been quite enjoyable.
In this report, I refer to “paradigms,” which are powerful ways of processing information, at the very heart of human thinking. But at times they limit our ability to see and understand what is before our eyes. It turns out that satisfying my curiosity required imagination to explore new paradigms, hence the quotes on the frontispiece of this report. These quotes are not intended to signify that others before or after me in the 1970s lacked imagination. Rather, they serve to remind me that my personal lack of imagination was a failing. Back then, in the old days, I could have done a better job, if only… . But, of course, it’s always easy to look back.
It turns out that the puzzle-picture coming from this study is new and different. Many puzzle pieces have fallen into place, painting a very different deglacial history than previously understood. This required serious effort on my part, and some fresh thinking. As discussed in this report, this study examined deglacial history by the exploration of three elements, which have been inspired by Quebec research, specifically:
- A “Bath Tub Model,” in which elevation serves as a guide to correlate ice margins across the State;
- “Styles,” a term referring to the environmental conditions along these ice margins;
- “Glacial Dynamics,” the interaction between the ice sheet and its environmental setting, especially physiography and ponded water.
Together these three elements have helped me paint a new picture of deglacial history for the entire State of Vermont, with suggested correlations in neighboring regions.
The deglacial history story, as reported here, is one of relative differences in age, as opposed to absolute differences giving actual numbers for age dates. However, the earliest T3 and T4 Lobate Phase ice margin is here correlated with the White Mountain Moraine System (WMMS) in New Hampshire, which has been dated as approximately 13,800 – 14,000 years BP by Thompson et al, and the latest T8 margin with the Champlain Sea, but after it initially opened, which has been dated by Cronin et al as about 13,000 years BP. These dates, therefore, indicate that a) almost the entire deglacial history for the entire State of Vermont reported here is very young, taking place from about 13,800 -14,000 years BP to slightly later than 13,000 years BP, and b) therefore recession took place very rapidly in about 1000 years, more or less.
For me, this finding is surprising. I had assumed that the deglacial history of Vermont represented a more substantial portion of Pleistocene history. Further, the details about this recession found here are quite complex. A lot happened during the short time of this record! These findings for me are remarkable, and I believe represent a new and different understanding. Fortunately, by the time when the earliest ice margins in Vermont formed, the ice sheet had substantially thinned, making it possible to correlate ice margin features, as just noted, by usage of elevation as a guide. Now, finally, for me personally, the many puzzle pieces seem to have come together remarkably well, telling an intriguing story. As just stated, I looked at this just for the fun of it, the development of new hypotheses and the joy when sometimes these are confirmed. At this point I have satisfied my curiosity, with a better understanding of this history.
From my perspective, this report and the story it tells represent a beginning, not the final word on the matter, with many more details remaining to be fleshed out. While I believe that the deglacial history being presented here is reasonable and plausible, and makes geological sense, with many pieces fitting together, I see this as a hypothesis, deserving, if not requiring, further study. The job is not yet finished, but the general sense of Vermont deglacial history in a regional context is emerging. Again my fundamental interest in this endeavor was to satisfy my curiosity, personally for myself. My curiosity is now satisfied, and I am happy to leave it to others to continue with the exploration and refining (or revising) of this history. Hopefully my findings may provide insights for future research, because in my opinion more work certainly needs to be done. I see this report as a provocative guide, suggesting directions for future research.
As already noted, the deglacial history of Vermont has turned out to be quite complex, and this complexity has made this a more difficult report both to think through and to write. I have struggled first to understand three dimensional and time transgressive issues, the puzzle story as just alluded to, and then how to express or convey these as accurately, clearly, and correctly as possible, and, believe it or not, given the length of my story-telling, which at times for me seems to drone on and on, I have tried to make it as simply, succinctly and concisely as possible. Owing to the complexity of the deglacial history, again involving three dimensional and time-transgressive ice margin recession and as well relationships with multiple proglacial water bodies, the thinking through, writing, and then editing of this report has been challenging. Even now, after many read-throughs, I am realizing that this report is imperfect. Editing, it seems, particularly taking a new look with a “fresh face,” is never ending, which is my way of acknowledging that this report remains imperfect. I fundamentally like to write, which for me is a way of thinking. And this history has taken a lot of both thought and writing.
This report has the makings for some sort of publication, whether a book, memoir, or whatever. In my opinion, its thoughts, findings, ideas, etc. are intriguing and have merit. However, traditional academic publishing is not my interest or goal. I have decided to present my findings as a web site, given here as vermontdeglacialhistory.org. My purpose here with this report is to present my findings and to encourage open thinking and continued research whereby the ideas can be tested, refined, revised, or perhaps discarded. At this point in my life I don’t need another publication. I am more interested in having my findings be available to suggest possible directions for future research. And again, more research clearly is needed. I am content to leave it to others to carry on with the hard job of fleshing out and perhaps revising the story.
This report has not been peer reviewed. I understand the significance and importance of peer review, providing a mechanism by which the scientific validity of reported findings can be attested. But, because a) my findings substantially depart from the current mainstream thinking, and b) I have been away from research on this subject for a long time, peer review would take more time and effort than I have available or am willing to devote at this point in life. Fortunately, web site publication provides a way to make my findings broadly available, even if not part of the formal or “official” record. Thus, my goal is to simply present my findings here, to provoke further, new thought. I am OK with letting time and history be the judge of the merits of my findings.
My preference at an early time in this work was to somehow find a way for this to be a collaborative venture with others who have been toiling over these issues, in some cases since the time I left academia in 1980. With this in mind, I shared early drafts with several present-day researchers. Initially, I intentionally avoided inclusion of many of their previously published works, so as to be respectful and not tread on their toes. Unfortunately, this backfired, perhaps giving the impression that I was not aware, mindful, or respectful of their work. I very much regret this outcome, as I believe the end result would have been much better with collaborative thinking and input. This report has grown so large, that it has become difficult for me to see it with fresh eyes, which could have come from others.
I want to emphasize that I do not see this exploration of Vermont deglacial history as merely an academic matter, but rather as bearing on present-day concerns about global warming, which for me makes this enterprise more serious. The issue of global warming is discussed briefly in this report. I have added comments about what I believe the story about the recession of the Pleistocene Laurentide ice sheet in Vermont, as given here, may tell us about critical issues for global warming and its impact on modern ice sheets. Whereas I don’t claim to be an expert on global warming, that doesn’t stop me from thinking about my grandkids’ well-being. In my opinion, the Vermont deglacial history presented here has as much to say about modern day global warming, ice sheet instability, and sea level rise, as it does about past history itself.
This report also touches on early human, so-called “PaleoIndian,” migration and presence in Vermont, in as much as, for reasons briefly explained early archaeological sites tend to shadow ice margins of the receding ice sheet.
I am aware that this report could be substantially improved by both further research and more careful editing. I have made it the best I can, but this is a big job. “This ain’t purfect,” as my grandmother used to say about the large, complex quilts she used to patch together. For me, this study is like a large, very complex quilt. I am now an old dude who likes to bike ride and hike, paint, read, travel, and generally explore a myriad of interests. This report ain’t purfect and keeps getting in my way of doing other things. My apologies to the reader for mechanical errors, typos, mis-spellings, redundancies, etc. This document is so large that it is difficult for me to keep track of what I said in various sections, which is again an argument for a collaborative effort. Too many redundancies make for less enjoyable reading reading reading reading reading.! As already stated, my primary goal now is to encourage further research by others, to share my ideas. My goal is to make the information I learned available as best I can, as soon as possible, in a limited amount of time, in reasonably good form, so that I can get back to hiking, biking, painting, and other life pleasures with family and friends.
Whereas it is not my goal for this report to be the launch of a new career in an ongoing study, as I have other pressing interests as just stated, I would welcome any feedback, questions, or dialogue. I have the capability of making changes to this report or adding comments from others. My email address for such communication is: vermonticeman@gmail.com.
Finally, an expression of gratitude. To my son –a health economist at Stanford University and the Veterans Administration, who has been remarkably helpful and supportive with all sorts of suggestions about how to make this a better report. To my daughter – the CEO of one of the major philanthropic organizations in the country – whose managerial capability and spirit of giving stands as a role model for me. And most especially to my wife – my companion and supporter, even when I sometimes have become consumed by my “Projects,” such as this one. To all of you, Thanks!