Constraining Ice Advance and Linkages to Paleoclimate of Two Glacial Systems in the Olympic Mountains, Washington and the Southern Alps, New Zealand

This thesis investigates glacial sediments in the South Fork Hoh River Valley, Washington and the Lake Hawea Valley, New Zealand that were deposited during the last glacial period. Research objectives were to reconstruct the style and timing of glacier advance and retreat in both areas and to assess the viability of luminescence dating of sediments in glacial environments. Glaciers are influenced primarily by temperature and precipitation. Valley glaciers, like those in the Olympics Mountains and Southern Alps, are thought to respond relatively rapidly to climate fluctuations in comparison to continental ice sheets. Understanding how these glacial systems responded to past climate fluctuations therefore holds importance for understanding how modern glaciers, which are important for water resources and stream-flow habitat, may respond to future climate change. Fieldwork for this project was conducted over the course of approximately ten weeks, during which sites in the Olympic Mountains and Southern Alps were visited, described, and sampled. Chronologic constrain on sediment deposition was obtained through radiocarbon and luminescence dating. Radiocarbon samples were sent to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for analysis, whereas luminescence samples were processed and analyzed at the Utah State University Luminescence Laboratory. Funding for this project was obtained from National Science Foundation grants (NSF-EAR 1024657 and 1024850) and awards from the Utah State University Department of Geology