The evidence for paraglacial sedimentation and its temporal scale in the deglacierizing basin of Small River Glacier, Canada

Spatially sampled suspended sediment data from extra-channel surfaces of different ages during rainfall events were used to infer the timescale of landscape adjustment to Little Ice Age (LIA) deglacierization at Small River Glacier, Canada. Surface ages were determined by aerial photograph interpretation. Turbidimeters were installed in three ephemeral channels on “young,” “mature” and “old” surfaces; and their response to rainfall events of different magnitudes recorded. Results showed “young” ice proximal surfaces exposed since 1977 were increasingly vulnerable to mobilization during rainfall events. A suspended sediment response from “old” surfaces exposed since 1910 was recorded for only three events with ∼5- and 30-year return periods. The intensity and duration of rainfall events therefore had to increase in magnitude to mobilize sediment on surfaces of increasing maturity. Hysteresis in the channel suspended sediment response further confirmed the dependence of surface response on rainfall event magnitude. The rapid temporal decline in surface response indicated that surface armoring or sediment exhaustion is stabilizing surfaces within decades of exposure from the LIA maximum (ca. 1910) at Small River Glacier. However, further perturbation, for example by glacial advance or extreme climatic events, would likely modify the pattern of suspended sediment yields by changing terrain surface mobilization thresholds and reconfiguring channel sediment stores. We therefore suggest that it is difficult to determine when “paraglacial sedimentation” ceases to influence suspended sediment yields, and therefore significantly limiting the usefulness of the term to describe the period of suspended sediment yield adjustment following deglacierization.