Glacial Landform Map of Northern Vancouver Island

13,386 newly identified geomorphic features, combined with 136 previously mapped features, detail the glacial landscape of northern Vancouver Island and surrounding marine areas. The dataset was created using high-resolution lidar DEMs, 3-meter satellite imagery, and ground truthing to map the retreat of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet. It provides a detailed record of complex multiphase ice retreat along coastal British Columbia.

Use Cases

• Reconstructing ice sheet retreat phases based on mapped glacial landforms.
• Analyzing postglacial landscape evolution using high-resolution topographic data.
• Modeling paleo-ice flow and sediment transport from geomorphic feature distributions.
• Ground-truthing regional glacial models with field-verified feature data.
• Studying the relationship between terrestrial and submarine glacial geomorphology.

Strengths

• Contains a large, specific count of 13,386 newly mapped geomorphic features.
• Integrates multiple high-resolution data sources, including lidar DEMs and satellite imagery.
• Includes ground truthing for validation, suggesting field verification of features.
• Released under a permissive CC-BY-4.0 license, facilitating reuse.

Limitations

• The exact number of rows or records in the underlying data files is not specified.
• Column names and the complete data structure are not described in the provided metadata.
• The dataset's creation date is not explicitly stated, only a future 'last updated' date of 2026-03-19.

Provenance

Source

Lindsay Worden

Collection Method

Mapping from high-resolution lidar-derived DEMs, a 10–100 m topo-bathymetry DEM, 3 m satellite imagery, and targeted ground truthing.

Time Range

Covers the period of the Last Glacial Maximum and subsequent deglaciation.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-19 06:20:06 (figshare).

Geography

Terrestrial and marine regions of northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.