Yukon Glacial Limits Across Pleistocene Epochs

Glacial limits data for the Yukon Territory details the extent of Cordilleran, montane, and Laurentide ice sheets throughout the Pleistocene. The dataset maps successive glaciations from the earliest 2.6-2.9 million years ago to the last Laurentide advance around 30,000 years ago. It is provided by the Government of Yukon via the GeoYukon platform.

Use Cases

• Map the spatial extent of the Laurentide Ice Sheet's advance into northeast Yukon around 30,000 years ago.
• Analyze the decreasing scale of successive glaciations from the Mid Pleistocene to the Late Pleistocene.
• Compare the coverage of Cordilleran ice sheets against montane glaciers and restricted ice caps in the Ogilvie Mountains.
• Study the chronology of glacial events from the earliest 2.6-2.9 million-year-old glaciation to the most recent.

Strengths

• Data covers multiple distinct glacial periods spanning from 2.6-2.9 million years ago to approximately 30,000 years ago.
• Sourced from the authoritative Government of Yukon via its official GeoYukon mapping service.
• Includes detailed descriptions of glacial extents for Cordilleran, montane, and continental ice sheets.

Limitations

• Specific data structure (rows, columns, sample data) is unavailable, hindering immediate technical analysis.
• Primary file formats are HTML and ESRI REST, which may require GIS software for full utilization.

Provenance

Source

Government of Yukon, distributed via GeoYukon.

Collection Method

Digital map data compilation from geological research.

Time Range

Pleistocene epoch, with events from 2.6-2.9 million years ago to ~30,000 years ago.

Freshness

Last updated March 2026.

Geography

Yukon Territory, Canada.