Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Geology and Geography
We identify late Paleozoic ice age (LPIA) subglacial megalineations from field and geospatial imagery of the Twyfelfontein area of northern Namibia, and present the results of a geomorphometric analysis of those data. Asymmetric 0.1–1.5 km-long megawhalebacks indicate a paleo-ice flow to the northwest. We infer that an ice stream draining the LPIA Kaokoveld ice sheet existed within the proto-Huab River valley and that was comparable to ice streams in modern Antarctica. Recognition of a paleo-ice stream in northern Namibia supports interpretations of glaciogenic sedimentary successions (Itararé Group) in southern Brazil that suggest the presence of major, terrestrial glacial outlet systems in southern Africa during the LPIA.
Digital Commons Citation
Andrews, Graham DM; McGrady, Andrew T.; and Maynard, Shannon M., "First description of subglacial megalineations from the late Paleozoic ice age in southern Africa." (2019). Faculty & Staff Scholarship. 3005.
Andrews GD, McGrady AT, Brown SR, Maynard SM (2019) First description of subglacial megalineations from the late Paleozoic ice age in southern Africa. PLoS ONE 14(1): e0210673. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210673