CROSS-CORRELATION OF GLACIAL LAKE VERMONT VARVE SECTIONS IN NEW YORK AND VERMONT

Varves from glacial Lake Albany in the Hudson Valley and glacial Lake Hitchcock in the Connecticut Valley have shown good internal and regional correlation. Glacial Lake Vermont varve sections in the Champlain Valley, however have yet to be regionally correlated and lack strong internal cross-correlation. Local alluvial influences on sedimentation within the Champlain Valley are believed to prohibit good internal correlation of existing sections by drowning out the regional signal. By Fourier detrending 86 varves in a new core from Long Pond in Willsboro, NY we are now able to cross-correlate with varve sections from Essex Junction, VT measured and published by Ernest Antevs (1928). The varves from Long Pond provide a key advantage since they were deposited in a small local basin with no major alluvial influence. Creating a mean chronology of the Long Pond varves with the Essex varves helps reduce the influence of the Winooski river on the Essex varve thicknesses and has allowed us to also cross-correlate with a varve section along the Ausable River in Keeseville, NY measured by Jack Ridge (unpublished) but never before successfully cross-correlated. While these varve sections are still too recent to correlate to the North American Varve Chronology, it is hoped that we are finally on track to develop a longer Champlain Valley chronology that eventually will.