Extensive frost weathering across unglaciated North America during the Last Glacial Maximum

Abstract

In unglaciated terrain, the imprint of past glacial periods is difficult to discern. The topographic signature of periglacial processes, such as solifluction lobes, may be erased or hidden by time and vegetation, and thus their import diminished. Belowground, periglacial weathering, particularly frost cracking, may have imparted a profound influence on weathering and erosion rates during past climate regimes. By combining a mechanical frost-weathering model with the full suite of Last Glacial Maximum climate simulations, we elucidate the meters-deep magnitude and continent-spanning expanse of frost weathering across unglaciated North America at ∼21 ka. The surprising extent of modeled frost weathering suggests, by proxy, the broad legacy of diverse periglacial processes. Complementing previous studies that championed the role of precipitation-driven changes in Critical Zone evolution, our results imply an additional strong temperature control on surficial process efficacy across much of modern North America, both during glacial periods and modern climes.