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2026-08-26

Llewellyn Glacier contributes glacial meltwater to runoff entering the Yukon River, which flows through the hydroelectric power dam in Whitehorse, Yukon. An examination of lateral moraine stratigraphy, and radiocarbon and dendrochronological dating of in situ and detrital subfossil wood provide a record of fluctuations of Llewellyn Glacier over the past two millennia. Our data indicate the north lobe advanced sometime between AD 260 and AD 505, and reached within 70 m of its Little Ice Age maximum limit as early as the 17th century. The main lobe advanced as early as AD 1035, possibly between the First Millennium and Little Ice Age advances of the last two millennia, when glaciers have traditionally been considered more restricted. Results provide new information on the timing and frequency of fluctuations of Llewellyn Glacier, and can be used to assist with modelling the future impacts of climate change on glacial meltwater contributions to rivers and hydroelectric security in Yukon.

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