Abstract
The presence of Pleistocene and present-day glacial features in the humid tropics has fascinated researchers for a long time. Pleistocene glacial phenomena are the most obvious manifestations of climatic change and much of our knowledge on Pleistocene climatic variations in the tropics is based on research into the glacial geomorphology of the high mountains. Other disciplines like palynology have also taken advantage of the high mountains because preservation of plant and pollen material is usually much better in this cold environment than in the tropical lowlands, and these studies have substantially added to the reconstruction of the Pleistocene history of these areas. Access has also been an important factor. Although initially access to the mountains may be difficult, once one has left behind the forested slopes, movement and field observations are much facilitated by lack of forest cover.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allison, I. and J. A. Peterson. 1976. Ice areas on Mt Jaya: their extent and recent history. In: Hope et al. 1976. The equatorial glaciers of New Guinea. A. A. Balkema, Rotterdam.
Blake, D. H. and E. Löffler. 1971. Volcanic and glacial land forms on Mount Giluwe, Territory of Papua and New Guinea. Bull. Geol. Soc. Am., 82: 1605–1614.
Bowler, J. M., G. S. Hope, J. N. Jennings, G. Singh and D. Walker. 1976. Late Quaternary climates of Australia and New Guinea. Quat. Res. 6: 359–394.
Chappell, J. 1974. Geology of coral terraces, Huon Peninsula, New Guinea. Bull. Geol. Soc. Am. 85: 553–570.
Detzner, H. 1933. Der Saruwaged und seine östlichen und südöstlichen Anschlussgebirge. Kolon. Rdsch. Jg. 1933: 209–221.
Dow, D. B. 1968. A geological reconnaissance in the Nassau Range, West New Guinea. Geol. en. Mijnbouw 47.
Dozy, J. J. 1938. Eine Gletscherwelt in Nederländisch Neuguinea. Z. Gletscherkd. Glazialgeol. 26: 45–51.
Emiliani, C. and N. J. Shackleton. 1974. The Brunhes Epoch: isotopic paleotemperatures and geochronology. Science: 183: 511–514.
Galloway, R. W., G. S. Hope, E. Löffler and J. A. Peterson. 1973. Late Quaternary glaciation and periglacial phenomena in Australia and New Guinea. In: E. M. van Zinderen Bakker (ed.). Palaeoecology of Africa and Antarctica. Vol. 8. Cape Town, Balkema.
Heuberger, H. 1974. Alpine Quaternary glaciation. In: J. D. Ives and R. G. Barry (ed.). Arctic and Alpine Environments. London, Methuen.
Hnatiuk, R. J., J. M. B. Smith and D. N. McVean. 1976. Mt Wilhelm Studies 2. The climate of Mt Wilhelm, Dept. Biogeogr. and Geom. Publ. BG/4. Aust. Natn. Univ., Canberra.
Hope, G. S. 1976. The vegetational history of Mt Wilhelm Papua New Guinea. J. Ecol. 64: 627–664.
Hope, G. S. and J. A. Peterson. 1975. Glaciation and vegetation in the high New Guinea mountains. Bull. Roy. Soc. N.Z. 13: 155–162.
Hope, G. S., J. A. Peterson, U. Radok and I. Allison. 1976. The equatorial glaciers of New Guinea. A. A. Balkema, Rotterdam.
Löffler, E. 1970. Evidence of Pleistocene glaciation in East Papua. Aust. Geogr. Stud. 8: 16–26
Löffler, E. 1971. The Pleistocene glaciation of the Saruwaged Range, Territory of New Guinea. Aust. Geogr. 11: 463–472.
Löffler, E. 1972. Pleistocene glaciation of Papua New Guinea. Z. Geomorphol., N.F. Suppl. 13: 32–58.
Löffler, E. 1975. Beobachtungen zur periglazialen Höhenstufe in den Hochgebirgen von Papua New Guinea. Erdkunde 28: 13–18.
Löffler, E. 1976. Potassium-argon dates and pre-Würm glaciations of Mount Giluwe volcano, Papua New Guinea. Z. Gletscherkd. Glazialgeol. 12: 55–62.
Löffler, E. 1977. Geomorphology of Papua New Guinea. Aust. Nat. Univ. Press.
Löffler, E., D. E. Mackenzie and A. Webb. 1980. Potassium Argon dates from New Guinea highland volcanoes and their relevance to the geomorphic history. J. Geol. Soc. Aus. 26: 387–397.
Nix, H. A. and J. D. Kalma. 1972. Climate as a dominant control in the biogeography of northern Australia and New Guinea. In: Bridge and Barrier: the Natural and Cultural History of Torres Strait, ed. D. Walker. pp. 61–91. Dept. Biogeogr. and Geomorph. Publ. BG/3, Aust. Natn. Univ., Canberra.
McVean, D. N. 1968. A year of weather records at 3480 mon Mt Wilhelm, New Guinea. Weather 23: 377–381.
Nogami, M. 1976. Altitude of the modern snowline and Pleistocene snowline in the Andes. Geogr. Reports, Tokyo Metrop. Univ. 11: 71–86.
Peterson, J. A. and G. S. Hope. 1972. A lower limit and maximum age for the last major advance of the Carstensz glaciers, West Irian. Nature, 240: 36–37.
Peterson, J. A., G. S. Hope and R. Milton. 1973. Recession of snow and ice fields of Irian Jaya, Republic of Indonesia. Z. Gletscherkd. Glazialgeol. 9: 73–87.
Porter, S. C., M. Stuiver and I. C. Yang. 1977. Chronology of Hawaiian glaciations. Science 195: 61–63.
Reiner, E. 1960. The glaciation of Mt Wilhelm, Australian New Guinea. Geogr. Rev. 50: 491–503.
Smith, J. M. B. 1975. Mountain grassland of New Guinea. J. Biogeogr. 2: 27–44.
Smith, J. M. B. 1977. Vegetation and microclimates of east-and-west facing slopes in the grasslands of Mt Wilhelm, Papua New Guinea. J. Ecol. 65: 39–53.
Verstappen, H. Th. 1964. Geomorphology of the Star Mountains. Nova Guinea, Geology 5: 101–155.
Wade, L. K. and D. N. McVean. 1969. Mt Wilhelm Studies 1, The alpine and subalpine vegetation. Dept. Biogeogr. and Geom. Publ. BG/1. Aust. Nat. Univ. Canberra.
Walker, D. 1970. The changing vegetation of the montane tropics. Search, 1: 217–21.
Williams, P. N., I. McDougall and J. H. Powell. 1972. Aspects of the Quaternary geology of the Tari-Koroba area. J. Geol. Soc. Aust. 18: 333–347.
Wollaston, A. F. R. 1914. An Expedition to Dutch New Guinea. The Geogr. J. 43: 248–273.
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1982 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Löffler, E. (1982). Pleistocene and present-day glaciations. In: Gressitt, J.L. (eds) Biogeography and Ecology of New Guinea. Monographiae Biologicae, vol 42. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8632-9_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8632-9_3
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-009-8634-3
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-8632-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive