Terrestrial and Marine Records of the Last Glaciation from Western Tasmania - Do They Agree

No Neoglacial or Late Glacial readvances of ice are known from Tasmania. The main phase of glaciation occurred after 25 ka BP and attained a maximum slightly before 19 ka BP. Most ice had decayed by 14 ka BP but some may have survived at high altitude to 10 ka BP. An early phase of ice advance prior to 47 ka BP is identified in the upper King Valley.Pollen records of vegetation history show that herbaceous and alpine-subalpine shrub vegetation communities were widespread in the lowlands during the Late Glacial Stage and indicate a cold climate. The Middle Last Glacial Stage vegetation was comprised mainly of subalpine shrub and woodland vegetation that suggests cool moist interstadial climatic conditions. A marine pollen record from core SO36-7SL suggests herbaceous and scrub vegetation development during Isotope Stage 4 preceded by wet forest at the end of Stage 5.