NUMERICAL RECONSTRUCTION OF A SOFT-BEDDED LAURENTIDE ICE-SHEET DURINGTHE LAST GLACIAL MAXIMUM

Ice Sheet is significantly lower in ice-surface height and contains le ss ice volume than the CLIMAP (maximum) reconstruction. In contrast, o ur reconstruction agrees well with the ICE-4G reconstruction, both in height and volume. Because the ICE-4G reconstruction is based on the i nversion of relative sea-level data, whereas our reconstruction is bas ed on glacial geology and ice mechanics, this agreement suggests that soft beds provide a glaciological mechanism to explain the shape and v olume of the Laurentide Ice Sheet that is most consistent with observa tions of relative sea-level change and other geodynamic considerations .