Glacial History of Jackson Hole and the Tetons

Presentation: “Glacial History of Jackson Hole and the Tetons” by Dr. Joe Licciardi, University of New Hampshire

August 5th (Tuesday), 6 p.m., Social half-hour; please join us from 5:30-6:00 to enjoy free soft drinks and appetizers before our talk begins!

Live at the Teton County Library & Via Zoom (online)

In this presentation, I will review the current state of knowledge on the glacial history of Jackson Hole, the Teton Range, and the greater Yellowstone region. The geomorphic evolution of the Teton Range has been largely driven by the combined impacts of successive Pleistocene glaciations and late Cenozoic displacement along the range-bounding Teton normal fault. An extensive network of mountain-valley glaciers left behind well-preserved moraine sequences and ice-scoured bedrock that record a complex and interrelated history of glacial and tectonic activity. The extensive outwash deposits and terraces that dominate Jackson Hole are derived largely from glacial episodes associated with the Yellowstone ice cap to the north.

Ongoing research has focused on refining the age of deglaciation on the Yellowstone Plateau during the late Pleistocene. The precise timing of plateau deglaciation and the unloading of the >1 km-thick ice cap has important implications for a wide range of multidisciplinary questions, including the initiation of Yellowstone’s hydrothermal systems and features, potential triggering of hydrothermal explosions, impacts on volcanic-magmatic processes, influences on tectonic activity, paleoclimatic controls on glacial retreat, and the development of postglacial ecosystems and environmental conditions. In this talk, I will explore our current understanding of these topics.

Dr. Licciardi presenting during the 2022 “Friends of the Pleistocene” field trip. Beautiful map is of Taggart Lake (and some of Bradley Lake) and their glacial moraines. (photo by Cynthia Blankenship)

Topic: Glacial History of Jackson Hole and the Tetons

Time: Tuesday, August 5th, 2025, 06:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4555651818?pwd=U09ObDNZOEIyZmRtMEtsdUowQnJqdz09
Meeting ID: 455 565 1818
Passcode: 576063