Icehouse is characterized by frequent continental glaciations and severe desert environments.

Black Lake is of glacial origin, having been formed by the melting of continental glaciation in the state around 12,000 years ago.

This advance is not comparable to continental glaciation that occurred during "Pleistocene times known as the Wisconsin Ice Age".

The last continental glaciation ended 10,000 years ago.

One cause for forebulge formation is loading of the continental lithosphere by ice sheets during continental glaciations.

After continental glaciation has receded, it is common for isostatic rebound to take place.

This is the part of the Allegheny Plateau that lies outside the continental glaciation of the ice ages.

It did not develop at all until the late Pliocene, but apparently developed very rapidly with the first continental glaciation.

During the Pleistocene (c. 1.8 to 0.01 mya), the watershed was extensively modified by continental glaciation.

The Oyster River valley, like the rest of New England, was entirely covered by ice during the last continental glaciation.