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Significance of snowblow in the generation of Loch Lomond Stadial (Younger Dryas) glaciers in the western Pennines, northern England
Author(s) -
MITCHELL WISHART A.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of quaternary science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.142
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1099-1417
pISSN - 0267-8179
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1417(199605/06)11:3<233::aid-jqs240>3.0.co;2-q
Subject(s) - stadial , geology , younger dryas , glacier , cirque glacier , moraine , physical geography , glacial period , cirque , surge , geomorphology , glacial landform , geography , climatology , ice stream , cryosphere , sea ice
Geomorphological mapping has identified the former existence of five cirque glaciers that formed during the Loch Lomond Stadial in the western Pennines, northern England. Landforms in Mallerstang, which previously have been interpreted as moraine ridges, are shown to be better explained as large complex landslides. Reconstruction of these former glaciers has allowed the calculation of the former equilibrium line altitudes (ELA) by a number of different methods. Values for the ELA show a range across the area from 311 m to 608 m OD, but with low values (311 m and 428 m) for the two western glaciers. These are explained by the existence of large plateau areas adjacent to the former glaciers, which contributed additional mass to the glaciers by snowblow on to the glacier surfaces. Delimitation of the potential snowblow area for each glacier shows that it has a distinct orientation, with the western sector (225–315°) being statistically significant with the ELA indicating the importance of winds from this direction in determining the existence of these palaeoglaciers. The significance of snowblow for the generation of small glaciers in marginal areas means that such local factors must be investigated before regional firn line trends are determined in former glaciated areas.