Premium
Lichenometric dating of debris‐flow deposits in the Scottish Highlands
Author(s) -
Innes John L.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
earth surface processes and landforms
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.294
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1096-9837
pISSN - 0197-9337
DOI - 10.1002/esp.3290080609
Subject(s) - debris flow , debris , geology , denudation , weathering , overgrazing , erosion , landslide , physical geography , geomorphology , geography , paleontology , oceanography , ecology , biology , grazing , tectonics
Debris‐flow deposits, dated by lichenometry, indicate that the majority of hillslope debris flows in Scotland have occurred within the last 500 years. Progressive weathering and climatic change can be discounted as the prime cause of the increase in the incidence of debris flows. The timing of the increase suggests that it is related to landuse changes in the Scottish Highlands during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Both burning and overgrazing can be cited as potential causal factors.