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14 C dating and palaeoenvironment of the historic ‘little ice age’ glacier advance of Nigardsbreen Southwest Norway
Author(s) -
Matthews John A.,
Innes John L.,
Caseldine Christopher J.
Publication year - 1986
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.3290110403
Subject(s) - moraine , geology , glacier , ridge , physical geography , front (military) , pollen , rock glacier , paleosol , paleontology , archaeology , geomorphology , loess , geography , oceanography , ecology , biology
Moss and grass remains associated with a well‐developed in situ palaeosol buried beneath a moraine ridge in front of Nigardsbreen (Jostedalsbreen ice cap, southern Norway) have been 14 C‐dated. Pollen preserved with the plant remains suggests the existence of an agricultural landscape prior to the deposition of the moraine. The calibrated dates and the pollen spectra are in close accord with historically‐documented evidence for the timing and palaeoenvironment of the ‘Little Ice Age’ advance of the glacier. Considerable potential is indicated for estimating the maximum ages of moraine ridges and for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction where such documentary evidence does not exist.