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Valley asymmetry: Evidence for periglacial activity in the central North Sea
Author(s) -
Long David,
Stoker Martyn S.
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.3290110507
Subject(s) - slumping , geology , fluvial , asymmetry , quaternary , sea level , geomorphology , paleontology , physical geography , oceanography , geography , physics , quantum mechanics , structural basin
Present‐day open valleys with distinct asymmetric profiles have been studied from the central North Sea. The bulk of the valleys exhibit steep north‐facing and shallow south‐facing slopes. This asymmetry is ascribed to preferential slumping of the south‐facing slope under periglacial climatic conditions. Exceptions to the regional asymmetric trend are probably the result of more localized factors such as fluvial and microclimatic processes and the effects of local geology. The recognition of this type of within‐valley asymmetry associated with slumping in buried valleys within the Quaternary sequence may be indicative of former periglacial activity.