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Climate patterns during former periods of mountain glaciation in Britain and Ireland: Inferences from the cirque record
- Source :
- Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 485:466-475
- Publication Year :
- 2017
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 2017.
-
Abstract
- We map glacial cirques, and analyse spatial variability in their altitude and aspect to derive a long-term, time-integrated, perspective on climate patterns during former periods of mountain glaciation (likely spanning multiple Quaternary glaciations) in Britain and Ireland. The data reveal that, although air temperatures were important, exposure to moisture-bearing air masses was the key factor in regulating sites of former mountain glacier formation, and indicate that during such periods, moisture supply was largely controlled by North Atlantic westerlies, with notable inland precipitation gradients (precipitation decreasing inland), similar to present day. In places, trends in cirque altitude may also reflect regional differences in the extent of cirque deepening, controlled by the dimensions and dynamics of the glaciers that came to occupy them. Specifically, comparatively deep cirques in coastal locations may reflect the former presence of dynamic (fed by moisture from the North Atlantic), but comparatively small, glaciers (largely confined to their cirques). By contrast, decreasing cirque depth further inland, may reflect the former presence of larger and/or less dynamic ice masses, occupying comparatively continental climatic conditions.
- Subjects :
- geography
geography.geographical_feature_category
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Cirque
Paleontology
Westerlies
Glacier
Cirque glacier
010502 geochemistry & geophysics
Oceanography
Glacier morphology
01 natural sciences
Altitude
Glacial period
Quaternary
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Geology
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Earth-Surface Processes
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 00310182
- Volume :
- 485
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....23002756d23f3a07090d23cd7948014c