Lateglacial and early Flandrian environmental history of the Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides, Scotland
ABSTRACT Pollen-stratigraphic data, supported by lithological, geochemical and radiocarbon evidence are described from two Late Devensian Lateglacial sites on the Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides, Scotland. The data suggest that, following the wastage of the Late Devensian ice sheet some time prior to 1...
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1986
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0263593300010725 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0263593300010725 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0263593300010725 2024-09-15T18:12:28+00:00 Lateglacial and early Flandrian environmental history of the Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides, Scotland Lowe, J. J. Walker, M. J. C. 1986 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0263593300010725 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0263593300010725 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences volume 77, issue 1, page 1-20 ISSN 0263-5933 1473-7116 journal-article 1986 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0263593300010725 2024-07-31T04:04:26Z ABSTRACT Pollen-stratigraphic data, supported by lithological, geochemical and radiocarbon evidence are described from two Late Devensian Lateglacial sites on the Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides, Scotland. The data suggest that, following the wastage of the Late Devensian ice sheet some time prior to 13,000 BP, an open grass- and sedge-dominated landscape was colonised first by juniper scrub and subsequently by Empetrum heaths. Tree birch development was limited principally, it would seem, by exposure to strong westerly winds, although some scattered birch woodland did become established in more sheltered localities. The thermal maximum of the Lateglacial Interstadial appears to have occurred from c. 13,000 to 12,000 BP after which climate began to deteriorate as the atmospheric Polar Front migrated southwards. The harsh climatic conditions of the Loch Lomond Stadial, the full effects of which were experienced after c. 10,700 BP, led to the break-up of the Interstadial vegetation cover, the development of an ice cap and several smaller cirque and valley glaciers in the hills of south-central Mull, and the establishment of a periglacial regime throughout the island. By c. 10,200 BP, however, climatic amelioration was underway once more, the Loch Lomond Advance glaciers had wasted completely, and a plant succession was initiated which led to the replacement of tundra vegetation communities by Empetrum heath, juniper scrub and eventually hazel-birch woodland within the space of c. 1500 years. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ice Sheet Tundra Cambridge University Press Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences 77 1 1 20 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
ABSTRACT Pollen-stratigraphic data, supported by lithological, geochemical and radiocarbon evidence are described from two Late Devensian Lateglacial sites on the Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides, Scotland. The data suggest that, following the wastage of the Late Devensian ice sheet some time prior to 13,000 BP, an open grass- and sedge-dominated landscape was colonised first by juniper scrub and subsequently by Empetrum heaths. Tree birch development was limited principally, it would seem, by exposure to strong westerly winds, although some scattered birch woodland did become established in more sheltered localities. The thermal maximum of the Lateglacial Interstadial appears to have occurred from c. 13,000 to 12,000 BP after which climate began to deteriorate as the atmospheric Polar Front migrated southwards. The harsh climatic conditions of the Loch Lomond Stadial, the full effects of which were experienced after c. 10,700 BP, led to the break-up of the Interstadial vegetation cover, the development of an ice cap and several smaller cirque and valley glaciers in the hills of south-central Mull, and the establishment of a periglacial regime throughout the island. By c. 10,200 BP, however, climatic amelioration was underway once more, the Loch Lomond Advance glaciers had wasted completely, and a plant succession was initiated which led to the replacement of tundra vegetation communities by Empetrum heath, juniper scrub and eventually hazel-birch woodland within the space of c. 1500 years. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lowe, J. J. Walker, M. J. C. |
spellingShingle |
Lowe, J. J. Walker, M. J. C. Lateglacial and early Flandrian environmental history of the Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides, Scotland |
author_facet |
Lowe, J. J. Walker, M. J. C. |
author_sort |
Lowe, J. J. |
title |
Lateglacial and early Flandrian environmental history of the Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides, Scotland |
title_short |
Lateglacial and early Flandrian environmental history of the Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides, Scotland |
title_full |
Lateglacial and early Flandrian environmental history of the Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides, Scotland |
title_fullStr |
Lateglacial and early Flandrian environmental history of the Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides, Scotland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Lateglacial and early Flandrian environmental history of the Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides, Scotland |
title_sort |
lateglacial and early flandrian environmental history of the isle of mull, inner hebrides, scotland |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1986 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0263593300010725 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0263593300010725 |
genre |
Ice Sheet Tundra |
genre_facet |
Ice Sheet Tundra |
op_source |
Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences volume 77, issue 1, page 1-20 ISSN 0263-5933 1473-7116 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0263593300010725 |
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Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences |
container_volume |
77 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
1 |
op_container_end_page |
20 |
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1810450058255007744 |