Reconstruction and regional significance of the Coire Breac palaeoglacier, Glen Esk, eastern Grampian Highlands, Scotland
We present a glaciological and climatic reconstruction of a former glacier in Coire Breac, an isolated cirque within the Eastern Grampian plateau of Scotland, 5 km from the Highland edge. Published glacier reconstructions of presumed Younger Dryas-age glaciers in this area show that equilibrium line...
Published in: | Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography |
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Language: | English |
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Online Access: | https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/en/publications/35aebd0d-082d-4727-bb7b-790d92a7a6d9 https://doi.org/10.1111/geoa.12096 https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/ws/files/6281529/pdf_of_resubmitted_version.pdf |
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ftunivdundeepure:oai:discovery.dundee.ac.uk:publications/35aebd0d-082d-4727-bb7b-790d92a7a6d9 2024-06-23T07:50:45+00:00 Reconstruction and regional significance of the Coire Breac palaeoglacier, Glen Esk, eastern Grampian Highlands, Scotland Kirkbride, Martin P. Mitchell, Wishart A. Barnes, Mhari 2015-09 application/pdf https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/en/publications/35aebd0d-082d-4727-bb7b-790d92a7a6d9 https://doi.org/10.1111/geoa.12096 https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/ws/files/6281529/pdf_of_resubmitted_version.pdf eng eng https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/en/publications/35aebd0d-082d-4727-bb7b-790d92a7a6d9 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Kirkbride , M P , Mitchell , W A & Barnes , M 2015 , ' Reconstruction and regional significance of the Coire Breac palaeoglacier, Glen Esk, eastern Grampian Highlands, Scotland ' , Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography , vol. 97 , no. 3 , pp. 563-577 . https://doi.org/10.1111/geoa.12096 Glacier reconstruction Grampian Highlands equilibrium-line altitude Younger Dryas palaeoclimatic reconstruction /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1900/1900 name=General Earth and Planetary Sciences article 2015 ftunivdundeepure https://doi.org/10.1111/geoa.12096 2024-06-11T14:46:23Z We present a glaciological and climatic reconstruction of a former glacier in Coire Breac, an isolated cirque within the Eastern Grampian plateau of Scotland, 5 km from the Highland edge. Published glacier reconstructions of presumed Younger Dryas-age glaciers in this area show that equilibrium line altitudes decreased steeply towards the east coast, implying a maritime glacial environment. Extrapolation of the ELA trend surface implies that glaciers should have existed in suitable locations on the plateau, a landscape little modified by glaciation. In Coire Breac, a 0.35 km2 cirque glacier existed with an equilibrium line altitude of 487 ± 15 m above present sea level. The equilibrium line altitude matches closely the extrapolated regional equilibriumline altitude trend surface for Younger Dryas Stadial glaciers. The mean glacier thickness of 24 m gives an ice volume of 7.8 x 106 m3, and a maximum basal shear stress of c. 100 kPa-1. Ablation gradient was c. -0.0055 m m-1, with a mean July temperature at the equilibrium line altitude of c. 5.1°C. The reconstruction implies an arctic maritime climate of low precipitation with local accumulation enhanced by blown snow, which may explain the absence of other contemporary glaciers nearby. Reconstructed ice flow lines show zones of flow concentration around the lower ice margin which help to explain the distribution of depositional facies associated with a former debris cover which may have delayed eventual glacier retreat. No moraines in the area have been dated, so palaeoclimatic interpretations remain provisional, and a pre-Lateglacial Interstadial age cannot be ruled out. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Discovery - University of Dundee Online Publications Arctic Ela ENVELOPE(9.642,9.642,63.170,63.170) Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography 97 3 563 577 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Discovery - University of Dundee Online Publications |
op_collection_id |
ftunivdundeepure |
language |
English |
topic |
Glacier reconstruction Grampian Highlands equilibrium-line altitude Younger Dryas palaeoclimatic reconstruction /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1900/1900 name=General Earth and Planetary Sciences |
spellingShingle |
Glacier reconstruction Grampian Highlands equilibrium-line altitude Younger Dryas palaeoclimatic reconstruction /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1900/1900 name=General Earth and Planetary Sciences Kirkbride, Martin P. Mitchell, Wishart A. Barnes, Mhari Reconstruction and regional significance of the Coire Breac palaeoglacier, Glen Esk, eastern Grampian Highlands, Scotland |
topic_facet |
Glacier reconstruction Grampian Highlands equilibrium-line altitude Younger Dryas palaeoclimatic reconstruction /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1900/1900 name=General Earth and Planetary Sciences |
description |
We present a glaciological and climatic reconstruction of a former glacier in Coire Breac, an isolated cirque within the Eastern Grampian plateau of Scotland, 5 km from the Highland edge. Published glacier reconstructions of presumed Younger Dryas-age glaciers in this area show that equilibrium line altitudes decreased steeply towards the east coast, implying a maritime glacial environment. Extrapolation of the ELA trend surface implies that glaciers should have existed in suitable locations on the plateau, a landscape little modified by glaciation. In Coire Breac, a 0.35 km2 cirque glacier existed with an equilibrium line altitude of 487 ± 15 m above present sea level. The equilibrium line altitude matches closely the extrapolated regional equilibriumline altitude trend surface for Younger Dryas Stadial glaciers. The mean glacier thickness of 24 m gives an ice volume of 7.8 x 106 m3, and a maximum basal shear stress of c. 100 kPa-1. Ablation gradient was c. -0.0055 m m-1, with a mean July temperature at the equilibrium line altitude of c. 5.1°C. The reconstruction implies an arctic maritime climate of low precipitation with local accumulation enhanced by blown snow, which may explain the absence of other contemporary glaciers nearby. Reconstructed ice flow lines show zones of flow concentration around the lower ice margin which help to explain the distribution of depositional facies associated with a former debris cover which may have delayed eventual glacier retreat. No moraines in the area have been dated, so palaeoclimatic interpretations remain provisional, and a pre-Lateglacial Interstadial age cannot be ruled out. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kirkbride, Martin P. Mitchell, Wishart A. Barnes, Mhari |
author_facet |
Kirkbride, Martin P. Mitchell, Wishart A. Barnes, Mhari |
author_sort |
Kirkbride, Martin P. |
title |
Reconstruction and regional significance of the Coire Breac palaeoglacier, Glen Esk, eastern Grampian Highlands, Scotland |
title_short |
Reconstruction and regional significance of the Coire Breac palaeoglacier, Glen Esk, eastern Grampian Highlands, Scotland |
title_full |
Reconstruction and regional significance of the Coire Breac palaeoglacier, Glen Esk, eastern Grampian Highlands, Scotland |
title_fullStr |
Reconstruction and regional significance of the Coire Breac palaeoglacier, Glen Esk, eastern Grampian Highlands, Scotland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Reconstruction and regional significance of the Coire Breac palaeoglacier, Glen Esk, eastern Grampian Highlands, Scotland |
title_sort |
reconstruction and regional significance of the coire breac palaeoglacier, glen esk, eastern grampian highlands, scotland |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/en/publications/35aebd0d-082d-4727-bb7b-790d92a7a6d9 https://doi.org/10.1111/geoa.12096 https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/ws/files/6281529/pdf_of_resubmitted_version.pdf |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(9.642,9.642,63.170,63.170) |
geographic |
Arctic Ela |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Ela |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
Kirkbride , M P , Mitchell , W A & Barnes , M 2015 , ' Reconstruction and regional significance of the Coire Breac palaeoglacier, Glen Esk, eastern Grampian Highlands, Scotland ' , Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography , vol. 97 , no. 3 , pp. 563-577 . https://doi.org/10.1111/geoa.12096 |
op_relation |
https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/en/publications/35aebd0d-082d-4727-bb7b-790d92a7a6d9 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/geoa.12096 |
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Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography |
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97 |
container_issue |
3 |
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563 |
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577 |
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