Chapter 3.4.9 Glacier reconstruction in Geomorphological Techniques

• Main Authors: Pearce, Danielle, Ely, Jeremy, Barr, Iestyn, Boston, Clare
• Other Authors: Cook, S. J., Clarke, L. E., Nield, J. M., School of Life and Medical Sciences, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Agriculture and Environmental Management Research
• Language: English
• Published: British Society for Geomorphology 2017
• Subjects: Equilibrium Line Altitude (ELA); Glacier reconstruction; Geomorphology; Ice sheet; Palaeoclimate; Ela; Jeremy; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2299/19809; http://geomorphology.org.uk/sites/default/files/chapters/3.4.9_Glacier%20Reconstruction-min_0.pdf; http://geomorphology.org.uk/geomorph_techniques

Danni Pearce, Jeremy C. Ely, Lestyn D. Barr, and Clare Boston, 'Glacier Reconstruction', Section 3.4.9, in: Cook, S.J., Clarke, L.E. & Nield, J.M. (Eds.) Geomorphological Techniques (Online Edition). British Society for Geomorphology; London, UK. ISSN: 2047-0371. Glacier reconstruction typically aims to establish the former extent of ice masses at any given period. Such reconstructions are important because they provide crucial information about past (palaeo) glacier changes over much longer timescales than the observational record permits. Reconstructing the dimensions and dynamics of palaeo-ice masses enables equilibrium line altitudes, and temperature or precipitation to be calculated, making glaciers an important palaeo-climate proxy. Given this utility, geomorphologically-based glacier reconstructions have been generated for many regions globally, although the specific methods employed are rarely described formally. To address this shortcoming, this chapter describes some of the methods employed in generating geomorphologically-based reconstructions for ice sheets and mountain-scale glaciers (< ~1,000 km2). Peer reviewed