A 35-year record of solifluction in a maritime periglacial environment
Eight segmented PVC columns (Rudberg pillars) inserted vertically in the treads of three vegetation-covered (‘turf-banked’) solifluction lobes at altitudes of 912–1031 m in the Fannich Mountains of NW Scotland were exhumed 35 years after insertion, and downslope displacement of each segment was meas...
Published in: | Permafrost and Periglacial Processes |
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2013
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Online Access: | https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/researchoutput/a-35year-record-of-solifluction-in-a-maritime-periglacial-environment(24ef7aed-6f72-4629-924f-a8d61f245ce3).html https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1761 |
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ftunstandrewcris:oai:research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk:publications/24ef7aed-6f72-4629-924f-a8d61f245ce3 2024-06-23T07:53:40+00:00 A 35-year record of solifluction in a maritime periglacial environment Ballantyne, Colin 2013-01 https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/researchoutput/a-35year-record-of-solifluction-in-a-maritime-periglacial-environment(24ef7aed-6f72-4629-924f-a8d61f245ce3).html https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1761 eng eng https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/researchoutput/a-35year-record-of-solifluction-in-a-maritime-periglacial-environment(24ef7aed-6f72-4629-924f-a8d61f245ce3).html info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Ballantyne , C 2013 , ' A 35-year record of solifluction in a maritime periglacial environment ' , Permafrost and Periglacial Processes , vol. 24 , no. 1 , pp. 56–66 . https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1761 article 2013 ftunstandrewcris https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1761 2024-06-13T00:36:41Z Eight segmented PVC columns (Rudberg pillars) inserted vertically in the treads of three vegetation-covered (‘turf-banked’) solifluction lobes at altitudes of 912–1031 m in the Fannich Mountains of NW Scotland were exhumed 35 years after insertion, and downslope displacement of each segment was measured to derive velocity profiles for each site. Data from these profiles yielded average surface velocities of 7.8–10.6 mm a-1 (mean 8.8 mm a-1), average volumetric velocities of 8.3–13.3 cm3 cm-1 a-1 (mean 10.5 cm3 cm-1 a-1) and maximum displacement depths of 290–445 mm (mean 390 mm). Measured volumetric velocities for these maritime periglacial sites are fairly similar to those recorded in high alpine environments, but markedly less than most reported rates for solifluction in areas of warm permafrost or deep seasonal freezing. Movement affects only the uppermost parts of individual lobes, and the measured volumetric velocities imply either very slow advance of lobe fronts (~ 0.7 mm a-1) or slow thickening and steepening of stationary lobe risers. Velocity profiles decline approximately exponentially with depth over the depth range 50–400 mm, consistent with movement by frost creep alone or frost creep plus gelifluction. Comparison with measured rates of periglacial mass transport elsewhere on British mountains suggests (1) that, contrary to traditional views, surface velocities are similar to (and may exceed) those of ploughing boulders in the same area, and (2) that both surface velocities and volumetric velocities are markedly less than at unvegetated sites where needle ice creep is the dominant component of solifluction. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ice permafrost Permafrost and Periglacial Processes University of St Andrews: Research Portal British Mountains ENVELOPE(-140.505,-140.505,69.000,69.000) Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 24 1 56 66 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
University of St Andrews: Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftunstandrewcris |
language |
English |
description |
Eight segmented PVC columns (Rudberg pillars) inserted vertically in the treads of three vegetation-covered (‘turf-banked’) solifluction lobes at altitudes of 912–1031 m in the Fannich Mountains of NW Scotland were exhumed 35 years after insertion, and downslope displacement of each segment was measured to derive velocity profiles for each site. Data from these profiles yielded average surface velocities of 7.8–10.6 mm a-1 (mean 8.8 mm a-1), average volumetric velocities of 8.3–13.3 cm3 cm-1 a-1 (mean 10.5 cm3 cm-1 a-1) and maximum displacement depths of 290–445 mm (mean 390 mm). Measured volumetric velocities for these maritime periglacial sites are fairly similar to those recorded in high alpine environments, but markedly less than most reported rates for solifluction in areas of warm permafrost or deep seasonal freezing. Movement affects only the uppermost parts of individual lobes, and the measured volumetric velocities imply either very slow advance of lobe fronts (~ 0.7 mm a-1) or slow thickening and steepening of stationary lobe risers. Velocity profiles decline approximately exponentially with depth over the depth range 50–400 mm, consistent with movement by frost creep alone or frost creep plus gelifluction. Comparison with measured rates of periglacial mass transport elsewhere on British mountains suggests (1) that, contrary to traditional views, surface velocities are similar to (and may exceed) those of ploughing boulders in the same area, and (2) that both surface velocities and volumetric velocities are markedly less than at unvegetated sites where needle ice creep is the dominant component of solifluction. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Ballantyne, Colin |
spellingShingle |
Ballantyne, Colin A 35-year record of solifluction in a maritime periglacial environment |
author_facet |
Ballantyne, Colin |
author_sort |
Ballantyne, Colin |
title |
A 35-year record of solifluction in a maritime periglacial environment |
title_short |
A 35-year record of solifluction in a maritime periglacial environment |
title_full |
A 35-year record of solifluction in a maritime periglacial environment |
title_fullStr |
A 35-year record of solifluction in a maritime periglacial environment |
title_full_unstemmed |
A 35-year record of solifluction in a maritime periglacial environment |
title_sort |
35-year record of solifluction in a maritime periglacial environment |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/researchoutput/a-35year-record-of-solifluction-in-a-maritime-periglacial-environment(24ef7aed-6f72-4629-924f-a8d61f245ce3).html https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1761 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-140.505,-140.505,69.000,69.000) |
geographic |
British Mountains |
geographic_facet |
British Mountains |
genre |
Ice permafrost Permafrost and Periglacial Processes |
genre_facet |
Ice permafrost Permafrost and Periglacial Processes |
op_source |
Ballantyne , C 2013 , ' A 35-year record of solifluction in a maritime periglacial environment ' , Permafrost and Periglacial Processes , vol. 24 , no. 1 , pp. 56–66 . https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1761 |
op_relation |
https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/researchoutput/a-35year-record-of-solifluction-in-a-maritime-periglacial-environment(24ef7aed-6f72-4629-924f-a8d61f245ce3).html |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1761 |
container_title |
Permafrost and Periglacial Processes |
container_volume |
24 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
56 |
op_container_end_page |
66 |
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1802645428920909824 |