Relict rock glaciers as indicators of Mediterranean palaeoclimate during the Last Glacial Maximum (Late Würmian) in northwest Greece

Hughes, Philip D.; Gibbard, Philip L.; Woodward, Jamie

doi:10.1002/jqs.764

Cited by 74 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Rock glaciers are commonly indicative of dry and cold conditions (cf. Humlum 1998;Hughes et al 2003), with some still active today in the highest Mediterranean mountains (Ribolini & Fabre 2006;Akçar & Schlüchter 2005). Older moraines are also present in many of these mountain areas, although the age of these glacial deposits has not yet been established (e.g.…”

Section: Quaternary Glaciation In the Mediterranean Mountainsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quaternary glaciation in the Mediterranean mountains: a new synthesis

Hughes

Woodward

2016

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The Mediterranean mountains were repeatedly glaciated during the Pleistocene. Glaciers were present in most of the major mountains areas from Morocco in the west to the Black Sea coast of Turkey in the east. Some mountains supported extensive ice caps and ice fields with valley glaciers tens of kilometres long. Other massifs sustained only small-scale ice masses, although this was the exception rather than the norm. Glaciers still exist today and there is evidence that small glaciers were a common sight in many regions during the Little Ice Age. The Mediterranean mountains are important for palaeoclimate research because of their position in the midlatitudes and sensitivity to changes in the climate regimes of adjacent areas including the North Atlantic. These mountains are also important areas of biodiversity and long-term biological change through the Quaternary ice age. All of this provided challenges and opportunities for Palaeolithic societies. This paper reviews the history of the study of glaciation in the Mediterranean mountains from pioneer nineteenth century observations through to the detailed geomorphological mapping and advanced geochronological datasets of recent times. We also review the current state of knowledge to frame the contributions presented in this volume. Lastly, this new synthesis then identifies outstanding research problems and assesses the prospects for new studies of glaciation in the Mediterranean mountains.

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Section: Quaternary Glaciation In the Mediterranean Mountainsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quaternary glaciation in the Mediterranean mountains: a new synthesis

Hughes

Woodward

2016

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“…In the extreme case of perfect within-cell dependence, averaging over N identical pseudo-replications would not reduce estimation variance compared to using only one replication. We adopt this conservative approach by assuming that averaging over N finer-scale grid cells does not reduce the uncertainty varε in the statistical model ground temperature at the aggregate scale (Hurlbert, 1984). In addition, we replace β 2 F with the square of a one-sided (upper) 95-% confidence limit of |β F |, β 2 F,cl .…”

Section: Scaling Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A statistical approach to modelling permafrost distribution in the European Alps or similar mountain ranges

et al. 2012

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Abstract.Estimates of permafrost distribution in mountain regions are important for the assessment of climate change effects on natural and human systems. In order to make permafrost analyses and the establishment of guidelines for e.g. construction or hazard assessment comparable and compatible between regions, one consistent and traceable model for the entire Alpine domain is required. For the calibration of statistical models, the scarcity of suitable and reliable information about the presence or absence of permafrost makes the use of large areas attractive due to the larger data base available.We present a strategy and method for modelling permafrost distribution of entire mountain regions and provide the results of statistical analyses and model calibration for the European Alps. Starting from an integrated model framework, two statistical sub-models are developed, one for debris-covered areas (debris model) and one for steep bedrock (rock model). They are calibrated using rock glacier inventories and rock surface temperatures. To support the later generalization to surface characteristics other than those available for calibration, so-called offset terms have been introduced into the model that allow doing this in a transparent and traceable manner.For the debris model a generalized linear mixed-effect model (GLMM) is used to predict the probability of a rock glacier being intact as opposed to relict. It is based on the explanatory variables mean annual air temperature (MAAT), potential incoming solar radiation (PISR) and the mean annual sum of precipitation (PRECIP), and achieves an excellent discrimination (area under the receiver-operating characteristic, AUROC = 0.91). Surprisingly, the probability of a rock glacier being intact is positively associated with increasing PRECIP for given MAAT and PISR conditions. The rock model is based on a linear regression and was calibrated with mean annual rock surface temperatures (MARST). The explanatory variables are MAAT and PISR. The linear regression achieves a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.6 • C. The final model combines the two sub-models and accounts for the different scales used for model calibration.The modelling approach provides a theoretical basis for estimating mountain permafrost distribution over larger mountain ranges and can be expanded to more surface types and sub-models than considered, here. The analyses performed with the Alpine data set further provide quantitative insight into larger-area patterns as well as the model coefficients for a later spatial application. The transfer into a mapbased product, however, requires further steps such as the definition of offset terms that usually contain a degree of subjectivity.

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“…Kerschner, 1978;De Jong and Kwadjik, 1988) but also in mountainous areas where permafrost and active rock glaciers no longer exist (e.g. Jeanneret, 1975;Humlum, 1998b;Hughes et al, 2003). Relict rock glaciers usually retain some of the morphological hallmarks of their active counterparts, notably well-defined margins, lateral and terminal ridges, nested inner transverse ridges, enclosed depressions, and a surface mantle of coarse angular debris (Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposure dating and reinterpretation of coarse debris accumulations (‘rock glaciers’) in the Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland

Ballantyne

Schnabel

2008

J Quaternary Science

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Relict rock glaciers have considerable potential for contributing to palaeoclimatic reconstruction, but this potential is often undermined by lack of dating control and problems of interpretation. Here we reinvestigate and date four proposed 'rock glaciers' in the Cairngorm Mountains and show that the morphology of only one of these appears consistent with that of a true rock glacier produced by creep of underlying ice or ice-rich sediment. All four features comprise rockslide or rock avalanche runout debris, and the possibility that all four represent unmodified runout accumulations cannot be discounted. Surface exposure dating of the four debris accumulations using cosmogenic 10 Be produced uncertainty-weighted mean ages of 15.4 AE 0.8 ka, 16.2 AE 1.0 ka, 12.1 AE 0.6 ka and 12.7 AE 0.8 ka. All four ages imply emplacement under cold stadial conditions, two prior to the Windermere Interstade of ca. 14.5-12.9 cal. ka BP and two during the Loch Lomond Stade of ca. 12.9-11.5 cal. ka BP. The above ages indicate that paraglacial rock-slope failure on granite rockwalls occurred within a few millennia after deglaciation. The mean exposure ages obtained for runout debris at two sites -Strath Nethy (16.2 AE 1.0 ka) and Lairig Ghru (15.4 AE 0.8 ka) -are consistent with basal radiocarbon ages from Loch Etteridge, 22 km to the southwest (mean ¼ 15.6 AE 0.3 cal. ka BP) and imply widespread deglaciation of the Cairngorms and adjacent valleys before 15 ka and possibly 16 ka.

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Relict rock glaciers as indicators of Mediterranean palaeoclimate during the Last Glacial Maximum (Late Würmian) in northwest Greece

Cited by 74 publications

References 47 publications

Quaternary glaciation in the Mediterranean mountains: a new synthesis

Quaternary glaciation in the Mediterranean mountains: a new synthesis

A statistical approach to modelling permafrost distribution in the European Alps or similar mountain ranges

Exposure dating and reinterpretation of coarse debris accumulations (‘rock glaciers’) in the Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland

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