The glacial geomorphology of the Loch Lomond Stadial in Britain: a map and geographic information system resource of published evidence

Abstract

The Loch Lomond Stadial (LLS) was an abrupt period of renewed cooling between 12.9 and 11.7 ka and has long been associated with the regrowth of glaciers in much of upland Britain. Mapping the glacial landforms associated with this period has been undertaken for over a century, but in a non-systematic nature and at specific locations. In this paper, glacial geomorphology associated with the LLS in Britain has been compiled from the published literature into a glacial map and accompanying geographical information system database that is available electronically as supplementary information. A variety of scales have been used to best represent the evidence in the database. Map A is at 1:310 000; B, C, D, E, F, J, L, M and O are at 1:175 000; K, N, P are at 1:100 000 and G, H and I are at 1:50,000. The database contains over 95,000 individual features, which are organised into thematic layers and each attributed to its original citation. The evidence includes moraines, drift and boulder limits, drift benches, periglacial trimlines, meltwater channels, eskers, striations and roches moutonneés, protalus ramparts and ice-dammed lakes. Creation of this database overcomes the drawbacks posed by the non-systematic nature of previous mapping output from studies of LLS glaciation. It is intended to be a catalyst for future research in this area, with especial significance for regional palaeoglaciological and palaeoclimatic reconstructions of the Younger Dryas and numerical modelling. ARTICLE HISTORY

Glacial landsystems, retreat dynamics and controls on Loch Lomond Stadial (Younger Dryas) glaciation in Britain

“…Recently, the published literature on the glacial geomorphology of the LLS in Britain was compiled into a GIS database and glacial map (Bickerdike et al . ). This database has, for the first time, permitted the geomorphology of the total extent of the LLS glaciers to be assessed at scales varying from within individual valleys to across whole icefields.…”

The glacial geomorphology of the Loch Lomond (Younger Dryas) Stadial in Britain: a review

“…Geomorphological mapping by Bennett () provides the greatest level of detail and most recent complete coverage but also includes landforms which pre‐date the LLS; hence the limits of LLS glaciation proposed by McCormack () and Robinson () were used by Bickerdike et al . () to differentiate between the LLS and older features.…”

“…Although Standell's () mapping is the most recent and highest resolution available for this region, this became available after the census date for Bickerdike et al . () and thus mapping by Bennett and Glasser () and Sissons () was instead used.…”

“…While previous studies have detailed the maximum extent of LLS glaciers from published reconstructions (Golledge, ), Bickerdike et al . () were the first to detail the geomorphological record of the LLS glaciers at this scale and make all evidence available in a GIS format.…”

“…LLS glacial geomorphology of the Highlands and islands of Scotland, adapted from Bickerdike et al . (). The map shows the distribution of landforms relating to the West Highland Glacier Complex which covered most of the Western Grampian Mountains and was flanked by satellite icefields in neighbouring upland areas.…”