The Schmidt hammer as a relative‐age dating technique: Potential and limitations of its application on Holocene moraines in Mt Cook National Park, Southern Alps, New Zealand

Abstract

The use of the Schmidt hammer for the relativeage dating of boulder and bedrock surfaces is outlined. Two examples of the application of the Schmidt hammer for the dating of Holocene moraines in Mt Cook National Park, Southern Alps, New Zealand, confirm the potential of this method. With this technique it is possible to differentiate between Holocene moraines of different age (especially those built up since c. 5000 yr BP). The results show partial differences to those obtained from other dating techniques in previous work.

Application of the Handysurf E-35B electronic profilometer for the study of weathering micro-relief in glacier forelands in SE Iceland

“…This correlation is in accordance with abundant previous research focusing on the Schmidt hammer or weathering rinds developed on deglaciated terrains in millennial time-scales (Carroll 1974;Porter 1975;Chinn 1981;Matthew and Shakesby 1984;McCarroll 1989McCarroll , 1991Nesje 1993, 1996;Aa and Sjåstad 2000;Kotarba et al 2002;Winkler 2005;Shakesby et al 2006;Owen et al 2007;Nicholson 2009;Matthew and Owen 2011), as well as with rather limited studies performed within LIA forelands (Evant et al1999;Etienne 2002;Matthews and Owen 2008;Dąbski 2009Dąbski , 2012Dąbski , 2014Dąbski and Tittenbrun 2013).…”

First attempt to combine terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (10Be) and Schmidt hammer relative-age dating: Strauchon Glacier, Southern Alps, New Zealand

“…The measurement of weathering-rind thickness on boulders [23,24] and lichenometry, both used for related relative-age dating [18,[25][26][27][28], have also been applied. Additionally, the potential of the Schmidt hammer as relative-age dating technique has clearly been demonstrated by its successful application on several lateral and latero-frontal moraine sequences in the Mt Cook/Aoraki National Park [19,29]. The relatively homogenous and weathering-resistant bedrock yielded comparatively small standard errors and, as a result, a relatively high time resolution in the order of 200-300 years.…”

“…In a geochronological context, the Schmidt hammer is widely used as a relative-age dating technique on glacially eroded bedrock surfaces, boulders embedded in glacial deposits, rock glaciers and talus, e.g. [19,29,[35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46]. The measurement of surface hardness of rock surfaces reveals information on their exposure to subaerial weathering processes and, therefore, on the relative-age of related moraine formations.…”

“…As no comparable lateral moraine system exists in the outer parts of the foreland, and the younger 'Little Ice Age'-moraines are located in dense subalpine forest, this moraine complex comprises the study area. The multi-ridged morphol-ogy is assumed as having great potential for investigating both the number and timing of presumed pre-'Little Ice Age' Neoglacial events in this region [12][13][14]19]. All of the ridges are located above the local tree line and covered by alpine grass vegetation with very few (small and young) specimen of Acipylla spec.…”

“…[12][13][14][15][16][17]. In addition, previous research [18,19] revealed the need for revision due to methodological uncertainties, such as, the focus on the Tasman Glacier as a problematical key locality cf. [4,20,21].…”