{"title":"Distribution of Devensian glacial erratics and related evidence elucidate complex ice flow changes across a former ice divide: Northern England","authors":"Paul A. Carling , Teng Su , Lyubov Meshkova","doi":"10.1016/j.pgeola.2023.01.002","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The Lune Gorge and the uplands of the southern Shap Fells represent a key area in developing an understanding of the dynamics of the Late Devensian<span> glaciation (Dimlington Stadial) of northern England. Here ice masses emanating from southern Scotland, the Lake District and the Howgill Fells interacted in the area of the upper Lune valley. Glacial landforms are recorded and tills noted. The dispersal pattern of Shap granite (Sg) erratics is mapped as these clasts are an important tracer of regional ice movements and local ice dynamics. This new information is synthesised with existing literature to provide an understanding of ice dynamics in an area of complex ice flow history. In particular, the ice flow interactions over an area of the western Pennines and the southern Shap Fells have been defined.</span></p><p>Early Dimlington ice flow in the vicinity of the upper Lune valley was easterly. Later a northerly shift in the position of a regionally significant west–east aligned ice divide led to topographic steering of southerly basal ice flows, resulting in the development of a western ice stream (Mint Sg plume) and an eastern ice stream (Lune Sg plume); both flowing south around the massif of the southern Shap Fells. At that time, southerly flow of basal ice over the highest ridges of the Grayrigg massif in the southern Shap Fells was relatively weak. Whereas the western stream extended into the Lancashire lowlands, the eastern ice stream was impeded in the Lune Gorge by ice emanating from Borrowdale which forced northern ice to the eastern side of the Lune Gorge where it was blocked by western flowing Howgill ice; the latter extending as far as just east of Kendal.</p><p>During the late Dimlington, the ice masses over the Mint valley and the southern Shap Fells largely thinned and retreated to the north and west, with a surge in northerly ice movement within the upper Lune valley that did not override the western Pennines. Local ice dynamics are well-illustrated in the western margin of the Pennines (Crosby Ravensworth Fell <img><span> Gaythorne Plain), where the disposition of erratics reflects local late west-to-east weak down-wasting ice flow and the presence of subglacial meltwater drainage channels. However, ice ultimately decayed </span><em>in situ</em> on Crosby Ravensworth Fell <img> Gaythorne Plain. Similarly, after complex variable easterly and southerly ice flow during the early Dimlington, there was weak northerly ice flow in the later phase over Birkbeck Fells Common before ice thinned and retreated from Grayrigg Forest. An extensive ice stream, fed by ice emanating from an ice dispersal centre in the eastern Lake District, occupied the large trough of Borrowdale that transverses the southern Shap Fells, but its extension and recession dynamics remain enigmatic.</p><p>“<em>Glacial Theory</em> …, <em>in its application to the transport of blocks across Stainmoor</em>, <em>involves such obvious mechanical absurdities that the author considers it totally unworthy of the attention of the Society</em>.” <span>William Hopkins, 1842</span></p></div>","PeriodicalId":49672,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Geologists Association","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2000,"publicationDate":"2023-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"2","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Proceedings of the Geologists Association","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016787823000020","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"Earth and Planetary Sciences","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 2
Abstract
The Lune Gorge and the uplands of the southern Shap Fells represent a key area in developing an understanding of the dynamics of the Late Devensian glaciation (Dimlington Stadial) of northern England. Here ice masses emanating from southern Scotland, the Lake District and the Howgill Fells interacted in the area of the upper Lune valley. Glacial landforms are recorded and tills noted. The dispersal pattern of Shap granite (Sg) erratics is mapped as these clasts are an important tracer of regional ice movements and local ice dynamics. This new information is synthesised with existing literature to provide an understanding of ice dynamics in an area of complex ice flow history. In particular, the ice flow interactions over an area of the western Pennines and the southern Shap Fells have been defined.
Early Dimlington ice flow in the vicinity of the upper Lune valley was easterly. Later a northerly shift in the position of a regionally significant west–east aligned ice divide led to topographic steering of southerly basal ice flows, resulting in the development of a western ice stream (Mint Sg plume) and an eastern ice stream (Lune Sg plume); both flowing south around the massif of the southern Shap Fells. At that time, southerly flow of basal ice over the highest ridges of the Grayrigg massif in the southern Shap Fells was relatively weak. Whereas the western stream extended into the Lancashire lowlands, the eastern ice stream was impeded in the Lune Gorge by ice emanating from Borrowdale which forced northern ice to the eastern side of the Lune Gorge where it was blocked by western flowing Howgill ice; the latter extending as far as just east of Kendal.
During the late Dimlington, the ice masses over the Mint valley and the southern Shap Fells largely thinned and retreated to the north and west, with a surge in northerly ice movement within the upper Lune valley that did not override the western Pennines. Local ice dynamics are well-illustrated in the western margin of the Pennines (Crosby Ravensworth Fell Gaythorne Plain), where the disposition of erratics reflects local late west-to-east weak down-wasting ice flow and the presence of subglacial meltwater drainage channels. However, ice ultimately decayed in situ on Crosby Ravensworth Fell Gaythorne Plain. Similarly, after complex variable easterly and southerly ice flow during the early Dimlington, there was weak northerly ice flow in the later phase over Birkbeck Fells Common before ice thinned and retreated from Grayrigg Forest. An extensive ice stream, fed by ice emanating from an ice dispersal centre in the eastern Lake District, occupied the large trough of Borrowdale that transverses the southern Shap Fells, but its extension and recession dynamics remain enigmatic.
“Glacial Theory …, in its application to the transport of blocks across Stainmoor, involves such obvious mechanical absurdities that the author considers it totally unworthy of the attention of the Society.” William Hopkins, 1842
期刊介绍:
The Proceedings of the Geologists'' Association is an international geoscience journal that was founded in 1859 and publishes research and review papers on all aspects of Earth Science. In particular, papers will focus on the geology of northwestern Europe and the Mediterranean, including both the onshore and offshore record. Following a long tradition, the PGA will focus on: i) a range of article types (see below) on topics of wide relevance to Earth Sciences ii) papers on aspects of Earth Science that have societal relevance including geoconservation and Earth management, iii) papers on palaeoenvironments and palaeontology of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic, iv) papers on aspects of Quaternary geology and climate change, and v) papers on the history of geology with particular reference to individuals that have shaped the subject. These topics will also steer the content of the themes of the Special Issues that are published in the PGA.