Younger Dryas

Deglaciation of the Laurentide Ice Sheet and the Younger Dryas

By Jakob Hamann Introduction Following the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), global climate began to warm from around 19,000 years ago, marking the onset of widespread deglaciation across the Northern Hemisphere1. As temperatures increased, the Laurentide Ice Sheet began to thin and retreat from its maximum extent. The balance between snowfall and melting shifted, and ice […]

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Younger Dryas glacial moraines (Lake District)

By Dr Richard Waller, Keele University, and Dr Bethan Davies, Royal Holloway University of London During the Younger Dryas, the Lake District was covered by plateau icefields and cirque glaciers[1]. The image below shows the larger plateau icefields (green) and the smaller cirque glaciers (red) in the Lake District and Snowdonia. You can explore all

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Introduction to the Glacial Landsystems of the Younger Dryas glaciation of Britain

The Loch Lomond Stadial in Britain Between 12,900 and 11,700 years ago, gradual warming of Britain’s climate was interrupted by a sudden period of renewed cooling. During this period, known as the Loch Lomond or Younger Dryas Stadial, glaciers regrew in many areas of upland Britain. Evidence of these glaciers is preserved in a range

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Plateau icefield landsystem of upland Britain

This article was written by Dr Hannah Bickerdike. The glaciation of the upland areas of Britain during the Younger Dryas left behind a distinctive system of landforms across Scotland, the Lake District, Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons. Different parts of Britain were characterised by a different style of glaciation. See more on our Introduction to

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Alpine icefield landsystem of upland Britain

This article was written by Dr Hannah Bickerdike. The Loch Lomond Stadial in Britain Between 12,900 and 11,700 years ago, gradual warming of Britain’s climate was interrupted by a sudden period of renewed cooling. During this period, known as the Loch Lomond or Younger Dryas Stadial, glaciers regrew in many areas of upland Britain. Evidence

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The Loch Lomond Stadial

What is the Loch Lomond Stadial? The final stage of the British-Irish Ice Sheet is known as the Loch Lomond Stadial, the Loch Lomond Readvance or Younger Dryas Stadial1. In Ireland, it is known as the Nahanagan Stadial.  The Loch Lomond Stadial was a period of glacial readvance during the overall shrinking of the British-Irish

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Cirque glaciation landsystem of upland Britain

The Loch Lomond Stadial in Britain Between around 13 and 11 thousand years ago, the climate in Britain, as well as across much of Northern Europe, cooled abruptly1. This short-lived cold period temporarily reversed the general pattern of warming that drove the retreat of ice sheets after the Last Glacial Maximum, causing glaciers to readvance

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Cirques

Glacial cirques, known locally as corries or coires (Scotland) and cwms (Wales), are large-scale erosional features common to many mountainous regions1,2. Classic cirques take the form of armchair-shaped hollows (see image below), with a steep headwall (which often culminates in a sharp ridge, or arête) and a gently-sloping or overdeepened valley floor (see diagram below).

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