This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Hughes, P. D. Articles by Gibbard, P. L. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Quaternary glacial history of the Mediterranean mountains

Geography, School of Environment and Development, Mansfield Cooper Building, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK

J. C. Woodward

Geography, School of Environment and Development, Mansfield Cooper Building, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK

P. L. Gibbard

Cambridge Quaternary, Department of Geography, Downing Place, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EN, UK

Glacial and periglacial landforms are widespread in the mountains of the Mediterranean region. The evidence for glacial and periglacial activity has been studied for over 120 years and it is possible to identify three phases of development in this area of research. First, a pioneer phase characterized by initial descriptive observations of glacial landforms; second, a mapping phase whereby the detailed distribution of glacial landforms and sediments have been depicted on geomorphological maps; and, third, an advanced phase characterized by detailed understanding of the geochronology of glacial sequences using radiometric dating alongside detailed sedimentological and stratigraphical analyses. It is only relatively recently that studies of glaciated mountain terrains in the Mediterranean region have reached an advanced phase and it is now clear from radiometric dating programmes that the Mediterranean mountains have been glaciated during multiple glacial cycles. The most extensive phases of glaciation appear to have occurred during the Middle Pleistocene. This represents a major shift from earlier work whereby many glacial sequences were assumed to have formed during the last cold stage. Glacial and periglacial deposits from multiple Quaternary cold stages constitute a valuable palaeoclimatic record. This is especially so in the Mediterranean mountains, since mountain glaciers in this latitudinal zone would have been particularly sensitive to changes in the global climate system.

Key Words: glacial geomorphology • glaciation • Mediterranean • palaeoclimate • periglacial geomorphology • Quaternary

Progress in Physical Geography, Vol. 30, No. 3, 334-364 (2006)
DOI: 10.1191/0309133306pp481ra


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?