Glacial geomorphology in the Wicklow Mountains, Ireland

Abstract

ABSTRACTWe present a detailed 1:50,000-scale glacial geomorphological map covering ∼450 km2 of the Wicklow Mountains, eastern Ireland. The region was glaciated at the Last Glacial Maximum, but little is known about the timing and pattern of deglaciation during the Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition or the extent of glacier regrowth during the Younger Dryas. The absence of detailed glacial geomorphological mapping has been a barrier to understanding these outstanding questions before now. Mapping of the area was compiled during field campaigns supported by the assessment of remotely-sensed imagery. Ice-marginal moraines are the most prevalent landform mapped and these have been classified into three groups based on differences in morphology. Other evidence for glaciation includes glacially-transported boulders, ice-moulded bedrock, meltwater channels, terraces, talus and summit blockfields. The map forms an essential basis for future work that will investigate glacial landsystems, deglaciation patterns and timing, and the style and extent of Younger Dryas glaciation.

Keywords

• Glacial geomorphology
• Wicklow Mountains
• Ireland
• Late Quaternary glaciation