Periglacial features in the Cairngorm Mountains

Abstract

All of the foregoing discussion can be summarized in a diagram (found in the accompanying folder), from which it can be seen that the main processes which typify periglaciation are frost and aeolian action, solifluction and subnival plucking. Evidence of the latter, however, is inconclusive and its ultimate product (the corrie) belongs more to the glacial landscape.

Frost action is very extensive and ranges from pipkrake to massive frost heaving and the productions of tors and altiplanation.benches. Features produced by frost action are limited in altitude and governed by rock type, as exemplified by tor analysis, which showed that the mat conclusive results were the correlation between tor height and altitude and their preference for coarse grained rocks. Further research along these lines would probably be profitable. Lithology, in the form of rock type, boulder size and shape, amount and plasticity of soil, seems to govern the type of patterned ground produced. Different interrelationships of these lithological factors together with water content seem to result in the operation of different processes. By comparing different lithological areas, it may be possible to produce formulae which would indicate which processes are operative. Such a line of investigation could be of great importance to the science of foundation engineering.

Mass movement seems to be greater in periglacial regions than in other environments, mostly due to the predominance of solifluction. Aeolian,.is also prominent and is responsible for the large deposits of loess in northern France and central Germany and other areas peripheral to the quaternary glaciation. The denudation in the Cairngorm Mountains shows how although aeolian erosion takes place on only a small scale, the resultant vegetal destruction can cause extensive soil erosion.

Generally speaking, the quantitative approach in this thesis was effective and produced results, which were not at first expected. The measurements of movement were not successful because the period was too short or did not include any violent weather conditions. Both quantitative,and qualitative observations (e.g. photogrammetry), after periods of excessive melt, should give expositive results.