Periglacial Processes and Landforms in Britain and Ireland

This 1987 book examines the intimate link between periglacial geomorphology and the fluctuating climates of the Quaternary Period in the British Isles. In the last two million years, ice sheets have covered northern Britain several times. In the south, at the limit of the glaciation, intense frost action and the formation of permafrost have influenced past and present landscapes. The first part of the book looks at areas of the world that have climates similar to periglacial Britain: Scandinavia, the Canadian Arctic, and alpine regions. Contributors then present data on periglacial landforms in the British Isles. Topics discussed include the periglaciation of upland Britain, ground ice depressions, and pingo remnants. The regions surveyed stretch from northern Scotland to the Isles of Scilly. The contributions are based on a conference held in late 1985 under the sponsorship of the International Geographical Union and the Quaternary Research Association of the United Kingdom.