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Niveo-aeolian sand deposits on An Teallach, Wester Ross, Scotland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2011

Colin K. Ballantyne  and
Graeme Whittington
Colin K. Ballantyne
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9AL, Scotland, U.K.
Graeme Whittington
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9AL, Scotland, U.K.
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Abstract

Deposits of windblown sand up to 4 m thick on the Torridon Sandstone massif of An Teallach are shown to be of predominantly niveo-aeolian origin, a form of sedimentation hitherto unrecognised in upland Britain. Sand grains weathered from bedrock and from exposed clasts on plateau areas are blown on to the winter snowpack on surrounding slopes. When the snow melts, the grains are lowered on to the underlying vegetation, which traps the sand and thus allows a stable deposit to accumulate. The deposits formed in this way are massive, poorly sorted and coarser than most aeolian deposits, comprising mainly medium sand (212–600μm) with a substantial proportion of coarse sand and even very small pebbles. The coarseness and poor sorting of the sands reflect the size of grains available for transportation, the strength of the wind, short transport distances and admixture of different grades of sand during deposition. Sand accumulation began in the Early Flandrian before c. 7900 BP, but was eventually much reduced by the establishment of vegetation cover over the plateau source area. Recent disruption of this vegetation cover triggered either by increased storminess or overgrazing resulted in extensive erosion of sand deposits on the plateau and their redeposition on surrounding slopes. Niveo-aeolian deposition continues on lee slopes at present, but is offset by erosion of unvegetated scarps at the margins of the deposits.

Keywords

deflationerosionFlandrianLittle Ice Ageniveo-aeolian accumulationovergrazingperiglacialpollen analysisradiocarbon datingsand sheets.
Type
Research Article
Information
Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of The Royal Society of Edinburgh , Volume 78 , Issue 1 , 1987 , pp. 51 - 63
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1987

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