The Periglaciation of Great Britain

Knowledge of periglacial structures and deposits is important for engineering operations and for the reconstruction of the climatic environment of the past. The effects of periglaciation on the British landscape are synthesised in this undergraduate text. The landforms, deposits and sedimentary structures that developed under conditions of arctic severity during the Quaternary Era are described, as well as more recent features that have formed due to processes currently active on British mountains. The book draws together a wide range of theoretical and laboratory research, and recent work from arctic and alpine environments to explain the origins and significance of the relic periglacial features we see in Britain. The book is divided into four parts, beginning with an introduction to the concept of periglaciation, and the necessary chronological and environmental background. Periglacial phenomena in lowland and upland Britain are then considered, along with the relevant theory and current knowledge of these phenomena. Three contrasting periglacial environments are reconstructed in the final chapters. The book forms a valuable synthesis for undergraduates and a useful reference for introductory courses. '... excellent new volume ... in one volume the authors have attempted to bring together virtually all the evidence available for periglacial activity in Britain. This is no small task, yet they have achieved their aims impressively' Geological Magazine 'well illustrated with many diagrams and photographs of good quality ... will become a basic reference work for UK based geomorphologists and Quaternary scientists' Journal of Quaternary Science