Schmidt hammer age evaluation of the moraine sequence in front of Bøyabreen, western Norway

The entire moraine sequence in front of Bøyabreen, a southern outlet of Jostedalsbreen in southern Norway, has until now been regarded as being made up of 'Little Ice Age' (LIA) moraines. As the historical evidence does not support a LIA date for the outermost moraine, a Schmidt hammer was used to measure the degree of surface weathering from boulders on the three outermost moraine ridges. The R-values suggest that the boulders on the moraine (M1) below Bøyafjellstølen are much more weathered and consequently much older than those on the second (M2) and third (M3) moraines 500 m up-valley. The lichen sizes suggest a pre-LIA date. According to the glacial history of the Jostedalsbreen region, the M1 probably date to the Early Holocene.