The Pleistocene Geology and Geomorphology of Glen Behy, Co. Kerry

Abstract

Detailed geological and morphographic mapping in Glen Behy has revealed that Pleistocene ice breached the Glen Car/Glen Behy interfluve from the southeast, joined locally generated ice and extended northwestward, over the Knockboy — Stookaniller ridge, into what is now Dingle Bay. The extraneous ice body, fanning out from Glen Car on to the lowlands to the north, also pushed up into the glen through its mouth at Glenbeigh village. This pattern of events was followed on two occasions, probably two separate glaciations. There is no evidence that local ice ever moved north or north-eastward through the mouth of the glen. Coastal exposure of Quaternary sediments indicates that periglacial conditions lasted for long periods, and raised beach sediments record a period of high sea level prior to periglacial conditions. The sequence: glacial — interglacial — glacial is interpreted. The latter two events probably date to the most recent interglacial and glacial periods, but the age of earlier glaciation is uncertain. Much of this paper disproves earlier assumptions about the glaciation of the area.

Keywords:

• Southwest Ireland
• glaciation
• Pleistocene sediments
• cirques
• moraines
• moraine terraces