Morphometry of Cirques in the Kintail-Affric-Cannich Area of Northwest Scotland

ABSTRACT

Results of measurements of cirque size, shape, site and aspect are presented for the Kintail-Affric-Cannich area of northwest Scotland and are compared with those derived for cirques elsewhere. The correlation structure of the descriptors suggests that as cirgue size increases, the degree of cirque enclosure increases in both plan and profile dimensions, and overall cirque gradient decreases. As size increases, length also tends to increase slightly relative to cirque amplitude, but length to breadth ratio remains relatively constant. The assumption of a space-time transformation leads to the hypotheses that cirque headwall retreat proceeds slightly faster than downcutting and that semicircular equilibrium forms are not developed in this area.

Variations in cirque morphometry and location are largely the function of local-scale, rather than macro-scale factors, in particular the maximum altitude of the area draining into each cirque.