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Abstract
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The glacial geomorphology of the south-west Lake District has been mapped over 98 km using 1:10,000 aerial photography, Google Earth images and a high resolution digital elevation model (NEXTMap). The area is subdivided into two map sheets (eastern and western) and includes Upper Eskdale, the Langdales, the valleys surrounding Wastwater and the neighbouring valley of Ennerdale. The maps include 9 surficial geology units in addition to the various geomorphological features. Suites of arcuate moraine ridges record the sequential retreat of topographically-controlled glaciers. Flutings, which may relate to radial outflow of ice from the central fells during the Late Devensian, are also present. ‘Paraglacially modified sediments and scree’ is the largest of the map units, reflecting the extensive occurrence of ancient and present-day hillslope processes in the region. More recent palaeo-glaciological reconstructions of the Younger Dryas (12.7—11.5 ka BP) ice extent in the Lake District remain spatially restricted, with many covering only small areas of the Lake District. Furthermore, these reconstructions suggest substantially different ice configurations. In particular, the south-west Lake District remains a key area of uncertainty. We use the geomorphological maps presented in this paper to produce new reconstructions of Younger Dryas ice extent in the south-west Lake District. We combine this with previously published reconstructions from across the whole Lake District to provide a complete regional Younger Dryas ice reconstruction.