Families of lichenometric dating curves from the Storbreen gletschervorfeld, Jotunheimen, Norway

Abstract

Matthews, J. A. Families of lichenometric dating curves from the Storbreen gletschervorfeld, Jotunheimen, Norway. Norsk geogr. Tidsskr. 28, 215–235.

Lichenometric dating, based on Rhizocarpon geographicum, is applied to the establishment of an areal chronology for deglaciation of the Storbreen gletschervorfeld, central southern Norway. A simple approach permitting many lichenometry curves to be constructed in the same area is adopted, each curve differing in the number of sites per surface or the number of lichens per site employed in its construction. Nine lichenometry curves of exponential form are constructed from largest lichens on four past glacier margins of known age, and the age of four margins of unknown age predicted. Median predicted ages are 1811, 1833, 1854 and 1871 and all predictions fall within an overall range of 17 years, 10 years, 10 years and 7 years respectively. The reproducibility of the predicted ages, together with independent supporting evidence, suggests that families of lichenometry curves allow considerable confidence to be placed in the lichenometric dates and are a promising addition to lichenometric dating technique in general.