Nivation Hollows and Glacial Cirques in Söderåsen, Scania, South Sweden

ABSTRACT

The author leads a research project to test his theory of nival erosion and glacial protection of cirque forms in Scania (Rapp 1982 a and b), with comparative studies in Lappland and in middle and south Europe. The project will test the following postulates.

The tundra periods in Scania, e.g. the Older and Younger Dryas had permafrost climate with strong effects of snow drifting by easterly and westerly winter storms. This is likely from observations of fossil ice-wedge casts on sandy plains in Scania, and from wind-polished bedrock and blocks with fluting marks, from easterly and westerly directions (G. Johnsson, Å. Mattson, H. Svensson). Large masses of snow were then trapped in the valleys of Söderåsen, forming nivation hollows and glacial cirques. This was also the case during the much longer tundra periods before the advances of the Quaternary main ice sheets over Scania. Small local glaciers and many nivation hollows were formed and grew, before the major ice advances. The canyons, cirques and nivation hollows were protected from destructive ice-sheet scour as their own, local ice-fill, made the large glacier slide over without much erosion (Rapp 1982). Our research program in Lappland will include winter and summer studies of contemporary nivation processes and resulting land forms at selected sites in the mountains of Abisko.