Post‐little ice age patterned ground development on two pyrenean proglacial areas: from deglaciation to periglaciation

Abstract

This study aims to observe post‐Little Ice Age glacier retreat and the constitutive patterned ground development at two French Pyrenean glacier forelands (Taillon Glacier and Pays Baché Glacier). Periglacial feature observations are associated with periods of deglaciation using aerial photos and archive files. Four conclusions are drawn. (1) The two glaciers have lost respectively 68% and 92% of their surface since 1850, which corroborates observations on other Pyrenean glaciers. (2) Patterned ground can develop very rapidly, sometimes only 10 years after deglaciation. (3) Patterned ground size does not systematically increase as a function of the time elapsed since deglaciation. (4) All the forms, even those developing near the Little Ice Age moraines, are active. We propose that the location, activity and size of patterned ground are more probably linked to drift characteristics and local wetness conditions than to the time elapsed since deglaciation.

Key words:

• deglaciation
• patterned ground
• periglacial features

Acknowledgements

The fieldwork was carried out thanks to the financial support of the Pyrenees National Park and the laboratory Géolittomer (LETG – UMR 6554 – CNRS). We also wish thank the three anonymous reviewers for their constructive remarks.