I must now very briefly review the evidence bearing on the climatic
conditions of post-glacial times. And first, let it be noted that the
closing stage of the Pleistocene period was one of cold conditions,
accompanied in north-western Europe by partial depression of the land
below its present level. This is shown by the late-glacial marine
deposits of central Scotland and the coast-lands of Scandinavia. The
historical records of the succeeding post-glacial period are furnished
chiefly by raised beaches, river- and lake-alluvia, calcareous tufas,
and peat-bogs. An examination of these has shown that the climate, at
first cold, gradually became less ungenial, so that the Arctic-alpine
flora and northern fauna were eventually supplanted in our latitude by
those temperate forms which, as a group, still occupy this region. The
amelioration of the climate was accompanied by striking geographical
changes, the British Islands becoming united with themselves and the
opposite coasts of the continent. The genial character of the climate
at this time is shown by the great development of forests, the remains
of which occur under our oldest peat-bogs. Not only did trees then grow
at greater altitudes in these regions than is at present the case,
but forests ranged much further north, and flourished in lands where
they cannot now exist. In Orkney and Shetland, in the far north of
Norway, and even in the Faröe Islands and in Iceland relics of this old
forest-epoch are met with. In connection with these facts reference may
be made to the evidence obtained from certain raised beaches on both
sides of the N. Atlantic, and from recent dredgings in the intervening
sea. The occurrence of isolated colonies of southern molluscs in our
northern seas, and the appearance in raised beaches of many forms which
are now confined to the waters of more southern latitudes, seem to show
that in early post-glacial times the seas of these northern latitudes
were warmer than now. And it is quite certain that the southern forms
referred to are not the relics of any pre-glacial or interglacial
immigration. They could only have entered our northern seas after the
close of the Glacial period, and their evidence taken in connection
with that furnished by the buried trees of our peat-bogs, leads to the
conclusion that a genial climate supervened after the cold of the last
glacial epoch and of earliest post-glacial times had passed away.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account