Glacier response to climatic change during the Loch Lomond Stadial and early Flandrian: Geomorphological and palynological evidence from the Isle of Skye, Scotland

Abstract The deglaciation of Skye at the close of the Loch Lomond Stadial is assessed on the basis of detailed geomorphological mapping and pollen‐stratigraphic correlations. It is concluded that deglaciation proceeded in two distinct stages. The first was marked by numerous glacier stillstands and readvances, while uninterrupted retreat and local glacier stagnation occurred during the second and final stage. The pollen evidence indicates that the first stage was well advanced before the marked thermal improvement at the start of the Flandrian, and it is inferred that initial glacier retreat occurred in response to a decline in precipitation in the later part of the Loch Lomond Stadial. The first stage of glacier retreat continued into the early Flandrian, during which climatic amelioration was interrupted briefly. Final deglaciation appears to have occurred rapidly in response to sustained temperature increases. The collective evidence also indicates spatial variations in the timing of deglaciation, which appear to reflect differences in glacier morphology.