The glacial geomorphology of the Scărișoara Plateau, Godeanu Mountains, Southern Carpathians, Romania

Reconstructing the extent, style, timing and drivers of past mountain glaciation is crucial in both understanding past atmospheric circulation and predicting future climate change. Unlike in high-elevation mountains situated in maritime and continental climates, less is known of past glaciation in mid-altitude mountains, located in transitional climates, such as the Southern Carpathians of Romania. Despite these mountains harbouring a rich glacial geomorphology, this has never been systematically mapped according to well-established morphological criteria, nor confidently related to former styles of glaciation. Therefore, filling this gap is important for not only accurately identifying glacial extents, but also for establishing past glaciation styles and relating them to past ice dynamics and climate. We aim to understand the extent and timing of past glaciation in the Godeanu Mountains, Southern Carpathians. We present a new geomorphological map of the area, highlighting landforms associated with glaciation of the Scărișoara plateau and surrounding valleys. Using both remote (orthophotographs and Google Earth) and field mapping techniques, we describe and interpret the origins of glacial erosional landforms (ice-moulded bedrock, ice-marginal meltwater channels), and of depositional discrete debris assemblages of likely glacial (moraines), periglacial (pronival ramparts, protalus lobes, rock glaciers) and paraglacial (rock slope failure) origins. We also hypothesize the relationship of these landforms with former styles of glaciation. The field study results aid the interpretation of the geomorphology in the wider mountain range. Once absolute chronological results have been produced, the mapping will be used as a spatial constraint for numerical ice-flow modelling in the Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM).