Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T20:59:35.834Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Middle to Late Holocene glacial variations, periglacial processes and alluvial sedimentation on the higher Apennine massifs (Italy)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Carlo Giraudi
Carlo Giraudi*
Affiliation:
ENEA C.R. Casaccia, PO Box 2400-00100, ROMA A.D., Italy
*
*Fax: +39 0630486487. E-mail address:[email protected].
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The major climatic variations that have affected the summit slopes of the higher Apennine massifs in the last 6000 yr are shown in alternating layers of organic matter-rich soils and alluvial, glacial and periglacial sediments. The burial of the soils, triggered by environmental–climatic variations, took place in several phases. For the last 3000 yr chronological correlations can be drawn between phases of glacial advance, scree and alluvial sedimentation and development of periglacial features. During some periods, the slopes were covered by vegetation up to 2700 m and beyond, while in other phases the same slopes were subject to glacial advances and periglacial processes, and alluvial sediments were deposited on the high plateaus. Around 5740–5590, 1560–1370 and 1300–970 cal yr B.P., organic matter-rich soils formed on slopes currently subject to periglacial and glacial processes; the mean annual temperature must therefore have been higher than at present. Furthermore, on the basis of the variations in the elevation of the lower limit reached by gelifraction, it can be concluded that the oscillations in the minimum winter temperatures could have ranged between 3.0°C lower (ca. 790–150 cal yr B.P.) and 1.2°C higher (ca. 5740–5590 cal yr B.P.) than present minimum winter temperatures. During the last 3000 yr the cold phases recorded by the Calderone Glacier advance in the Apennines essentially match basically the phases of glacial advance in the Alps.

Keywords

Apennine chainMiddleLate HoloceneGlacialPeriglacialAlluvial sedimentsBuried soilsPalaeoclimateMinimum winter temperatures
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 64 , Issue 2 , September 2005 , pp. 176 - 184
Copyright
Copyright © University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baroni, C. Carton, A. (1991). Vedretta di Pisgrana (Gruppo dell'Adamello). Geomorfologia e variazioni oloceniche della fronte. Natura Bresciana 26, 109–115. Google Scholar
Bond, G. Showers, W. Cheseby, M. Lotti, R. Almasi, B. deMenocal, P. Priore, P. Cullen, H. Hajdas, I. Bonani, G. (1997). A pervasive millennial scale cycle in North Atlantic Holocene and glacial climates. Science 278, 1257–1266. Google Scholar
Gellatly, A.F. Smiraglia, C. Grove, J.M. Latham, R. (1994). Recent variations of Ghiacciaio del Calderone, Abruzzi, Italy. Journal of Glaciology 40, 486–490. Google Scholar
Geyh, M.A. Benzler, J.H. Roeschmann, G. (1971). Problems of dating Pleistocene and Holocene soils by radiometric methods. Yaalon, D.H. Paleopedology: Origin, Nature and Dating of Paleosols Israel Univ. Press, Jerusalem. 63–75. Google Scholar
Geyh, M.A. Rõetlisberger, F. Gellatly, A. (1985). Reliability tests and interpretation of 14C dates from paleosols in glacier environments. Zeitschrift für Gletschekundes und Glazialgeologie 21, 275–281. Google Scholar
Giraudi, C. (2001). Segnalazione di strutture a strisce parallele (sorted stripes) su detrito del Gran Sasso d'Italia (Abruzzo). II Quaternario 14, 1 5–8. Google Scholar
Giraudi, C. (2002). Le oscillazioni del Ghiacciaio del Calderone (Gran Sasso d'Italia, Abruzzo-Italia Centrale) e le variazioni climatiche degli ultimi 3000 anni. II Quaternario 15, 2 145–150. Google Scholar
Giraudi, C. (2003). I depositi alluvionali olocenici di Campo Imperatore (Massiccio del Gran Sasso-Abruzzo). II Quaternario 16, 1 117–125. Google Scholar
Giraudi, C. (2004). The Apennine glaciations in Italy. Ehlers, J. Gibbard, P.L. Quaternary Glaciations–Extent and Chronology: Part I. Europe Elsevier, Amsterdam. 215–224. Google Scholar
Giraudi, C. (2005). The Late Holocene alluvial events in the Central Apennine (Italy). The Holocene 15, 5 768–773. Google Scholar
Grove, J.M. (1997). The spatial and temporal variations of glaciers during the Holocene in the Alps, Pyrenees, Tatra and Caucasus. Paläoklimaforschung-Palaeoclimate Research 24, 95–103. Google Scholar
Grove, J.M. Gellatly, A.F. (1997). Glacier fluctuations in the Pyrenees in the Little Ice Age and Mid Holocene. Paläoklimaforschung-Palaeoclimate Research 24, 67–83. Google Scholar
Jania, J. (1997). The problem of Holocene glacier and snow patches fluctuations in the Tatra Mountains: a short report. Paläoklimaforschung-Palaeoclimate Research 24, 85–94. Google Scholar
Matthews, J.A. (1993). Radicarbon dating of buried soils with particular reference to Holocene solifluction. Solifluction and Climatic Variation in the Holocene Paläoklimaforschung-Palaeoclimate Research vol. 11, 309–324. Google Scholar
O'Brien, S. Mayewski, P. Meeker, L. Meese, D. Twickler, M. Whitlow, S. (1995). Complexity of Holocene climate as reconstructed from a Greenland ice core. Science 270, 1962–1964. Google Scholar
Orombelli, G. Mason, P. (1997). Holocene glacier fluctuations in the Italian alpine region. Glacier Fluctuation During the Holocene Paläoklimaforschung-Palaeoclimate Research vol. 24, 59–65. Google Scholar
Orombelli, G. Pelfini, M. (1985). Una fase di avanzata glaciale nell'Olocene superiore, precedente alla Piccola Glaciazione, nelle Alpi Centrali. Rendiconti Società Geologica Italiana 8, 17–20. Google Scholar
Orombelli, G. Porter, S.C. (1982). Late Holocene fluctuations of Brenva Glacier. Geografia Fisica Dinamica Quaternaria 5, 13–37. Google Scholar
Scharpenseel, H.W. Schiffmann, H. (1977). Soil radiocarbon analysis and soil dating. Geophysical Survey 3, 143–158. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Strumia, G. (1997). Oscillazioni glaciali precedenti la piccola età glaciale documentate da un suolo sepolto in una morena del Ghiacciaio del Lys. II Quaternario 10, 2 153–158. Google Scholar
Stuiver, M. van der Plicht, H. (1998). Calibration database editorial comment. Radiocarbon 40, 3 XII–XIII. Google Scholar
Stuiver, M. Reimer, P.J. Bard, E. Beck, W.J. Burr, G.S. Hughen, K.A. Kromer, B. McCormac, G. van der Plicht, J. Spurk, M. (1998). INTCAL98 radiocarbon age calibration, 24,000-0 cal BP. Radiocarbon 40, 3 1041–1083. Google Scholar
Talma, A.S. Vogel, J.C. (1993). A simplified approach to calibrating C14 dates. Radiocarbon 35, 2 317–322. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tonini, D. (1961). Il Ghiacciaio del Calderone del Gran Sasso d'Italia. Bollettino del Comitato Glaciologico Italiano 10, 71–134. Google Scholar