The Editor,
Journal of Glaciology
Sir,
A “pro-talus rampart” is a ridge or ramp of debris that forms where clasts fall from a cliff face, slide, or roll across the surface of a perennial snow bank of somewhat standard dimensions, and accumulate at its base (Reference RichmondRichmond, 1962; Reference WashburnWashburn, 1973; Reference BallantyneBallantyne, 1986). Recent studies have focused attention on the use of “pro-talus ramparts” as palaeoenvironmental indicators of severe periglacial conditions during the late Pleistocene and Holocene (Reference BallantyneBallantyne, 1984, 1986; Butler, 1984, 1986). Because of their significance in palaeoenvironmental research, I was interested in the background and origin of the term “pro-talus rampart”. In the course of this historical research, I have been consistently amazed at the injustice done to the individual who first described and named these features.
In 1912, Reference DalyR.A. Daly provided the first written description of what were much later called “pro-talus ramparts” (Reference DalyDaly, 1912, p. 593). He provided both a schematic drawing and photograph (p. 592) of these land forms, and named them in the following way:
“Since these special accumulations of debris are dependent on the formation of heavy snow-banks and on specially rapid frost-action before the summer heat has melted the snow in large measure, the wall-like piles may be called ‘winter-talus ridges’” (Reference RappDaly, 1912, p. 593).
Both the accompanying drawing and photograph are clearly labelled, i.e. named, as winter-talus ridges.
How, then, did these features come instead to be known as “pro-talus ramparts” (a term arguably more confusing and less descriptive as to origin than winter-talus ridge)? In 1933, Reference BehreBehre published a more broadly available article, in which he described land forms which were clearly winter-talus ridges. He called these features “nivation ridges” (Reference BehreBehre, 1933, p. 630). Behre correctly recognized the written description of these land forms in another earlier publication, by Crawford (Reference Behre1913, p. 34, p1. VIIA). Crawford did not provide a name/term for these land forms, and Behre therefore created his term for them, apparently never having been aware of the work of Reference DalyDaly (1912).
The following year. Kirk Reference BryanBryan (1934) reviewed Reference BehreBehre’s (1933) paper, and criticized the term “nivation ridges” as misleading, because of the use of the term nivation for the process of excavation around snow banks (Reference BryanBryan, 1934, p. 656). Bryan went on to provide the first usage of the term “pro-talus rampart”:
“The use of the same word (nivation) for these ramparts of blocks is likely to be misleading, and the reviewer suggests that ‘protalus rampart’ would be appropriate for the features.” (Reference RappBryan, 1934, p. 656).
The term was adopted and apparently never challenged Some later works have belatedly credited Daly with the first description of the features in question, but without acknowledging that Daly actually also named them.
The numerous examples include the works by Blagbrough and Breed (1967, p. 762), Rapp and Fairbridge (1968, p. 1107), Flint (Reference Flint1971, p. 134), Reference WashburnWashburn (1973, p. 199), Reference RappEmbleton and King (1975, p. 140), and Richmond (Reference Richmond1962, p. 61).
It should be categorically stated that: (1) neither Reference RappCrawford (1913) or Reference BehreBehre (1933) used the term “winter-talus ridge” ; (2) the originator of the term “winter-talus ridge” was Reference DalyDaly (1912), who did more than merely describe the features; and (3) Reference BryanBryan (1934) introduced a redundant term because of a lack of familiarity with Reference DalyDaly’s (1912) work based partially on Reference BehreBehre’s (1933) similar lack of familiarity. The term “pro-talus rampart” is not necessary, nor has it been so since 1912.
