The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

A high resolution record of mire development and climate change spanning the Lateglacial-Holocene boundary at Church Moss, Davenham, Cheshire, U.K

A high resolution record of mire development and climate change spanning the Lateglacial-Holocene boundary at Church Moss, Davenham, Cheshire, U.K
A high resolution record of mire development and climate change spanning the Lateglacial-Holocene boundary at Church Moss, Davenham, Cheshire, U.K
Excavations of deposits filling a closed basin within glacial drift at Church Moss, Davenham, near Northwich (Cheshire, England) revealed a sequence of Late-glacial and Early Holocene sediments. Analyses of pollen and plant and invertebrate macrofossils were undertaken, together with loss-on-ignition analyses and a programme of AMS radiocarbon dating, to provide a record of changing biostratigraphy and climatic and ecological regimes. The infilling of features identified as frost-cracks in the till flooring the basin gave remains that reflected conditions of extreme cold towards the end of the Devensian. The pollen record from a 3.5 m sequence of peat towards the deepest part of the basin, supported by radiocarbon dates, shows that organic deposition was initiated during the Late-glacial Interstadial and continued into the early part of the Holocene. There was some evidence for a cool episode during the interstadial, with amelioration prior to the rapid onset of the tundra conditions of the Loch Lomond Stadial. Following the stadial, amelioration was rapid. There was evidence from both central and marginal sequences for a mosaic of fen dominated by sedges and often also mosses, with short-lived small pools through much of the succession. Change to terrestrial conditions proceeded intermittently, probably as a result of subsidence caused by solution of underlying salt-bearing strata
plant macrofossils, pollen analysis, insects, stratigraphy, mire development, climate change, Late-glacial, Holocene, Cheshire
0267-8179
697-724
Hughes, P.D.M.
14f83168-b203-4a91-a850-8c48535dc31b
Kenward, H.K.
654efe2b-304c-4ac9-891a-8663f656e48e
Hall, A.R.
5f93c1f1-fa40-433e-95ce-e0ca324b71a3
Large, F.D.
62209084-1c0e-42d8-bd66-7d3a67efcd1d
Hughes, P.D.M.
14f83168-b203-4a91-a850-8c48535dc31b
Kenward, H.K.
654efe2b-304c-4ac9-891a-8663f656e48e
Hall, A.R.
5f93c1f1-fa40-433e-95ce-e0ca324b71a3
Large, F.D.
62209084-1c0e-42d8-bd66-7d3a67efcd1d

Hughes, P.D.M., Kenward, H.K., Hall, A.R. and Large, F.D. (2000) A high resolution record of mire development and climate change spanning the Lateglacial-Holocene boundary at Church Moss, Davenham, Cheshire, U.K. Journal of Quaternary Science, 15 (8), 697-724. (doi:10.1002/1099-1417(200010)15:7<697::AID-JQS548>3.0.CO;2-M).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Excavations of deposits filling a closed basin within glacial drift at Church Moss, Davenham, near Northwich (Cheshire, England) revealed a sequence of Late-glacial and Early Holocene sediments. Analyses of pollen and plant and invertebrate macrofossils were undertaken, together with loss-on-ignition analyses and a programme of AMS radiocarbon dating, to provide a record of changing biostratigraphy and climatic and ecological regimes. The infilling of features identified as frost-cracks in the till flooring the basin gave remains that reflected conditions of extreme cold towards the end of the Devensian. The pollen record from a 3.5 m sequence of peat towards the deepest part of the basin, supported by radiocarbon dates, shows that organic deposition was initiated during the Late-glacial Interstadial and continued into the early part of the Holocene. There was some evidence for a cool episode during the interstadial, with amelioration prior to the rapid onset of the tundra conditions of the Loch Lomond Stadial. Following the stadial, amelioration was rapid. There was evidence from both central and marginal sequences for a mosaic of fen dominated by sedges and often also mosses, with short-lived small pools through much of the succession. Change to terrestrial conditions proceeded intermittently, probably as a result of subsidence caused by solution of underlying salt-bearing strata

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: 2000
Keywords: plant macrofossils, pollen analysis, insects, stratigraphy, mire development, climate change, Late-glacial, Holocene, Cheshire

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 58259
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/58259
ISSN: 0267-8179
PURE UUID: 4059b48f-5e80-4c87-bf88-0feec8022f6c
ORCID for P.D.M. Hughes: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-8447-382X

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 18 Aug 2008
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:02

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: P.D.M. Hughes ORCID iD
Author: H.K. Kenward
Author: A.R. Hall
Author: F.D. Large

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×