A LATEGLACIAL AGE FOR THE MAIN ROCK PLATFORM, WESTERN SCOTLAND
J. Stone, K. Lambeck, L. K. Fifield, J. M. Evans and R. G. Cresswell
Geology 24, 707-710 (1996)
Abstract
The sea level record preserved in ancient shorelines forms a basis for
studies of tectonic uplift, glacial loading, and the changing volume of
the oceans. The existing record is derived largely from depositional features
such as beach ridges and coral reefs, which contain material suitable for
radiometric dating. Erosional shorelines have proved more difficult to
date. Direct age estimates for shore platforms can now be obtained with
exposure dating techniques based on cosmic-ray-produced isotopes. Here
we report measurements of cosmogenic Cl-36 on the Main Rock Platform in
western Scotland, which indicate formation in a postglacial event spanning
less than a few thousand years. Together with isostatic modelling, the
Cl-36 results suggest cutting during the Younger Dryas (in Britain, the
"Lateglacial" or "Loch Lomond") Stadial, when stable
sea level and severe climatic conditions combined to enhance bedrock erosion.
