PUBLICATIONS Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface RESEARCH ARTICLE Controls of tor formation, Cairngorm 10.1002/2013JF002862 Mountains, Scotland Key Points: Bradley W. Goodfellow1,2, Alasdair Skelton3, Stephen J. Martel4, Arjen P. Stroeven2, • Tors form in kernels of coarse-grained 2 2 granite among finer-grained granite Krister N. Jansson , and Clas Hättestrand • Wide joint spacing in tors attributable 1 2 to a slow cooling rate of the granite Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA, Department of 3 • Sheet jointing discounts tor formation Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Geological within a thick regolith Sciences and the Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden, 4Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawai‘iatMānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Supporting Information: • Readme • Table S1 Abstract Tors occur in many granitic landscapes and provide opportunities to better understand • Table S2 differential weathering. We assess tor formation in the Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland, by examining correlation of tor location and size with grain size and the spacing of steeply dipping joints. We infer a Correspondence to: control on these relationships and explore its potential broader significance for differential weathering B. W. Goodfellow,
[email protected] and tor formation. We also assess the relationship between the formation of subhorizontal joints in many tors and local topographic shape by evaluating principle surface curvatures from a digital elevation model of the Cairngorms. We then explore the implications of these joints for tor formation. Citation: Goodfellow, B. W., A. Skelton, S. J. Martel, We conclude that the Cairngorm tors have formed in kernels of relatively coarse grained granite.