Quaternary Glaciation in the Mediterranean Mountains the Geological Society of London Books Editorial Committee

Quaternary Glaciation in the Mediterranean Mountains The Geological Society of London Books Editorial Committee

Chief Editor Rick Law (USA)

Society Books Editors Jim Grifﬁths (UK) Dave Hodgson (UK) Phil Leat (UK) Nick Richardson (UK) Daniela Schmidt (UK) Randell Stephenson (UK) Rob Strachan (UK) Mark Whiteman (UK)

Society Books Advisors Ghulam Bhat (India) Marie-Franc¸oise Brunet (France) Anne-Christine Da Silva (Belgium) Jasper Knight (South Africa) Mario Parise (Italy) Satish-Kumar (Japan) Virginia Toy (New Zealand) Marco Vecoli (Saudi Arabia)

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Hughes, P. D. & Woodward, J. C. (eds) 2017. Quaternary Glaciation in the Mediterranean Mountains. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 433.

Hannah, G., Hughes, P. D. & Gibbard, P. L. 2017. Pleistocene plateau ice ﬁelds in the High Atlas, Morocco. In: Hughes, P. D. & Woodward, J. C. (eds) Quaternary Glaciation in the Mediterranean Mountains. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 433, 25–53. First published online January 18, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP433.12 GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY SPECIAL PUBLICATION NO. 433

Quaternary Glaciation in the Mediterranean Mountains

EDITED BY

P. D. HUGHES and J. C. WOODWARD The University of Manchester, UK

2017 Published by The Geological Society London THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

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It is a great honour to write this foreword to Qua- relevant scientific information. The list of refer- ternary Glaciation in the Mediterranean Mountains ences in my main publication (Messerli 1967) con- and to have the opportunity to examine the progress tains no fewer than 364 publications. Published in this field since my own fieldwork across the work on the glaciation of the Mediterranean at region more than 50 years ago. In the summer that time was dominated by many national and months of 1958, 1959, and 1960, I worked on my regional publications. Because of the French PhD dissertation in the Sierra Nevada of Andalucıá legacy in North Africa, for example, about 58 of that contained – in the ‘Corral de Veleta’ at around these publications are in French and only 32 are in 3000 m above sea level – the southernmost glacier English; several are in Italian or Spanish and in Europe at that time. This small glacier was well some even originated in Sweden and Norway. protected in a deep cirque with a northern aspect Today, with the dominance of the English language and high rock cliffs to the summit at 3392 m. In and electronic media, it is much easier to access all the 19th century this Spanish glacier was about the relevant published information. 250 m long – but in 1958 we found it as a small Before we started our unforgettable pan-Medi- firn-ice field and it no longer exists today. In the terranean excursion, I must say something about same valley we could precisely define the end of how we prepared for such an adventure. It began the last cold stage glacier at an altitude of 1620 m. in 1957 with a project from our Institute of Geogra- So, in this area, we were able to observe a modern phy in Bern to map the last ice age moraines on Mediterranean glacier and compare it directly to Mount Olympus (2918 m) in Greece. I was an the last ice age glaciation. It was this setting in assistant at this time and it proved to be an excellent southern Spain that inspired me to give my main introduction to this topic. Next came my PhD publication in 1967 the title Ice Age and Recent research in the Sierra Nevada of southern Spain in Glaciation in the Mediterranean. the summers of 1958 to 1960. This was a formative A few years later, in 1962, we found the same experience and I remember very well that we situation on Erciyes Dag˘h in central Anatolia with looked across to Africa from the summit of Mulha- another small glacier that was also well shaded ceń – the highest point (3478 m) on the Iberian because of a north-westerly aspect and high walls Peninsula. We thought how fascinating it would of rock to the summit at 3916 m. This small be to reconstruct the increase in the recent and the Turkish glacier began at about 3700 m above sea last ice age snowline from southern Europe to level and was still 400 m long in 1962 when its ter- North Africa and especially to include Toubkal minus lay at an altitude of about 3400 m. In the (4167 m), the highest peak in North Africa. same valley we were able to identify the end mor- In 1962 we worked on the stratovolcano Erciyes aines of the last cold stage glacier that lay some Dag˘h (3916 m) in central Anatolia. The following 6 km further down valley at an altitude of about year we constructed a transect across Turkey from 2000 m. These early results in both the western the wonderful recent glaciers and forests on and eastern Mediterranean encouraged us to estab- Kackar Dag˘h (3937 m) in the far northeast – that lish the ‘snowline’ for the last ice age and for the receive much precipitation from the Black Sea – recent glaciers across the entire region. In some over the Erciyes Dag˘h to the peak of Bolkardagh cases that were strongly affected by aspect or (3524 m), close to the Mediterranean coast. Then other factors we had to adjust the snowline values. in Spain we visited the Pyrenees to observe the We cross-checked the other mountains in Spain recent glaciers in the north of that country. I also and Turkey with their last glacial moraines in made an excursion in Italy to the Gran Sasso order to ensure a regionally coherent reconstruction (2912 m) – the highest peak in the Apennines. (Messerli 1967). In 1964 we had a Volkswagen camper van – At this time, however, we did not have radiocar- with two beds and a kitchen – so we were comple- bon or other methods to determine the absolute age tely free to adapt our fieldwork programme to any of these landforms and we had only basic methods glacial moraines we discovered on our travels. to analyse the glacial sediments and soils. It is Moreover, I was recently married to a geographer impressive to see that in this book there is much evi- who could readily understand my fanaticism as a dence for glaciation during several cold stages as I mountaineer and for recent and last ice age glaciers. have seen published in earlier papers by the This also means that our Golden Wedding anniver- editors (Woodward et al. 2004; Hughes et al. sary has passed! But I must also say, that we had 2006; Hughes & Woodward 2009). In the 1950s some older and more experienced students with us and 1960s it was not so easy to access all the for the most critical and unknown mountains in FOREWORD vii eastern Turkey and Lebanon. We were even able the high plateau of Lebanon we drove from Beirut to observe the glacial features on Mount Hermon to Suez and loaded our car onto a ferry before (2814 m) on the border between Syria and driving across Egypt and Libya. Lebanon. It is also very important to acknowledge In Tunisia we reached the western part of the that we received great support from the various Atlas Mountain system but we found these moun- Swiss embassies and even from several ambassa- tains were too low for glaciation. In Algeria we dors to obtain the necessary topographic maps or wanted to visit the Kabylian Mountains (Djurdjura letters of recommendation. 2308 m), but the war between France and Algeria We began our great excursion around the Medi- had ended in 1962 and we were advised not to terranean Sea in the beginning of May 1964 and enter this region because of security concerns. We returned at the end of October that year after had no other choice but to continue to Morocco driving more than 25,000 km. First, we visited and to the highest point of Toubkal (4167 m) Montenegro in the former Yugoslavia exploring where the famous geomorphologists from France the Durmitor Massif (2523 m) and the astonishing and Germany (Jean Dresch and Horst Mensching) very low snowlines – for both the recent period had already mapped the last glaciation. With due and last ice age – in the region of Kotor on the respect to their work, I made use of their obser- coast (Orjen 1895 m and Lovcén 1749 m) where vations and maps. I climbed to the Toubkal glaciation occurred because of exceedingly high summit on October 19th 1964 in order to look local precipitation. We then travelled to western back to the Sierra Nevada and to close the circle Turkey where we worked on Ulu Dag˘h (2543 m, around the Mediterranean Sea (Fig. 1). close to Bursa), Ak Dag˘h (3014 m) and Bey Dag˘h In 1966 I was invited to give a presentation about (3086 m). We travelled from Antalya along the the last ice age glaciation around the Mediterranean Mediterranean coast to the Syrian border and Sea in a Quaternary conference in Germany. This then to Antilebanon and Mount Hermon (2814 m). opened the door to the Tibesti Mountains in the There we saw wonderfully preserved last glacial central Sahara. The Free University of Berlin had moraines at an altitude of 2500 m. After crossing a research station in the main oasis of the Tibesti, called Bardai (1020 m). We wanted to know if the last glacial period had been severe enough to produce glaciers in the mountains of the central Sahara. The Tibesti is positioned between lati- tudes 198 and 228 north and covers an area of about 100,000 km2. We didn’t know that Rognon (1967) had published a paper about certain nivation forms in the Hoggar Mountains at 238 N and 2018 m elevation. We found the same landforms in the Tibesti. On the northern margin of the Tibesti lies the high peak of Mouskorbe´ (3396 m). We were not even sure if we should describe the landforms we observed as moraine or as nivation forms. On the way to Mouskorbe´ we saw a wonderful rock- glacier and a range of periglacial solifluction struc- tures in slope deposits. On the southern margin of the Tibesti we could not find any similar phenom- ena, not even on the highest summit of the Sahara, the Emi Koussi (3415 m) (Messerli 1972). It is clear that there has been much progress in this field of geoscience over these last 50 years. I must thank the two editors for inviting me to write this Foreword and I thank all the authors for their contributions to this timely volume. I am still fascinated by the glacial records of these mountains and I am delighted to see all of this new work to update my knowledge of the glaciation of the Mediterranean region.

Bruno Messerli Fig. 1. Bruno Messerli on the summit of Toubkal, High Atlas of Morocco, October 19th 1964. Bern, 2016 viii FOREWORD

References Messerli, B. 1972. Formen und formungsprozesse in der Hochgebirgsregion des Tibesti. Hochgebirgs- Hughes, P.D. & Woodward, J.C. 2009. Glacial and peri- forschung, 2, 23–86. glacial environments. In: J.C. Woodward (ed.) The Rognon, P. 1967. Climatic inﬂuences on the African Physical Geography of the Mediterranean. Oxford Hoggar during the Quaternary, based on geomorpholo- University Press, Oxford, 353–383. gic observations. Annals of the Association of Ameri- Hughes, P.D., Gibbard, P.L. & Woodward, J.C. 2006. can Geographers, 57, 115–127. Quaternary glacial history of the Mediterranean Moun- Woodward, J.C., Macklin, M.G. & Smith, G.R. 2004. tains. Progress in Physical Geography, 30, 334–364. Pleistocene Glaciation in the Mountains of Greece. Messerli, B. 1967. Die eiszeitliche und die gegenwartige In:J.Ehlers & P.L. Gibbard (eds) Quaternary Gla- Vertgletscherung im Mittelemeeraum. Geographica ciations—Extent and Chronology. Part I: Europe. Helvetica, 22, 105–228. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 155–173. Preface

The origins of this book can be found on the gla- Quaternary environmental change. But whilst this ciated limestone slopes of Mount Tymphi in north- progress has led to the emergence of new research west Greece where the editors, at different times, questions, some key regions and periods remain carried out key elements of their PhD research. poorly dated. We explore some of these questions A particularly striking feature of that Greek moun- and research needs in our introduction and we tain landscape is the excellent preservation of hope this book will encourage new international col- the glacial record. Indeed, as the papers in this laborations to tackle them. Most of the papers in this volume show so vividly, the glacial sediments volume were presented at a session we organised at and landforms in the mountains of the Mediterra- the General Assembly of the European Geosciences nean represent one of the clearest expressions of Union (EGU) in Vienna in April 2014 entitled: Quaternary climate change between the Alps and Quaternary Glaciation in the Mediterranean. the Sahara. The southerly latitude and relatively Further details can be found here: http://meetingor small size of Mediterranean glaciers – past and ganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2014/session/14770. present – makes them especially sensitive gauges It has been a great pleasure to work with this of Pleistocene and Holocene climate change. international community of scholars and to present A key objective of this Special Publication is to their work here. bring together the latest work from the leading We are especially delighted that Bruno Mes- specialists – including glacial geomorphologists, serli has penned the foreword to this volume. Quaternary stratigraphers, and geochronologists – 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of his land- who work in the Mediterranean mountains, and to mark review of Mediterranean glaciation: Die eis- set out the wider significance of their findings. This zeitliche und die gegenwartige Vertgletscherung is timely because we have witnessed a marked im Mittelemeeraum. increase in research activity into the glacial history Bruno has been a very generous supporter of our of the Mediterranean region. A distinctive feature own work on Mediterranean glaciation – we have of the last decade, in particular, is a step-change remained in contact since one of us (JW) first met in the quality of the dating frameworks for the Med- him at the PEP III International Conference: Past iterranean glacial records. This has significantly Climate Variability through Europe and Africa, elevated their importance as an archive of in August 2001, in Aix-en-Provence, where

Fig. 1. Philip Hughes, Bruno Messerli and Jamie Woodward at the XVIII INQUA Congress in Bern in summer 2011. x PREFACE uranium-series dates demonstrating the occurrence mountain landscapes that surround the Mediterra- of extensive Middle Pleistocene glaciation in the nean Sea. mountains of Greece were first presented. We have kept Bruno up-to-date with our findings ever since. Acknowledgements A particular highlight for us was attending his 80th birthday celebrations – with his colleagues from the We would like to thank all the authors and external Institute of Geography at the University of Bern – reviewers for enthusiastically participating in this during the INQUA Congress of 2011 (Fig. 1). project. We thank Neil Glasser, Stephan Harrison, We hope this volume will be of interest to the and Martin Kirkbride for reviewing our proposal wider Quaternary community – not least because for this Special Publication. We also thank the ice caps and glaciers of the Mediterranean Angharad Hills (Commissioning Editor) and were an important component of the complex Rachael Kriefman (Production Editor) and the rest mosaic of upland environments that formed impor- of the team at the Geological Society Publishing tant refugia for many plant and animal species House for their help at all stages of this project. during Pleistocene cold stages. A better understand- Thanks to David Hodgson, the series editor for ing of these glaciated landscapes will lead to a much Geological Society Special Publications, who improved understanding of these refugia. More- provided prompt and constructive feedback on over, several studies have also shown how the various matters including the introduction to this timing of glaciation in the Mediterranean mountains volume. Finally, as ever, we are extremely grateful influenced patterns of Palaeolithic settlement. This to Graham Bowden and Nick Scarle in the Carto- book will be of interest to all who work on glacial graphic Unit of the School of Environment, and fluvial geomorphology and long-term land- Education and Development at The University of scape evolution. We hope it will provide not only Manchester. They have patiently and expertly a powerful statement on the richness and signifi- drawn maps and line diagrams for this book and cance of the Mediterranean glacial archive, but for many of our publications on the glaciation of also a stimulus to ask new questions of the majestic the Mediterranean for over a decade.