Flood alluviation and entrenchment: Holocene valley-floor development and transformation in the British uplands

Abstract

Research Article| June 01, 1992 Flood alluviation and entrenchment: Holocene valley-floor development and transformation in the British uplands MARK G. MACKLIN; MARK G. MACKLIN 1Department of Geography, The University of Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, United Kingdom Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar BARBARA T. RUMSBY; BARBARA T. RUMSBY 1Department of Geography, The University of Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, United Kingdom Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar TIM HEAP TIM HEAP 1Department of Geography, The University of Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, United Kingdom Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information MARK G. MACKLIN 1Department of Geography, The University of Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, United Kingdom BARBARA T. RUMSBY 1Department of Geography, The University of Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, United Kingdom TIM HEAP 1Department of Geography, The University of Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, United Kingdom Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (1992) 104 (6): 631–643. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1992)104<0631:FAAEHV>2.3.CO;2 Article history First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation MARK G. MACKLIN, BARBARA T. RUMSBY, TIM HEAP; Flood alluviation and entrenchment: Holocene valley-floor development and transformation in the British uplands. GSA Bulletin 1992;; 104 (6): 631–643. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1992)104<0631:FAAEHV>2.3.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract The morphology, sedimentary properties, and sequence of recent coarse-grained flood deposits and earlier Holocene alluvial fills were investigated in Thinhope Burn, a small (12-km2) catchment in the Northern Pennine uplands, northern England. Twenty-one large flood events are recorded by distinctive cobble-boulder bars, sheets and splays, and boulder berms and lobes. Lichenometric analysis showed that all but one of these floods dated from the mid-eighteenth century. The timing of large floods between 1766 and 1960 corresponds with major hydroclimatic trends evident in northern Britain and northwest Europe over this period. Discharge estimates suggest that flood magnitudes have decreased since the mid-eighteenth century. Channel and flood-plain metamorphosis in late Roman times and in the eighteenth century, following major valley-floor entrenchment (locally as much as 8 m), would appear to have been caused by increased runoff and flood magnitude. This was linked to a shift to a wetter climate with flow augmented by Iron Age and Roman woodland clearance, and drainage of the catchment in more recent times. Results from this study suggest that current models of longer-term Holocene and Pleistocene valley-floor development in the British uplands may need to be re-evaluated. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.