How much do we know about Stonehenge? Less than we think. And what has Stonehenge got to do with the Ice Age? More than we might think. This blog is mostly devoted to the problems of where the Stonehenge bluestones came from, and how they got from their source areas to the monument. Now and then I will muse on related Stonehenge topics which have an Ice Age dimension...
THE BOOK
Some of the ideas discussed in this blog are published in my new book called "The Stonehenge Bluestones" -- available by post and through good bookshops everywhere. Bad bookshops might not have it....
To order, click HERE
Some of the ideas discussed in this blog are published in my new book called "The Stonehenge Bluestones" -- available by post and through good bookshops everywhere. Bad bookshops might not have it....
To order, click HERE
Saturday 19 January 2013
The site of Lake Brynberian
Here is a new map (based on a computer-generated terrain map from Henry Patton) showing the "landscape context" for Rhosyfelin. The "lighting" for this model is in the south, so the north-facing slopes show up clearly. Click to enlarge.
Rhosyfelin is shown with the orange dot. The "basin" which is supposed to have held the waters of Glacial Lake Brynberian is clearly shown, defined in part by the northern slopes of Mynydd Preseli.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Brian,
Rhosyfelin seems to be near the bottom of the basin of Glacial Lake Brynberian. It would be the last place to drain dry when the glacial lake drained of its meltwater.
Do we know when the Lake formed? And how long it would have taken to drain?
Kostas
It's certainly worth thinking about that the gorge of the Afon Brynberian might have been fashioned -- at least in part -- by the draining of Lake Brynberian. The trouble is that it runs in the wrong direction -- glacial spillways tend to run AWAY from the ice edge or ALONG the ice edge. It would be very rare indeed for glacial drainage to occur beneath the ice dam -- that would defy the laws of physics. It happens sometimes in Iceland with jokulhlaups -- but there are strange things going on there, associated with volcanoes...
Brian,
Thanks for your commend. Interesting.
In a previous post I talked about the possibility of meltwater running on the surface of an ice sheet in a direction opposite to the glacial advance or drain channel. If we were to assume (for just this once) Glacial Lake Brynberian was at one time solidly frozen and latter melted from the 'top-down', would this scenario agree with the evidence on the ground?
Kostas
No
Post a Comment