Evidence for a Younger Dryas deglaciation in the Galicica Mountains (FYROM) from cosmogenic 36Cl

Abstract

This study presents the first cosmogenic 36Cl surface exposure data from a moraine in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). Five limestone boulders from a terminal moraine in the Galicica Mountains (40.94°N, 20.83°E, 2050 m a.s.l.) were used for cosmogenic 36Cl surface exposure dating. The 36Cl concentrations from the five boulders are identical within their measurement uncertainties ruling out major effects of inheritance, erosion, or snow cover. The calculated ages are very consistent ranging from 11.3 to 12.8 ka (mean 12 ka) after applying a Caspallation production rate of 56 at g-1 a-1 (LSD scaling) and correction for 5 mm ka-1 carbonate weathering and 2 % snow shielding. The applied corrections for weathering and snow shielding cause a shift to older ages in the order of magnitude of ca. 5 % on average, making the production rate the main impact on exposure ages. The ages point to a moraine formation during the Younger Dryas period, consistent with the timing of the last deglaciation in the Galicica Mountains derived from previous geomorphological studies in the area. The formation of a glacier was likely favoured by several topoclimatic factors, accounting for additional snow input. This interpretation is in line with regional studies on glaciation chronologies from Šara Range (FYROM/Republic of Kosovo), Retezat Mountains (Romania), Mount Orjen (Montenegro) and Durmitor (Montenegro). Lake sediment analyses of lakes Prespa (Republic of Albania/ FYROM/Greece), Maliq (Republic of Albania) and Dojran (FYROM/Greece) indicate that cold conditions promoted the formation of a local cirque glacier. However, studies of sediment records of the adjacent lakes Ohrid (Republic of Albania/FYROM) and Prespa do not indicate the presence of a proximal glaciation. An explanation might be a combination of the small size of the cirque glacier, generating only small amounts of debris, and the karstic bedrock, which hampers fluvial transport and acts by its aquifer system as a natural sediment trap, as the fluvial transport of the sediments to the lakes is absorbed by the karst system.

Late Quaternary glaciations and cosmogenic 36Cl geochronology of Mount Dedegöl, south‐west Turkey

“…On the southern part of Mount Geyikdağ, Lateglacial advances occurred between 13.7 ± 0.8 and 14.9 ± 2.3 ka (Sarıkaya et al ., ). Mount Olympus (Geece) (Styllas et al ., ) and Galicica Mountains (FYROM) (Gromig et al ., ) also show similar glacial chronologies confirming Lateglacial stages further within the Balkans (Table ).…”

Sediment residence time reveals Holocene shift from climatic to vegetation control on catchment erosion in the Balkans

“…Rivers and creeks in the catchment form V-shaped valleys and four glacial mo raine sequences have been mapped in the Galičica Mountains between 1780 and 2050 m asl (Ribolini et al, 2011). The uppermost mo raine sequence between an altitude of 2010 and 2050 m asl is dated to the Younger Dryas (Gromig et al, 2018).…”

The Seismic History of the Pisia Fault (Eastern Corinth Rift, Greece) From Fault Plane Weathering Features and Cosmogenic36Cl Dating

“…Weathered parts, reprecipitated minerals, and pore surroundings were carefully removed with a rotary tool before crushing and sieving. The following chemical treatment and the measurement at the CologneAMS facility were performed as described in Rixhon et al () and Gromig et al (). Unused sample material was archived.…”