Background
Moraines, as the primary glacial landform, represent the most direct evidence of former glaciation: the mapping of these and other landforms allows three-dimensional glacier reconstruction and empirically-based calculations of palaeo-precipitation. Sediments in moraines allow the reconstruction of glacier dynamics and the palaeo-environment. If suitable material is available, typically in the form of stable boulders on moraine crestlines or buried organic material, radiometric dating techniques such as cosmogenic isotope dating can be applied to determine the depositional age of these boulders and, by proxy, the moraine itself. In other settings, the terrestrial evidence of glacier fluctuations provided by moraines can be linked to continuous distal archives provided, for example, by lacustrine sediment records.
So far, geoscientists have largely applied the methods of their respective fields in isolation. This training school aims to change this by training young geoscientists from the perspective of still-disparate, highly-specialised fields (geomorphology, sedimentology, palaeolimnology, palaeoclimatology, geochronology) to embrace a novel inter-disciplinary approach.
Specifically, we will use a blend of keynote lectures, break-out group and plenary discussions indoors (days 1, 3 and 4) to convey the multitude of tools and challenges available to future geoscientists and provide practical training in the field (day 2). We hope this will enable participants to develop their own inter-disciplinary networks that, having started early in their careers, will hopefully provide fruitful, long-term collaborations with scientists from related disciplines.
The training school will help with the setting-up of scoping groups by trying to match expertise across the three fields and advance individual current projects or set up future collaborations amongst participants; the focus throughout will be on fostering discussions and enabling networking in an informal atmosphere.
Themes
Proximal, direct evidence of ice-marginal fluctuations
Distal, indirect evidence of glacier fluctuations
Dating challenges
Location
Inchnadamph, Scotland
Inchnadamph is located in the heart of Assynt in the Northwest Highlands and is an excellent base for access to textbook examples of glacial landforms and sediments. This area provides a great training ground for mapping, sediment description and sampling for numerical dating. The training school will be based at Inchnadamph Hotel (http://www.inchnadamphhotel.com/) and accommodation is included in the registration fee.
Schedule
Day 1: Arrival and introductory keynote lectures
13th August
Transport from Inverness and Aberdeen airports to Inchnadamph will be provided. Ensure that you can arrive at Inverness airport (INV) before 14:00 or Aberdeen airport (ABZ) before 10.00. Further travel details will be provided on registration.
Day 2: Field visits
14th August
Field visits to Lateglacial and Younger Dryas moraines in the NW Highlands of Scotland.
Day 3: Breakout groups
15th August
Break-out groups will tackle the challenges within each theme as identified in keynotes, group-discussions and hands-on experience/discussions in the field.
Day 4: Final discussion
16th August
A final discussion and opportunity to synthesise key elements with the aim of establishing a more integrated approach to investigating and utilising moraines as archives of former glacier fluctuations. Potential for setting up teams/scoping groups by matching expertise across the three fields and advance individual current projects or set up future collaborations amongst participants. Depart after lunch, transport to Inverness and Aberdeen airports and nearby railway stations will be provided for departures from mid-afternoon onwards. Return flights need to be booked after 16:00 from INV and 19:30 from ABZ.
Organisers
Dr Sven Lukas
Lunds Universitet
Professor Jostein Bakke
Universitetet i Bergen
Dr Clare Boston
University of Portsmouth
Dr Natacha Gribenski
Universität Bern
Dr Susan Ivy-Ochs
ETH Zürich
Dr Willem van der Bilt
Universitetet i Bergen
RegistrationRegistration fee: Full cost GBP 460 (subsidies available)
Deadline: 13th May 2018
EGU funding will be used to cover the partial or full registration costs of early-career scientists on a needs-basis (e.g. self-funded students). This will be decided by the organising committee after the registration deadline and communicated by 21 May 2018. The workshop has a maximum capacity of 24 participants.
The registration fee covers all transport within Scotland, full board and accommodation at Inchnadamph Hotel. Pick-ups of participants from Aberdeen and Inverness airports will be provided - details to follow after successful application.
Please fill in the online registration form below:
