Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1998, Síða 329

335
Icelandic Tephra in Late-glacial Sediments
of Scotland (14 - 9,000 MC BP)
íslendsk tefra í seinglasialum áløgum í Skotlandi (14 - 9.000 l4C BP)
Stephen J. Roberts1, Chris C. M. Turney2 and John Lowe3
1: Department of Geography, University of Edinburgh, Drummond Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9XP.
Phone: +44 131 650 9170, fax: +44 131 650 2524, e-mail: sjr@geo.ed.ac.uk
2: Landcare Research, PO Box 69, Lincoln 8152, New Zealand.
3: Centre for Quaternary Research, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham,
Surrey, TW20 OEX.
Úrtak
Vedde-øsku- og borrobol-tefrusetløg eru funnin í sein-
glasialum setløgum á seks støðum tvørtur um Skotlanđ.
Hesi kunnu verða nýtt til at útvega neyv og óheft prógv,
ið lýsa lagskipanina (tíðarrøð, og sum sýna broytingar í
fornumhvørvinum í teirri seinastu avglasiatiónini, og
sum benda á beinleiðis samsvar millum støð í norður-
atlantsøkinum. Føroyar liggja stak væl fyri landafrøði-
liga, tá ið hypotesurnar um spjaðing av íslendskari tefru
verða royndar.
Abstract
Vedde Ash and Borrobol Tephra deposits have been
found in Lateglacial deposits at six sites across Scot-
land. These can be used to provide accurate and inde-
pendent chronostratigraphic markers for palaeoenviron-
mental change during the last deglaciation and allow di-
rect correlation between sites in the North Atlantic re-
gion. The Faroe Islands are ideally located to test hy-
potheses of Icelandic tephra dispersal.
We present summary results of analyses of
micro-tephra layers within Late-glacial
lake sediments in several sites in Scotland
and discuss their potential for providing
chrono-stratigraphic markers for Late We-
ichselian climate change in the Faroe Is-
lands. Detailed descriptions of the labora-
tory methods employed can be found in
Lowe and Turney (1997), Turney et al.,
(1997), Roberts (1997), Turney (1998a,b).
The full suite of geochemical analyses can
be viewed on Tephrabase (http//:
www.geo.ed.ac.uk/tephra/tbasehom.html)
(Newton, 1996).
The ages of the micro-tephra layers have
been determined using radiocarbon dating.
Well-dated tephra layers provide chrono-
stratigraphic markers for the accurate dat-
ing and correlation of Late Quaternary suc-
cessions, and underpin models of palaeoen-
vironmental change. The widespread oc-
currence of rapidly - formed tephra hori-
zons allows direct inter - site comparisons
Fróðskaparrit 46. bók 1998: 335-339