Glacial thrusting & moraine-mound formation in Svalbard & Britain: The example of Coire a' Cheud-chnoic (Valley of Hundred Hills), Torridon Scotland

Moraine-mound complexes ('hummocky moraine') are common at a variety of dif ferent types of glacier margin, particularly in mountain regions. They are well developed in front of high-arctic valley glaciers, where they form arc uate moraine belts close to the Neoglacial ice maximum. They have been rece ntly interpreted as the product of thrusting in glacier ice, either at poly thermal ice margins or during glacier surges. The morphology, sedimentology and mode of formation of these moraine-mound systems is described using da ta from several valley glaciers in Svalbard. This model of moraine-mound fo rmation is used to re-interpret one of the most famous Younger Dryas 'hummo cky moraine' sites in Britain, Coire a' Cheud-chnoic (Valley of Hundred Hil ls) in Torridon, Scotland. This model adds to the range of landform models which are applicable in the interpretation of Younger Dryas 'hummocky morai ne' and may have implications for the dynamics and basal thermal regime of the Younger Dryas valley glaciers.