The Old Ruminator
Well-known member
Our understanding of cave formation and particularly cryogenic stal has moved forward a lot in recent years. For us to see a logical framework we need to find a simplified account of climate change in the UK over the last 900,000 years. This account , probably written for children, provides a simplified account of the recurrent ice ages and warmer interglacial periods in the UK.
https://www.gethistory.co.uk/historical-period/prehistory/stone-age/a-brief-history-of-climate-change
Stal dating in Reservoir Hole by Farrant and Lundberg and other observations ( presented in UBSS proceedings Vol 27 no 1. 2016 ) suggest a genesis for Reservoir Hole some 700,000 years ago , the Grand Gallery conduit active 275,000 years ago with the Gough's conduit abandoned 110, 000 years ago. Other workers suggest that Cheddar Gorge is an anomalous and youthful feature only 150,000 years old. Such marker dates can be correlated with the climate profile seen above. Recently released is stal dating research from Halloween Rift on Mendip as Sample one 215 - 219,000 years old and Sample two 125,300 - 126,800. Presumably showing the time the speleothem took to grow from one date to the other. ( Gina Moseley - Vince Simmons )
http://www.dighalloween.mendipgeoarch.net/#home
I have not seen further research as yet but I assume the samples were cryogenic samples rather than anything else. If that were the case we can assume that the cryogenic fracturing in this cave took place less than 125,000 years ago. ( The Devensian or Last Glacial Maximum ). Cave development on Mendip maybe at its most prominent in the Hoxnian era 410 -380,000 years ago ( Before Present B.P. from 1950 as the benchmark ). This interglacial was actually warmer than we see today and probably wetter.
Of course nothing in climate change is simple and other factors regarding sea change are starting to be understood. Sea level relates to land level which can be tectonic or the rebound from the weight of ice disappearing . Its possible the British Isles are uplifting at present due to an underlying Icelandic magma plume. What we should not do is relate caves to current surface features as that relationship has altered enormously over 750,000 years.
https://www.gethistory.co.uk/historical-period/prehistory/stone-age/a-brief-history-of-climate-change
Stal dating in Reservoir Hole by Farrant and Lundberg and other observations ( presented in UBSS proceedings Vol 27 no 1. 2016 ) suggest a genesis for Reservoir Hole some 700,000 years ago , the Grand Gallery conduit active 275,000 years ago with the Gough's conduit abandoned 110, 000 years ago. Other workers suggest that Cheddar Gorge is an anomalous and youthful feature only 150,000 years old. Such marker dates can be correlated with the climate profile seen above. Recently released is stal dating research from Halloween Rift on Mendip as Sample one 215 - 219,000 years old and Sample two 125,300 - 126,800. Presumably showing the time the speleothem took to grow from one date to the other. ( Gina Moseley - Vince Simmons )
http://www.dighalloween.mendipgeoarch.net/#home
I have not seen further research as yet but I assume the samples were cryogenic samples rather than anything else. If that were the case we can assume that the cryogenic fracturing in this cave took place less than 125,000 years ago. ( The Devensian or Last Glacial Maximum ). Cave development on Mendip maybe at its most prominent in the Hoxnian era 410 -380,000 years ago ( Before Present B.P. from 1950 as the benchmark ). This interglacial was actually warmer than we see today and probably wetter.
Of course nothing in climate change is simple and other factors regarding sea change are starting to be understood. Sea level relates to land level which can be tectonic or the rebound from the weight of ice disappearing . Its possible the British Isles are uplifting at present due to an underlying Icelandic magma plume. What we should not do is relate caves to current surface features as that relationship has altered enormously over 750,000 years.
