Monday 14 August 2023

Erratic Castaway

Just a reminder that any Glacial erratic found on the edge of a body of water is probably a boulder that hitched a ride on an iceberg rather than evidence of actual glaciers. 

"An iceberg carries a rock though Jökulsárlón, Iceland's glacial lagoon." https://pin.it/3xNpM9M


Norway, Svalbard, Spitsbergen. Nordvest-Spitsbergen National Park, Liefdefjorden, Monacobreen aka Monaco Glacier. Large boulder floating on iceberg in front of glacier.  https://www.alamy.com/norway-svalbard-spitsbergen-nordvest-spitsbergen-national-park-liefdefjorden-image156487112.html


It seems that the erratic found on the Mumbles seashore - https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=56283  - is just another fascinating example of this phenomenon, having probably enjoyed a cruise around St David's Head rather than the proof of anything else, despite the lurid headlines and press release:

Stonehenge mystery solved: 'Smoking gun' discovery provides 'missing piece' of puzzle


Across the water in North Devon there are about twenty examples of these probable dropstones, Baggy Point is one https://www.geographysouthwest.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/PTV-Baggy-Point-Erratic.pdf explains more.

A fuller explanation of them, and the debate about how they arrived is at: https://data.jncc.gov.uk/data/965f9190-c00b-4a6b-aa9f-8e3855492404/gcr-v14-quaternary-of-south-west-england-c7.pdf


And at   https://data.jncc.gov.uk/data/965f9190-c00b-4a6b-aa9f-8e3855492404/gcr-v14-quaternary-of-south-west-england-c2.pdf



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