Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
these areas is situated at c. 3450 m asl and glacier survival is strongly influenced
by local topoclimatic controls (Kurter, 1991). In northeastern Turkey, at least 12
small glaciers exist in the Pontic Mountains, such as in the Ka¸kar Massif (3932 m
asl). According to ¸ iner (2004) glaciers in this massif cover a total area of about
2.54 km
2
with ELAs between 3100 and 3400 m.
3.4 Conclusion
The mountains of the Mediterranean have been shaped by multiple glaciations dur-
ing the Pleistocene and some glaciers still survive today. Knowledge of glaciations
has improved dramatically in recent years due to the development of new and exist-
ing dating techniques. However, there is still a lot to do and the glacial geochronol-
ogy of many mountain areas remains unknown, or in some areas unresolved, with
contradictions in the results of dating that has been applied. Glaciers have a very
close relationship with climate - especially temperature and precipitation. Thus, the
glacial record of the Mediterranean mountains has the potential to tell us a great deal
about former atmospheric circulation in the region during Pleistocene cold stages.
Future progress in this area of research will depend on the development of robust
geochronologies and also detailed survey of former glacier extents.
As for the last remaining glaciers of the Mediterranean mountains, the future
looks bleak. Future simulations of climate in the Mediterranean region suggest drier
and hotter conditions for the period 2071-2100. In many areas, winter precipitation
is expected to decrease whilst summer temperatures are also predicted to rise, with a
rise in mean June-August temperatures of 5
◦
C expected for some areas (Giorgi and
Lionelli, 2008). If this scenario happens then the remaining glaciers will disappear
and there will be no perennial ice left in the Mediterranean mountains. Whether
this will happen remains to be seen, especially since the complexities of mountain
topoclimates mean that the future behaviour of small mountain glaciers is often
difficult to predict (Hughes, 2008, 2009).
References
References marked as bold are key references.
Ak¸ar, N. and Schluchter, C. (2005) Paleoglaciations in Anatolia: a schematic review and first
results.
Eiszeitalter und Gegenwart
55:102-121.
Ak¸ar, N., Yavuz, V., Ivy-Ochs, S., Kubik, P.W., Vardar, M. and Schluchter, C. (2007) Paleoglacial
records from Kavron Valley, NE Turkey: Field and cosmogenic exposure dating evidence.
Quaternary International
164-165:170-183.
Ak¸ar, N., Yavuz, V., Ivy-Ochs, S., Kubik, P.W., Vardar, M. and Schluchter, C. (2008) A case for
a down wasting mountain glacier during Termination I, Ver¸enik Valley, NE Turkey.
Journal
of Quaternary Science
23:273-285.
Allen, J.R.M., Huntley, B. and Watts, W.A. (1996) The vegetation and climate of northwest Iberia
over the last 14 000 yr.
Journal of Quaternary Science
11:125-147.
