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bathymetry
geos
inherited shore
platforms
sea level change
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Inherited coastal
landforms
There is widespread evidence around Orkney of the emergence of erosional
landforms at the coast from beneath a cover of till. Whilst long stretches of
the Atlantic coasts are undergoing active erosion, more sheltered shores give
examples of platforms, geos and even cliff lines that are currently being
re-occupied by the sea. Raised beaches resting on raised rock platforms occur on
Hoy but there are no known coastal features on Orkney above 10 m OD. Prominent
abandoned cliff lines are evident from the bathymetry at around -10 and -50 m.
Similar inherited landforms occur widely around the Scottish coast.Sea level
has fluctuated widely through the glacial and interglacial cycles of the
Pleistocene. Rock platforms below, at and above current sea level reflect
periods when sea level has become stabilised for an extended time at that level,
allowing erosion to cut a prominent notch in the shoreline. For features close
to present sea level, perhaps the most likely period of erosion was during the
last interglacial around 125 thousand years ago. |