Regresar

The Iberian Peninsula

Abstract:

The Iberian Peninsula is amongst the most elevated regions of Europe and it includes a wide range of glacial landforms and deposits distributed across its main mountain ranges. Today, periglacial processes are only active in the highest mountains, but during Pleistocene cold phases they were widespread across Iberia. A variety of periglacial phenomena developed above the glaciated domain during the Last Glacial Cycle as well as below glacial fronts, even at mid and low-altitude environments in central and NW Iberia, as revealed by geomorphic evidence. Most relict permafrost-related features formed immediately after glacial retreat under paraglacial conditions (e.g. rock glaciers). Periglacial processes have been confined to high altitudes since the onset of the Holocene, and at present are active only above 2000–2200 m in northern Iberian ranges and above 2500 m in the southern Sierra Nevada.