Scottish 'roads' built in a hurry
Scientists from the Department of Geography at Royal Holloway,
University of London have determined that the so-called ‘Parallel
Roads’ at Glen Roy, near
Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, were formed over a surprisingly short period.
Straight-line ‘tracks’ that run around both sides of the glen at heights of 260 metres, 325 metres and 350 metres, the Parallel Roads were cut into the landscape during the last ice age, when the area was submerged under an ice-dammed loch. They represent the shorelines of these ancient lakes, and according to the new research, they were excavated in just over 500 years.
The team studied layers of sediments known as varves, which they said were analogous to tree rings, to give an estimated age for the Parallel Roads.They also used computer-generated digital imagery to demonstrate how the Glen Roy landscape has altered during the last period in which it was occupied by glacier ice, which was between 12,800 and 11,700 years ago.
December 2009
Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, were formed over a surprisingly short period.
Straight-line ‘tracks’ that run around both sides of the glen at heights of 260 metres, 325 metres and 350 metres, the Parallel Roads were cut into the landscape during the last ice age, when the area was submerged under an ice-dammed loch. They represent the shorelines of these ancient lakes, and according to the new research, they were excavated in just over 500 years.
The team studied layers of sediments known as varves, which they said were analogous to tree rings, to give an estimated age for the Parallel Roads.They also used computer-generated digital imagery to demonstrate how the Glen Roy landscape has altered during the last period in which it was occupied by glacier ice, which was between 12,800 and 11,700 years ago.
December 2009
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