Deglaciation in the Cantabrian Mountains: Pattern and evolution

Abstract

The last deglaciation of the Cantabrian Mountain began later than 30 ka ago, after a local glacier maximum. After this glaciation a moderate glacier retreat occurred during a less cold period, followed by a new glacier advance that deposited moraines close to the maximum extension moraine complexes. This cold but very dry period occurred between~ 22-18 ka and it was related to European LGM. Dating made during the last 12 years support a distinctive model of deglaciation history for the last glacial cycle, different to North European and analogous to NW Iberian Mountains and the Pyrenees. The most important deglaciation phase began after 18 ka, when ice disappeared of the lower massifs, icefields withdraw and the main tongue glaciers divided in minor tongues. From ~14 to ~11 ka a new cold period implied a glacier growth dominated by topoclimatic factors in the massifs above 2100. Only on the highest massifs glaciers developed in all orientations, together withrock glaciers established mainly to the North orientations. During the Holocene there are not evidences of glacial stages and the deglaciation was complete. Only four small glaciers were developed during the Little Ice Age in the Picos de Europa, disappearing at the end of the XIX century.