BRITISH POSTGLACIAL & RECENT DEPOSITS. 381 



CHAPTER XVI. 



POSTGLACIAL AND RECENT DEPOSITS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 



Physical conditions of late glacial times — Scottish Postglacial beds — Raised- 

 beaches — Estuarine and river-deposits — Organic remains — Submarine forests 

 and peat — Buried forest, etc., of Carse of Gowrie, etc.— Succession of deposits 

 — Glacial and late glacial accumulations of 100-feet terrace — Postglacial river- 

 detritus — Ancient land-surface and vegetable remains under Carse-clays — 

 Origin of Carse-clays — Connection of these clays with torrential gravels — 

 Postglacial deposits of the Forth valley — Vegetable remains — Kitchen- 

 middens of 45-50-feet beach — Postglacial deposits of the Montrose Basin — 

 Succession of changes — Date of last elevation of land. 



We have now to inquire into the climatic and geographical con- 

 ditions which obtained during Postglacial and more recent times. 

 We have seen that the latest phase of the Ice Age was severely- 

 glacial, and that the youngest deposits of that period tell us of a 

 time when the Scandinavian peninsula was submerged for some 

 600 feet or thereabout below its present level ; while in like 

 manner the sea overflowed considerable tracts in the low-lying 

 maritime districts of our own islands. A cold ocean, stocked 

 with arctic and boreal shells, washed the shores of Scotland, 

 while large snow-fields covered the higher grounds, and glaciers 

 of no mean size occupied the mountain -valleys, and even in 

 some cases descended to the sea-level. Snow-fields and glaciers 

 likewise existed in the hilly districts of England, Wales, and 

 Ireland. In Norway, too, very large glaciers still filled certain 

 of the fiords and calved their icebergs in the sea. Again, in the 

 alpine regions of Middle Europe, great snow-fields also continued 

 to feed extensive mers de glace, and the rivers of the Continent 



