Controls on the altitude of Scandinavian cirques: What do they tell us about palaeoclimate?

Cirques are glacially eroded, bowl-shaped depressions, characterised by steep headwalls and flat or overdeepened floors. Given their association with past glaciers, cirques sometimes used as proxies for palaeoclimate. However, shaped over multiple glacial cycles, usefulness palaeoclimate indicators therefore remains open to question. In this paper, we map 3984 glacier-free across the Scandinavian Peninsula analyse variations in cirque floor altitude (CFA). We explore relationships between CFAs aspect, latitude, longitude, distance coast. test validity of using through comparison equilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs) 513 modern glaciers. Results indicate that both cirque-glacier ELAs decrease latitude vary being generally lowest on east-facing slopes. clearest strongest trend glacier is an increase elevation from coast (i.e., ‘inland’). This likely indicates similar climatic gradients, particularly inland reduction precipitation, acted regulate former sites initiation (reflected CFAs) ELAs. would imply a useful proxy note reflect general topography region (with increasing elevations moving inland), history area (indirectly linked palaeoclimate) may have played role regulating where formed. For these reasons, suggest palaeoclimatic interpretations derived should be treated caution.