The Spatial Distribution of Middle and Late Pleistocene Cirques in Greece

In Greece, Middle to Late Pleistocene mountain glaciations appear to have been quite extensive, along the mountain range of Pindus, on Mt Olympus and in the highlands of Peloponnesus and Crete. This study focuses on the extent of the Middle to Late Pleistocene glaciations in Greece based on the examination of cirque formations. An initial spatial database of these glacial forms was created for the first time in Greece, including cirque location and morphometric properties. In total, 265 cirques were recorded covering a total area of 94.9km2 with limestone as the dominant underlying lithology. The number of cirques has decreased in southern Greece. Cirques occur at altitudes ranging from 2770 to 1600m a.s.l. The largest cirque areas are observed in northern Greece. Since several highlands of Greece have uplifted, the mean elevations of these cirques have increased in time. In northern Greece the cirques are wider, longer and deeper. The vast majority of cirques are facing towards the northeastern hemisphere due to more severe climatic conditions originating from the northeast during glacial periods.