ABSTRACT
Geomorphological evidence of the sequence and age of past glacier fluctuations in South Georgia is presented. At one stage (Early Wisconsin or earlier) an ice cap extended over the surrounding submarine platform to a depth of 200 m and was responsible for most glacial erosion. During a subsequent Interglacial/Interstadial raised beaches were deposited up to altitudes of 52 m and are now represented by isolated remnants of cemented beach deposits. Afterwards a glaciation which probably spanned the Late Wisconsin covered all lowlying parts of the island and may have extended offshore as far as the — 120 m submarine contour. The retreat of this ice cap was marked by a stillstand or readvance of valley glaciers at the mouths of troughs which occurred earlier than 9 000 years ago. Following retreat from this position, there have been two readvances, one a modest event 100–200 years ago and the other a very minor readvance in the early part of this century.
Comparison with other areas in the sub-Antarctic regions of the Scotia Sea reveals that the major glacial episodes seem to be duplicated elsewhere. However, some relatively minor readvances such as those of the Neoglacial/Little Ice Age are not always in phase. For example there is no South Georgia equivalent of a readvance which took place in the South Shetland Islands 500–700 years ago. The glacial history of the Falkland Islands, which are only 2° north of South Georgia but on the other side of the Antarctic Convergence is quite different.
