Geological Magazine

Table of Contents - November 1994 - Volume 131, Issue 06  

Rapid Communications

Testing the climatic significance of dropstones: an example from southeast Spain

Matthew R. Bennetta1, Peter Doylea1, Anne E. Mathera2 and Joanne L. Woodfina1

a1 School of Earth Sciences, University of Greenwich, Wapping Campus, Brewhouse Lane, Wapping, London, E1 9NU, UK

a2 Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake's Circus, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK

Abstract

Dropstones are clasts which pose a hydrodynamic paradox or which have an exotic lithology with uncertain provenance. Dropstones are usually associated with glacial processes and have recently been used to substantiate the presence of cool climatic phases in the geological record. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate, using an example from southeast Spain, that dropstones can be unreliable palaeoclimatic indicators, and that greater care is required in their interpretation.

(Received June 20 1994)

(Accepted August 22 1994)

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