Present-day sandurs are not representative of the geological record: Sedimentary Geology 152, 1–5 (2002)

✍ Scribed by Philip M. Marren

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 108 KB
• Volume: 164
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0037-0738
• DOI: 10.1016/j.sedgeo.2003.10.004

✦ Synopsis

Zielinski and van Loon (2002) have recently described Weichselian sandar from NE Poland which they believe differ from modern-day sandar sufficiently to declare that present-day 'sandurs' are formed under conditions that are geologically exceptional. Zielinski and van Loon are to be commended for their discussion of the variety of sandar which exist now and in the geological past. This topic is important, as too few types of sandur have been studied, and a limited range of models applied to a wide variety of Quaternary and pre-Quaternary sediments. In addition, the dominant model, that of Boothroyd and Nummedal (1978), is in need of revision. Zielinski and van Loon do not acknowledge the complexity of proglacial environments in their paper, and consequently, their conclusions are over-generalised. This discussion elucidates some of the complexities involved in the study of proglacial fluvial systems which have been overlooked by Zielinski and van Loon, in order to re-asses their statement that 'presentday sandurs are not representative of the geological record'.