Abstract. The southern Black Forest was temporarily covered by a
∼1000 km2 large ice cap during the Late Pleistocene.
However, during the last glaciation maximum in the Alps the atmospheric
circulation over Europe was presumably characterised by the advection of
humid air masses from the Mediterranean Sea. As a consequence, the ice cap
of the Black Forest was likely in a leeward position due to its location
north of the Alps. This raises the question of whether it reached its last
maximum extent simultaneously with the glaciers in the Alps. As modern
dating techniques have hitherto not been applied to the southern Black
Forest, the timing of the last local glaciation maximum remains poorly
constrained. As a first step towards an independent regional glacier
chronology, we present a critical re-examination of glacial landforms in the
area north-west of the highest summit of the Black Forest (Feldberg,
1493 m a.s.l.). It relies on both the analysis of remote sensing data and field
mapping. The review of previous studies highlights important disagreements
regarding the location of ice-marginal positions and their correlation. In
addition, our findings challenge earlier studies on the glaciation of the
Black Forest: some previously described ice-marginal positions could not be
confirmed, whereas some of the newly identified moraines are described for
the first time. This highlights the need for detailed geomorphological
investigations prior to the application of geochronological methods. A
multi-ridged series of terminal moraines in one of the studied valleys,
Sankt Wilhelmer Tal, is proposed as the main target for future dating. Due
to discrepancies with earlier studies, future efforts should reinvestigate
other key areas related to the last glaciation of the southern Black Forest.
Oral health in Late Pleistocene and Holocene North West Africa