The above map shows how coastal processes are continually changing the coast line of Tentsmuir. Tentsmuir’s location at the bottom of the Tay estuary means it receives huge quantities of sand each year. When the sediment is deposited, it slowly…
This map shows the raised beaches which have been identified behind Tentsmuir, reflecting the fact that the beach used to much further inland compared to its present point. These beaches were identified due to their long flat shape, and due to the…
This is a channel that runs alongside the edge of the glacier, draining away any water that has melted. It can sometimes be seen after glaciation, and helps us to understand how big the glacier was at different times.
Brrrrrrrr – goodness, it was chilly in Tentsmiur 15000 years ago! Where you are standing right now used to be covered by an enormous glacier, which is like a massive frozen river. It used to cover all of Scotland and Ireland, and go all the way down…
Moraines form when the glacier deposits material that it has been carrying. The material it deposits at the snout (end) form the terminal moraine. If material is deposited along the side of the glacier, this is called a lateral moraine. If the…
DRUMLIN DIAGRAM: A drumlin forms when a glacier deposits material, more at one end than the other, giving it a characteristic blunt end where the most material was deposited, and a sloping lee side behind. There are often lots of them found…
22000 years ago this whole area was covered by a thick layer of ice – as was most of Scotland and Ireland, all the way down to the North of England and Wales. The ice started melting 20,000 years ago but didn’t all disappear until about 11,500 years…