Evidence Regarding the Rate of Peat Growth

Abstract

An attempt is made to estimate the growth rate of peat in the Eastern Grampian region of Scotland by dividing the figure for depth by the number of years taken to accumulate that depth. The rate of peat growth is expressed as centimetres per 100 years. Pollen analyses were carried out and on the resulting diagrams, pollen zones with the equivalent climatic periods are distinguished. A time scale based on the Cambridge radio-carbon datings is used. Results indicate that the rate of peat growth varies from period to period and that high level peats are much slower in growing than low level basin peats.