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Two-stage opening of the Dover Strait and the origin of island Britain

Author

Listed:
  • Sanjeev Gupta

    (Imperial College, South Kensington Campus)

  • Jenny S. Collier

    (Imperial College, South Kensington Campus)

  • David Garcia-Moreno

    (Service of Seismology and Gravimetry, Royal Observatory of Belgium, Ringlaan, 3
    Renard Centre of Marine Geology, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281s.8)

  • Francesca Oggioni

    (Imperial College, South Kensington Campus)

  • Alain Trentesaux

    (UMR 8187 LOG CNRS/UFR des Sciences de la Terre, Université de Lille 1, Villeneuve d’Ascq, Plouzané, Lille F-59650, France)

  • Kris Vanneste

    (Service of Seismology and Gravimetry, Royal Observatory of Belgium, Ringlaan, 3)

  • Marc De Batist

    (Renard Centre of Marine Geology, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281s.8)

  • Thierry Camelbeeck

    (Service of Seismology and Gravimetry, Royal Observatory of Belgium, Ringlaan, 3)

  • Graeme Potter

    (5 Snowberry Court, Warwick Gardens)

  • Brigitte Van Vliet-Lanoë

    (UMR CNRS 6538 CNRS Géosciences Océan, Université de Bretagne occidentale, IUEM, Plouzané, F-29280, France)

  • John C. R. Arthur

    (Top-Hole Site Studies Ltd)

Abstract

Late Quaternary separation of Britain from mainland Europe is considered to be a consequence of spillover of a large proglacial lake in the Southern North Sea basin. Lake spillover is inferred to have caused breaching of a rock ridge at the Dover Strait, although this hypothesis remains untested. Here we show that opening of the Strait involved at least two major episodes of erosion. Sub-bottom records reveal a remarkable set of sediment-infilled depressions that are deeply incised into bedrock that we interpret as giant plunge pools. These support a model of initial erosion of the Dover Strait by lake overspill, plunge pool erosion by waterfalls and subsequent dam breaching. Cross-cutting of these landforms by a prominent bedrock-eroded valley that is characterized by features associated with catastrophic flooding indicates final breaching of the Strait by high-magnitude flows. These events set-up conditions for island Britain during sea-level highstands and caused large-scale re-routing of NW European drainage.

Suggested Citation

  • Sanjeev Gupta & Jenny S. Collier & David Garcia-Moreno & Francesca Oggioni & Alain Trentesaux & Kris Vanneste & Marc De Batist & Thierry Camelbeeck & Graeme Potter & Brigitte Van Vliet-Lanoë & John C., 2017. "Two-stage opening of the Dover Strait and the origin of island Britain," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-12, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms15101
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15101
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