Crustal uplift in southern England: evidence from the river terrace records

Much of the past work on the Quaternary rivers of northwest Europe has been concerned with river terraces, which characterise almost every valley. While these terraces are undoubtedly striking features of the landscape, the incision achieved by Quaternary rivers is equally significant in terms of river behaviour, and for an understanding of the factors affecting landform development during the Quaternary. This paper examines the incision achieved during the Quaternary by the Thames, in both its upper and lower catchments, and by the Hampshire Avon in southern England. Valley incision rates of ca. 0.07–0.10 m ka⁻¹ have been identified, although in the lower catchment of the Thames, these have been enhanced by additional incision in response to glacio-isostasy and valley shortening. A model is proposed in which regional uplift is recognized as the primary cause of incision by these Quaternary rivers. Possible mechanisms for regional uplift are considered.