The glaciers of the Peneda, Amarela, and Gerês-Xurés massifs

Abstract The Peneda, Amarela, and Geres-Xures mountains are located to the south of the Minho (Mino) and Limia (Lima) rivers in the north of Portugal and, in the case of the Geres-Xures, in southwest Galicia. Their altitudes range from 1355 m in the Serra Amarela to 1546 m in the Serra do Geres-Xures. In all cases, glaciers developed during the last glacial cycle, showing an interesting assortment of landforms and deposits. The glaciers reached 1.7 km in the Serra Amarela, 5.4 km in the Serra da Peneda, 6.6 km in the Serra do Xures, and 7.6 km in the Serra do Geres, with ice thicknesses ranging from 50 m in the Amarela to 225 m in the Geres-Xures. The glacial Equilibrium Line Altitude during the maximum glacial advance ranged from 792 m in the Serra da Peneda to 908 m in the Amarela. The deglaciation phases differed in each mountain depending on its altitude and topography. The lack of data allows us to infer only a relative chronology compared to those of the nearby mountains.