Progressive proglacial to subglacial deformation: West Runton to Sheringham

The analysis and interpretation of the structural features developed within subglacially and proglacially deformed sediments can provide important information on the character of glacier‐induced deformation events (e.g. Berthelsen, 1979; van der Wateren, 1985; Hart, 1990; Benn and Evans, 1996; Boulton et al., 1996, 1999; van der Wateren et al., 2000; Hart and Rose, 2001; Phillips et al., 2007; Benediktsson et al., 2008; Lee and Phillips, 2008) and the nature of ice‐marginal sedimentation and dynamics during glacial cycles (e.g. van der Wateren, 1985, 1995; Croot, 1988; Aber et al., 1989; Benn and Evans, 1993; Harris et al., 1997; Phillips et al., 2002, 2008; Hiemstra et al., 2005). This deformation typically involves folding and thrusting, comparable to structures found in foreland fold‐and‐thrust belts developed in response to crustal shortening and mountain building in areas of plate tectonic convergence. This has invariably led to the application of a thin‐skinned thrust tectonic model to proglacially to subglacially deformed glacigenic sequences (e.g. Croot, 1987; Aber et al., 1989; Pedersen, 2005; Phillips et al., 2008). This section of the guide describes the polydeformed sediments exposed in the coastal cliff sections (c. 1.5 km in length) between West Runton and Sheringham that have been glacitectonised by proglacial to subglacial deformation (Figure 5.1).