Late Quaternary evolution of a large rock slope deformation (Robinson, English Lake District) – a first such exploration by cosmogenic exposure dating in the British mountains

A groundbreaking study reveals that the Robinson rock slope failure, the largest of its kind in England's Lake District, has been active since the Lateglacial period (~15.4–14.3 ka), with movement potentially continuing until the mid-Holocene (~4.6 ka). Using cosmogenic (10Be) surface-exposure dating, researchers determined displacement rates of 3–4.5 mm/year along its headscarp/rupture surface, marking the first such measurements for a rock slope failure in Britain and Ireland. The study also suggests that other rock slope failures in the region may have a longer history of instability than previously believed. Factors contributing to this activity likely included paraglacial stress release, concentrated bedrock erosion, and local structural characteristics.

Wilson, P., Jarman, D., Miguens-Rodriguez, M., & Fabel, D. (2025). Late Quaternary evolution of a large rock slope deformation (Robinson, English Lake District) – a first such exploration by cosmogenic exposure dating in the British mountains. Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association, 136(6), 101152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pgeola.2025.101152