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(1) The Munsary Dubh Lochs, NE Scotland, are a good example of a blanket mire whose surface displays a pattern of hummocks, ridges and pools. (2) A description of the vegetation is given with particular emphasis on the contemporary microtopographical features of the mire surface. (3) The development of a part of the patterned surface was investigated by five peat cores extracted from a site about 4 x 2 m in the centre of the mire complex, spanning two elongated pools and an intervening ridge. These cores allowed the three-dimensional pattern to be displayed. (4) The sequence of deposits suggests that a pool phase was initiated relatively early in the development of the mire. This was followed by a period during which it is likely that no pools were present. Later, the present day pool formed in a slightly different position from that of the early pool. (5) Various suggestions which have been made to account for patterned surfaces are discussed in relation to the present findings.
P. Smart (Thu,) studied this question.