Abstract
Lichenometry is a dating method widely used to study Little Ice Age (LIA) glacial fluctuations in many arctic and alpine mountainous areas where historical data are sparse. In the Alps, very few studies have attempted to use lichenometry because of the more reliable nature of archive documents and dendroglaciological investigations, and because of the lichen growth pattern under mid-latitude climate. Despite of these limitations, lichenometry remains the unique tool to build a LIA glacial chronology for regions like the Massif des Ecrins, where other dating methods are unsuitable. A growth curve for Rhizocarpon subgenus Rhizocarpon built in the Veneon valley allowed us (i) to date late LIA and contemporary retreat glacial deposits with a good accuracy (± 5-25 years), and (ii) to propose two scenarii for older deposits formation. Over the most recent period, results have been compared with available historical evidence. The methodological problems encountered have also been discussed.
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