We found Larix decidua at 2156 m altitude in front of the Morteratschgletscher (Engadin, CH) liberated recently from the ice. This tree stopped growing ~10 350 years ago. Another tree started to grow ~10 800 years ago (early Preboreal), which was ~800 years after the end of the Younger Dryas. At this time the glacier did not cover the sampling site. Thus, in the early Preboreal the terminus of the Morteratschgletscher was at much higher elevation in comparison to the present-day situation.

This paper provides a review of numeric dating methods for the Quaternary, which is unique in its focus on applications of the methods to volcanism. The methods included are K/Ar and Ar/Ar, radiocarbon, uranium series, cosmogenic nuclide exposure, and luminescence dating, each with a section on extra concerns for application to volcanic products. The paper’s objective is to serve as a resource for researchers using these methods or using dates produced by these methods for further research.