Helena Alexanderson
Professor
Dynamic Holocene glacial history of St. Jonsfjorden, Svalbard
Författare
Summary, in English
Evidence of a dynamic Holocene glacial history is preserved in the terrestrial and marine archives of St. Jonsfjorden, a small fjord-system on the west coast of Spitsbergen, Svalbard. High-resolution, remotely sensed imagery from marine and terrestrial environments was used to construct geomorphological maps that highlight an intricate glacial history of the entire fjord-system. The geomorphology and stratigraphy indicate an early Holocene local glacier advance constrained to the Lateglacial–early Holocene transition. Identification and 14C dating of the thermophilous bivalve mollusc Modiolus modiolus to 10.0±0.12 cal. ka BP suggest a rapid northward migration of the species shortly after deglaciation. Further evidence enhances the understanding of the onset and subsequent climax of the Neoglacial-Little Ice Age in inner St. Jonsfjorden. The present-day terminus of Osbornebreen, the dominating glacier system in St. Jonsfjorden, is located over 8.5 km up-fjord from its Neoglacial maximum extent. Cross-cutting relationships suggest subsequent advances of all the smaller glaciers in the area following the break-up of Osbornebreen. Glacial deposits, landforms and their cross-cutting relationships observed in both terrestrial and marine settings imply a complex and highly dynamic environment through the later part of the Holocene.
Avdelning/ar
- Kvartärgeologi
Publiceringsår
2017-07-01
Språk
Engelska
Sidor
585-603
Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie
Boreas
Volym
46
Issue
3
Dokumenttyp
Artikel i tidskrift
Förlag
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Ämne
- Geology
Aktiv
Published
Projekt
- Glacial history of Svalbard
ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt
- ISSN: 0300-9483