Dynamic Holocene glacial history of St. Jonsfjorden, Svalbard

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.

• Author: Wesley R. Farnsworth; Ólafur Ingólfsson; Riko Noormets; Lis Allaart; Helena Alexanderson; Mona Henriksen; Anders Schomacker
• Department/s: Quaternary Sciences
• Publishing year: 2017-07-01
• Language: English
• Pages: 585-603
• Publication/Series: Boreas
• Volume: 46
• Issue: 3
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bor.12269
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc.
• Topic: Geology
• Status: Published
• Project: Glacial history of Svalbard
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 0300-9483