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Holocene glacial history of Svalbard : Status, perspectives and challenges

Farnsworth, Wesley R. ; Allaart, Lis ; Ingólfsson, Ólafur ; Alexanderson, Helena LU ; Forwick, Matthias ; Noormets, Riko ; Retelle, Michael and Schomacker, Anders LU (2020) In Earth-Science Reviews 208.
Abstract

We synthesize the current understanding of glacier activity on Svalbard from the end of the Late Pleistocene (12,000 yrs. before present) to the end of the Little Ice Age (c. 1920 AD). Our glacier history is derived from the SVALHOLA database, the first compilation of Holocene geochronology for Svalbard and the surrounding waters, including over 1,800 radiocarbon, terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide and optically stimulated luminescence ages. Data have been categorized by geological setting, uniformly (re-)calibrated, quality assessed and ultimately used to constrain glacier fluctuations (deglaciation, ice free conditions, glacier re-advances and ice marginal positions). We advance existing knowledge by mapping the extent and distribution of... (More)

We synthesize the current understanding of glacier activity on Svalbard from the end of the Late Pleistocene (12,000 yrs. before present) to the end of the Little Ice Age (c. 1920 AD). Our glacier history is derived from the SVALHOLA database, the first compilation of Holocene geochronology for Svalbard and the surrounding waters, including over 1,800 radiocarbon, terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide and optically stimulated luminescence ages. Data have been categorized by geological setting, uniformly (re-)calibrated, quality assessed and ultimately used to constrain glacier fluctuations (deglaciation, ice free conditions, glacier re-advances and ice marginal positions). We advance existing knowledge by mapping the extent and distribution of ice-cover during the Holocene glacial maximum and the glacial minimum, as well as present retreat rates (and percentages) within Early Holocene fjord-systems. Throughout the Holocene, Svalbard glaciers have responded to a varying combination of climatic, environmental and dynamic driving factors which influence both the extent and behavior of ice margins. We discuss the complexities of glacier systems and their dynamics in response to changes in climate. This review provides a holistic state of the art of Holocene glaciers on Svalbard, suitable for orienting future works which address gaps in our current knowledge.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Climate, Glaciers, Holocene, Little Ice Age, Neoglacial, Spitsbergen
in
Earth-Science Reviews
volume
208
article number
103249
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85087906420
ISSN
0012-8252
DOI
10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103249
project
Glacial history of Svalbard
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3d7a3bfb-c0bf-4689-bd3d-1e3b42107ccb
date added to LUP
2020-07-27 13:34:22
date last changed
2024-02-01 00:47:32
@article{3d7a3bfb-c0bf-4689-bd3d-1e3b42107ccb,
  abstract     = {{<p>We synthesize the current understanding of glacier activity on Svalbard from the end of the Late Pleistocene (12,000 yrs. before present) to the end of the Little Ice Age (c. 1920 AD). Our glacier history is derived from the SVALHOLA database, the first compilation of Holocene geochronology for Svalbard and the surrounding waters, including over 1,800 radiocarbon, terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide and optically stimulated luminescence ages. Data have been categorized by geological setting, uniformly (re-)calibrated, quality assessed and ultimately used to constrain glacier fluctuations (deglaciation, ice free conditions, glacier re-advances and ice marginal positions). We advance existing knowledge by mapping the extent and distribution of ice-cover during the Holocene glacial maximum and the glacial minimum, as well as present retreat rates (and percentages) within Early Holocene fjord-systems. Throughout the Holocene, Svalbard glaciers have responded to a varying combination of climatic, environmental and dynamic driving factors which influence both the extent and behavior of ice margins. We discuss the complexities of glacier systems and their dynamics in response to changes in climate. This review provides a holistic state of the art of Holocene glaciers on Svalbard, suitable for orienting future works which address gaps in our current knowledge.</p>}},
  author       = {{Farnsworth, Wesley R. and Allaart, Lis and Ingólfsson, Ólafur and Alexanderson, Helena and Forwick, Matthias and Noormets, Riko and Retelle, Michael and Schomacker, Anders}},
  issn         = {{0012-8252}},
  keywords     = {{Climate; Glaciers; Holocene; Little Ice Age; Neoglacial; Spitsbergen}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Earth-Science Reviews}},
  title        = {{Holocene glacial history of Svalbard : Status, perspectives and challenges}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103249}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103249}},
  volume       = {{208}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}