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200 ka of glacial events in NW Svalbard: an emergence cycle facies model and regional correlations

Alexanderson, Helena LU ; Henriksen, Mona ; Ryen, Heidi T. ; Landvik, Jon Y. and Peterson, Gustaf (2018) In arktos 4(3).
Abstract
Late Quaternary sedimentary units at Kongsfjordhallet, NW Svalbard, represent five cycles of glaciations and subsequent deglaciations during high relative sea levels. The high sea level events are interpreted as glacioisostatically induced and imply preceding regional glaciations, which we constrain in time by luminescence and radiocarbon ages to just prior to ~ 195, ~ 130, ~ 85, ~ 60, and ~ 15 ka. Combined with the stratigraphical record from nearby Leinstranda we identify six, possibly seven, major glacial advances during the last 200 ka in the Kongsfjorden region. Two of these occurred during the Saalian and at least four during the Weichselian. The results are based on detailed sedimentological, stratigraphical and chronological... (More)
Late Quaternary sedimentary units at Kongsfjordhallet, NW Svalbard, represent five cycles of glaciations and subsequent deglaciations during high relative sea levels. The high sea level events are interpreted as glacioisostatically induced and imply preceding regional glaciations, which we constrain in time by luminescence and radiocarbon ages to just prior to ~ 195, ~ 130, ~ 85, ~ 60, and ~ 15 ka. Combined with the stratigraphical record from nearby Leinstranda we identify six, possibly seven, major glacial advances during the last 200 ka in the Kongsfjorden region. Two of these occurred during the Saalian and at least four during the Weichselian. The results are based on detailed sedimentological, stratigraphical and chronological investigations of the uppermost 15 m of the 40-m-high Kongsfjordhallet coastal sections. The succession is dominated by sediments of marine and littoral origin, representing partial shallowing-upward sequences due to isostatic rebound. Only one subglacial till was recognised. Interestingly, alluvial and periglacial deposits, not commonly recognised in this type of setting, occur in the sequence. These include weathered coarse alluvium, sandy channel fills as well as cryoturbated sediments and solifluction deposits, which are positive evidence of a non-glacial environment. The sequence of sediments that represents an emergence cycle has been formalised in a facies model. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Quaternary, Glaciation, Sea level, Raised marine sediments, Facies model, Svalbard
in
arktos
volume
4
issue
3
pages
25 pages
ISSN
2364-9461
DOI
10.1007/s41063-018-0037-z
project
Glacial history of Svalbard
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a31fc4a9-f51c-431e-90ea-596ef6ecc89f
date added to LUP
2019-05-30 16:22:36
date last changed
2019-06-03 16:38:05
@article{a31fc4a9-f51c-431e-90ea-596ef6ecc89f,
  abstract     = {{Late Quaternary sedimentary units at Kongsfjordhallet, NW Svalbard, represent five cycles of glaciations and subsequent deglaciations during high relative sea levels. The high sea level events are interpreted as glacioisostatically induced and imply preceding regional glaciations, which we constrain in time by luminescence and radiocarbon ages to just prior to ~ 195, ~ 130, ~ 85, ~ 60, and ~ 15 ka. Combined with the stratigraphical record from nearby Leinstranda we identify six, possibly seven, major glacial advances during the last 200 ka in the Kongsfjorden region. Two of these occurred during the Saalian and at least four during the Weichselian. The results are based on detailed sedimentological, stratigraphical and chronological investigations of the uppermost 15 m of the 40-m-high Kongsfjordhallet coastal sections. The succession is dominated by sediments of marine and littoral origin, representing partial shallowing-upward sequences due to isostatic rebound. Only one subglacial till was recognised. Interestingly, alluvial and periglacial deposits, not commonly recognised in this type of setting, occur in the sequence. These include weathered coarse alluvium, sandy channel fills as well as cryoturbated sediments and solifluction deposits, which are positive evidence of a non-glacial environment. The sequence of sediments that represents an emergence cycle has been formalised in a facies model.}},
  author       = {{Alexanderson, Helena and Henriksen, Mona and Ryen, Heidi T. and Landvik, Jon Y. and Peterson, Gustaf}},
  issn         = {{2364-9461}},
  keywords     = {{Quaternary, Glaciation, Sea level, Raised marine sediments, Facies model, Svalbard}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  number       = {{3}},
  series       = {{arktos}},
  title        = {{200 ka of glacial events in NW Svalbard: an emergence cycle facies model and regional correlations}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s41063-018-0037-z}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s41063-018-0037-z}},
  volume       = {{4}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}