Beach ridges from the Varanger Peninsula (Arctic Norwegian coast): Characteristics and significance

Abstract

The most common coastal sedimentary forms on the arctic coast of the Varanger Peninsula are raised beach ridge plains. The majority of the ridges consist of coarse material, but there are also sandy beach ridge areas close to the river mouths of some of the major rivers. Some bays having the same isostatic rebound and dynamic conditions have been studied to test if the number of beach ridges in each locality is significant to prove climatic changes, storminess, and rates of sediment accumulation, or if the number of beach ridges in each bay is only dependent on their intrinsic characteristics and self organization. Because the number of ridges varies not only from bay to bay, but even within the same bay, it has to be accounted for by contrasting internal and local evolution (sediment supply, offshore gradient and coastal evolution). These differences between various bays or parts of the same bay invalidate the explanations that global processes (planetary orbital forces, relative sea-level changes or past climatic condition) are responsible for beach ridge development.