Geochemistry and provenance study of sediments from Krossfjorden and Kongsfjorden, Svalbard (Arctic Ocean)

Abstract

Major, trace and rare earth element (REE) concentrations in combination with textural and mineralogical analysis of sediments have been used to understand geochemical fractionation in the sediment due to weathering and subsequent transport in the Svalbard region. Surface sediments from different water depths and a short sediment core have been collected from two fjord system Krossfjorden and Kongfjorden, located between Lat: 78° 50′ to 79° 30’ N and Long: 11°–13° E in the west coast of Svalbard (Arctic Ocean). Bimodal distributions of grain size suggest that the finer size sediments were possibly deposited from the suspended load and coarser size from melting of sea ice and iceberg. Geochemical study reflects that the variation of chemical composition of the sediments is due to first order fractionations of elements during the grain size reduction and subsequent transport. The chemical weathering in the catchment area is incipient and the grain size reduction is dominated by mechanical weathering. REEs are mainly controlled by the presence of less weathered aluminosilicate minerals in these sediments. The source rock composition of the sediments is intermediate between granitic and granodioritic, with negligible contribution from the mafic rocks.