Proglacial Landscape Transformations in Arctic, Ny-Alesund Area, Svalbard: Paraglacial Processes and Climate Warming During Late Quaternary

Abstract

AbstractThe Arctic region is very sensitive to climate change and the transformations from largely ice covered to relatively ice free has been rapid during the Holocene. This rapid warming in the Arctic has a significant impact on the development and evolution of landforms. In glaciated Arctic region (glacial valleys), abrupt climatic shifts are captured in the landforms developed and their modification from glacial to proglacial (through glacier retreat). These transformations are evident in the form of systematic progression from glacier snout, morainic ridges (evidence of past glacial advance/retreat), proglacial lakes and drumlins (recent glacial melt) as well as permafrost and outwash plains. The paraglacial processes and related geomorphic and sedimentary archives in the vicinity of present glaciers margin are evidence of enhanced climatic amelioration and associated sediment transfer. The evolution of the landforms, in response to varying climate, provide the long-term proxy records which are invaluable for assessment of climate change trends. Proper characterization of these landforms in field and understanding of various sedimentary processes are important to realize the spatio-temporal implications of such geomorphic transformations. The distinctive landforms distribution in Ny-Alesund area is studied, documented and interpreted to deduce the drastic changes in palaeoclimatic regimes. In the proglacial areas, evidences of enhanced solifluction processes within the diamictite deposits are clear indication of enhanced proglacial sediment readjustment through permafrost degradation. Extensive solifluction lobes mark transformation from proglacial to paraglacial system modification that controls the meltwater sediment transportation and sediment aggradation in outwash plain. Characterization of the geomorphic attributes in vicinity of present glacial margin as evidences of such transformations that clearly indicate significant warming during the Late Quaternary. This study provides a fresh outlook to understand the proglacial-paraglacial transition in this part of Arctic region associated with concomitant sediment readjustment processes in time and space.KeywordsParaglacial processProglacialLate QuaternaryGlacial forelandGeomorphology