Crevasse-squeeze Ridges Research Articles

Geomorphological and historical records of the surge-type behaviour of Hansbreen (Svalbard)

Abstract This paper presents geomorphological and historical records of the surge-type behaviour of Hansbreen, one of the most studied tidewater glaciers in Svalbard. The surge-type behaviour of the glacier has not been considered before due to the lack of evidence of this phenomenon. We integrate geomorphological mapping of the terrestrial and submarine forefields with historical data from the 19th and 20th centuries to reconstruct the glacier dynamics and identify the possible timing of surging. Landform assemblages are representative of the surging glacier landsystem, including crevasse-squeeze ridges (CSRs) and submarine streamlined glacial lineations. Abundant CSRs in the outer part of the terrestrial forefield were also documented in the 1980s, but most have been obliterated since then. We suggest the identified surge landsystem was produced during a surge of Hansbreen detected from photographs taken during the Austro-Hungarian expedition in 1872. Historical photogrammetric photos from the Norwegian expedition in 1918 revealed surge-diagnostic features in the glacier surface, including a folded medial moraine and a dense, complex network of crevasses. A potential next surge remains questionable in the following decades due to the low-lying accumulation area of the main stream hindering the mass build-up, but potential surges of the tributary glaciers should not be excluded.

3D morphometry of De Geer Moraines and Crevasse-Squeeze Ridges: Differentiating between pushing and squeezing mechanisms from remotely sensed data

De Geer Moraines (DGM) and Crevasse-Squeeze Ridges (CSR) are important landforms that can provide useful insights regarding palaeo-glacial processes. Specifically, these landforms can provide information concerning ice-marginal dynamics, and/or subglacial processes, depending on the context in which they are formed. The extraction of 3D morphometric data from these ridges can help to elucidate their formational processes, and potentially enable landform differentiation. We develop a new Python-based ArcGIS toolbox that can automatically extract 3D morphometric data from large sample sets of linear features. The morphometry toolbox may be applied to a wide range of research disciplines that are concerned with quantifying the morphometry of any elongated landforms. This is particularly useful for DGM and CSR studies, where visual similarities can result in confusion over landform type and/or formation. Here we present a case study from southwest Finland and the Northwest Territories, Canada, whereby high-resolution 3D morphometric data is used to analyse and classify DGMs and CSRs. The results reveal key differences in morphometric properties between the landforms which enables a quantified foundation by which to differentiate them. The studied CSRs are found to be higher, wider, steeper, more symmetrical, less sinuous and more voluminous than the studied prominent DGM. In contrast, a tendency for cross-sectional asymmetry in DGM supports an origin by ice-marginal pushing, rather than basal squeeze-up into crevasses. This is further supported by CSRs being less sinuous than DGM due to them being constrained to the dimensions and planform of the (relatively straight) host crevasses, whereas DGM follow a more sinuous path related to the ice margin shape. Future work should include sedimentological and geophysical studies to constrain DGM internal architecture and formation processes. The results may then be used to validate the application of DGM for detailed ice marginal reconstructions.

Ice‐stream shutdown during deglaciation: Evidence from crevasse‐squeeze ridges of the Iceland Ice Sheet

AbstractBoth modern and palaeo‐ice streams experience shutdown, which has critical implications for their mass balance and influence on relative sea level. Reconstructions of palaeo‐ice streams have mainly focused on their phase of active flow and thus less is understood of their shutdown and style of deglaciation. Mapping of streamlined subglacial bedforms (SSBs), including drumlins and mega‐scale glacial lineations, in northeast Iceland reveals cross‐cutting flow‐sets of palaeo‐ice streams within the Iceland Ice Sheet (IIS) during and following the last glacial maximum (LGM). Here we map geometrical ridges (linear and reticular) within the Bakkaflói and Þistilfjörður flow‐sets and combine the morphological data with sedimentological analyses to increase our understanding of the dynamics of the IIS during deglaciation in northeast Iceland. We interpret the ridges as crevasse‐squeeze ridges (CSRs), based on their interconnected network, primary orientation transverse and/or oblique to former ice flow and internal composition of homogenous subglacial till. In both areas, the CSRs are superimposed on the SSBs, indicating that they post‐date the SSBs and signify the waning stage of ice streaming associated with the readvance of the IIS during the Younger Dryas period. The preservation of the CSRs suggests ice stagnation following the readvance and ice‐stream shutdown. The morphological difference of the CSRs between the flow‐sets is taken to indicate different kinematic setting within the ice streams; the linear CSRs in Bakkaflói formed further upstream where extensional forces parallel to ice flow were dominant, whereas the reticular CSRs in Þistilfjörður are more indicative of transverse and longitudinal forces near the terminal zone. Future research reconstructing past ice‐sheet behaviour and ice‐stream dynamics would benefit from high‐resolution bathymetric data from the adjoining shelf as well as enhanced geochronological constraints.

Glacial geomorphology of the northwest Laurentide Ice Sheet on the northern Interior Plains and western Canadian Shield, Canada

ABSTRACT The majority of the Northwest Territories of mainland Canada was covered by the Laurentide Ice Sheet during the Last Glacial Maximum. The increasing coverage of high resolution remotely sensed data provides new opportunities to map the glacial geomorphology and study the glacial history of this remote location. Here we present a comprehensive map of glacial landforms within the northern Interior Plains and adjacent areas of the Canadian Shield, comprising around 6% of the Laurentide Ice Sheet bed. Twelve landform types were mapped from the high resolution ArcticDEM: ice flow parallel lineations, subglacial ribs, crevasse-squeeze ridges, major and minor moraine crests, hummocky terrain complexes and ridges, shear margin moraines, major, minor and lateral and submarginal meltwater channels, esker ridges and complexes, glaciofluvial complexes, perched deltas, raised shorelines and aeolian dunes. Together, these landforms provide a record of the highly dynamic behaviour of the northwest sector of the Laurentide Ice Sheet.

Tunnel valley infill and genesis revealed by high-resolution 3-D seismic data

AbstractLandforms produced beneath former ice sheets offer insights into inaccessible subglacial processes and present analogues for how current ice masses may evolve in a warming climate. Large subglacial channels cut by meltwater erosion (tunnel valleys [TVs]) have the potential to provide valuable empirical constraints for numerical ice-sheet models concerning realistic melt rates, water routing, and the interplay between basal hydrology and ice dynamics. However, the information gleaned from these features has thus far been limited by an inability to adequately resolve their internal structures. We use high-resolution three-dimensional (HR3-D) seismic data (6.25 m bin size, ∼4 m vertical resolution) to analyze the infill of buried TVs in the North Sea. The HR3-D seismic data represent a step-change in our ability to investigate the mechanisms and rates at which TVs are formed and filled. Over 40% of the TVs examined contain buried glacial landforms including eskers, crevasse-squeeze ridges, glacitectonic structures, and kettle holes. As most of these landforms had not previously been detected using conventional 3-D seismic reflection methods, the mechanisms that formed them are currently absent from models of TV genesis. The ability to observe such intricate internal structures opens the possibility of using TVs to reconstruct the hydrological regimes of former mid-latitude ice sheets as analogues for contemporary ones.

Evidence of ice streaming and ice tongue shutdown in western Latvia: revealed from the mapping of crevasse-squeeze ridges

Glacial geomorphological mapping of western Latvia using a 1-m-resolution digital elevation model generated from airborne LiDAR data has revealed two sets of mega-scale glacial lineations (MSGLs), one of which is superimposed by crevasse-squeeze ridges (CSRs). CSRs occur as a dense ridge network with a dominant orientation of ridges perpendicular to the ice flow direction. The landform assemblage is interpreted as evidence for two separate phases of fast ice flow with different ice flow directions during the overall deglaciation of the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet (FIS). The first fast ice flow phase occurred from the northwest by the Usma Ice Lobe that extended in the Eastern Kursa Upland. The second fast ice flow occurred from the north by the Venta Ice Tongue in a narrow flow corridor limited mainly to the Kursa Lowland. Active ice streaming caused ice crevassing perpendicular to the ice flow direction and formation of CSRs by squeezing of subglacial till into basal crevasses. A good preservation of the CSRs and general lack of recessional moraines suggest widespread stagnation and ice mass melting after the shutdown of the Venta Ice Tongue followed by the formation of the Venta-Usma ice-dammed lake and glaciolacustrine deposition in the lowest areas of lowland. Our data provide the first evidence of CSRs in the south-eastern terrestrial sector of the FIS suggesting the dynamic ice streaming or surging behaviour of the ice lobes and tongues in this region during deglaciation.

Autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) observations of recent tidewater glacier retreat, western Svalbard

Recent studies have highlighted the need to improve our understanding of the relationship between glacial-front bathymetry and oceanography in order to better predict the behaviour of tidewater glaciers. The glaciomarine fjords of western Svalbard are strongly influenced by temperate Atlantic Water advected from the West Spitsbergen Current. Marine terminating (tidewater) glaciers locally influence many Svalbard fjords through fluxes of sediments, nutrients and freshwater, however their response to ocean warming and the imprint left by their recent retreat on the seabed remains unresolved. Here we present glacial front data collected by an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) from four tidewater glaciers; Fjortende Julibreen (Krossfjorden), Conwaybreen, Kongsbreen and Kronebreen (Kongsfjorden). The seabed adjacent to the glacial terminus has been mapped providing high-resolution bathymetry (0.5 m–1.0 m grid cell size), side-scan and photographs with additional simultaneous oceanographic observations. The aim being to survey the glacial front submarine landforms, to identify the water mass structure and to observe any melt water plume activity. The bathymetry data displays a diverse assemblage of glacial landforms including numerous retreat moraines, glacial lineations, crevasse-squeeze ridges and sediment debris flows reflecting the dynamic depositional environment of the glacial front. The age of the features and the annual rate of retreat have been estimated using satellite remote sensing imagery to digitise the glacial front positions over time. The glacial landforms have been produced by the last few years of retreat as these glaciers gradually become land-terminating. The AUV also observed in-situ subglacial meltwater plumes at the two most active glaciers (Kongsbreen and Kronebreen) and an associated signature of warm Atlantic Water occurring at the glacier face. The presence of relatively warm, oceanic waters enhances subsurface melting, accelerating the ablation rate, while fresh (melt) water injection at depth influences local water mass structure and the wider fjord circulation. At the glacial fronts of Kongsbreen and Kronebreen sedimentation from subglacial meltwater plumes dominate the ice-proximal zone and settling from suspension is more prevalent away from the glacier. This study shows how sensitive dynamic glaciomarine systems are to change in the local marine environment and how the use of autonomous vehicles can greatly aid in the monitoring of glacial change by collecting simultaneous high-resolution in-situ datasets where vessel based observations are lacking.

The Tekapo Glacier, New Zealand, during the Last Glacial Maximum: An active temperate glacier influenced by intermittent surge activity

Quaternary glaciations have created impressive landform assemblages that can be used to understand palaeo-glacier extent, character and behaviour, and hence past global and local glacier forcings. However, in the southern hemisphere and especially in New Zealand, the Quaternary glacial landform record is relatively poorly investigated with regard to glaciological properties. In this study, a 1 m digital elevation model (DEM) was generated from airborne LiDAR data and supplemented with aerial imagery and field observations to analyse the exceptionally well-preserved glacial geomorphology surrounding Lake Tekapo, New Zealand. We describe a rich suite of Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and recessional ice-marginal, subglacial, supraglacial, glaciofluvial and glaciolacustrine landform assemblages. These represent two landsystems comprising i) fluted till surfaces with low-relief push moraine ridges; and ii) crevasse-squeeze ridges, ‘zig-zag’ eskers and attenuated lineations. The former landsystem records the behaviour of an active temperate glacier and the latter landsystem, which is superimposed upon and inset within the former, strongly suggests intermittent surge phases. The two landsystem signatures indicate a sequential change in ice-marginal dynamics during recession that was likely to have been partially non-climatically driven. Overall, we present the first evidence of surge-type glacier behaviour in New Zealand.

Glacial geomorphology of Trygghamna, western Svalbard - Integrating terrestrial and submarine archives for a better understanding of past glacial dynamics

Detailed geomorphological mapping was carried out in the terrestrial and submarine forefields of Protektor-, Harriet- and Kjerulfbreen in Trygghamna, western Svalbard, based on high-resolution aerial images and bathymetric data. The mapping reveals that crevasse-squeeze ridges (CSRs) are only observed on land in the forefield of the surge-type Harriet- and Kjerulfbreen, and recessional moraines are only formed at the sea floor in relation to the retreat of these two glaciers. Different factors affect the preservation potential and formation of landforms between the two environments that could explain the absence of CSRs in the submarine environment and the terrestrial forefield of Protektorbreen. The landform assemblage in Trygghamna does not comply well with existing surge-type glacier landsystem models. We present a conceptual landsystem model for surge-type glaciers with combined terrestrial and marine margins, based on the geomorphological archive from Trygghamna. The contrast between the landform assemblages demonstrates how differences in the thermal regime result in different glacier behavior between the warm-based submarine margins and the inactive cold-based terrestrial margin. This study emphasizes the importance of integrating data from both archives to reconstruct past glacier behavior and understand the effect of different glacial dynamics and environments on the preservation potential of sediments and landforms.

Morphological evidence for marine ice stream shutdown, central Barents Sea

Marine-based ice streams are responsible for a significant proportion of the ice mass loss from the present-day Greenland Ice Sheet, East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) and West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) but the processes controlling their initiation, evolution and shutdown remain elusive, hindering our understanding of how existing ice masses will respond to predicted future warming. The exposed beds of palaeo-ice streams offer a unique opportunity to study subglacial processes, which are largely inaccessible in contemporary settings. We use high resolution multibeam swath bathymetry data from the Barents Sea to map the geomorphology of a palaeo-ice stream bed, located in Olgastretet (Olga Trough), approximately 75 km southeast of Kong Karls Land and 200 km east of central Svalbard. This reveals evidence for shut down of a marine-based ice stream, followed by a phase of passive retreat or lift-off of the ice stream facilitating preservation of crevasse-squeeze ridges (CSRs). Subsequently, active retreat of the ice margin was re-established and is marked by recessional moraine ridges located upstream of the CSRs. Previously, CSRs have been mainly associated with surging land-terminating ice margins, however our work adds to recent observations of CSRs on the beds of marine-based ice streams, implying that they may be more common than previously thought. It also indicates that marine-based ice streams may switch on- and off in a surge-like manner which has important implications for our understanding of ice stream life cycles and the modelling of ice sheets.

Kuannersuit Glacier revisited: Constraining ice dynamics, landform formations and glaciomorphological changes in the early quiescent phase following the 1995–98 surge event

Kuannersuit Glacier in west Greenland experienced a major surge in 1995–1998, where the glacier advanced 10.5 km down-valley. In this paper, we examine how the quiescent phase has progressed until 2015 with respect to ice dynamics, landform formations and glaciomorphological changes. In the initial quiescent phase (2001–2005), ice velocities along the center flowline were 37–55% higher than ice velocities (6.3–9.0 m yr−1) in 2005–2015, and a linear relationship between ice velocity and distance from the glacier front, which existed during the initial quiescent phase, had disappeared in 2005–2015. Between 2001 and 2015, the post-surge glacier tongue thinned by 84.0 ± 6.3 m, equal to 6.0 ± 0.5 m yr−1. The 30-m high terminal moraine detached from the active glacier along the uppermost thrust band between 2005 and 2015, after which the glacier front receded 1.5 km. Between the terminal moraine and the glacier front, observations suggested that a proximal outwash plain was forming on top of glacier ice and that glacier naled (icing, aufeis) was incorporated into the outwash plain. In less dynamic areas with gently sloping topography along the lateral glacier margins, crevasse-squeeze ridges were melting out. The most prominent glaciomorphological feature in 2015 was a c. 1-km long gorge with c. 30–40 m high ice cliffs. This gorge had formed into the glacier front, following the collapse of a series of chasms above the main subglacial channel. Roof collapse processes above subglacial channels had a significant impact on the glacier's mass loss and on the glaciomorphology during the quiescent phase. Earlier observations from 1913 suggest that the formation of this gorge is a reoccurring phenomenon during the quiescent phase. A lower pothole field on the glacier tongue that existed during the initial quiescent phase had completely disappeared in 2015, while a larger upper pothole field in the reservoir area prevailed. During the initial quiescent phase, the subglacial drainage system developed into a stable channelized network, although a jökulhlaup from a large ice-dammed lake occurred. This single event was dated to have occurred between 11 and 13 August 2006, and the lake did not refill. The spatiotemporal association and evolution of glacial and glaciomorphological landforms at Kuannersuit Glacier are likely similar to processes at many other surging and rapidly receding glaciers of similar size.

Geomorphological evidences of paleosurge activity in Lake Viedma Lobe, Patagonia, Argentina

The valley of Lake Viedma represents one of the main ice flow axes during the Quaternary glaciations of Patagonia. Geomorphological mapping of the eastern sector of the lake, between the shoreline and the end moraine systems attributed to the Last Glaciation, allowed us to recognize a large number of ice-marginal and subglacial landforms. The landform assemblage of this area matches with previous models of surging glacier landsystems around the world. We identified the three geomorphological zones that characterise surging glacier landsystems, with some mixing of the zones, possibly related to multiple surges. The outer zone includes push moraines, thrust-block moraines, overridden moraines and hummocky moraines. In the middle zone, overridden moraines and hummocky moraines were developed. Finally, the inner zone is composed of megaflutes, crevasse-squeeze ridges, eskers and till eskers in a till plain. We interpreted these geomorphological features as evidence of surge activity of the Lake Viedma Lobe. A combination of topographic setting, soft-bedrock and the presence of a proglacial lake in contact with ice could have contributed to the development of surge activity in the Viedma paleoglacier. It could have been triggered by a change in the glacial thermal regime of the Viedma paleoglacier from polar during the Last Glacial Maximum to polythermal or temperate during the beginning of the Late Glacial.

The Glacial Geomorphology of the Ice Cap Piedmont Lobe Landsystem of East Mýrdalsjökull, Iceland

A surficial geology and geomorphology map of the forelands of the Sandfellsjökull and Oldufellsjökull piedmont lobes of the east Mýrdalsjökull ice cap is used to characterise the historical and modern landscape imprint in a glacial landsystems context. This serves as a modern analogue for palaeoglaciological reconstructions of ice cap systems that operated outlet lobes of contrasting dynamics, but the subtle variability in process-form regimes is encoded in the geomorphology. The landsystems of the two piedmont lobes reflect significantly different process-form regimes, and hence contrasting historical glacier dynamics, despite the fact that they are nourished by the same ice cap. The Sandfellsjökull landsystem displays the diagnostic criteria for active temperate glacier operation, including arcuate assemblages of inset minor push moraines and associated flutings, kame terrace and ice-dammed lake deposits, linear sandar directed by overridden moraine arcs, and since 1945, features, such as ice-cored, pitted, and glacially pushed outwash fans that are linked to englacial esker networks representative of recession into an overdeepening. Moraine plan forms have also changed from weakly crenulated and discontinuous curvilinear ridges to sawtooth features and crevasse-squeeze ridges and till eskers in response to changing proglacial drainage conditions. The Oldufellsjökull landsystem displays subtle signatures of jökulhlaup-driven surges, including sparse and widely spaced moraine clusters that are separated by exceptionally long flutings. The subtlety of the surge imprint at Oldufellsjökull was recognised only by comparison with nearby Sandfellsjökull, suggesting that palaeo-surging has likely been under-estimated in the ancient landform record. Hence, the simple imprint of sparse and widely spaced moraine clusters that are separated by exceptionally long flutings should be included as possible surge-diagnostic criteria.

Irish Ice Sheet dynamics during deglaciation of the central Irish Midlands: Evidence of ice streaming and surging from airborne LiDAR

High resolution digital terrain models (DTMs) generated from airborne LiDAR data and supplemented by field evidence are used to map glacial landform assemblages dating from the last glaciation (Midlandian glaciation; OI stages 2–3) in the central Irish Midlands. The DTMs reveal previously unrecognised low-amplitude landforms, including crevasse-squeeze ridges and mega-scale glacial lineations overprinted by conduit fills leading to ice-marginal subaqueous deposits. We interpret this landform assemblage as evidence for surging behaviour during ice recession. The data indicate that two separate phases of accelerated ice flow were followed by ice sheet stagnation during overall deglaciation. The second surge event was followed by a subglacial outburst flood, forming an intricate esker and crevasse-fill network. The data provide the first clear evidence that ice flow direction was eastward along the eastern watershed of the Shannon River basin, at odds with previous models, and raise the possibility that an ice stream existed in this area. Our work demonstrates the potential for airborne LiDAR surveys to produce detailed paleoglaciological reconstructions and to enhance our understanding of complex palaeo-ice sheet dynamics.

Submarine landform assemblages and sedimentary processes in front of Spitsbergen tidewater glaciers

New swath-bathymetric data from the inner parts of the three Svalbard fjords Ymerbukta, Trygghamna, and Magdalenefjorden reveal the landform assemblages deposited in front of tidewater glaciers in west and northwest Spitsbergen. Overridden moraines in Ymerbukta, a tributary of Isfjorden in central west Spitsbergen, record several re-advances of the Esmarkbreen glacier at the head of the fjord after deglaciation, and glacial lineations formed in seafloor sediments are indicative of fast ice advance during one of these events. A terminal moraine and associated debris lobe mark the maximum ice extent during the Holocene, which, implied by the presence of crevasse-squeeze ridges, is likely related to a surge of Esmarkbreen. Several De Geer moraines provide evidence for subsequent slow and step-wise retreat. In the adjacent Trygghamna and in Magdalenefjorden in northwest Spitsbergen the landforms are similar but the absence of overridden moraines and glacial lineations shows that the glaciers probably only re-advanced once during the Holocene and that ice flow was relatively slow. Terminal moraines and associated debris lobes mark the maximum extent of these advances and formed during the Little Ice Age (LIA). In Magdalenefjorden the relatively small size of the debris lobe suggests that the ice margin was at its maximum position for only a short period of time, or that sediment availability was restricted during the LIA advance. Similar to Esmarkbreen the retreat phase of the glaciers in Trygghamna and Magdalenefjorden was also characterised by periods of still-stand or small re-advances, although the comparatively small number of De Geer moraines in all three fjords shows that these landforms probably formed much less frequently than previously thought. Sub-bottom profiler data, four sediment cores and six radiocarbon dates from Magdalenefjorden further provide information about the Holocene sedimentary environments in a northwest Spitsbergen fjord. The main source of sediment is glacial meltwater entering the fjord from the surrounding coastline, which has led to the accumulation of thick sequences of fine-grained mud. Stratified and laminated muds record glacier-proximal conditions, probably related to a LIA re-advance of Waggonwaybreen around 300calaBP, where the interplay of a range of glacimarine processes led to the formation of partially rhythmic couplets of one coarser and one finer layer, accumulated at a rate of around 3cma−1. Multiple sandy layers intercalated with the glacimarine mud provide evidence for the occurrence of gravitational mass-flow events like turbidity currents. In ice-distal settings, massive to weakly stratified, occasionally bioturbated mud accumulated at a lower rate of 0.04–0.49cma−1. Occasional clasts and diamictic layers show that the depositional environment in Magdalenefjorden is also influenced by sedimentation from icebergs and sea ice, but the ubiquitous glacimarine mud underscores the predominance of meltwater-related sedimentation in the fjord.

Submarine glacial landforms and sedimentary environments in Vaigattbogen, northeastern Spitsbergen

Vaigattbogen is located in northern Svalbard. The area is currently affected by several tidewater glaciers. This study uses multibeam-, sub-bottom acoustic data, and four sediment cores to reconstruct the Late Weichselian and Holocene glacial history in Vaigattbogen. During the last glacial, ice flowed northwards through Vaigattbogen and fed into the Hinlopen Strait Ice Stream. Streamlined bedforms indicate relatively fast ice flow and their increasing elongation ratios towards the north suggest increasing flow velocities. De Geer moraines in the shallower parts of Vaigattbogen imply that multiple halts and/or re-advances interrupted the ice retreat in these areas. A sediment core suggests that the north basin deglaciated prior to 9.1cal.kaBP. In the south basin, two large moraine ridges and networks of crevasse-squeeze ridges suggest that at least two surge-type advances occurred during the Holocene. The Hinlopenbreen glacier surged in the early 1970s and deposited the inner (R.2) of the two large moraine ridges. Radiocarbon ages from a sediment core recovered from the crest of the outer (R.1) ridge yield a basal age of 2.6cal.kaBP. However, the core did not sample subglacial diamict and the age of the ridge could be anything between 2.6cal.kaBP and early Holocene. The R.1 ridge formed prior to the Little Ice Age (LIA), implying that more than one tidewater glacier has experienced a pre-LIA surge on the east coast of Spitsbergen, suggesting that surging during the Holocene was a regional phenomenon. The R.1 ridge is double-crested with small crevasse-squeeze ridges between the crests suggesting that more than one surge-type advance occurred during the Holocene reaching approximately the same location. Data from eastern Svalbard indicate differences in surge-landform assemblages suggesting that different mechanisms could have governed surge-cycles throughout the Holocene.

Glacial geomorphology of the central Barents Sea: Implications for the dynamic deglaciation of the Barents Sea Ice Sheet

Contemporary climate change has resulted in great uncertainty in how glaciers and ice sheets around the Earth might evolve. It has long been appreciated that the contemporary West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) shares many similarities with the former Barents Sea Ice Sheet (BSIS). Therefore, an increasing number of studies have sought to investigate the Barents Sea glacial record to better understand marine-based glaciation. This paper reports the analysis of a new high-resolution bathymetric survey covering ~55,000km2 in the central Barents Sea. The relative chronologies of newly-mapped glacial landforms such as mega-scale glacial lineations, grounding-zone wedges, moraines, and crevasse-squeeze ridges are used to reconstruct the ice sheet dynamics in the central Barents Sea. Our results show that the ice sheet responded dynamically with different periods of retreat, advance, and stagnation observed. These new landform records have been integrated with other geomorphological records in order to reconstruct the retreat pattern of the BSIS between 17–14ka, when the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet is thought to have uncoupled from the BSIS. Our data shows that the dynamic drawdown of the ice sheet saddle by ice streams was probably the primary mechanism in separating the two ice sheets. After the ice sheets uncoupled, the BSIS is shown to have retreated episodically with several periods of relative stability. Geomorphological records such as those from the BSIS can be used to constrain ice sheet modelling and will help to develop a clearer understanding of marine-based glaciation and the role of ice streams in driving ice sheet evolution.

The Bothnian Sea ice stream: early Holocene retreat dynamics of the south‐central Fennoscandian Ice Sheet

The Gulf of Bothnia hosted a variety of palaeo‐glaciodynamic environments throughout the growth and decay of the last Fennoscandian Ice Sheet, from the main ice‐sheet divide to a major corridor of marine‐ and lacustrine‐based deglaciation. Ice streaming through the Bothnian and Baltic basins has been widely assumed, and the damming and drainage of the huge proglacial Baltic Ice Lake has been implicated in major regional and hemispheric climate changes. However, the dynamics of palaeo‐ice flow and retreat in this large marine sector have until now been inferred only indirectly, from terrestrial, peripheral evidence. Recent acquisition of high‐resolution multibeam bathymetry opens these basins up, for the first time, to direct investigation of their glacial footprint and palaeo‐ice sheet behaviour. Here we report on a rich glacial landform record: in particular, a palaeo‐ice stream pathway, abundant traces of high subglacial meltwater volumes, and widespread basal crevasse squeeze ridges. The Bothnian Sea ice stream is a narrow flow corridor that was directed southward through the basin to a terminal zone in the south‐central Bothnian Sea. It was activated after initial margin retreat across the Åland sill and into the Bothnian basin, and the exclusive association of the ice‐stream pathway with crevasse squeeze ridges leads us to interpret a short‐lived stream event, under high extension, followed by rapid crevasse‐triggered break‐up. We link this event with a c. 150‐year ice‐rafted debris signal in peripheral varved records, at c. 10.67 cal. ka BP. Furthermore, the extensive glacifluvial system throughout the Bothnian Sea calls for considerable input of surface meltwater. We interpret strongly atmospherically driven retreat of this marine‐based ice‐sheet sector.

Over 400 previously undocumented Svalbard surge-type glaciers identified

Identifying glaciers that exhibit surge-type behavior is important when using evidence of ice front fluctuations as a proxy for reconstructing past climate oscillations. This study identifies previously undocumented surge-type glaciers in Svalbard, based on the presence of crevasse squeeze ridges in glacier forelands. Crevasse squeeze ridges are landforms suggested to be unique to surging glacier land systems. Estimates vary greatly as to the actual percentage of surge-type glaciers in Svalbard, and consequently their distribution pattern is poorly understood. A detailed survey of recent (2008–2012), high-resolution aerial imagery from TopoSvalbard, provided by the Norwegian Polar Institute, allowed for a survey of all the glacier forelands in Svalbard. Before our study, 277 individual glaciers in Svalbard have been documented to exhibit surge behavior. By using crevasse squeeze ridges as indicators of surge behavior, we have identified 431 additional glaciers that have surged. We suggest that this is a modest value as the unique surge landforms were not visible in approximately one-third of the forelands with documented surge histories. Limits to the crevasse squeeze ridge technique are presented and potential controlling factors for crevasse squeeze ridge formation/preservation are discussed.

Crevasse-squeeze ridge corridors: Diagnostic features of late-stage palaeo-ice stream activity

A 200-km-long and 10-km-wide linear assemblage of till-filled geometrical ridges on the bed of the Maskwa palaeo-ice stream of the late Wisconsinan southwest Laurentide Ice Sheet are interpreted as crevasse-squeeze ridges (CSR) developed during internal flow unit reorganization, immediately prior to ice stream shutdown. Ridge orientations are predominantly orientated WNW–ESE, with a subordinate WSW–ENE alignment, both indicative of ice fracture development transverse to former ice stream flow, as indicated by NNE–SSW aligned MSGL. Subglacial till injection into basal and/or full depth, mode I and II crevasses occurred at the approximate centreline of the ice stream, in response to extension and fracturing. Landform preservation indicates that this took place during the final stages of ice streaming, immediately prior to ice stream shutdown. This linear zone of ice fracturing therefore likely represents the narrowing of the fast-flowing trunk, similar to the plug flow identified in some surging valley glaciers. Lateral drag between the final active flow unit and the slower moving ice on either side is likely recorded by the up-ice bending of the CSR limbs. The resulting CSR corridor, here related to an individual ice stream flow unit, constitutes a previously unreported style of crevasse infilling and contrasts with two existing CSR patterns: (1) wide arcuate zones of CSRs related to widespread fracturing within glacier surge lobes; and (2) narrow concentric arcs of CSRs and recessional push moraines related to submarginal till deformation at active temperate glacier lobes.