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Article Dans Une Revue Polar Research Année : 2018

The marine sedimentary environments of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard: an archive of polar environmental change

Katrine Husum
  • Fonction : Auteur
John Howe
  • Fonction : Auteur
Matthias Forwick
  • Fonction : Auteur
Maria Jensen
  • Fonction : Auteur
Patrycja Jernas
  • Fonction : Auteur
Sergei Korsun
  • Fonction : Auteur
Arto Miettinen
  • Fonction : Auteur
Rahul Mohan
  • Fonction : Auteur
Caterina Morigi
  • Fonction : Auteur
Per Inge Myhre
  • Fonction : Auteur
Maarten Prins
  • Fonction : Auteur
Kari Skirbekk
  • Fonction : Auteur
Beata Sternal
  • Fonction : Auteur
Michel Boos
  • Fonction : Auteur
Noortje Dijkstra
  • Fonction : Auteur
Simon Troelstra
  • Fonction : Auteur
Agnès Baltzer

Résumé

Kongsfjorden, a fjord in north-western Svalbard, is characterized by large envi-ronmental gradients driven by meltwater processes along the margins of tidewater glaciers and the inflow of relatively warm Atlantic Water, the main heat source for the European Arctic. These factors make Kongsfjorden a key area to investigate changes in the polar climate–ocean–glacier system and to examine the resulting effects on the marine environment. The aim of this paper is to synthesize knowl-edge about the marine sedimentary environment in Kongsfjorden since the last deglaciation. Fjords act as natural sedimentary traps, archiving information about past and present environmental conditions and changes. Geological studies of Kongsfjorden have demonstrated a good potential for reconstructing palaeoenvi-ronments and establishing baselines values for the natural climate changes in the Arctic. Palaeoceanographic reconstructions reveal rising water temperatures similar to modern temperatures ca. 12 000 years ago. The extent of warm Atlantic Water entering the fjords influences processes at, and the stability of, the margins of the tidewater glaciers. Enhanced inflow may cause accelerated glacial melting that, in consequence, leads to an increase in the sediment flux from the glacial catchments into the fjord, as observed ca. 12 000 years ago and at present. However, responses of sediment flux to modern environmental changes remain poorly understood, hence long-term and monitoring studies are needed to quantify and model the effects of climate warming on the sedimentary environment of Kongsfjorden.
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Dates et versions

hal-04306323 , version 1 (24-11-2023)

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Katrine Husum, John Howe, Matthias Forwick, Maria Jensen, Patrycja Jernas, et al.. The marine sedimentary environments of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard: an archive of polar environmental change. Polar Research, 2018, 29, pp.4173 - 4185. ⟨10.33265/polar.v38.3380⟩. ⟨hal-04306323⟩
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