High-Arctic glacial-periglacial interactions and the development of terrain morphology on Brøggerhalvøya, Svalbard

T.D.L. Irvine-Fynn, P.R. Porter, N.E. Barrand, D.I. Benn, M. Temminghoff, S. Lukas

In the proceedings of: GEO2010 Calgary: 63rd Canadian Geotechnical Conference & 6th Canadian Permafrost Conference

Session: T3-E

ABSTRACT: ic glacial-periglacial interactions and the development of terrain morphology on Brøggerhalvøya, Svalbard TDL Irvine-Fynn, Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK. PR Porter, Division of Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK. NE Barrand, Department of Geography, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. DI Benn, M Temminghoff, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), PO Box 156, Longyearbyen N-9171, Svalbard, Norway. S Lukas Department of Geography, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK. ABSTRACT Recent geodetic analyses for small valley glaciers in western Svalbard have shown sustained, negative mass balance and an accelerating rate of thinning. One consequence of such ice mass loss is the increased exposure of forefield moraine complexes. Such deglaciating areas are susceptible to processes of sediment reworking and redistribution, highlighting that, for beyond century time-scales; even in permafrost environments, the preservation of ice-marginal landforms is limited. Here, a summary of results from three sequential investigations are used to explore the mechanisms involved in morphological terrain adjustment within deglaciating catchments on Brøggerhalvøya, north-west Svalbard. Specifically, the presence of buried ice and exposure of glacial sediments at the ice margins are shown to have significant roles in processes associated with deglaciation.

RÉSUMÉ: Des analyses géodésiques récentes faites dans des petits glaciers au Spitzberg occidental ont montré que la plupart

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