Supraglacial moraines in Scharffenbergbotnen, Heimefrontfjella, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica – significance for reconstructing former blue ice areas
The ice surface of the glacier in the 7 km long valley Scharffenbergbotnen in Heimefrontfjella, Dronning Maud Land, is characterized by blue ice fields and is partly covered by supraglacial moraine complexes. The debris cover of the supraglacial moraines is generally less than 50 cm thick and rests...
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2005
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102005002634 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102005002634 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0954102005002634 2024-04-28T07:58:36+00:00 Supraglacial moraines in Scharffenbergbotnen, Heimefrontfjella, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica – significance for reconstructing former blue ice areas HÄTTESTRAND, CLAS JOHANSEN, NINA 2005 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102005002634 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102005002634 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Antarctic Science volume 17, issue 2, page 225-236 ISSN 0954-1020 1365-2079 Geology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography journal-article 2005 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954102005002634 2024-04-09T06:55:39Z The ice surface of the glacier in the 7 km long valley Scharffenbergbotnen in Heimefrontfjella, Dronning Maud Land, is characterized by blue ice fields and is partly covered by supraglacial moraine complexes. The debris cover of the supraglacial moraines is generally less than 50 cm thick and rests on glacial ice, and most of the surface morphology of ridges and numerous sink holes reflects irregularities in the underlying ice. The debris consists of angular to sub-angular clasts of local bedrock. We interpret the moraines to have an entirely supraglacial history, where colluvium and pre-existing moraines were brought into Scharffenbergbotnen primarily from the south/south-west by an advancing glacier during the last ice maximum in the region. The debris cover of the supraglacial moraines extends up to 200–250 m above the present ice surface on surrounding slopes in Scharffenbergbotnen, and generally to less than 100 m above the present ice surface on slopes outside the valley. We interpret this as marking the ice surface elevation in the area during the last ice maximum (probably LGM). The deposition of supraglacial moraines in the valley at that time, and their survival in the area until the present day, indicate that a local ablation centre and probably blue ice fields were present in Scharffenbergbotnen at LGM, and has been a persistent feature since. In a wider context, we argue that supraglacial moraines constitute a hitherto unexploited resource when reconstructing the former extent of blue ice areas. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Science Antarctica Dronning Maud Land Cambridge University Press Antarctic Science 17 2 225 236 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
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English |
topic |
Geology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography |
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Geology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography HÄTTESTRAND, CLAS JOHANSEN, NINA Supraglacial moraines in Scharffenbergbotnen, Heimefrontfjella, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica – significance for reconstructing former blue ice areas |
topic_facet |
Geology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography |
description |
The ice surface of the glacier in the 7 km long valley Scharffenbergbotnen in Heimefrontfjella, Dronning Maud Land, is characterized by blue ice fields and is partly covered by supraglacial moraine complexes. The debris cover of the supraglacial moraines is generally less than 50 cm thick and rests on glacial ice, and most of the surface morphology of ridges and numerous sink holes reflects irregularities in the underlying ice. The debris consists of angular to sub-angular clasts of local bedrock. We interpret the moraines to have an entirely supraglacial history, where colluvium and pre-existing moraines were brought into Scharffenbergbotnen primarily from the south/south-west by an advancing glacier during the last ice maximum in the region. The debris cover of the supraglacial moraines extends up to 200–250 m above the present ice surface on surrounding slopes in Scharffenbergbotnen, and generally to less than 100 m above the present ice surface on slopes outside the valley. We interpret this as marking the ice surface elevation in the area during the last ice maximum (probably LGM). The deposition of supraglacial moraines in the valley at that time, and their survival in the area until the present day, indicate that a local ablation centre and probably blue ice fields were present in Scharffenbergbotnen at LGM, and has been a persistent feature since. In a wider context, we argue that supraglacial moraines constitute a hitherto unexploited resource when reconstructing the former extent of blue ice areas. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
HÄTTESTRAND, CLAS JOHANSEN, NINA |
author_facet |
HÄTTESTRAND, CLAS JOHANSEN, NINA |
author_sort |
HÄTTESTRAND, CLAS |
title |
Supraglacial moraines in Scharffenbergbotnen, Heimefrontfjella, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica – significance for reconstructing former blue ice areas |
title_short |
Supraglacial moraines in Scharffenbergbotnen, Heimefrontfjella, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica – significance for reconstructing former blue ice areas |
title_full |
Supraglacial moraines in Scharffenbergbotnen, Heimefrontfjella, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica – significance for reconstructing former blue ice areas |
title_fullStr |
Supraglacial moraines in Scharffenbergbotnen, Heimefrontfjella, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica – significance for reconstructing former blue ice areas |
title_full_unstemmed |
Supraglacial moraines in Scharffenbergbotnen, Heimefrontfjella, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica – significance for reconstructing former blue ice areas |
title_sort |
supraglacial moraines in scharffenbergbotnen, heimefrontfjella, dronning maud land, antarctica – significance for reconstructing former blue ice areas |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2005 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102005002634 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102005002634 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Science Antarctica Dronning Maud Land |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Science Antarctica Dronning Maud Land |
op_source |
Antarctic Science volume 17, issue 2, page 225-236 ISSN 0954-1020 1365-2079 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954102005002634 |
container_title |
Antarctic Science |
container_volume |
17 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
225 |
op_container_end_page |
236 |
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1797570529334394880 |