Holocene mass-transport activity and climate in outer Isfjorden, Spitsbergen: marine and subsurface evidence

The analyses of high-resolution seismic data, swath bathymetry data and sediment cores from the basin Svensksunddjupet in Isfjorden, Spitsbergen, reveal the deposits of repeated slope failures. Most of the slope failures occurred during three periods at c. 9650 cal. BP, 8350—8200 cal. BP and 3000 ca...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Holocene
Main Authors: Forwick, Matthias, Vorren, Tore O.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publications 2007
Subjects:
Paleontology
Earth-Surface Processes
Ecology
Archeology
Global and Planetary Change
Svensksunddjupet
Vardebreen
Isfjord*
Isfjorden
Spitsbergen
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959683607080510
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0959683607080510
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Summary:The analyses of high-resolution seismic data, swath bathymetry data and sediment cores from the basin Svensksunddjupet in Isfjorden, Spitsbergen, reveal the deposits of repeated slope failures. Most of the slope failures occurred during three periods at c. 9650 cal. BP, 8350—8200 cal. BP and 3000 cal. BP. Suggested factors causing instability of the slopes include earthquake activity resulting from rapid isostatic uplift, excess pore pressure caused by relative sea-level fall and/or the presence of gas as well as climatic changes. Mass-transport deposits at the mouth of an incision at the southern slope of Svensksunddjupet are suggested to mainly relate to runoff from the land-based glacier Vardebreen. The increase of the mass-transport activity may indicate that Vardebreen either formed or increased in size at c. 7000 cal. BP.

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