Glacier outburst floods reconstructed from lake sediments and their implications for Holocene variations of the plateau glacier Folgefonna in western Norway

• Published in: Boreas
• Main Authors: Røthe, Torgeir O., Bakke, Jostein, Støren, Eivind Wilhelm Nagel
• Other Authors: Statkraft, Sunnhordland Kraftlag, Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, EARTHLAB
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2019
• Subjects: glacier; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bor.12388; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fbor.12388; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/bor.12388; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/bor.12388

A sudden release of large volumes of water during a glacier outburst flood ( GLOF ) is a major hazard worldwide. Here, we identify the sedimentary signature of glacial and non‐glacial processes, including GLOF s, based on lacustrine sediments from the distal glacier‐fed Lake Buarvatnet in western Norway. Historically documented GLOF s in 2002 CE and during the 1980s CE are identified in the 210 Pb‐ and 14 C‐dated sediments. These events have the same sedimentary signature as 12 earlier events throughout the Holocene interpreted to represent previous GLOF s in the catchment. The GLOF s are interpreted to have occurred during periods when the glacier extent was similar to the modern positions, and the events are thus used to pinpoint past positions of the glacier terminus and, hence, the equilibrium line altitudes ( ELAs ). The results indicate that the glacier Svartenutbreen, located at the eastern part of Folgefonna, had a similar size in 2002 CE as c . 8200–8300 cal. a BP , corresponding to the 8.2 ka event in the North Atlantic region. The regrowth of Sørfonna after the Holocene Thermal Optimum occurred at c . 6900 cal. a BP and Svartenutbreen was at modern size and extent in the periods c . 6400, c . 5450, c . 4850, c . 3850, c . 3550 and c . 1650 cal. a BP . Since 1650 cal. a BP , we infer that the glacier was larger than the 2002 CE glacier extent until 1910 CE when a GLOF occurred. Svartenutbreen has been retreating since 1910 CE , which led to the ice damming of the two historical GLOF s in the 1980s and 2002 CE separated by a glacier advance in the 1990s CE . The findings are discussed and compared to other regional glacier reconstructions in Norway, and emphasize the value of identifying and utilizing GLOF s as an indicator of past ELA variability.