An Early or Middle Weichselian sequence of proglacial, shallow marine sediments on western Svalbard

• Published in: Boreas
• Main Authors: LONNE, IDA, MANGERUD, JAN
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1991
• Subjects: glacier; Svalbard
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1502-3885.1991.tb00298.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1502-3885.1991.tb00298.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1502-3885.1991.tb00298.x

A 20 m thick shallow marine sequence, capped by a Late Weichselian lodgement till, is exposed for 200111 along the river in Linnedalen on the west coast of Svalbard. Five formations are recognized: Formation A, the oldest, consists of a shallow marine, proglacial fan, of channelized sandy turbidites, possibly fed from an ice‐contact deposit. Formation B, a sequence of proglacial channels and ice‐rafted debris, was formed during a small oscillation of the glacier. Formation C, a prograding, storm‐dominated shoreline sequence, was formed during a sea level fall, assumed to be a result of glacio‐isostatic uplift. Formation D, a lodgement till formed during the last glacier advance in Linnedalen and formation E, a coarsening upwards sequence, were formed during the post‐glacial sea level fall. The subtill sequence (fm. A, B and C) is dated to between 40,000BP (radiocarbon dates) and 120,000BP (thermoluminescence and amino acid D/L ratios). The glacier front was 10 km downvalley during deposition of formations A and B, relative to the present glacier terminus, and more than 12km during the late Weichselian maximum.