Evolution of Near-Shore Outwash Fans and Permafrost Spreading Under Their Surface: A Case Study from Svalbard
The article presents geomorphological analysis results for two outwash fans (sandurs), Elveflya and Nottingham, in the marginal zone of the Werenskiold Glacier in the south-west part of the Spitsbergen. The main goal of this study was to reconstruct the morphological evolution of these landforms and...
Published in: | Remote Sensing |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
MDPI AG
2020
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12030482 https://doaj.org/article/1423e7ba86be4848af102124b2d8aead |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:1423e7ba86be4848af102124b2d8aead |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:1423e7ba86be4848af102124b2d8aead 2023-05-15T16:22:16+02:00 Evolution of Near-Shore Outwash Fans and Permafrost Spreading Under Their Surface: A Case Study from Svalbard Marek Kasprzak Michał Łopuch Tadeusz Głowacki Wojciech Milczarek 2020-02-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12030482 https://doaj.org/article/1423e7ba86be4848af102124b2d8aead EN eng MDPI AG https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/3/482 https://doaj.org/toc/2072-4292 2072-4292 doi:10.3390/rs12030482 https://doaj.org/article/1423e7ba86be4848af102124b2d8aead Remote Sensing, Vol 12, Iss 3, p 482 (2020) permafrost outwash-fan evolution photogrammetry electromagnetic induction sbas sentinel-1a/1b Science Q article 2020 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12030482 2022-12-31T09:42:15Z The article presents geomorphological analysis results for two outwash fans (sandurs), Elveflya and Nottingham, in the marginal zone of the Werenskiold Glacier in the south-west part of the Spitsbergen. The main goal of this study was to reconstruct the morphological evolution of these landforms and to identify the permafrost zone under their surface. For this purpose, age data of fossils were compiled and compared with newly exposed and dated fossil tundra in the layer glaciotectonically deformed by the forming glacier end moraine. Using this method, a time frame was identified for the glacier advance and for the simultaneous formation of the outwash plains. It was concluded that the Elveflya surface has been built-up with deposits since the Little Ice Age. Sediment deposition ended in the late 1960s, due to hydrographic changes and the redirection of all proglacial waters towards the Nottingham bay. A photointerpretation analysis based on two orthophotomaps and LANDSAT scenes allowed the identification of five microfans in Elveflya, of which two youngest fans have a twice shorter range than the other three. The sixth microfan is currently shaped by deposits washed from the slope of the end moraine. An additional focus was placed on a currently active sandur, which fills the Nottingham bay, in order to identify its growth rate. The average growth rate of this surface increased from 5700 m 2 ·year −1 over the period of 1985−2000 to 24,900 m 2 ·year −1 over the period of 2010−2017. Electromagnetic measurements carried out on the surfaces of the sandurs demonstrated that the electrical resistivity of the ground is high in the apex of the Elveflya fan (ρ ≥ 1 kΩ.m) and low in its toe (typically ρ < 200 Ω.m), as in the case of the Nottingham fan ground. In the interpretation advanced here, permafrost developed in the proximal part of the Elveflya sandur, which continues to be supplied by fresh groundwaters flowing from the glacier direction. Low electrical resistivity of the ground in the distal part of the ... Article in Journal/Newspaper glacier Ice permafrost Svalbard Tundra Spitsbergen Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Svalbard Elveflya ENVELOPE(15.143,15.143,77.106,77.106) Remote Sensing 12 3 482 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
permafrost outwash-fan evolution photogrammetry electromagnetic induction sbas sentinel-1a/1b Science Q |
spellingShingle |
permafrost outwash-fan evolution photogrammetry electromagnetic induction sbas sentinel-1a/1b Science Q Marek Kasprzak Michał Łopuch Tadeusz Głowacki Wojciech Milczarek Evolution of Near-Shore Outwash Fans and Permafrost Spreading Under Their Surface: A Case Study from Svalbard |
topic_facet |
permafrost outwash-fan evolution photogrammetry electromagnetic induction sbas sentinel-1a/1b Science Q |
description |
The article presents geomorphological analysis results for two outwash fans (sandurs), Elveflya and Nottingham, in the marginal zone of the Werenskiold Glacier in the south-west part of the Spitsbergen. The main goal of this study was to reconstruct the morphological evolution of these landforms and to identify the permafrost zone under their surface. For this purpose, age data of fossils were compiled and compared with newly exposed and dated fossil tundra in the layer glaciotectonically deformed by the forming glacier end moraine. Using this method, a time frame was identified for the glacier advance and for the simultaneous formation of the outwash plains. It was concluded that the Elveflya surface has been built-up with deposits since the Little Ice Age. Sediment deposition ended in the late 1960s, due to hydrographic changes and the redirection of all proglacial waters towards the Nottingham bay. A photointerpretation analysis based on two orthophotomaps and LANDSAT scenes allowed the identification of five microfans in Elveflya, of which two youngest fans have a twice shorter range than the other three. The sixth microfan is currently shaped by deposits washed from the slope of the end moraine. An additional focus was placed on a currently active sandur, which fills the Nottingham bay, in order to identify its growth rate. The average growth rate of this surface increased from 5700 m 2 ·year −1 over the period of 1985−2000 to 24,900 m 2 ·year −1 over the period of 2010−2017. Electromagnetic measurements carried out on the surfaces of the sandurs demonstrated that the electrical resistivity of the ground is high in the apex of the Elveflya fan (ρ ≥ 1 kΩ.m) and low in its toe (typically ρ < 200 Ω.m), as in the case of the Nottingham fan ground. In the interpretation advanced here, permafrost developed in the proximal part of the Elveflya sandur, which continues to be supplied by fresh groundwaters flowing from the glacier direction. Low electrical resistivity of the ground in the distal part of the ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Marek Kasprzak Michał Łopuch Tadeusz Głowacki Wojciech Milczarek |
author_facet |
Marek Kasprzak Michał Łopuch Tadeusz Głowacki Wojciech Milczarek |
author_sort |
Marek Kasprzak |
title |
Evolution of Near-Shore Outwash Fans and Permafrost Spreading Under Their Surface: A Case Study from Svalbard |
title_short |
Evolution of Near-Shore Outwash Fans and Permafrost Spreading Under Their Surface: A Case Study from Svalbard |
title_full |
Evolution of Near-Shore Outwash Fans and Permafrost Spreading Under Their Surface: A Case Study from Svalbard |
title_fullStr |
Evolution of Near-Shore Outwash Fans and Permafrost Spreading Under Their Surface: A Case Study from Svalbard |
title_full_unstemmed |
Evolution of Near-Shore Outwash Fans and Permafrost Spreading Under Their Surface: A Case Study from Svalbard |
title_sort |
evolution of near-shore outwash fans and permafrost spreading under their surface: a case study from svalbard |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12030482 https://doaj.org/article/1423e7ba86be4848af102124b2d8aead |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(15.143,15.143,77.106,77.106) |
geographic |
Svalbard Elveflya |
geographic_facet |
Svalbard Elveflya |
genre |
glacier Ice permafrost Svalbard Tundra Spitsbergen |
genre_facet |
glacier Ice permafrost Svalbard Tundra Spitsbergen |
op_source |
Remote Sensing, Vol 12, Iss 3, p 482 (2020) |
op_relation |
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/3/482 https://doaj.org/toc/2072-4292 2072-4292 doi:10.3390/rs12030482 https://doaj.org/article/1423e7ba86be4848af102124b2d8aead |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12030482 |
container_title |
Remote Sensing |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
482 |
_version_ |
1766010229347057664 |