Cryostratigraphy, sedimentology, and the late Quaternary evolution of the Zackenberg River delta, northeast Greenland
The Zackenberg River delta is located in northeast Greenland (74 degrees 30' N, 20 degrees 30' E) at the outlet of the Zackenberg fjord valley. The fjord-valley fill consists of a series of terraced deltaic deposits (ca. 2 km 2 ) formed during relative sea-level (RSL) fall. We investigated...
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ftdtupubl:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/efd7595c-6220-49a8-9cda-1e131658925a 2024-01-14T10:07:14+01:00 Cryostratigraphy, sedimentology, and the late Quaternary evolution of the Zackenberg River delta, northeast Greenland Gilbert, Graham L. Cable, Stefanie Thiel, Christine Christiansen, Hanne H. Elberling, Bo 2017 application/pdf https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/efd7595c-6220-49a8-9cda-1e131658925a https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1265-2017 https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/files/133640616/Untitled.pdf eng eng https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/efd7595c-6220-49a8-9cda-1e131658925a info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Gilbert , G L , Cable , S , Thiel , C , Christiansen , H H & Elberling , B 2017 , ' Cryostratigraphy, sedimentology, and the late Quaternary evolution of the Zackenberg River delta, northeast Greenland ' , Cryosphere , vol. 11 , no. 3 , pp. 1265-1282 . https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1265-2017 article 2017 ftdtupubl https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1265-2017 2023-12-20T23:59:52Z The Zackenberg River delta is located in northeast Greenland (74 degrees 30' N, 20 degrees 30' E) at the outlet of the Zackenberg fjord valley. The fjord-valley fill consists of a series of terraced deltaic deposits (ca. 2 km 2 ) formed during relative sea-level (RSL) fall. We investigated the deposits using sedimentological and cryostratigraphic techniques together with optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. We identify four facies associations in sections (4 to 22 m in height) exposed along the modern Zackenberg River and coast. Facies associations relate to (I) overriding glaciers, (II) retreating glaciers and quiescent glaciomarine conditions, (III) delta progradation in a fjord valley, and (IV) fluvial activity and niveo-aeolian processes. Pore, layered, and suspended cryofacies are identified in two 20 m deep ice-bonded sediment cores. The cryofacies distribution, together with low overall ground-ice content, indicates that permafrost is predominately epigenetic in these deposits. Fourteen OSL ages constrain the deposition of the cored deposits to between approximately 13 and 11 ka, immediately following deglaciation. The timing of permafrost aggradation was closely related to delta progradation and began following the subaerial exposure of the delta plain (ca. 11 ka). Our results reveal information concerning the interplay between deglaciation, RSL change, sedimentation, permafrost aggradation, and the timing of these events. These findings have implications for the timing and mode of permafrost aggradation in other fjord valleys in northeast Greenland. Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland Ice permafrost Zackenberg Technical University of Denmark: DTU Orbit Greenland The Cryosphere 11 3 1265 1282 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Technical University of Denmark: DTU Orbit |
op_collection_id |
ftdtupubl |
language |
English |
description |
The Zackenberg River delta is located in northeast Greenland (74 degrees 30' N, 20 degrees 30' E) at the outlet of the Zackenberg fjord valley. The fjord-valley fill consists of a series of terraced deltaic deposits (ca. 2 km 2 ) formed during relative sea-level (RSL) fall. We investigated the deposits using sedimentological and cryostratigraphic techniques together with optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. We identify four facies associations in sections (4 to 22 m in height) exposed along the modern Zackenberg River and coast. Facies associations relate to (I) overriding glaciers, (II) retreating glaciers and quiescent glaciomarine conditions, (III) delta progradation in a fjord valley, and (IV) fluvial activity and niveo-aeolian processes. Pore, layered, and suspended cryofacies are identified in two 20 m deep ice-bonded sediment cores. The cryofacies distribution, together with low overall ground-ice content, indicates that permafrost is predominately epigenetic in these deposits. Fourteen OSL ages constrain the deposition of the cored deposits to between approximately 13 and 11 ka, immediately following deglaciation. The timing of permafrost aggradation was closely related to delta progradation and began following the subaerial exposure of the delta plain (ca. 11 ka). Our results reveal information concerning the interplay between deglaciation, RSL change, sedimentation, permafrost aggradation, and the timing of these events. These findings have implications for the timing and mode of permafrost aggradation in other fjord valleys in northeast Greenland. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Gilbert, Graham L. Cable, Stefanie Thiel, Christine Christiansen, Hanne H. Elberling, Bo |
spellingShingle |
Gilbert, Graham L. Cable, Stefanie Thiel, Christine Christiansen, Hanne H. Elberling, Bo Cryostratigraphy, sedimentology, and the late Quaternary evolution of the Zackenberg River delta, northeast Greenland |
author_facet |
Gilbert, Graham L. Cable, Stefanie Thiel, Christine Christiansen, Hanne H. Elberling, Bo |
author_sort |
Gilbert, Graham L. |
title |
Cryostratigraphy, sedimentology, and the late Quaternary evolution of the Zackenberg River delta, northeast Greenland |
title_short |
Cryostratigraphy, sedimentology, and the late Quaternary evolution of the Zackenberg River delta, northeast Greenland |
title_full |
Cryostratigraphy, sedimentology, and the late Quaternary evolution of the Zackenberg River delta, northeast Greenland |
title_fullStr |
Cryostratigraphy, sedimentology, and the late Quaternary evolution of the Zackenberg River delta, northeast Greenland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Cryostratigraphy, sedimentology, and the late Quaternary evolution of the Zackenberg River delta, northeast Greenland |
title_sort |
cryostratigraphy, sedimentology, and the late quaternary evolution of the zackenberg river delta, northeast greenland |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/efd7595c-6220-49a8-9cda-1e131658925a https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1265-2017 https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/files/133640616/Untitled.pdf |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
Greenland Ice permafrost Zackenberg |
genre_facet |
Greenland Ice permafrost Zackenberg |
op_source |
Gilbert , G L , Cable , S , Thiel , C , Christiansen , H H & Elberling , B 2017 , ' Cryostratigraphy, sedimentology, and the late Quaternary evolution of the Zackenberg River delta, northeast Greenland ' , Cryosphere , vol. 11 , no. 3 , pp. 1265-1282 . https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1265-2017 |
op_relation |
https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/efd7595c-6220-49a8-9cda-1e131658925a |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1265-2017 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
1265 |
op_container_end_page |
1282 |
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1788061655943348224 |