The Barents Sea ice sheet - a sedimentological discussion
Sediment sampling and shallow seismic profiling in the western and northern Barents Sea show that the bedrock in regions with less than 300 m water depth is unconformably overlain by only a thin veneer (< 10 m) of sediments. Bedrock exposures are probably common in these areas. The sediments cons...
Published in: | Polar Research |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Norwegian Polar Institute
2010
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/2543 https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v1i1.6968 |
id |
ftjpolarres:oai:journals.openacademia.net:article/2543 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftjpolarres:oai:journals.openacademia.net:article/2543 2023-05-15T15:38:38+02:00 The Barents Sea ice sheet - a sedimentological discussion Elverhøi, Anders Solheim, Anders 2010-01-01 application/pdf https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/2543 https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v1i1.6968 eng eng Norwegian Polar Institute https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/2543/5794 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/2543 doi:10.3402/polar.v1i1.6968 Copyright (c) 2018 Polar Research Polar Research; Vol. 1 No. 1 (1983); 23-42 1751-8369 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2010 ftjpolarres https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v1i1.6968 2021-11-11T19:12:57Z Sediment sampling and shallow seismic profiling in the western and northern Barents Sea show that the bedrock in regions with less than 300 m water depth is unconformably overlain by only a thin veneer (< 10 m) of sediments. Bedrock exposures are probably common in these areas. The sediments consist of a Holocene top unit, 0.1-1.5 m in thickness, grading into Late Weichselian glaciomarine sediments. Based on average sedimentation rates (14C-dating) of the Holocene sediments, the transition between the two units is estimated to 10,00~12,000 B.P. The glaciomarine sediments are commonly 1-3 m in thickness and underlain by stiff pebbly mud, interpreted as till and/or glaciomarine sediments overrun by a glacier. In regions where the water depth is over 300 m the sediment thickness increases, exceeding 500 m near the shelf edge at the mouth of Bj0rnByrenna. In Bjbrn0yrenna itself the uppermost 15-20m seem to consist of soft glaciomarine sediments underlain by a well-defined reflector, probably the surface of the stiff pebbly mud. Local sediment accumulations in the form of moraine ridges and extensive glaciomarine deposits (20-60m in thickness) are found at 250-300m water depth, mainly in association with submarine valleys. Topographic highs, probably moraine ridges, are also present at the shelf edge. Based on the submarine morphology and sediment distribution, an ice sheet is believed to have extended to the shelf edge at least once during the Pleistocene. Spitsbergenbanken and the northern Barents Sea have also probably been covered by an ice sheet in the Late Weichselian. Lack of suitable organic material in the glacigenic deposits has prevented precise dating. Based on the regional geology of eastern Svalbard, a correlation of this younger stage with the Late Weichselian is indicated. Article in Journal/Newspaper Barents Sea glacier Ice Sheet Polar Research Sea ice Spitsbergenbanken Svalbard Polar Research (E-Journal) Svalbard Barents Sea Polar Research 1 1 23 42 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Polar Research (E-Journal) |
op_collection_id |
ftjpolarres |
language |
English |
description |
Sediment sampling and shallow seismic profiling in the western and northern Barents Sea show that the bedrock in regions with less than 300 m water depth is unconformably overlain by only a thin veneer (< 10 m) of sediments. Bedrock exposures are probably common in these areas. The sediments consist of a Holocene top unit, 0.1-1.5 m in thickness, grading into Late Weichselian glaciomarine sediments. Based on average sedimentation rates (14C-dating) of the Holocene sediments, the transition between the two units is estimated to 10,00~12,000 B.P. The glaciomarine sediments are commonly 1-3 m in thickness and underlain by stiff pebbly mud, interpreted as till and/or glaciomarine sediments overrun by a glacier. In regions where the water depth is over 300 m the sediment thickness increases, exceeding 500 m near the shelf edge at the mouth of Bj0rnByrenna. In Bjbrn0yrenna itself the uppermost 15-20m seem to consist of soft glaciomarine sediments underlain by a well-defined reflector, probably the surface of the stiff pebbly mud. Local sediment accumulations in the form of moraine ridges and extensive glaciomarine deposits (20-60m in thickness) are found at 250-300m water depth, mainly in association with submarine valleys. Topographic highs, probably moraine ridges, are also present at the shelf edge. Based on the submarine morphology and sediment distribution, an ice sheet is believed to have extended to the shelf edge at least once during the Pleistocene. Spitsbergenbanken and the northern Barents Sea have also probably been covered by an ice sheet in the Late Weichselian. Lack of suitable organic material in the glacigenic deposits has prevented precise dating. Based on the regional geology of eastern Svalbard, a correlation of this younger stage with the Late Weichselian is indicated. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Elverhøi, Anders Solheim, Anders |
spellingShingle |
Elverhøi, Anders Solheim, Anders The Barents Sea ice sheet - a sedimentological discussion |
author_facet |
Elverhøi, Anders Solheim, Anders |
author_sort |
Elverhøi, Anders |
title |
The Barents Sea ice sheet - a sedimentological discussion |
title_short |
The Barents Sea ice sheet - a sedimentological discussion |
title_full |
The Barents Sea ice sheet - a sedimentological discussion |
title_fullStr |
The Barents Sea ice sheet - a sedimentological discussion |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Barents Sea ice sheet - a sedimentological discussion |
title_sort |
barents sea ice sheet - a sedimentological discussion |
publisher |
Norwegian Polar Institute |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/2543 https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v1i1.6968 |
geographic |
Svalbard Barents Sea |
geographic_facet |
Svalbard Barents Sea |
genre |
Barents Sea glacier Ice Sheet Polar Research Sea ice Spitsbergenbanken Svalbard |
genre_facet |
Barents Sea glacier Ice Sheet Polar Research Sea ice Spitsbergenbanken Svalbard |
op_source |
Polar Research; Vol. 1 No. 1 (1983); 23-42 1751-8369 |
op_relation |
https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/2543/5794 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/2543 doi:10.3402/polar.v1i1.6968 |
op_rights |
Copyright (c) 2018 Polar Research |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v1i1.6968 |
container_title |
Polar Research |
container_volume |
1 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
23 |
op_container_end_page |
42 |
_version_ |
1766369777744347136 |