Understanding Coastal Processes and Evolution by Geomorphological Mapping along the North-eastern Coastline of Prins Karls Forland, Svalbard

• Main Author: Hagen, Regine
• Other Authors: Felix, Maarten, Jensen, Maria
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: NTNU 2022
• Subjects: Arctic; Svalbard; Prins Karls Forland; Arktis; Arktis*; Norsk Polarinstitutt; permafrost
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3022402

Feltarbeid på Prins Karls Forland fant sted i september 2021. Ulike prosesser som bidrar til utviklingen av kystlinja ble kartlagt, beskrivelser av sedimenter som utgjør strandsonen ble gjort og prøver tatt med til C-14 dateringer. Observasjonene gjort i felt dannet sammen med flyfoto og satellitt-bilder fra Norsk Polarinstitutt grunnlaget for de geomorfologiske og overflate-sedimentologiske kartene presentert i denne master-oppgaven. Flyfoto og satellitt-bilder fra NPI har bidratt forståelsen av landskapets kystutvikling. Kystlinje-utviklingen langs den nord-østlige delen av Prins Karls Forland er hovedsakelig bølgedominert, men lokale prosesser dominerer hvor bølgene ikke strekker til. Informasjonen innhentet fra Prins Karls Forland er overførbar til andre deler av Arktis hvor folk og infrastruktur rammes av kystendringer. During the last 100 years a rise in temperature, especially during winter, has been observed in the Arctic. As a result, glaciers retreat, the active layer of permafrost increases in depth, the open water season becomes longer, and storms become stronger and more frequent. All these changes affect and will continue to affect Arctic coastlines. To improve the understanding of Arctic coastline changes of Prins Karls Forland, Svalbard, field observations and the study of aerial photos and satellite images from 1936, 2008 and 2021 were combined to map the geomorphological and sedimentological features and changes. Fieldwork was carried out at 8 localities on the north-eastern shore of Prins Karls Forland during the summer of 2021. Grain size data, landform descriptions, vegetation cover descriptions and samples for 14C dating were collected during the fieldwork. At each locality, landforms (as seen in the field) and their changes (as seen from satellite images) were used to identify the processes controlling shoreline morphology (wave action, tides, coastal currents, …). The combined fieldwork/ image analysis showed that the main process controlling shoreline morphology is wave action due to ...