Tidal Flat Sedimentation in an Arctic Environment : a Field Study from Braganzavågen, Spitsbergen

• Main Author: Eriksen, Thomas
• Other Authors: Maria Jensen and Henning Dypvik
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: VDP::450; Arctic; Svea; Van Mijenfjorden; Braganzavågen; Spitsbergen
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10852/37891; http://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-39907

This study is located in the innermost part of Van Mijenfjorden, in the bay of Braganzavågen; close to the mining town of Svea. Two seasons of field work have been conducted during summer 2011 and 2012. During this field work the tidal flat was studied in detail to get an understanding of how tidal flat sedimentation in arctic environments behaves. Since there previously has not been done much work on tidal flats in arctic environment, studies from other latitudes are crucial in the overall understanding of the depositional environment in Braganzavågen. However, the main emphasis is based on observations and data collected in field. From the profiles made during field work, logs have been constructed, which are the basis for this thesis. In addition observations of morphology and sampling have been done. From the samples that have been collected there have been done grain size analysis and further mean grain size, skewness and sorting have been calculated. It is believed that parameters like mean grain size, skewness and sorting can give an indication about the depositional environment for the sediments that have been studied. For the discussion the focus is on the depositional processes in the studied area in Braganzavågen, and in what extent the tidal sedimentation is the main process. Additionally study how this area behaves; where landforms/sediments are dependent on nearby features like alluvial fan, fluvial systems, marsh areas and tidal systems.