Cryostratigraphy, sedimentology, and the late Quaternary evolution of the Zackenberg River delta, northeast Greenland

The Zackenberg River delta is located in northeast Greenland (74°30′ N, 20°30′ E) at the outlet of the Zackenberg fjord valley. The fjord-valley fill consists of a series of terraced deltaic deposits (ca. 2 km2) formed during relative sea-level (RSL) fall. We investigated the deposits using sediment...

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Main Authors: Gilbert, Graham L., Cable, Stefanie, Thiel, Christine, Christiansen, Hanne H., Elberling, Bo
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Katlenburg-Lindau : Copernicus 2017
Subjects:
Ice
Online Access:https://oa.tib.eu/renate/handle/123456789/10489
https://doi.org/10.34657/9525
id fttibhannoverren:oai:oa.tib.eu:123456789/10489
record_format openpolar
spelling fttibhannoverren:oai:oa.tib.eu:123456789/10489 2023-05-15T15:11:06+02:00 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 2017-5-30 application/pdf https://oa.tib.eu/renate/handle/123456789/10489 https://doi.org/10.34657/9525 eng eng Katlenburg-Lindau : Copernicus ESSN:1994-0424 DOI:https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1265-2017 https://oa.tib.eu/renate/handle/123456789/10489 http://dx.doi.org/10.34657/9525 CC BY 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ frei zugänglich CC-BY The Cryosphere : TC 11 (2021), Nr. 3 aggradation cyclic sedimentation dating method deglaciation deltaic deposit glacier retreat permafrost progradation Quaternary sea level change sediment core sedimentation sedimentology subaerial exposure Arctic Greenland Zackenberg Basin ddc:910 status-type:publishedVersion doc-type:article doc-type:Text 2017 fttibhannoverren https://doi.org/10.34657/9525 https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1265-2017 2022-12-19T17:17:55Z The Zackenberg River delta is located in northeast Greenland (74°30′ N, 20°30′ E) at the outlet of the Zackenberg fjord valley. The fjord-valley fill consists of a series of terraced deltaic deposits (ca. 2 km2) 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 Arctic glacier Greenland Ice permafrost The Cryosphere Zackenberg Renate - Repositorium für Naturwissenschaften und Technik (TIB Hannover) Arctic Greenland
institution Open Polar
collection Renate - Repositorium für Naturwissenschaften und Technik (TIB Hannover)
op_collection_id fttibhannoverren
language English
topic aggradation
cyclic sedimentation
dating method
deglaciation
deltaic deposit
glacier retreat
permafrost
progradation
Quaternary
sea level change
sediment core
sedimentation
sedimentology
subaerial exposure
Arctic
Greenland
Zackenberg Basin
ddc:910
spellingShingle aggradation
cyclic sedimentation
dating method
deglaciation
deltaic deposit
glacier retreat
permafrost
progradation
Quaternary
sea level change
sediment core
sedimentation
sedimentology
subaerial exposure
Arctic
Greenland
Zackenberg Basin
ddc:910
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
topic_facet aggradation
cyclic sedimentation
dating method
deglaciation
deltaic deposit
glacier retreat
permafrost
progradation
Quaternary
sea level change
sediment core
sedimentation
sedimentology
subaerial exposure
Arctic
Greenland
Zackenberg Basin
ddc:910
description The Zackenberg River delta is located in northeast Greenland (74°30′ N, 20°30′ E) at the outlet of the Zackenberg fjord valley. The fjord-valley fill consists of a series of terraced deltaic deposits (ca. 2 km2) 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
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
publisher Katlenburg-Lindau : Copernicus
publishDate 2017
url https://oa.tib.eu/renate/handle/123456789/10489
https://doi.org/10.34657/9525
geographic Arctic
Greenland
geographic_facet Arctic
Greenland
genre Arctic
glacier
Greenland
Ice
permafrost
The Cryosphere
Zackenberg
genre_facet Arctic
glacier
Greenland
Ice
permafrost
The Cryosphere
Zackenberg
op_source The Cryosphere : TC 11 (2021), Nr. 3
op_relation ESSN:1994-0424
DOI:https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1265-2017
https://oa.tib.eu/renate/handle/123456789/10489
http://dx.doi.org/10.34657/9525
op_rights CC BY 3.0 Unported
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
frei zugänglich
op_rightsnorm CC-BY
op_doi https://doi.org/10.34657/9525
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1265-2017
_version_ 1766342010731495424