| Summary: | The Storfjorden sedimentary system (South-western Svalbard margin) was investigated during the EGLACOM cruise between 8th July and 4th August 2008 on board R/V OGS-Explora. EGLACOM (Evolution of a GLacial Arctic COntinental Margin: the southern Svalbard ice stream-dominated sedimentary system) project is the Italian contribution to the International Polar Year (IPY) Activity 367 (Neogene ice streams and sedimentary processes on high-latitude continental margins – NICE STREAMS) in combination with the IPY-Spanish SVAIS project. Four EGLACOM sediment cores were collected from the slope and shelf areas and were scanned for radiographs and multi-sensor core logger for physical properties. Sediment samples were collected every 10 cm, and analyzed for textural and compositional characteristics including the biogenic components. Paleomagnetic and rock-magnetic investigations were carried out at high-resolution along the core’s length. Both data sets contributed to develop a high-resolution age models in combination with the palaeostratigraphy (using foraminifera, diatoms and nannoplankton) and AMS dating. On the upper slope, coarser-grained sediments containing abundant pebbles (IRD-rich facies), overlain a sequence of laminated mud interbedded with silt layers (laminated facies), having scarce, badly preserved and often reworked biogenic fraction. On the lower slope, the uppermost sequence is formed by fine-grained bioturbated sediments with abundant planktonic and benthic foraminifera reflecting open-ocean conditions similar to present days. The dominance of the benthic foraminifera Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi indicates well oxygenated bottom waters and the calcareous nannofossil’ assemblage indicates this facies deposited within the Emiliania huxleyi Acme Zone. The bioturbated facies overlay an interval of crudely laminated mud containing a peak of diatoms and sponge spiculae abundance that corresponds to a decrease in foraminifers content. Here the nannofossil assemblage contains many reworked species including ...
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