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The Growth and Decay of the Late Weichselian Ice Sheet in Western Svalbard and Adjacent Areas Based on Provenance Studies of Marine Sediments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Anders Elverhøi ,
Espen S. Andersen ,
Trond Dokken ,
Dierk Hebbeln ,
Robert Spielhagen ,
John Inge Svendsen ,
Marit Sørflaten ,
Arnt Rørnes ,
Morten Hald  and
Carl Fredrik Forsberg
Anders Elverhøi
Affiliation:
University of Oslo, Department of Geology, P.O. Box 1047, Blindern N-0316 Oslo, Norway
Espen S. Andersen
Affiliation:
University of Oslo, Department of Geology, P.O. Box 1047, Blindern N-0316 Oslo, Norway
Trond Dokken
Affiliation:
University of Tromsø, Department of Biology and Geology, N-9037, Tromsø, Norway
Dierk Hebbeln
Affiliation:
Universität Bremen, Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Postfach 330440, D-28334 Bremen, Germany
Robert Spielhagen
Affiliation:
GEOMAR, Research Center for Marine Geosciences, Wischhofstrasse, I-3, D-24148 Kiel, Germany
John Inge Svendsen
Affiliation:
University of Bergen, Center for Studies of Environment and Resource, Høyteknologisenteret, N-5020 Bergen, Norway
Marit Sørflaten
Affiliation:
University of Oslo, Department of Geology, P.O. Box 1047, Blindern N-0316 Oslo, Norway
Arnt Rørnes
Affiliation:
University of Tromsø, Department of Biology and Geology, N-9037, Tromsø Norway,
Morten Hald
Affiliation:
University of Tromsø, Department of Biology and Geology, N-9037, Tromsø Norway,
Carl Fredrik Forsberg
Affiliation:
Norwegian Polar Institute, Middelthunsgt. 29, P.O. Box 5072, Majorstua 0301, Oslo, Norway
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Abstract

The history of the Late Weichselian northwestern Barents Shelf, including western Svalbard, has been investigated by provenance/sedimentologist studies of five cores from the continental shelf and slope west of Svalbard. The chronostratigraphy of the cores is based on AMS 14C dates and oxygen isotope analyses. Interpretations of the cores suggest that the ice sheets of western Svalbard and northwestern Barents Sea experienced advances and retreats in two steps. The first significant ice advance beyond the present coastline occurred ca. 22,000 14C yr B.P. and was followed by an ice advance to the shelf edge ca. 18,000 14C yr B.P. Ice recession from the outer shelf and the southwestern Barents Sea began 14,800 14C yr B.P. and was followed by a second ice recession between 13,000 and 12,000 14 C yr B.P. during which ice withdrew from the inner shelf. A minor readvance of the ice sheet on the shelf west of Svalbard occurred close to 12,400 14C yr B.P. The first deglaciation event was associated with release of icebergs containing ice-rafted detritus, while the later episode also included significant amounts of meltwater and fine-grained sediment.

Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 44 , Issue 3 , November 1995 , pp. 303 - 316
Copyright
University of Washington

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