A historical sedimentary record of glacial activity in Krossfjorden, Arctic

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1000-5641.2023.03.005

Abstract

Abstract:

In this study, sedimentary component analysis and radioactive dating of sediment core from Krossfjorden were used to evaluate the vertical distribution of grain sizes and sedimentary changes since the 1930s. The analysis helps us to understand the environmental changes that have taken place in fjords of the high-latitude glacier front over the past few decades. The results show that the sedimentation rate (0.35 cm/a) has increased significantly since the 1990s and is about twice the rate observed historically before the 1990s (0.16 cm/a). After the 1990s, the mean and median grain size increased and sediment coarsening appeared. Moreover, the composition of grain sizes changed significantly, including a decrease in the sorting coefficient, increase in kurtosis fluctuation, and positive skewness change. Changes in the sedimentary characteristics indicate that the environment has changed in the Krossfjorden during the last thirty years. Climate change has caused rapid glacier melting, which has significantly increased the proliferation of terrigenous materials in fjords of the high-latitude glacier front.

Key words: Arctic, Krossfjorden, grain size, deglaciation, sedimentary record

CLC Number:

Xinyue ZHANG, Bing DENG, Jinzhou DU. A historical sedimentary record of glacial activity in Krossfjorden, Arctic[J]. Journal of East China Normal University(Natural Science), 2023, 2023(3): 43-52.

Figures/Tables 7

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沉积环境	区域	沉积速率 /(cm·a^–1)
河流	勒拿河河口	0.39 ^[24]
	鄂毕河河口	0.4 ~ 1.0 ^[25]
	叶尼塞河河口	0.4 ~ 1.0 ^[25]
冰川	克罗斯峡湾	0.16 ~ 0.35 (本文)
	东新地岛海槽	0.1 ~ 0.3 ^[25]
	王湾	0.38 ~ 0.41 ^[6]
	霍恩松峡湾	0.22 ~ 0.24 ^[6]
	斯图尔峡湾	0.18 ^[26]

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