Dynamic LIA advances hastened the demise of small valley glaciers in central Svalbard
Most small land-terminating glaciers in Svalbard have experienced large recession since the Little Ice Age (LIA) and today are thin, cold, and largely inactive. This likely contrasts to their LIA conditions, but the observational record from that time is sparse. We investigate the evolution of five...
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| Language: | English |
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Canadian Science Publishing
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Arctic Science |
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| Online Access: | https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/as-2024-0024 |
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| author | Erik S. Mannerfelt Andrew J. Hodson Lena Håkansson Harold Lovell |
| author_facet | Erik S. Mannerfelt Andrew J. Hodson Lena Håkansson Harold Lovell |
| author_sort | Erik S. Mannerfelt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Most small land-terminating glaciers in Svalbard have experienced large recession since the Little Ice Age (LIA) and today are thin, cold, and largely inactive. This likely contrasts to their LIA conditions, but the observational record from that time is sparse. We investigate the evolution of five small glaciers in central Nordenskiöld Land, Svalbard, from the LIA to 2019. Photogrammetric reconstructions and ground penetrating radar are used to reconstruct their geometric changes since 1936, and historical observation, photographs, and geomorphological mapping extend this history to before the 1900s. Our results show that from 1936 to 2019, the study glaciers on average lost 49.6% of their area and 77.4% ± 7.7% of their volume, with the greatest volume loss at Scott Turnerbreen of 91% ± 5%. Four out of these five glaciers strongly indicate a history of surge-like advances near the end of the LIA within one or two decades, and the rate of subsequent mass loss seems connected to their previous dynamics. This apparent switch to high activity during a period of rapid climatic change, could have implications for our understanding of past and future glacier evolution; climate change and highly dynamic glacier responses may be more connected than previously thought. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0f8eea2a30644334a2dc8519ceabfab0 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2368-7460 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Canadian Science Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Arctic Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-0f8eea2a30644334a2dc8519ceabfab02025-08-20T02:50:56ZengCanadian Science PublishingArctic Science2368-74602024-12-0110481583310.1139/as-2024-0024Dynamic LIA advances hastened the demise of small valley glaciers in central SvalbardErik S. Mannerfelt0Andrew J. Hodson1Lena Håkansson2Harold Lovell3Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, NorwayArctic Geology, The University Centre in Svalbard, 9170 Longyearbyen, NorwayArctic Geology, The University Centre in Svalbard, 9170 Longyearbyen, NorwaySchool of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences, University of Portsmouth, PO1 2UP Portsmouth, UKMost small land-terminating glaciers in Svalbard have experienced large recession since the Little Ice Age (LIA) and today are thin, cold, and largely inactive. This likely contrasts to their LIA conditions, but the observational record from that time is sparse. We investigate the evolution of five small glaciers in central Nordenskiöld Land, Svalbard, from the LIA to 2019. Photogrammetric reconstructions and ground penetrating radar are used to reconstruct their geometric changes since 1936, and historical observation, photographs, and geomorphological mapping extend this history to before the 1900s. Our results show that from 1936 to 2019, the study glaciers on average lost 49.6% of their area and 77.4% ± 7.7% of their volume, with the greatest volume loss at Scott Turnerbreen of 91% ± 5%. Four out of these five glaciers strongly indicate a history of surge-like advances near the end of the LIA within one or two decades, and the rate of subsequent mass loss seems connected to their previous dynamics. This apparent switch to high activity during a period of rapid climatic change, could have implications for our understanding of past and future glacier evolution; climate change and highly dynamic glacier responses may be more connected than previously thought.https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/as-2024-0024Svalbardglacierlittle ice agegeomorphologyphotogrammetry |
| spellingShingle | Erik S. Mannerfelt Andrew J. Hodson Lena Håkansson Harold Lovell Dynamic LIA advances hastened the demise of small valley glaciers in central Svalbard Arctic Science Svalbard glacier little ice age geomorphology photogrammetry |
| title | Dynamic LIA advances hastened the demise of small valley glaciers in central Svalbard |
| title_full | Dynamic LIA advances hastened the demise of small valley glaciers in central Svalbard |
| title_fullStr | Dynamic LIA advances hastened the demise of small valley glaciers in central Svalbard |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dynamic LIA advances hastened the demise of small valley glaciers in central Svalbard |
| title_short | Dynamic LIA advances hastened the demise of small valley glaciers in central Svalbard |
| title_sort | dynamic lia advances hastened the demise of small valley glaciers in central svalbard |
| topic | Svalbard glacier little ice age geomorphology photogrammetry |
| url | https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/as-2024-0024 |
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