New insights into marine-based paleo-ice sheet dynamics and glaciomarine depositional environment in an interfan area between ice stream-derived Trough Mouth Fans, Off West Svalbard

Understanding the dynamic history of the marine-based paleo-Svalbard Ice Sheet  is crucial, as it provides insights into past climate change and the interactions between the  ocean system and the cryosphere. High-resolution seismic imaging is essential for  deciphering the glacial history of the western Svalbard continental margin, which has  experienced multiple glaciations throughout the Quaternary period. Glaciomarine sediments  preserved in the continental margins provide a detailed record of these events. This study  integrates high-resolution air gun seismic (vertical resolution 5 m), and deep-towed seismic  data (vertical and horizontal resolutions 1 and 3 m, respectively) along with age constraints to  refine the seismic stratigraphic framework, depositional architecture, and sedimentation  processes of the interfan area between the Kongsfjorden and Isfjorden Trough Mouth Fans  (TMFs). New age constraints indicate that the build-up of the Kongsfjorden TMF began  around 1.2 million years ago. Our data analysis reveals four distinct shelf-edge glaciations  during the Weichselian period (120–110 ka, ~90 ka, 61–54 ka, and ~24 ka). These glacial units on the upper continental sl 37 ope contain debris materials transported by slow-moving ice  sheets. During maximum glacial expansion, iceberg calving created V-shaped indentations,  and glaciogenic debris flows carved erosional troughs. Seismic interpretation and debris flow  modeling aided in understanding the development of lensoid debris morphology, stacking  patterns, and the evolution of debris lobes resulting from local variations in bottom  topography. This study underscores the significance of using multiple high-resolution seismic  data sources to enhance our understanding of the glacial history and depositional processes in  the interfan region.

Keyword(s)

geology, geophysics, glaciation, ice sheet, paleoenvironment, quaternary, seismic interpretation

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Trivedi Akash, Sarkar Sudipta, Ker Stephan, Minshull Timothy A, Haflidason Haflidi (2024). New insights into marine-based paleo-ice sheet dynamics and glaciomarine depositional environment in an interfan area between ice stream-derived Trough Mouth Fans, Off West Svalbard. ESS Open Archive. INPRESS. https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.172586567.79117419/v1, https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00907/101894/

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