Abstract
The Arctic region is very sensitive to climate change and the transformations from largely ice covered to relatively ice free has been rapid during the Holocene. This rapid warming in the Arctic has a significant impact on the development and evolution of landforms. In glaciated Arctic region (glacial valleys), abrupt climatic shifts are captured in the landforms developed and their modification from glacial to proglacial (through glacier retreat). These transformations are evident in the form of systematic progression from glacier snout, morainic ridges (evidence of past glacial advance/retreat), proglacial lakes and drumlins (recent glacial melt) as well as permafrost and outwash plains. The paraglacial processes and related geomorphic and sedimentary archives in the vicinity of present glaciers margin are evidence of enhanced climatic amelioration and associated sediment transfer. The evolution of the landforms, in response to varying climate, provide the long-term proxy records which are invaluable for assessment of climate change trends. Proper characterization of these landforms in field and understanding of various sedimentary processes are important to realize the spatio-temporal implications of such geomorphic transformations. The distinctive landforms distribution in Ny-Alesund area is studied, documented and interpreted to deduce the drastic changes in palaeoclimatic regimes. In the proglacial areas, evidences of enhanced solifluction processes within the diamictite deposits are clear indication of enhanced proglacial sediment readjustment through permafrost degradation. Extensive solifluction lobes mark transformation from proglacial to paraglacial system modification that controls the meltwater sediment transportation and sediment aggradation in outwash plain. Characterization of the geomorphic attributes in vicinity of present glacial margin as evidences of such transformations that clearly indicate significant warming during the Late Quaternary. This study provides a fresh outlook to understand the proglacial-paraglacial transition in this part of Arctic region associated with concomitant sediment readjustment processes in time and space.
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Acknowledgments
The authors extend their thanks to the Director General, CHQ, GSI, ADG and Head MIV, ADG and HoD, NR Lucknow, Deputy Director General, GSI Faridabad for technical and administrative support and permission to publish this work. Sincere thanks to Director, NCPOR, Goa for providing permission to participate in Indian Arctic Expeditions. Thanks to Dr. Radhakrishna Chunchekar and Mohd. Atif Raza, TL-OSL laboratory, NCEGR, GSI, Faridabad for providing OSL dating data. Sincere thanks to the reviewers and editors for valuable comments and suggestions that have helped to improve the manuscript. Thanks are also due to the officers of the Polar Studies Division, GSI Faridabad for suggestions.
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Dutta, S., Sadiq, M., Dharwadkar, A. (2022). Proglacial Landscape Transformations in Arctic, Ny-Alesund Area, Svalbard: Paraglacial Processes and Climate Warming During Late Quaternary. In: Phartiyal, B., Mohan, R., Chakraborty, S., Dutta, V., Gupta, A.K. (eds) Climate Change and Environmental Impacts: Past, Present and Future Perspective. Society of Earth Scientists Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13119-6_9
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