Welcome

Arctic regions are particularly sensitive to climate change and provide researchers with direct evidence of historical and geological climate change. Svalbard, one of the most accessible Arctic research locations, is located high in the North Atlantic (79° N lat.). Positioned on the north end of the warm Gulf Stream, the Svalbard archipelago has preserved proxy records of climate fluctuations throughout the late Holocene and into the 20th century. This region has been marked by the retreat of glaciers, reductions in sea ice, and measurable warming throughout the Holocene and more specifically during the last 90 years. Svalbard serves as an optimal Arctic research environment as it has a wide variety of terrains to investigate. Terrestrial, lacustrine, fjord, and open marine systems provide many opportunities for research and comparison.

Research Goals:
The research for this project will be completed at two field locations: Lake Linné and Kongsfjorden. Although significant work has already been completed at these locations to characterize sedimentation in these environments, the influence of modern processes on current sedimentation patterns has not been evaluated, nor has the late Holocene record from these locations been used in developing a high-resolution record of climate change.

Map of Svalbard showing the locations of Kongsfjorden (red dot)
and Lake Linné (blue dot).

The over-arching questions that this extended project will address are:

1. What are the links in environmental processes between climate, glacial, fluvial lacustrine and fjord systems?

2. How are measured environmental changes expressed in the sediment records of the fjord and lacustrine systems?

3. Can relationships be derived from the current sedimentation and meteorological observations that will allow for the historic sedimentation record to be better interpreted?

Sorted stone circles in the permafrost near Lake Linné