The glacial history of the Svalbard archipelago from late Vistulian to the present time in late Holocene Authors: Joanna Ćwiąkała Mateusz Moskalik Piotr Zagórski [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Instytut Geografii, Uniwersytet Pedagogiczny im. KEN w Krakowie Instytut Geofizyki Polskiej Akademii Nauk w Warszawie Wydział Nauk o Ziemi i Gospodarki Przestrzennej, Uniwersytet Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej w Lublinie Introduction: Aim and descriptions of tables: Due to the rich literature of the history of glaciation on Svalbard, it is The scientists often study the glacial history of the Svalbard archipelago, The main aim this study is to show this history only from the late difficult to collect the whole. The duration of the episodes in the left but the articles usually refer to a particular piece of Svalbard. The authors Vistulian to the present time. Stadials and interstadials vary start columns of both tables are generalized due to those differences. studied many of scientific articles based on the researches to find and time, duration in different places, according to various authors. In the table 1, authors have two divisions, as in the literature, this collect this history. Therefore, it is hard to collect all information and describe this history. period was highlighted as one (Bølling/OD/Allerød), or as three Because of these differences, the authors performed two summary separate short episodes. The first division is the general. Second Basic information: tables. The tables represent durations of these episodes in different division (Bølling – I, Older Dryas- II, Allerød – III), shows how Svalbard js located in the Arctic, at the edge of the continental shelf of places in the Svalbard archipelago, according to studies by different much the episode lasted at a given location according to data in the Europe. The end of shelf boundary occurrence of ice caps in the past authors. literature. glaciations. In turn, the main elements of the landscape of the archipelago The table 1 presents the results for the Late Vistulian. The table 2 are glaciers that are currently in a recession. Spitsbergen sets the limit of presents the results for the Holocene. The tables are demonstrative. In the Table 2, in part about Holocene Climatic Optimum, the short Pleistocene glaciations, and the current state of glaciers allows Of course you should return the note that these tables do not Holocene Cooling is marked by red color. This episode interrupted determining the place where the recession is intense. represent the whole. on about 200 years this Optimum.

stadials/interstadials stadials/interstadial The duration of the area by various authors The duration of the area by various authors (duration BP) s (duration BP) - Spitsbergen, Billefjorden, Kongsfjorden around 1900 AD- now. (Svendsen et al. 2002, Plassen et al. 2003, - Svalbard 12 500-11 500 BP (Ślubowska-Woldengen et al. 2008, Sternal 2012), XX- century Szczuciński et al. 2009, Kempf et al. 2013) - Murchisonfjorden12 400-11 500 BP (Kaakinen et al. 2009, Ojala et al. 2014) warming (1900-now) - SW Spitsbergen 12 600 – 11 500 BP (Hald et al. 2007, Rasmussen et al. 2007, 2012) - Svalbard 1200-1900 AD (Gordiyenko et al. 1980, Svendsen, Mangerud 1997), - W Spitsbergen 10 900 BP the end of the last stage of Vistulian (Svendsen et al. 1996, Mangerud et al. 1998, Lønne 2005, Forwick, Vorren 2009), - S Spitsbergen 1300-1900 AD (Mangerud 1992b, 1997, Mangerud, Landvik 2007, Forwick et al. 2010), - Spitsbergen, around Isfjorden11 000- 10 000 BP (Svendsen et al. 1996), Little Ice Age Younger Dryas - Hornsund 1600-1900 AD (Majewski et al. 2009), - Isfjorden 12 800 – 11 700 BP (Mangerud et al. 1992, 1998, Svendsen et al. 1996, Forwick, Vorren 2009), (1300-1900 AD) (12 000-10 000 BP) - Billefjorden 1600-1900 AD (Szczuciński et al. 2009), - Billefjorden 11 000 – 10 000 BP (Svendsen et al. 1996); 11 000 – 9 7000 BP (Mangerud, Svendsen 1990), - Kongsfjorden-Krossfjorden 550 – 200 BP (Howe et al. 2003) - Van Mijenfjorden 12 800 – 11 700 BP (Mangerud et al. 1992, Hald et al. 2004), - Hornsund 1300-1600 AD (Majewski et al. 2009), Transitional period - Brommeldalen (around the Van Mijenfjorden) 10 500-10 100 (Mangerud, Svendsen 1990), between MWP and - Skilvika 11 000- 10 000 BP (Mangerud et al. 1998) LIA (1300-1600 AD)

- Barents Sea15 000- 12 000 BP (Landvik et al. 1998), Medieval Warm - max. 800-1250 AD (Marsz 2009) - The shelf15 000-12 000 BP (Mangerud, Landvik 2007); start of the deglaciation of the SW shelf 20 500/19 500 BP (Rasmussen et al. 2007, Period (600-1300 Jessen et al. 2010), AD) -Svalbard 14 000 – 10 000 BP (Svendsen et al. 1996);14 500-13 500 BP (Ślubowska-Woldengen et al. 2008, Sternal 2012), X ? ? - W Spitsbergen 4000-2500 BP (Birks 1991, Svendsen, Mangerud 1997), (III)- Allerød - W Spitsbergen, coast 14 000-13 000/12 500 BP (Svendsen, Mangerud 1992b); (I) – Bølling 14 800 – 12 400 BP (Svendsen et al. 1996), - Van Keulenfjorden 4700-2000 BP (Birks 1991, Svendsen, Mangerud 1997, Hald et al. 2004, Rasmussen et al. (II)- Older Dryas - SW Spitsbergen 14 000- 12 600 BP (Hald et al. 2007, Rasmussen et al. 2007, 2012), 2012, Kempf et al. 2013), (I)- Bølling -Isfjorden (III) – Allerød 12 300 – 11 000 BP (Svendsen et al. 1996); (II)- Older Dryas 12 400 – 12 300 BP (Svendsen et al. 1996), Revdalen Stadial - Kaffiøyra 3000-2500 BP (Grześ 2009), - W and N Spitsbergen (Isfjorden, Kongsfjorden, Woodfjorden, Raudfjorden, Liefdefjorden, Smeerenburgfjorden) (II) – Older Dryas 12 600- (4000-2500 BP) (15 000-12 000 BP) - Billefjorden 2800 BP –start of the neoglacial (Szczuciński et al. 2009), 12 400 (Landvik et al. 1998), - Linnédalen, Isfjorden 3600/4000 – 2800/3000 BP (Svendsen, Mangerud 1997), - Kaffiøyra (13 000 -10 000 BP) (Grześ et al. 2009), - Hornsund 3000-2500 BP (Kowalewski 1991, Linder, Marks 1991), - Linnedalen 18 000/17 500 – 12 500 BP (Mangerud, Svendsen 1990, Mangerud et al. 1992) - N part of the Barents Sea 9500-5000 BP (Svendsen, Mangerud 1997), -Van Keulenfjorden (III) – Allerød 11 800 – 11 600 BP (Kempf et al. 2013) - Svalbard early Holocene 9500-7500 BP (Ślubowska-Woldengen et al. 2008, Sternal 2012), - Svalbard start 20 000 (Svendsen et al. 2004), - Nordaustlandet, N and W Spitsbergen 9500-3500 BP (Salvigsen et al. 2002), Last Glacial Maximum - around Nordaustlandet and Barents Sea start 18 000 BP (Solheim 1991), - Nordaustlandet start around10 000 BP (Solheim 1991), - Bjørnøya 9500-8000 BP, (6700- 8500 cal. BC) (Wohlfarth et al. 1995, Hald et al. 2004), 11 200 – 9300 BP (LGM) - N part of the ice sheet 23 000 - 21 000 BP (Siguardardottir 2011), Holocene Climatic (Wohlfarth et al. 1995), (23/22 000-15 000 BP) - the shelf 22 000 -15 000 BP (Landvik et al.1998), Optimum (10 000- - W Svalbard 9500- 3500 BP (Svendsen, Mangerud 1997), -18 000-15 000 BP (Landvik et al. 1998, Elverhøi et al. 1998) 4000 BP), in the - W Spitsbergen/continental margin 11 200- 8800 BP (Hald et al. 2004), -N part of The Barents Sea, Svalbard 30 000/25 000 - 10 000 BP (Mangerud et al. 1998) – based on the figure, meantime Cool - Van Mijenfjorden 11200-8800 BP (Hald et al. 2004), -Svalbard 29 000 - 22 000 BP (Lindner, Marks 1993a); start around 26 000 BP (Landvik et al. 1998), Holocene (8800- - Kongsfjorden, Krossfjorden 9500 - 4500 BP (Svendsen et al. 2002, Howe et al. 2003), - Svalbard - Barents Sea start - 27 000 BP, reach the shelf 22 000 BP, reach the edge of the shelf 18 000 BP (Dowdeswell et al. 1998), 8600 BP) – stadial Slaklidalen (29 000 - - Isfjorden 11 200-9000 BP (Forwick, Vorren 2009), Gronfjord ? 22 000 BP) – the start of - Nordaustlandet 25 000- 10 000 BP (Kaakinen et al. 2009) – based on the figure, - Central part of Spitsbergen 11 000-7500 BP (Hald et al. 2004), 9500-5000 BP (Salvigsen et al. 1990), the Late Vistulian - Spitsbergen start 25 000 BP (Landvik et al. 1987), -Van Keulenfjorden 10 660-6750 BP (Kempf 2011), - Kongsfjorden start around - 20 000 BP (Howe et al. 2003, Kehrl et al. 2011), Holocene Cooling: - 25 000-15 000 BP (Ingólfsson, Landvik 2013), - W part of the Barents Sea, part of Spitsbergen 9000-8800 BP (Forwick, Vorren 2009), - Van Mijenfjorden 8000/7500-4000 BP (Hald et al. 2004) Table 1. The distribution of the stadials/interstadials in late Vistulian on the Svalbard. Authors' own Table 2. The distribution of the stadials/interstadials in Holocene on the Svalbard. elaboration based on literature Authors' own elaboration based on literature

THE EXTENT OF THE ICE SHEET IN THE LATE THE EXTENT OF THE ICE SHEET IN THE LATE VISTULIAN VISTULIAN BY VARIOUS AUTHORS: BY VARIOUS AUTHORS: Fig. 1. The extent of the ice sheet at the LGM Conlusions: Fig. 4. The extent of the glaciers in HCO- Early Holocene (9.5 - 7.5 ka By analyzing the history of glaciation of Svalbard from late Vistulian to the XXI- BP) century, you can play the glacial extents in different periods of time. The following contains the main points of the history of glaciation in Svalbard. The duration of each stadials/interstadials is rounded due to the fact, that the duration was significantly different in the different areas. The end of the Pleistocene - Late Vistulian period (25 000 - 10 000 years BP): 1) The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM)- (23 000 - 15 000 years BP) – During this maximum ice sheet reached its greatest extent. Its western edge ended up on the western continental shelf. Perhaps, in this period of time, it was connected to the Scandinavian ice sheet (Fig.1.). 2) Bølling/Older Dryas/Allerød - (15 000 - 12 800 years BP) - During this period the deglaciation of ice sheet Svalbard – Barents Sea took place (Fig.2.). 3) Younger Dryas - (12 800 - 10 000 years BP), last stage of the Pleistocene glaciation. There was a next advance of glaciers and ice-sheet residues (Fig.3.). Holocene (10 000 years BP – to now), Early, Middle and Late Holocene: Fig. 2. The extent of the ice sheet at Bølling-Older Dryas-Allerød 1)Holocene Climatic Optimum - (10 000 - 4 000 years BP). The period of Fig.5. The extent of glaciers in Middle, Late Holocene (4–2 ka BP) rapid global warming. It was interrupted by short cooling, about 8 800 - 8 600 years BP. (Fig.4.) 2) Revdalen Stadial - (4 000 - 2 500 years BP), a period of cooling on Svalbard. During this time there was a advance of glaciers. (Fig. 5) 3) Medieval Warm Period (MWP)- (800 – 1300 AD), a interstadial characterized by a warming climate. 4) Little Ice Age (LIA)- (1300-1900 AD), during this period the glaciers reached a maximum extent in the Holocene. The culmination of the LIA accounted for at the end of the XIX-century (1850-1900 AD). 5) XX and XXI-century warming - (1900-2014 AD), is a period of global warming, recession of glaciers and single surges. (Fig.6)

So far the data collected must be supplemented with new information that will better the opportunity to learn the history of the area. Particularly important is accurate knowledge of the period from Revdalen Stadial to the MWP, because this period is poorly understood.

References (the most important): Fig. 3. The extent of the ice sheet at Younger Dryas 1. Elverhøi A., Dowdeswell J.A., Funder S., Mangerud J., Stein E., 1998, Glacial and oceanic Fig.6. The extent of glaciers XX/XXI- century history of the polar north Atlantic margins: an overview, Quaternary Science Reviews,17: 1- 10. 2. Forwick, M., Vorren, T. O. 2009. Late Weichselian and Holocene sedimentary environments and ice rafting in Isfjorden, Spitsbergen. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 280(1-2): 258-274. 3. Hald, M., Ebbesen, H., Forwick, M., Godtliebsen, F., Khomenko, L., Korsun, S., Ringstad Olsen, L. & Vorren, T. O. 2004. Holocene paleoceanography and glacial history of the West Spitsbergen area, Euro-Arctic margin. Quaternary Science Reviews, 23(20-22): 2075- 2088. 4. Svendsen J. I., Elverhøi A., Mangerud J., 1996, The retreat of the Barents Ice Sheet on the western Svalbard margin, Boreas 25: 244-256. 5. Zagórski P., Harasimiuk M., Rodzik J., 2013, The geographical environment of NW part of Wedel Jarlsberg Land (Spitsbergen, Svalbard), UMCS, Lublin, ss. 387.

Maps based on the bathymetric-topographic maps: Jakobsson M., Mayer L.A., Coakley B., Dowdeswell J.A., Forbes S., Fridman B., Hodnesdal H., Noormets R., Pedersen R., Rebesco M., Schenke H.-W., Zarayskaya Y., Accettella A.D., Armstrong A., Anderson R.M., Bienhoff P., Camerlenghi A., Church I., Edwards M., Gardner J.V., Hall J.K., Hell B., Hestvik O.B., Kristoffersen Y., Marcussen C., Mohammad R., Mosher D., Nghiem S.V., Pedrosa M.T., Travaglini P.G., Weatherall P., 2012, The International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean (IBCAO) Version 3.0, Geophysical Research Letters, doi: 10.1029/2012GL052219.