Persistence of Holocene ice cap in northeast Svalbard aided by glacio-isostatic rebound

• Published in: Quaternary science reviews Vol. 331; p. 108625
• Main Authors: Farnsworth, Wesley R., Ingólfsson, Ólafur, Brynjólfsson, Skafti, Allaart, Lis, Kjellman, Sofia E., Kjær, Kurt H., Larsen, Nicolaj K., Macias-Fauria, Marc, Siggaard-Andersen, Marie-Louise, Schomacker, Anders
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: Glacio-isostatic rebound effect; Holocene thermal maximum; Relative sea-level change; Thermophilous molluscs; Relative sea-level change; Holocene thermal maximum; Thermophilous molluscs; Glacio-isostatic rebound effect
• ISSN: 0277-3791; 1873-457X; 1873-457X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108625

The deglaciation of the Svalbard-Barents Sea Ice Sheet was driven by relative sea-level rise, the incursion of North Atlantic waters around Spitsbergen, and increasing summer insolation. However, ice retreat was interrupted by asynchronous re-advances that occurred into high relative seas, during a period associated with warm regional waters and elevated summer temperatures. Better understanding of this complex style of deglaciation and the dynamic response to a warming climate can serve as an important analogue for modern warming and today's ice sheets. We present evidence from northern Svalbard of glacier re-advances during the Late Glacial-Early Holocene in hand with relative sea-level history and the occurrence of thermophilous molluscs. We argue that glacio-isostatic adjustment during the transition into the Holocene influenced ice marginal dynamics and as a result, the southern region of the Åsgardfonna ice cap persisted through the Holocene Thermal Maximum. •Asynchronous tributary glacier re-advances during the transition from Late Glacial to Early Holocene.•Tidewater glacier margin survives Holocene Thermal Maximum alongside thermophilous molluscs.•Glacier sustenance aided by glacio-isostatic adjustment.