Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T02:16:51.291Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Postglacial sedimentary and geomorphological evolution of a small sub-Antarctic fjord landscape, Stromness Bay, South Georgia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2012

Nathalie Van Der Putten ,
Cyriel Verbruggen ,
Helena Alexanderson ,
Svante Björck  and
Bart Van De Vijver
Nathalie Van Der Putten*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
Cyriel Verbruggen
Affiliation:
Department of Geology and Soil Science, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S8, 9000 Gent, Belgium
Helena Alexanderson
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
Svante Björck
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
Bart Van De Vijver
Affiliation:
National Botanic Garden of Belgium, Department of Cryptogamy (Bryophyta & Thallophyta), Domein van Bouchout, 1860 Meise, Belgium
*
[email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A detailed stratigraphical, palaeoecological and geomorphological reconstruction of a fjord head on South Georgia (Husvik, Stromness Bay) is presented. Six sites were chosen to reconstruct the lithostratigraphy of the area by means of coring. A maximum depth of 11 m was attained and the sediments encountered vary from coarse gravel over sands to fine silts with, in some cases, intercalated peat layers. Diatom analysis allowed determination of whether the sedimentological units were deposited in a marine or freshwater environment. Six radiocarbon dates constrain the chronology. Deglaciation of the area was completed in the early Holocene and the postglacial geomorphological evolution of Husdal (unofficial name) was controlled by fluvio-deltaic deposition and sea level changes. Relative sea level rise was faster than, or kept pace with the isostatic rebound of the land. Our results challenge the presence of Late Glacial and Holocene raised beach deposits in the area as reported in earlier geomorphological studies.

Keywords

diatomsHolocene relative sea levelraised beachesstratigraphysub-Antarctic island
Type
Earth Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 25 , Issue 3 , June 2013 , pp. 409 - 419
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2012 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adamson, D.A., Selkirk, P.M., Price, D., Ward, N.Selkirk, J.M. 1996. Pleistocene uplift and palaeoenvironments of Macquarie Island: evidence from palaeobeaches and sedimentary deposits. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania, 130, 25–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bentley, M.J., Evans, D.J.A., Fogwill, C.J., Hansom, J.D., Sugden, D.E.Kubik, P.W. 2007a. Glacial geomorphology and chronology of deglaciation, South Georgia, sub-Antarctic. Quaternary Science Reviews, 26, 644–677.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bentley, M.J., Evans, D.J.A., Fogwill, C.J., Hansom, J.D., Sugden, D.E.Kubik, P.W. 2007b. Reply to Comment by Van der Putten and Verbruggen. Quaternary Science Reviews, 26, 2690–2691.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berkman, P.A., Andrews, J.T., Björck, S., Colhoun, E.A., Emslie, S.D., Goodwin, I.D., Hall, B.L., Hart, C.P., Hirakawa, K., Igarashi, A., Ingólfsson, O., Lopez-Martinéz, J., Lyons, W.B., Mabin, M.C.G., Quilty, P.G., Taviani, M.Yoshida, Y. 1998. Circum-Antarctic coastal environmental shifts during the Late Quaternary reflected by emerged marine deposits. Antarctic Science, 10, 345–362.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clapperton, C.M. 1971. Geomorphology of the Stromness Bay-Cumberland Bay area, South Georgia. British Antarctic Survey Scientific Reports, No. 70, 25 pp.Google Scholar
Clapperton, C.M., Sugden, D.E., Birnie, J.Wilson, M.J. 1989. Late-Glacial and Holocene glacier fluctuations and environmental change on South Georgia, Southern Ocean. Quaternary Research, 31, 210–228.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fleming, K., Johnston, P., Zwartz, D., Yokoyama, Y., Lambeck, K.Chappell, J. 1998. Refining the eustatic sea level curve since the Last Glacial Maximum using far- and intermediate-field sites. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 163, 327–343.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Graham, A.G.C., Fretwell, P.T., Larter, R.D., Hodgson, D.A., Wilson, C.K., Tate, A.J.Morris, P. 2008. A new bathymetric compilation highlighting extensive paleo-ice sheet drainage on the continental shelf, South Georgia, sub-Antarctica. Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems, 9, 1–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grauert, M., Björck, S.Bondevik, S. 2001. Storegga tsunami deposits in a coastal lake on Sudoroy, The Faroe Islands. Boreas, 30, 263–271.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greene, S.W. 1964. The vascular flora of South Georgia. British Antarctic Survey Scientific Reports, No. 45, 58 pp.Google Scholar
Headland, R. 1984. The Island of South Georgia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 293 pp.Google Scholar
McCormac, F.G., Hogg, A.G., Blackwell, P.G., Buck, C.E., Higham, T.F.G.Reimer, P.J. 2004. SHCal04 southern hemisphere calibration, 0–11 cal kyr bp. Radiocarbon, 46, 1087–1092.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reimer, P.J., Baillie, M.G.L.Bard, E.et al. 2004. IntCal04 terrestrial radiocarbon age calibration, 26–0 kyr bp. Radiocarbon, 46, 1029–1058.Google Scholar
Riaux-Gobin, C.Romero, O. 2003. Marine Cocconeis Ehrenberg (Bacillariophyceae) species and related taxa from Kerguelen's Land (Austral Ocean, Indian Sector). Bibliotheca Diatomologica, 47, 1–189.Google Scholar
Rosqvist, G.C.Schuber, P. 2003. Millennial-scale climate changes on South Georgia, Southern Ocean. Quaternary Research, 59, 470–475.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rosqvist, G.C., Rietti-Shati, M.Shemesh, A. 1999. Late Glacial to middle Holocene climatic record of lacustrine biogenic silica oxygen isotopes from a Southern Ocean island. Geology, 27, 967–970.2.3.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Selkirk, P.M., Adamson, D.A.Wilson, M.E. 1990. Raised marine terrace on north-west coast of Macquarie Island. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 112, 141–152.Google Scholar
Siddall, M., Rohling, E.J., Almogi-Labin, A., Hemleben, C., Meischner, D., Schmelzer, I.Smeed, D.A. 2003. Sea level fluctuations during the last glacial cycle. Nature, 423, 853–858.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, R.I.L. 1981. Types of peat and peat-forming vegetation on South Georgia. British Antarctic Survey Bulletin, No. 53, 119–139.Google Scholar
Van der Putten, N.Verbruggen, C. 2007. Comment on “Glacial geomorphology and chronology of deglaciation, South Georgia, sub-Antarctic” by M.J. Bentley, D.J.A. Evans, C.J. Fogwill, J.D. Hansom, D.E. Sugden, P.W. Kubik. Quaternary Science Reviews, 26, 2686–2689.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van der Putten, N.Verbruggen, C. 2005. The onset of deglaciation of Cumberland Bay and Stromness Bay, South Georgia. Antarctic Science, 17, 29–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van der Putten, N., Mauquoy, D., Verbruggen, C.Björck, S. 2012. Sub-Antarctic peatlands and their potential as palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic archives. Quaternary International, 268, 65–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van der Putten, N., Stieperaere, H., Verbruggen, C.Ochyra, R. 2004. Holocene palaeoecology and climate history of South Georgia (sub-Antarctic) based on a macrofossil record of bryophytes and seeds. The Holocene, 14, 382–392.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van der Putten, N., Verbruggen, C., Ochyra, R., Spassov, S., De Beaulieu, J.-L., De Dapper, M., Hus, J.Thouveny, N. 2009. Peat bank growth, Holocene palaeoecology and climate history of South Georgia (sub-Antarctica), based on a botanical macrofossil record. Quaternary Science Reviews, 28, 65–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van der Werff, A. 1955. A new method of concentrating and cleaning diatoms and other organisms. Verhandlungen der Internationalen Vereinigung für Theoretische und Angewandte Limnologie, 12, 276–277.Google Scholar
Van de Vijver, B.Beyens, L. 1996. Freshwater diatom communities of the Stromness Bay area, South Georgia. Antarctic Science, 8, 359–368.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van de Vijver, B., Frenot, Y.Beyens, L. 2002. Freshwater diatoms of Ile de la Possession (Crozet archipelago, sub-Antarctica). Bibliotheca Diatomologica, 46, 1–412.Google Scholar
Van Strydonck, M.van den Borg, K. 1991. The construction of a preparation line for AMS-targets at the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage Brussels. Bulletin Koninklijk Instituut van het Kunstpatrimonium, 23, 228–234.Google Scholar
Witkowski, A., Lange-Bertalot, H.Metzeltin, D. 2000. Diatom flora of marine coasts I. Iconographia Diatomologica, 7, 1–925.Google Scholar