The magnetic method as a tool to investigate the Werenskioldbreen environment (south-west Spitsbergen, Arctic Norway)

ABSTRACT

We used a novel approach of applying magnetic analyses to investigate the material released from the receding glacier Werenskioldbreen on Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Arctic Norway. Surface sediments were taken from the bay Nottinghambukta and the Werenskioldbreen foreland, along two main proglacial streams. Magnetic analyses, namely the low-field mass magnetic susceptibility, anhysteretic susceptibility mass normalized and hysteresis parameters, served to determine magnetic properties and identify the magnetic composition of the study material. We selected two distinct types of sediments. The first group, consisting of magnetite and pyrrhotite, has more single-domain grains in comparison to the second one, containing only magnetite. In the second group, multi-domain particles dominate. Deposits from the north stream, glacier river and an area close to the estuary of Nottinghambukta include magnetite and pyrrhotite. Magnetite was found in the south stream and in the outside part of the bay. Magnetic composition reflects different source rocks of sediments. This study demonstrates the utility of the magnetic method in analysing the current state of glacier environments.

KEYWORDS:

• Environmental magnetism
• glacier environment
• surface sediments
• Svalbard
• magnetic susceptibility

ABBREVIATIONS:

• κ(T): low-field volume magnetic susceptibility dependence on temperature
• MD: multi-domain particles
• SD: single-domain particles
• χ_ARM: mass-normalized anhysteretic susceptibility
• χ_LF: low-field mass magnetic susceptibility

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Tomasz Gonet for assistance in the collection of samples. The authors are grateful to Pedro Silva, Simo Spassov and an anonymous reviewer for their helpful comments and suggestions to the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was partially financed by funds from the Leading National Research Centre, received by the Centre for Polar Studies for the period 2014-18, and also supported by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education under statutory activities no. 3841/E-41/S/2015.