Analysis of the paraglacial landscape in the Ny-Ålesund area and Blomstrandøya (Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, Norway)

Figures & data

Figure 1. (a) Location map and geological scheme of Spitzbergen (Svalbard, Norway) (modified from Hjelle 1993). (b) Location map of the study areas (black boxes) in the Kongsfjorden (Svalbard, Norway); base data from Norwegian Polan Institute (https://geodata.npolar.no/).

Figure 2. Geometrical calculation of the fan-shaped landforms thickness. H max: max thickness; α: slope angle of the lower part of the slope; α’: slope angle of the upper rock slope.

Table 1. Images and terrain-surface models used in this work and related sources.

Data	Year	Resolution (m)	Aprox. error (m)	Area	Source
Orthophoto	1998	1	∼1–2	Ny-Ålesund	Norwegian Polar Data https://geodata.npolar.no/
Orthophoto	2008	0.16	∼0.5	Ny-Ålesund and Blomstrandøya	Norwegian Polar Data https://geodata.npolar.no/
Orthophoto	2015	0.30	∼1	Ny-Ålesund and Blomstrandøya	Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics (2015 )
DTM	2009	5	∼5	Ny-Ålesund	Norwegian Polar Data https://geodata.npolar.no/
DTM	2010	5	∼5	Blomstrandøya	Norwegian Polar Data https://geodata.npolar.no/
DSM	2016	0.2	∼0.5–1	Ny-Ålesund	UAV and SfM (process Agisoft Photoscan) Slopes Project, RiS 10150
Orthophoto	2016	0.2	∼0.5–1	Ny-Ålesund	UAV and SfM (process Agisoft Photoscan) Slopes Project, RiS 10150
TLS Terrestrial laser scanner	2016	0.2	∼0.1–0.5	Ny-Ålesund	Slopes Project, RiS 10150

Table 2. Fan-shaped landforms and talus slopes on (a) Zeppelinfjellet slope (Ny-Ålesund).

Id	Type	Area (m^2)	Extimated Thickness (m)	Extimated volume (m^3)	Source Area (m^2)
1	Talus cone	4365	3	13095	5386
2	Talus slope	6400	2	12800	11062
3	Talus cone	3089	2	6178	8754
4	Talus cone	2692	3	8076	3066
5	Talus slope	17725	3	53175	23878
6	Talus cone	10890	5	54450	18799
7	Talus slope	12722	3	38166	10784
8	Talus cone	10217	5	51085	18190
9	Talus slope	12689	3	38067	4423
10	Talus cone	12169	4	48676	8147
11	Talus cone	13203	5	66015	9164
12	Talus cone	20136	5	100680	18230
13	Talus cone	16861	10	168610	11226
14	Talus slope	20691	4	82764	8352
15	Talus cone	19460	4	77840	4362
16	Talus cone	26834	15	402510	81273
17	Talus cone	8148	5	40740	27018
18	Talus cone	14675	8	117400	30337
19	Talus slope	13565	3	40695	19423
20	Talus cone	3852	5	19260	2362
21	Talus cone	3545	5	17725	5919
22	Talus cone	3001	5	15005	4059
23	Talus cone	8461	6	50766	8252
24	Talus cone	27367	15	410505	27147
25	Talus cone	1850	5	9250	12323
26	Talus cone	1867	5	9335	1023
27	Talus cone	5309	5	26545	25734
28	Talus cone	3574	4	14296	6669
29	Talus cone	3193	4	12772	2312
30	Talus cone	3489	30	104670	3999
31	Talus cone	5518	6	33108	4067
32	Talus cone	2033	8	16264	2851
33	Talus cone	1003	5	5015	1036
34	Talus cone	5931	10	59310	17738
35	Talus cone	480	5	2400	667
36	Talus cone	1924	7	13468	1359
37	Talus cone	518	5	2590	2148
38	Talus cone	2740	5	13700	5570
39	Talus cone	8007	18	144126	33248
40	Talus cone	1593	4	6372	10599
41	Talus cone	6388	10	63880	13506
42	Talus cone	4194	5	20970	19200
43	Talus cone	2403	4	9612	7073
44	Talus cone	1061	4	4244	3834
45	Talus cone	4657	7	32599	38547
46	Talus cone	2101	5	10505	2921
47	Talus cone	2702	5	13510	3837
48	Talus cone	3452	5	17260	3549
49	Talus cone	3538	5	17690	36264
50	Rock glacier – pr. rampart	61,700	30	1,851,000
51	Rock glacier – pr. rampart	25,900	15	388,500

Table 3. Fan-shaped landforms and talus slopes on Bratliekollen slope (Blomstrandøya).

Id	Type	Area (m^2)	Extimated Thickness (m)	Extimated volume (m^3)	Source Area (m^2)
1	Alluvial fan	2,922	5	14,610	3,009
2	Talus cone	6,317	6	37,902	25,984
3	Talus cone	2,643	3	7,929	2,205
4	Talus cone	4,060	5	20,300	16,652
5	Talus slope	716	4	2,864	762
6	Talus cone	2,098	3	6,294	1,169
7	Talus slope	216	3	648	179
8	Talus cone	2,913	4	11,652	20,617
9	Talus cone	3,966	6	23,796	7,161
10	Talus slope	10,8367	15	1,625,505	145,303
11	Talus slope	60,051	10	600,510	46,832
12	Talus slope	32,356	10	323,560	50,467
13	Alluvial fan	21,275	5	106,375	152,665
14	Talus slope	7,632	5	38,160	12,680
15	Talus cone	5,155	8	41,240	12,193
16	Talus cone	2,812	5	14,060	6,446
17	Talus cone	1,840	4	7,360	7,388
18	Talus cone	3,829	3	11,487	8,184
19	Talus cone	4,803	6	28,818	13,457
20	Talus slope	7,016	5	35,080	8,154
21	Talus cone	7,916	8	63,328	8,789
22	Talus slope	6,716	5	33,580	4,654
23	Talus cone	16,417	8	131,336	12,759
24	Talus slope	14,197	3	42,591
25	Rock glacier – pr. rampart	49,000	20	980,000

Figure 3. Orographic and hydrographic features of the Ny-Ålesund area (location in Figure 1); base data data from Norwegian Polan Institute (https://geodata.npolar.no/).. (a) Elevation distribution and hydrography; (b) Slope distribution.

Figure 4. Quaternary deposits and landforms of the Ny-Ålesund area. (a) Terminal (T), lateral (L), and ground (G) moraines of Vestre Brøggerbreen; in the background talus cones (Tc) on the slope of Zeteligfjellet; (b) Terminal moraine (T) of the Vestre and Midtre Lovénbreen and braided channel (Bc) of the glacial outwash (Wexelva); (c) Periglacial patterned ground on the Bayelva area; (d) Talus cones (Tc) affecting the structural scarps and ridges on the slopes of Zeppelinfjellet, at the base of the slope a rockglacier (Rg) and in the foreground the moraine (L, lateral; G, ground; T, terminal) system of the Austre Brøggerbreen; (e) Bayelva braided channel (Bc) and fluvial deposits in the Vestre Brøggerbreen and Austre Brøggerbreen glacier outwash; (f) Fluvial erosion scarps affecting the bedrock northern tributary of Bayelva; (g) Coastal cliff affecting the Kolhamna coast (airport area).

Figure 5. Orographic and hydrographic features of the Blomstrandøya area (location in Figure 1); base data from Norwegian Polan Institute (https://geodata.npolar.no/). (a) Elevation distribution and hydrography; (b) Slope distribution.

Figure 6. Quaternary deposits and landforms of the Blomstrandøya area. (a) Recessional moraine (R) related to the retreat of Blomstrandbreen in the NE side of the island (Burton et al. 2016); (b) Wide areas affected by periglacial patterned ground and solifluction evidences (on the flat summit area); (c) Rock fall (Rf)and talus cone (Tc) in the western scarp of the island; (d) Roche moutonnée on marble bedrock outlining W- to WNW-flow (SW side of the island); (e) Erratic boulder (arrow) on one of the top ridges of the island at ∼170 m a.s.l.; (f) Steep rock wall on the side of the main ridges of the island (Bratliekollen, northern side of the island); (g) Coastal cliffs and caves affecting the marble rocks (western side of the island).

Figure 7. Panoramic view of the Zeppelinfjellet rock slope: (a) NE side, (b) NW side.

Figure 8. Panoramic view of the Irgensfjellet (a) and Bratliekollen (b) rock slopes.

Figure 9. Fan-shaped landforms and talus slopes distribution on (a) Zeppelinfjellet slope (Ny-Ålesund) and (b) Bratliekollen slope (Blomstrandøya); the numbers refer to Tables 2 and 3.

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