Local controls on sediment accumulation and distribution in a fjord in the West Antarctic Peninsula: implications for palaeoenvironmental interpretations

Polar research

Yuribia P. Munoz¹ 

[1] Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun Road, Houston, TX 77204, USACorrespondence

关键词: Flandres Bay;    Antarctic Peninsula;    sediment distribution;    grain size.;   

DOI  :  10.3402/polar.v35.25284

学科分类：自然科学（综合）

来源: Co-Action Publishing

【 摘 要 】

We analyse surface sediment and its distribution in Flandres Bay, West Antarctic Peninsula, in order to understand modern day sediment dispersal patterns in a fjord with retreating, tidewater glaciers. The surface sediment descriptions of 41 cores are included in this study. The sediment facies described include muddy diatomaceous ooze, diatomaceous mud, pebbly mud, sandy mud and mud, with scattered pebbles present in most samples. In contrast to a traditional conceptual model of glacial sediment distribution in fjords, grain size in Flandres Bay generally coarsens from the inner to outer bay. The smallest grain size sediments were found in the bay head and are interpreted as fine-grained deposits resulting from meltwater plumes and sediment gravity flows occurring close to the glacier front. The middle of the bay is characterized by a high silt percentage, which correlates to diatom-rich sediments. Sediments in the outer bay have a high component of coarse material, which is interpreted as being the resu...

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC