New methods to reconstruct clast transport history in different glacial sedimentary environments: Case study for Old Red sandstone clasts from polythermal Hørbyebreen and Bertilbreen valley glaciers, Central Svalbard
Abstract
The objective of this study were Little Ice Age (LIA) to recent subglacial tills, glaciofluvial sediments of proglacial sandur, esker sediments and sediments of morainemound complexes of Hørbyebreen polythermal valley glacier and LIA to recent sediments of lateral moraine, frontal moraine, ice-cored moraine and glaciofluvial sediments of proglacial sandur of Bertilbreen polythermal valley glacier. Fossil (probably early Holocene) subglacial and supraglacial tills and sediments of coarsegrained glaciomarginal delta of Bertilbreen have also been studied.
The research focused on Old Red sandstone clasts, for which roundness, shape and striation presence have been investigated. The results from this research led to the proposal of new methodological approaches.
It is mainly the covariant plot of striations and RA (the share of striated clasts versus the share of very angular and angular clasts), which effectively differentiate subglacial tills from glaciofluvial sediments and allows for identification of the source material of moraine-mound complexes, especially the oldest, more degraded parts near the maximum LIA glacier extent. The second is the covariant plot of distance and RS index (the distance from the starting point versus the share of subangular and subrounded clasts) to present downstream roundness trends in proglacial glaciofluvial sediments.
The research confirmed the crucial role of lithological properties of thinly bedded rocks on the shape of these rock clasts in sediment and a minimum impact of passive and active transport on the clast shape modification.