The rapid deglaciation of the Skagafjörður fjord, northern Iceland

Nuria Andrés, David Palacios, Þorsteinn Sæmundsson, Skafti Brynjólfsson, José M. Fernández-Fernández

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The Skagafjörður fjord in northern Iceland is located between the Tröllaskagi Peninsula in the east and the Skagi Peninsula in the west. The tributary valleys of the fjord originate in the highland area about 15 km north of the Hofsjökull icecap. The results of this work improve the knowledge of the deglaciation pattern in Skagafjörður and explore the adequacy of the 36Cl cosmic ray exposure dating method in an Icelandic environment, where this method has rarely been applied to deglaciated surfaces. The 36Cl dating method was applied to 13 rock samples taken on a transect from the coastal areas towards the highlands. All samples were obtained from rock outcrops with glacier-polished surfaces from the Last Glaciation and from one of the few well-preserved erratic boulders. The cosmogenic results, combined with previous radiocarbon results, indicate that the ice margin was situated in the outermost sector of Skagafjörður at approximately 17–15 ka BP. Subsequently, it retreated and occupied the central part of the fjord between 15 and 12 ka BP and then the innermost sector of the fjord about 11 ka BP. The samples collected between this position and the highlands show an average age of approximately 11 ka, indicating rapid deglaciation after the early Preboreal. These results agree with earlier studies of the deglaciation history of northern Iceland, reinforce previous deglaciation models in the area and enable a better understanding of glacial evolution in the North Atlantic from the Late Pleistocene to Holocene transition.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)92-106
Number of pages15
JournalBoreas
Volume48
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2019

Bibliographical note

Funding Information: This paper was supported by the project CGL2015-65813-R (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness) and Nils Mobility Program (EEA GRANTS) and with the help of the High Mountain Physical Geography Research Group (Complutense University of Madrid). We thank the Icelandic Institute of Natural History and the H?lar University College for their support in the field. The authors express their deep gratitude to the two anonymous reviewers whose detailed and interesting suggestions helped to improve our manuscript. Advice and corrections by the Editor J.A. Piotrowski have been also of fundamental help to improve the manuscript. Funding Information: Acknowledgements. – This paper was supported by the project CGL2015-65813-R (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness) and Nils Mobility Program (EEAGRANTS) andwith the help of the High Mountain Physical Geography Research Group (Complutense University of Madrid). We thank the Icelandic Institute of Natural History and the Hólar University College for their support in thefield.Theauthorsexpresstheirdeepgratitudetothetwoanonymous reviewers whose detailed and interesting suggestions helped to improve our manuscript. Advice and corrections by the Editor J.A. Piotrowski have been also of fundamental help to improve the manuscript. Publisher Copyright: © 2018 Collegium Boreas. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd

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