Subglacial environments, sediments and landforms at the margins of Mýrdalsjökull

Anders Schomacker, Kurt H. Kjær, Johannes Krüger

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Sedimentological research has benefited from the new subglacial landscapes exposed during the retreat from the Little Ice Age glacier maximum. For instance, the north margin of Mýrdalsjökull has retreated 1.5-2 km since the late nineteenth century, and an extensive subglacial till plain has appeared. Meltwater streams have dissected the subglacial deposits and provided excellent geological sections which have been intensively studied. Radio echo soundings and other surveys have been undertaken in order to map the substratum beneath Mýrdalsjökull. Because of the potential hazards from jökulhlaups, focus has been on the Katla caldera and the subglacial drainage routeways. Results from these surveys have provided high-resolution surface models of the subglacial topography, and in combination with glaciological and sedimentological data, a unique impression of the subglacial environment emerges. In this chapter, we explore the subglacial environments of Mýrdalsjökull using both the sedimentological and the geophysical approaches.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Mýrdalsjökull Ice Cap, Iceland. Glacial processes, sediments and landforms on an active volcano
EditorsAnders Schomacker, Johannes Krüger, Kurt H. Kjær
Number of pages18
PublisherElsevier
Publication date2010
Pages127-144
Chapter8
ISBN (Print)978-0-444-53045-5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2010
SeriesDevelopments in Quaternary Sciences
Volume13
ISSN1571-0866

Keywords

  • Faculty of Science

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