Informace o publikaci
Environmental changes in Svalbard since the termination of the Little Ice Age: Towards a warmer and less icy future
| Autoři | |
|---|---|
| Rok publikování | 2025 |
| Druh | Recenzovaný odborný článek |
| Časopis / Zdroj | CZECH POLAR REPORTS |
| Fakulta / Pracoviště MU | |
| Citace | |
| www | https://journals.muni.cz/CPR/article/view/42695 |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.5817/CPR2025-S-4 |
| Klíčová slova | Arctic; glacier retreat; deglaciated landscape dynamics; coastal processes; historic photographs |
| Popis | Svalbard has experienced significant warming since the end of the Little Ice Age (LIA; around 1900 CE). Since the LIA, air temperatures have risen almost continuously, with even more accelerated warming trend recorded in recent decades. These climatic shifts have had serious impacts, particularly on the cryosphere but also on landscape dynamics, through an accelerated hydrological cycle and the intensification of various geomorphic processes. Surprisingly, Svalbard experienced a warmer climate for much of the Holocene compared to today, with only a few colder periods, the most pronounced being the LIA. In other words, Svalbard, as it was known to early polar explorers at the end of the 19th century, was at its maximum Holocene glacier extent. Nowadays, the environment is returning to its usual mode of operation, with a less glaciated landscape. However, the current rate of change is unprecedented. Here, we document the most striking landscape changes with a series of repeated photographs, comparing the landscape at the glacier's maximum extent (in 1908) with photographs taken at the same locations recently. We demonstrate the rapid evolution of glacier-connected geosystems and intense paraglaciation, where glacier-dominated processes are being replaced by fluvial, slope or aeolian forces. In contrast, landscapes that were not directly connected to glaciers appeared relatively stable and resilient to climatic forcings. As the landscape seeks to reach a new equilibrium after glacier retreat, this also triggers various natural hazards, such as slope failures, avalanches and floods, that may pose risks to human society and infrastructure. Together with the massive thawing of permafrost, these changes could endanger economic activities, tourism and even the traditional way of life of Indigenous communities in the Arctic. |
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