Past and current valley-to-fjord sediment transport - processes and products (SEDITRANS): A transect from Jostedalsbreen to Nordfjorden

The valley - fjord nature system may be considered as conduit for sediment transport from the mountain areas to the ocean. Studying present sediment transport in the different parts of the valley-fjord system and sediment accumulations within it, makes it possible to reconstruct sediment filling in three dimensions from the present glacier, through the valley, and into the fjord. Previous investigations within fjords have resulted in increased understanding of fjord sediment fill. Contrary, relatively little is known about sediment fill of the sub-aerial valley extensions of the fjords, and even less about the combined fjord-valle y systems. The proposed research aims at filling this gap in knowledge by: Identifying recent sedimentary processes and determine their relative importance and spatial variability along a mountain-valley-fjord profile; Determining the distribution of sediments from the last deglaciation to the present and indentifying the controlling factors; Constructing qualitative and quantitative models for the glacier-valley-fjord sedimentary system during deglacial and interglacial phases; Providing basic knowledge on erosion-, transport- and sedimentary processes of glaciated coastal regions; Providing quantitative data on fjord - valley deposits in order to contribute to optimal planning, and Modeling, analyzing and visualizing fjord - valley geology based on various and large datasets using modern 3D/GIS tools.