Sediment flux from source to sink - the coastal link

The aim of the present proposal is to coordinate and integrate research on coast to fjord sediment systems on Svalbard. We propose a pilot project for 2016-2017 to develop this cooperation and concentrate use of equipment and data sets on a joint goal. The research objective is to increase the understanding of the role of the coastal zone in Spitsbergen fjords for sediment transfer to fjord basins, as well as the impact of changing sediment supply on biological life. This will be achieved through improving the understanding of sediment supply in two endmember settings: 1) a glaciated fjord receiving sediments directly from tidewater glaciers (Kongsfjorden) and 2) a non-glaciated fjord receiving sediments from glacifluvial rivers (Dicksonfjorden) using swath bathymetry and multi-proxy analyses of sediment records.