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Nivation forms and processes in unconsolidated sediments, NE Greenland
Author(s) -
Christiansen Hanne Hvidtfeldt
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
earth surface processes and landforms
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.294
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1096-9837
pISSN - 0197-9337
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9837(199808)23:8<751::aid-esp886>3.0.co;2-a
Subject(s) - geology , earth science , oceanography , physical geography , geochemistry , geomorphology , geography
In the periglacial unconsolidated sediment landscape of Zackenberg in High Arctic NE Greenland, perennial and seasonal snowpatches dominate the geomorphological development in large areas and control the distribution of the vegetation. The existence and distribution of snowpatches and their associated landforms are mainly controlled by the dominating winter wind direction and the amount of snow precipitation, with aspect exerting much less influence. This makes them an important source of information on past environmental change, and knowledge of the combination of geomorphological processes and forms that result from their existence is thus essential. The main nivation processes are backwall failure, sliding and flow, niveo‐aeolian sediment transport, supra‐ and ennival sediment flows, niveo‐fluvial erosion, development of pronival stone pavements, accumulation of alluvial fans and basins, and pronival solifluction. The importance of failure, sliding and flow in the continuous retrogressive extension of nivation hollows and niches is emphasized under the term backwall failure. A morphological assemblage of landforms clearly demonstrates the direct nival sediment transfer link between the eroded nivation hollows, their associated meltwater eroded channels and the pronival alluvial fans or basins. All landform elements and their formative processes are integrated into a comprehensive model. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.