Contemporary landscape transformation in a small Arctic catchment (Bratteggdalen, Svalbard)

Abstract

Small Arctic catchments that are sensitive to climate change reinforced by Arctic amplification remain poorly studied. Since the end of the Little Ice Age (LIA) glaciers on Svalbard have been retreating, and thus, many catchments have transformed from glaciated or partly glaciated to ice-free conditions. Our study focuses on changes that have occurred since the end of the LIA in a small High Arctic mountain catchment, Bratteggdalen. In this study, we traced changes in the Bratteggbreen glacier areal extent since 1976 with parallel vegetation analysis using Landsat and Sentinel data. The geomorphology of Bratteggdalen was mapped and basic morphometric analyses, such as long profile, hypsometric curve, slope and aspect orientation analyses were carried out. We also present a map of landforms in Bratteggdalen based on a fieldwork in 2018 and an analysis of orthophotomaps. Through this research, we enhance the knowledge of small catchments in polar regions.

Keywords

• arctic
• spitsbergen
• small catchment
• geomorphology
• environmental changes