A Temporal Analysis of Suspended Sediment Concentration Changes in A Proglacial Meltwater Stream, Linnébreen, Svalbard, 2013

Data suggest that climate change has significantly affected and will continue to affect global environments. Furthermore, research suggests that the current warming trend will continue, and it is therefore important to study current environmental systems in order to understand the complicated dynamics of warming and response (Parry, Canziani, Palutikof, van der Linden, & Hanson, 2007). Arctic environments are particularly sensitive to climate change, and are therefore a critical area to study (Svendsen & Mangerud, 1997). The purpose of this paper is to investigate water discharge and suspended sediment flux patterns in a proglacial meltwater stream flowing from the Linnébreen glacier in Spitsbergen, Svalbard, and to characterize sediment storage in the proglacial system. Changes in suspended sediment concentration (SSC) act as sensitive indicators of interactions between the glacier, climate, and landscape (Strzelecki, 2009). This work uses statistical methods to provide a framework with which to qualitatively describe subseasonal forcings behind discharge and SSC changes in the proglacial meltwater stream. Precipitation is found to be a primary forcer of both discharge and suspended sediment concentration changes. Furthermore, a subseasonal split was determined midway through the monitoring period, described by lessening lag times between discharge peaks and SSC peaks, and indicating a continued maturation of the entire system. Continued research of this nature will contribute to the ongoing effort to characterize the dynamics of the Linnébreen basin and to continuing research on Arctic glacier responses to the effects of climate change.

现有数据表明，气候变化已对全球环境造成显著影响，并将持续作用于全球生态系统。另有研究显示，当前全球变暖趋势仍将延续，因此针对当前环境系统开展研究，以厘清变暖过程与地表响应间的复杂动力学机制，具备重要的学术价值（Parry, Canziani, Palutikof, van der Linden, & Hanson, 2007）。北极环境对气候变化尤为敏感，因此是气候变化研究的关键区域（Svendsen & Mangerud, 1997）。本研究旨在探究斯瓦尔巴群岛斯匹次卑尔根岛林恩冰川（Linnébreen Glacier）流出的冰川前缘融水溪流（proglacial meltwater stream）中的径流与悬浮泥沙通量格局，并表征该冰川前缘系统内的泥沙储存特征。悬浮泥沙浓度（Suspended Sediment Concentration, 简称SSC）的变化是反映冰川、气候与地表景观间相互作用的敏感指示因子（Strzelecki, 2009）。本研究采用统计分析方法，构建了可定性解析该冰川前缘融水溪流中径流与悬浮泥沙浓度变化背后次季节尺度驱动机制的分析框架。研究发现，降水是驱动径流与悬浮泥沙浓度变化的首要因子。此外，在监测周期中途出现了一次次季节尺度的系统分异，具体表现为径流峰值与悬浮泥沙浓度峰值间的滞后时间缩短，这表明整个冰川前缘系统正持续趋于成熟。此类后续相关研究，将有助于进一步刻画林恩盆地（Linnébreen Basin）的动力学特征，并推动北极冰川对气候变化响应领域的研究持续深化。