Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT Barrier‐lagoon systems are among the most sensitive coastal environments, given that they accumulate the effects of environmental changes occurring on lands and in the sea. Globally, the stability of lagoons and associated barriers is controlled by the frequency and magnitude of storms approaching the coast, access to sediment supplies, and resilience to sea‐level shifts. However, the majority of studies have focused on midlatitude and tropical coastal zones, with limited insight into cold region lagoon responses. This study presents the preliminary findings of a remote sensing analysis of the post–Little Ice Age (LIA) evolution of Svalbard's barrier‐lagoon systems. A total of 430 lagoon systems were investigated to distinguish their genesis and the type of connection to the sea (closed, choked, restricted, or leaky). Since the termination of the LIA, a minimum of 98 lagoons have been formed, whereas eight have disappeared. The majority of lagoons present along the modern coast of Svalbard are of the choked type (almost 48%). Additionally, a new, previously unidentified lagoon type, the moraine‐controlled paraglacial lagoon, has been identified. These systems are formed by retreating marine‐terminating glaciers, which is a dominant process of new coast formation in the rapidly deglaciating Arctic.
DOI: 10.1002/ppp.2270
Author: Zofia Owczarek
Institution: University of Wrocław
Language: English
Topic: Coastal and Marine Dynamics
Subfield: Earth-Surface Processes
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,480
Funder: Narodowe Centrum Nauki
Award: G5247685863
OpenAlex ID: W4407182744