LANDSCAPE CHANGES, PROGLACIAL STREAM, RIVER PATTERN, ICE-DAMMED LAKE, NORDENSKIÖLDBREEN, CENTRAL SVALBARD

Terminoglacial area of the Nordenskiöldbreen is characteristic by abrupt landscape changes caused by recent recession of the glacier and meltwater release. Post-LIA proglacial river system on the right flank of the glacier passed several flow-pattern changes. According to aerial orthophotos and our field survey, a series of changes from braided to vertically incised channels and vice versa can be recognized. During the ablation season of 2012, the river piracy caused the abandonment of former braided stream to a new perpendicular direction, towards the glacier snout. This has caused the formation of up to >30 m deep ice-dammed lake. The sedimentary sequences documented in the field support the hypothesis of a river prograding into the lake connected with the rise of the lake level during the formation of the lake.