The creation of the huge fans observed in the western Barents Sea
margin can only be explained by assuming extremely high glacial erosion
rates in the Barents Sea area. Glacial processes capable of producing
such high erosion rates have been proposed, but require the largest
part of the preglacial Barents Sea to be subaerial. To investigate
the validity of these proposals we have attempted to reconstruct
the western preglacial Barents Sea. Our approach was to combine erosion
maps based on prepublished data into a single mean valued erosion
map covering the whole western Barents Sea and consequently use it
together with a simple Airy isostatic model to obtain a first rough
estimate of the preglacial topography and bathymetry of the western
Barents Sea margin. The mean valued erosion map presented herein
is in good volumetric agreement with the sediments deposited in the
western Barents Sea margin areas, and as a direct consequence of
the averaging procedures employed in its construction we can safely
assume that it is the most reliable erosion map based on the available
information. By comparing the preglacial sequences with the glacial
sequences in the fans we have concluded that 1/2 to 2/3 of the total
Cenozoic erosion was glacial in origin and therefore a rough reconstruction
of the preglacial relief of the western Barents Sea could be obtained.
The results show a subaerial preglacial Barents Sea. Thus, during
interglacials and interstadials the area may have been partly glaciated
and intensively eroded up to 1 mm/y, while during relatively brief
periods of peak glaciation with grounded ice extending to the shelf
edge, sediments have been evacuated and deposited at the margins
at high rates. The interplay between erosion and uplift represents
a typical chicken and egg problem; initial uplift is followed by
intensive glacial erosion, compensated by isostatic uplift, which
in turn leads to the maintenance of an elevated, and glaciated, terrain.
The information we have on the initial tectonic uplift suggests that
the most likely mechanism to cause an uplift of the dimensions and
magnitude of the one observed in the Barents Sea is a thermal mechanism.
%0 Journal Article
%1 dimakis_etal:1998
%A Dimakis, P.
%A Braathen, B. I.
%A Faleide, J. I.
%A Elverhøi, A.
%A Gudlaugsson, S. T.
%D 1998
%J Tectonophysics
%K
%N 1-4
%P 311--327
%R 10.1016/S0040-1951(98)00245-5
%T Cenozoic erosion and the preglacial uplift of the Svalbard--Barents
Sea region
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0040-1951(98)00245-5
%V 300
%X The creation of the huge fans observed in the western Barents Sea
margin can only be explained by assuming extremely high glacial erosion
rates in the Barents Sea area. Glacial processes capable of producing
such high erosion rates have been proposed, but require the largest
part of the preglacial Barents Sea to be subaerial. To investigate
the validity of these proposals we have attempted to reconstruct
the western preglacial Barents Sea. Our approach was to combine erosion
maps based on prepublished data into a single mean valued erosion
map covering the whole western Barents Sea and consequently use it
together with a simple Airy isostatic model to obtain a first rough
estimate of the preglacial topography and bathymetry of the western
Barents Sea margin. The mean valued erosion map presented herein
is in good volumetric agreement with the sediments deposited in the
western Barents Sea margin areas, and as a direct consequence of
the averaging procedures employed in its construction we can safely
assume that it is the most reliable erosion map based on the available
information. By comparing the preglacial sequences with the glacial
sequences in the fans we have concluded that 1/2 to 2/3 of the total
Cenozoic erosion was glacial in origin and therefore a rough reconstruction
of the preglacial relief of the western Barents Sea could be obtained.
The results show a subaerial preglacial Barents Sea. Thus, during
interglacials and interstadials the area may have been partly glaciated
and intensively eroded up to 1 mm/y, while during relatively brief
periods of peak glaciation with grounded ice extending to the shelf
edge, sediments have been evacuated and deposited at the margins
at high rates. The interplay between erosion and uplift represents
a typical chicken and egg problem; initial uplift is followed by
intensive glacial erosion, compensated by isostatic uplift, which
in turn leads to the maintenance of an elevated, and glaciated, terrain.
The information we have on the initial tectonic uplift suggests that
the most likely mechanism to cause an uplift of the dimensions and
magnitude of the one observed in the Barents Sea is a thermal mechanism.
@article{dimakis_etal:1998,
abstract = {The creation of the huge fans observed in the western Barents Sea
margin can only be explained by assuming extremely high glacial erosion
rates in the Barents Sea area. Glacial processes capable of producing
such high erosion rates have been proposed, but require the largest
part of the preglacial Barents Sea to be subaerial. To investigate
the validity of these proposals we have attempted to reconstruct
the western preglacial Barents Sea. Our approach was to combine erosion
maps based on prepublished data into a single mean valued erosion
map covering the whole western Barents Sea and consequently use it
together with a simple Airy isostatic model to obtain a first rough
estimate of the preglacial topography and bathymetry of the western
Barents Sea margin. The mean valued erosion map presented herein
is in good volumetric agreement with the sediments deposited in the
western Barents Sea margin areas, and as a direct consequence of
the averaging procedures employed in its construction we can safely
assume that it is the most reliable erosion map based on the available
information. By comparing the preglacial sequences with the glacial
sequences in the fans we have concluded that 1/2 to 2/3 of the total
Cenozoic erosion was glacial in origin and therefore a rough reconstruction
of the preglacial relief of the western Barents Sea could be obtained.
The results show a subaerial preglacial Barents Sea. Thus, during
interglacials and interstadials the area may have been partly glaciated
and intensively eroded up to 1 mm/y, while during relatively brief
periods of peak glaciation with grounded ice extending to the shelf
edge, sediments have been evacuated and deposited at the margins
at high rates. The interplay between erosion and uplift represents
a typical chicken and egg problem; initial uplift is followed by
intensive glacial erosion, compensated by isostatic uplift, which
in turn leads to the maintenance of an elevated, and glaciated, terrain.
The information we have on the initial tectonic uplift suggests that
the most likely mechanism to cause an uplift of the dimensions and
magnitude of the one observed in the Barents Sea is a thermal mechanism.},
added-at = {2012-09-01T13:08:21.000+0200},
author = {Dimakis, P. and Braathen, B. I. and Faleide, J. I. and Elverh{\o}i, A. and Gudlaugsson, S. T.},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2dfd68d72fbfe30e440e58690acfbbe7e/nilsma},
day = 31,
doi = {10.1016/S0040-1951(98)00245-5},
interhash = {2697285c35b625e4518fff5af38d8ee8},
intrahash = {dfd68d72fbfe30e440e58690acfbbe7e},
issn = {00401951},
journal = {Tectonophysics},
keywords = {},
month = dec,
number = {1-4},
pages = {311--327},
timestamp = {2021-02-09T13:27:55.000+0100},
title = {Cenozoic erosion and the preglacial uplift of the Svalbard--Barents
Sea region},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0040-1951(98)00245-5},
volume = 300,
year = 1998
}