Bruce F. Molnia

Glacimarine sedimentary processes, facies and morphology of the south-southeast Alaska shelf and fjords

Abstract High precipitation from Gulf of Alaska air masses can locally reach up to 800 cm a−1. This precipitation on tectonically active mountains creates cool-temperate glaciation with extremely active erosion and continuously renewed resources. High basal debris loads up to 1.5 m thick of pure debris and rapid glacial flow, which can be more than 3000 m a−1, combine to produce large volumes of siliciclastic glacimarine sediment at some of the highest sediment accumulation rates on record. At tidewater fronts of valley glaciers, sediment accumulation rates can be over 13 m a−1 and deltas commonly grow at about 106 m3 a−1. Major processes influencing glacimarine sedimentation are glacial transport and glacier-contact deposition, meltwater (subaerial and submarine) and runoff transport and deposition, iceberg rafting and gouging, sea-ice transport, wave action and storm reworking, tidal transport and deposition, alongshelf transport, sliding and slumping and gravity flows, eolian transport, and biogenic production and reworking. Processes are similar in both shelf and fjord settings; however, different intensities of some processes create different facies associations and geometries. The tectonoclimatic regime also controls morphology because bedrock structure is modified by glacial action. Major glacimarine depositional systems are all siliciclastic. They are subglacial, marginal-morainal bank and submarine outwash, and proglacial/paraglacial-fluvial/deltaic, beach, tidal flat/estuary, glacial fjord, marine outwash fjord and continental shelf. Future research should include study of long cores with extensive dating and more seismic surveys to evaluate areal and temporal extent of glacial facies and glaciation; time-series oceanographic data, sidescan sonar surveys and submersible dives to evaluate modern processes; biogenic diversity and production to evaluate paleoecological, paleobiogeographic and biofacies analysis; and detailed comparisons of exposed older rock of the Yakataga Formation to evaluate how glacial style has evolved over 6.3 Ma.

Interlaminated ice-proximal glacimarine sediments in Muir Inlet, Alaska

Muir Inlet in Glacier Bay, Alaska, is a glacial fjord receiving a tremendous volume of sediment annually. The rate of sediment accumulation is greatest proximal to Muir Glacier (about 9 m yr−1) and decreases away from the glacier. The primary sediment sources are meltwater streams discharging at subglacial and ice-marginal positions to form overflows, interflows, and underflows (continuous turbidity currents). Overflows and interflows interact with diurnal tidal currents and their volume and sediment concentration varies diurnally and annually with meltwater discharge. These effects produce cyclic deposits of a thin fine-grained sand or silt lamina that grades normally to a thicker poorly to very poorly sorted mud lamina. This lamina couplet is termed a cyclopel. Underflows are suggested to occur in this glacimarine environment because of conditions unique to subglacial fluvial systems. Underflow deposits occur only in proximal positions (<0.5 km from glacier face), and are coarse-grained, reverse to normal graded, and exhibit an increase in sorting and sand content up-layer. Ice-rafted debris (identified as particles >177 μm) is ubiquitous, though low (<5% by weight), and occurs as isolated particles, frozen pellets, or as lenses that in cores may have a lamina appearance. Proximally, ice-rafted debris is difficult to identify because proximal sediment is often as coarse-grained. Deposited sediment may be reworked by tidal currents, and sediment gravity flows. Depositional processes operating in Muir Inlet produce interlaminated sand/silt/clay that characterizes sediment proximal to a glacier and fines seaward to mud. Sediment is classified into one of three sediment types: 1. (1) Type I sediment is very fine grained (mean 8.65–7.17 o), low in sand (0.1–11.2%), and very poorly to poorly sorted. It is the dominant sediment type in Muir Inlet, and is transported by plumes and deposited by suspension settling. 2. (2) Type II sediment is fine- to coarse-grained (mean 6.70–3.12 o), low to high in sand (5.1–86.6%), and very poorly to moderately sorted. It represents reworked sediment, proximal plume deposits, or coarse-grained laminae of cyclopels. 3. (3) Type III sediment is coarse-grained (mean 3.89–2.38 o), high in sand (58.0–100.0%), and poorly to well sorted. It is deposited by sediment gravity flows or underflows.

Global Land Ice Measurements from Space (GLIMS): remote sensing and GIS investigations of the Earth's cryosphere

Abstract Concerns over greenhouse‐gas forcing and global temperatures have initiated research into understanding climate forcing and associated Earth‐system responses. A significant component is the Earths cryosphere, as glacier‐related, feedback mechanisms govern atmospheric, hydrospheric and lithospheric response. Predicting the human and natural dimensions of climate‐induced environmental change requires global, regional and local information about ice‐mass distribution, volumes, and fluctuations. The Global Land‐Ice Measurements from Space (GLIMS) project is specifically designed to produce and augment baseline information to facilitate glacier‐change studies. This requires addressing numerous issues, including the generation of topographic information, anisotropic‐reflectance correction of satellite imagery, data fusion and spatial analysis, and GIS‐based modeling. Field and satellite investigations indicate that many small glaciers and glaciers in temperate regions are downwasting and retreating, although detailed mapping and assessment are still required to ascertain regional and global patterns of ice‐mass variations. Such remote sensing/GIS studies, coupled with field investigations, are vital for producing baseline information on glacier changes, and improving our understanding of the complex linkages between atmospheric, lithospheric, and glaciological processes.

Glacier ice mass fluctuations and fault instability in tectonically active Southern Alaska

Abstract Across the plate boundary zone in south central Alaska, tectonic strain rates are high in a region that includes large glaciers undergoing wastage (glacier retreat and thinning) and surges. For the coastal region between the Bering and Malaspina Glaciers, the average ice mass thickness changes between 1995 and 2000 range from 1 to 5 m/year. These ice changes caused solid Earth displacements in our study region with predicted values of −10 to 50 mm in the vertical and predicted horizontal displacements of 0–10 mm at variable orientations. Relative to stable North America, observed horizontal rates of tectonic deformation range from 10 to 40 mm/year to the north–northwest and the predicted tectonic uplift rates range from approximately 0 mm/year near the Gulf of Alaska coast to 12 mm/year further inland. The ice mass changes between 1995 and 2000 resulted in discernible changes in the Global Positioning System (GPS) measured station positions of one site (ISLE) located adjacent to the Bagley Ice Valley and at one site, DON, located south of the Bering Glacier terminus. In addition to modifying the surface displacements rates, we evaluated the influence ice changes during the Bering glacier surge cycle had on the background seismic rate. We found an increase in the number of earthquakes ( M L ≥2.5) and seismic rate associated with ice thinning and a decrease in the number of earthquakes and seismic rate associated with ice thickening. These results support the hypothesis that ice mass changes can modulate the background seismic rate. During the last century, wastage of the coastal glaciers in the Icy Bay and Malaspina region indicates thinning of hundreds of meters and in areas of major retreat, maximum losses of ice thickness approaching 1 km. Between the 1899 Yakataga and Yakutat earthquakes ( M w =8.1, 8.1) and prior to the 1979 St. Elias earthquake ( M s =7.2), the plate interface below Icy Bay was locked and tectonic strain accumulated. We used estimated ice mass change during the 1899–1979 time period to calculate the change in the fault stability margin (FSM) prior to the 1979 St. Elias earthquake. Our results suggest that a cumulative decrease in the fault stability margin at seismogenic depths, due to ice wastage over 80 years, was large, up to ∼2 MPa. Ice wastage would promote thrust faulting in events such as the 1979 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks.

HOLOCENE HISTORY OF BERING GLACIER, ALASKA: A PRELUDE TO THE 1993–1994 SURGE

Within the last few centuries, Bering Glacier, the largest and longest glacier in continental North America, began to retreat from its Neoglacial maximum position. This position also represents the Holocene maximum extent of the glacier. For much of the period between 8000 yr B.P. and about 1500 yr B.P., the Bering Glacier was in a retracted position, although a readvance may have occurred about 5000 yr B.P. A major readvance began about 1500 yr B.P., culminating with the glacier reaching its Holocene maximum extent between 1000 and 500 years ago. During the last millennium, the glacier margin fluctuated near this maximum position, only beginning to retreat within the last 100–200 years. This century, the recession from the Neoglacial maximum position has been interrupted by at least six surges that have displaced parts of the glaciers terminus forward. Prior to the latest surge, beginning in 1993, retreat resulted in the net loss of more than 130 km2 of glacier in the terminus region, as much as 12 km o...

Submarine valleys in the northeastern Gulf of Alaska: Characteristics and probable origin

Abstract The continental shelf of the northeastern Gulf of Alaska Between Prince William Sound and Cross Sound is cut by at least eight major valleys. From west to east, these are Hinchinbrook Seavalley, Egg Island Trough, Kayak Trough, Bering Trough, Pamplona Troughs, Yakutat Valley, Alsek Valley and Yakobi Valley. Evidence common to most of these troughs or valleys indicating that the present morphology is due to glacial processes includes: (1) a pre-Holocene subbottom erosional surface incised into the underlying lithified strata of the shelf; (2) U-shaped cross sections, both at the sea floor and at the pre-Holocene erosional surface; (3) concave longitudinal sections, commonly shoaling at the seaward end; (4) till-like sediments collected from the walls or outer shelf adjacent to the troughs; and (5) seismic stratigraphy that can be correlated with bottom samples indicative of glacially derived strata. Depressions with tens of meters of relief are present on the pre-Holocene subbottom erosional surface beneath most of these valleys. These depressions have been partially filled by a seaward-thinning wedge of Holocene glacial flour (clayey silt) that is filling the valleys and blanketing the inner shelf at rates as high as 15 mm/yr (based on 210 Pb measurements). Although glaciation played a dominant role in the modern morphology of these sea valleys, structural features, including structurally controlled topographic highs on the shelf (e.g. Tarr Bank, Kayak Island, Pamplona Spur and Fairweather Ground) influenced the flow directions of the glacial lobes.

Submarine faults and slides on the continental shelf, northern Gulf of Alaska

Abstract Submarine faults and slides or slumps of Quaternary age are potential environmental hazards on the outer continental shelf (OCS) of the northern Gulf of Alaska. Most faults that approach or reach the seafloor cut strata that may be equivalent in age to the upper Yakataga Formation (Pliocene‐Pleistocene). Along several faults, the seafloor is vertically offset from 5 to 20 m. A few faults appear to cut Holocene sediments, but none of these shows displacement at the seafloor. Submarine slides or slumps have been found in two places in the OCS region: (1) seaward of the Malaspina Glacier and Icy Bay, an area of 1200 km2 with a slope of less than 0.5°, and (2) across the entire span of the Copper river prodelta, an area of 1730 km2, having a slope of about 0.5°. Seismic profiles across these areas show disrupted reflectors and irregular topography commonly associated with submarine slides or slumps. Potential slide or slump areas have been delineated in areas of thick sediment accumulation and relati...

Surface sedimentary units of northern Gulf of Alaska continental shelf

Four major sedimentary units are present on the seafloor of the continental shelf in the northern Gulf of Alaska. These units, defined on the basis of seismic and sedimentologic data, are: (1) Holocene sediments, (2) Holocene end moraines, (3) Quaternary glacial marine sediments, and (4) Tertiary and Pleistocene lithified deposits. A wedge of Holocene fine sand to clayey silt covers most of the inner shelf, reaching maximum thicknesses of about 350 m seaward of the Copper River and about 200 m seaward of Icy Bay. Holocene end moraines are present at the mouth of Icy Bay, south of Bering Glacier, and at the mouth of Yakutat Bay. Quaternary glacial marine sediments lie in a narrow arc that borders on the north and west side of Tarr Bank and in a large arc 20 km or more offshore that parallels the shoreline between Kayak Island and Yakutat Bay. Tertiary or Pleistocene stratified sedimentary rocks, which in profile commonly are folded, faulted, and truncated, crop out on Tarr Bank, offshore of Montague Island, and in several localities southeast and southwest of Cape Yakataga. The lack of Holocene cover on Tarr Bank and Middleton, Kayak, and Montague Island platforms may be due to the scouring action of swift bottom currents and large storm waves. West of Kayak Island the Copper River is the primary source of Holocene sediment. East of Kayak Island the major sediment sources are streams draining the larger ice fields, notably the Malaspina and Bering Glaciers. Transport of bottom and suspended sediment is predominantly to the west. If deglaciation of the shelf was completed by 10,000 years B.P., maximum rates of accumulation of Holocene sediment on the inner shelf may be as high as 10 to 35 m per 1,000 years.

Causes of varied sediment gravity flow types on the Alsek Prodelta, northeast Gulf of Alaska

Abstract Slope failures and subsequent mass movements have been identified in Holocene glaciomarine sediment on declivities less than 1.3° on the Alsek prodelta, Gulf of Alaska. Isolated collapse features cover less than 10 percent of a nearshore sand deposit, in water depths less than 40 m. In contrast, sediment gravity flow deposits (disintegrative failures) cover more than 95 percent of a clayey silt deposit that is located in water depths between 35 m and 80 m. The morphology of individual disintegrative failures in the prodelta clayey silt indicates an eastward increase in the internal deformation and downslope translation of the failed sediment mass, the most extreme deformations being relatively large linear depressions up to 6‐m deep, 400‐m wide, and 1800‐m long, extending downslope in the easternmost part of the study area. In‐place cone penetration tests show that the nearshore sand is dense and is probably not highly susceptible to cyclic strength degradation and ultimate slope failure. The iso...

View through ice

Field investigations of the Malaspina Glacier, Alaska (Figure 1), were conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in late September 1988, to examine areas of the glaciers surface which had produced unusual backscatter responses (see cover and Figure 2) on X-band side-looking airborne radar (SLAR). SLAR imagery of the Malaspina Glacier was collected for the USGS by INTERATechnologies, Inc., in November 1986, as part of a systematic program to produce radar image mosaics of the Yakutat, Mt. Fairweather, Mt. Saint Elias, Icy Bay, and Bering Glacier 1° × 2° quadrangles. These data are the first digitally acquired, X-band, high-resolution, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) of coastal, south central Alaska and the Malaspina Glacier. The Xband SLAR operates at a frequency of 9.6 GHz with a wavelength of 3.2 cm. The only other previously available, nonproprietary, SAR imagery of the Malaspina Glacier is much lower-resolution, L-band, SEASAT SAR, obtained in 1978. SEASAT operated at a frequency of 1.3 GHz with a wavelength of 23.5 cm. The resolution of SEASAT is about 25 m, while the SLAR data have a resolution of about 10 m. The backscatter features observed on the X-band SLAR imagery are only poorly discernible on SEASAT data.