Measurements of active‐layer thickness (ALT) at seven locations on Calypsostranda, Svalbard (CALM Site P1), over 1986–2009, are used to estimate the influence of cloudiness, precipitation, air temperature, the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Between 1986 and 2002, ALT amounted to 118 ± 14 cm and did not show any significant trend. During 2002–06, ALT increased rapidly (12.6 cm yr‐1) to a maximum of ~ 174 cm in 2006 and 2007. In 2008 and 2009, ALT decreased. No statistically significant correlations were determined between ALT and monthly precipitation and cloudiness at Barentsburg, Hornsund and Svalbard Airport stations. There were, however, very strong and highly significant (p < 0.001) relationships with air temperatures in May and June (the strongest association being with Svalbard Airport). The influence of air temperature in May and June on ALT is indirect; it regulates the time of the melt of snow cover, which determines the duration of the ground‐warming period. Using statistical relationships between ALT and air temperature at Svalbard Airport, the time series of ALT at Calypsostranda is reconstructed from 1911 to 2010. It was also found that the AO and the NAO did not significantly affect ALT and air temperature on western Spitsbergen. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

No abstract

On the basis of field and laboratory studies supported by thermoluminescence dates, an occurrence of marine and glacial sediments is described from South Spitsbergen. These deposits are thought to date from the Holsteinian interglacial and the Saalian glacial stages respectively. In addition, the evidence and extent of Vistulian and Holoccne glacial advances in South Spitsbergen are presented. These advances occurred at 50,000–43,000, 30,000–10,000, 3,000–2,500 and 600–100 years B.P. The latter have been tentatively correlated with those recorded in other parts of Svalbard, as well as in East Greenland, the Barents Sea, Scandinavia, the Baltic Sea, North Poland and the Russian Plain.

Paper described geomorphological characteristics of landform sets which occur on research areas investigated by Polish geomorphologists on Spitsbergen. These area involve four areas along the western coast of Spitsbergen, i.e. vicinities of the Kaffiøyra, the Werenskioldbreen, the Calyp sostranda, and the Hornsund, as wel as one area located in the central part of Spitsbergen, i.e. vicinity of Billefjord with special emphasis on surroundings of the Petuniabkukta. Landforms are characterized in different morphogenetic terms, mainly glacial, peryglacial, deundational, slope, fluvial, even eolian factors and processes.

The aim of this paper is to describe a study of Quaternary landforms and sediments of selected areas in South Spitsbergen by means of field observations supplemented by photogeological mapping from air photos. The results of these investigations are presented in the form of four geological-geomorphological maps at a scale of 1 : 10 O00. These maps are also analysed in terms of the glacial history of South Spitsbergen.