Origin and location of new Arctic islands and straits due to glacial recession

Abstract

A total of 34 new islands (each 0.5 km 2 or above) have appeared due to recession of Arctic glaciers under climate warming since the 1960s. Analysis of maps and satellite images of the Arctic coasts has been a basic method of recognizing these islands. Their origin is the final stage of a process which began in the twentieth century. They appear only on the coasts where bedrock elevations above sea level are surrounded by depressions below this level, filled (at least from the landside) with glaciers. Their recession leads to flooding of the depressions by sea water, thus creating straits which separate the new islands from the mainland. Hence, such new islands appear only in Greenland and the European Arctic. Their ecosystems accommodate to new environmental conditions. In the near future, this process will be intensified in a situation of further warming.

Morphogenesis of New Straits and Islands Originated in the European Arctic Since the 1980s

“…In 1995, one of the authors explored a new strait and island in Kongsfjorden, just after their formation. In 2005 and 2016, both authors carried out detailed landscape (including geomorphological) mapping of the coast near the glacial isthmus (formed of two glaciers under recession) being transformed into a new sound between the Sørkapp Land peninsula and the rest of Spitsbergen [5,8,19]. Table 1.…”

“…The former Mesyatsev Headland-the northwesternmost part of Eva-Liv Island which is the northeasternmost part of the Franz Josef Land archipelago-was transformed into a small new island [8,18] after the formation of a new strait due to the recession of two ice sheets in the west of Eva-Liv Island. This must have happened before August 2nd, 1985.…”

“…This island's origin was not illustrated by any published map or picture. Hence, we made such a figure using, among other data, a Landsat image from 2006, which showed the new strait and island which occupies 18 km 2 [5,8] of surface area, at least 6 years before their discovery. However, afterwards, Landsat 4-5 MSS images from 1986 were found, which serve a proof that the new strait and island appeared 26 years before the discovery of this fact (Figure 4).…”

“…Each new strait came into existence due to the ablation of a glacier or glaciers, which had filled an open depression (below sea level) in bedrock covered previously with ice. Additional islands are in the course of the formation [8].…”

“…In this paper, we wish to broaden our knowledge of the eight new European islands beyond their location and formation time. Seven of the islands have been examined and discussed by us previously [8]. The smallest of the islands taken into account had an area of 0.4 km 2 (Table 1).…”