Recent foraminiferal distribution in Freemansundet and Early Holocene stratigraphy on Edgeøya, Svalbard

Abstract

1995: Recent foraminiferal distribution in Freemansundet and Early Holocene stratigraphy on Edgeeya. Svalbard. Polar Research I4(2), 215-238.The present foraminiferal distribution (live + dead) in Freemansundet between Barentsaya and Edgeeya.Svalbard, has been compared with assemblages in raised marine Holocene deposits in Guldalen on Edgeeya. Four distinct foraminiferal assemhlages were identified in Freemansundet, the Elphidium excauarrtm-Cassidulina reniforme assemblage, the Elphidium hallandense assemblage, the Cibirides lobamlus assemblage and the Elphidium incertum-Haynesina orbiculare assemblage. Four assemblage zones (Zones A-D) have been established in the glaciomarine to marine sediment sequence in Guldalen. Only two of the recent faunal types were represented here. The Elphidium excauarum-Cassidulma reniforme assemblage, which reflects a proximal glacier envlronment, was found in the lowermost Zone A (the Elphidium excauatum Zone) and in Zone C (the Elphidium excauatum-Cassidulino reniforme Zone) in the Guldalen stratigraphy; the Elphidium incerrum-Haynesina orbiculare assemblage, which reflects ameliorated shallow water conditions, was found in the uppermost Zone D in Guldalen. The marine sequence in Guldalen represents a relatively short period of time during the Early Holocene (ca 9700 to 8300 BP). The succession of the foraminiferal assemblages suggests that the deglaciation was interrupted by a cold period with glacial stagnation just after 9600 BP (Zone B. the Asrrononion gallowayi-Nonionellina lnbradorica Zone).

Marginal marine environments of the Skagerrak and Kattegat: a baseline study of living (stained) benthic foraminiferal ecology

“…Except for C. lobatulus (which also lives in subarctic=arctic areas, Hansen and Knudsen, 1995) the essentially stenohaline group are southern species reaching their northeastern limits of distribution although the cause of this is due largely to the brackish salinities of the area. Stenohaline species showing restricted distributions include: C. lobatulus, Nonion depressulus, R. anomala, and E. margaritaceum. They are abundantly present in Dype Holla (area 3), and they typically occur in areas with direct contact to the open Skagerrak (i.e., they are not found in the inner parts of fjords).…”

Species distribution and depth habitat of recent planktic foraminifera in Fram Strait, Arctic Ocean

“…Hansen & Knudsen (1995) published data from Freemansundet, Svalbard, Carstens & Wefer (1992) presented results on recent foraminifera in the Nansen Basin, and Kohfeld et al (1996) analysed samples from the Northeast Water Polynya. Close to our work area, studies have been conducted by Carstens et al (1997) and Volkmann (2000), who showed that planktic foraminiferal species composition in Fram Strait is dominated by polar Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (sinistral) (Ehrenberg 1861 and subpolar Turborotalita quinqueloba (Natland 1938).…”

Late Weichselian deglaciation and early Holocene development of a cold-water coral reef along the Lopphavet shelf (Northern Norway) recorded by benthic foraminifera and ostracoda

“…3B) and have been reported from relatively shallow fjords of Svalbard close to glacier termini (Hansen and Knudsen, 1995;Hald and Korsun, 1997) and from glaciomarine clays off Nova Zemlya tidewater glaciers (Korsun and Hald, 1998). Both species generally thrive in slightly low salinity waters and may withstand bottom temperatures of o À1 1C (Hald and Korsun, 1997;Polyak et al, 2002).…”

“…Nonionellina labradorica shows generally a positive correlation to water depth, whereas E. incertum typically settles on the shallower parts of high latitude shelves (Hansen and Knudsen, 1995;Hald and Korsun, 1997).…”

“…Nonionellina labradorica and E. incertum are known to occur in more stable environments with more saline waters than E. excavatum f. clavata and C. reniforme (Hansen and Knudsen, 1995). Nonionellina labradorica shows generally a positive correlation to water depth, whereas E. incertum typically settles on the shallower parts of high latitude shelves (Hansen and Knudsen, 1995;Hald and Korsun, 1997).…”