Complex geohazards at a high-priority Arctic cultural heritage site at Russekeila – Kapp Linné, Svalbard

IF 5.4 1区 农林科学 Q1 GEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY Catena Pub Date : 2025-03-15 DOI:10.1016/j.catena.2025.108935
Lena Rubensdotter , Ionut Cristi Nicu , Knut Stalsberg
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Abstract

Geohazards are a global phenomenon, affecting both modern infrastructure and remnants from history. The extreme climate change occurring in Arctic Svalbard makes it one of the most environmentally sensitive areas for cultural heritage (CH) in the Northern Hemisphere. The physical landscapes, comprising mountain slopes, glacial, fluvial, and coastal processes, in conjunction with the permafrost setting, collectively constitute a complex set of conditions that present significant challenges to the conservation of CH. In this study, a combination of fieldwork and remote sensing methods is employed to map and gain an understanding of the geological, topographical, and geomorphological setting of a nationally high-priority Arctic CH site, Russekeila, situated at the mouth of the Linnéelva river on the west-central coast of Spitsbergen. It is demonstrated that a range of hazards, including fluvial, coastal and permafrost processes, both gradual and rapid, have the potential to impact this unique CH. The relative importance of the hazards is evaluated in terms of their present activity. The findings indicate that the rapid coastal migration of the river mouth directly erodes a bluff of marine sediment origin, leading to the destruction of CH. Furthermore, slow but continuous deformation by surface solifluction affects other parts of the CH site. The geomorphological mapping has also identified the presence of permafrost-dependent thaw slumps and thermo-erosion gullies near the CH. These processes are rapid when initiated, but the precise future initiation points are difficult to predict. The continued future warming of the permafrost and changes in hydro-climatic conditions may result in the activation and expansion of all these processes, thereby threatening an even greater proportion of the fragile CH at Russekeila. Integrated studies of this nature, which combine geomorphological mapping with the monitoring of processes and environmental conditions over time, represent a comprehensive approach to the assessment of potential hazards, thereby providing a solid foundation for the development of effective preservation strategies.
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地质灾害是一种全球现象,既影响现代基础设施,也影响历史遗迹。北极斯瓦尔巴群岛发生的极端气候变化使其成为北半球对文化遗产(CH)环境最为敏感的地区之一。由山坡、冰川、河流和海岸过程组成的自然景观与永久冻土环境共同构成了一系列复杂的条件,给文化遗产的保护带来了巨大挑战。本研究结合实地考察和遥感方法,对位于斯匹次卑尔根岛中西部海岸林内尔瓦河口的一个国家级北极CH遗址(Russekeila)的地质、地形和地貌环境进行了测绘和了解。研究表明,包括流体、海岸和永久冻土过程在内的一系列渐进和快速的危害都有可能对这一独特的 CH 产生影响。根据这些灾害目前的活动情况,对其相对重要性进行了评估。研究结果表明,河口沿岸的快速迁移直接侵蚀了海洋沉积物形成的悬崖,导致了 CH 的破坏。此外,地表溶流造成的缓慢但持续的变形也影响了 CH 遗址的其他部分。地貌测绘还发现,CH 附近存在依赖永久冻土的解冻坍塌和热侵蚀沟壑。这些过程在开始时非常迅速,但未来准确的开始点却很难预测。未来永久冻土的持续变暖和水文气候条件的变化可能会导致所有这些过程的启动和扩展,从而对鲁斯凯伊拉脆弱的冻土层造成更大的威胁。这种性质的综合研究将地貌测绘与长期监测过程和环境条件相结合,是评估潜在危害的综合方法,从而为制定有效的保护战略奠定了坚实的基础。
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来源期刊
Catena
Catena 环境科学-地球科学综合
CiteScore
10.50
自引率
9.70%
发文量
816
审稿时长
54 days
期刊介绍: Catena publishes papers describing original field and laboratory investigations and reviews on geoecology and landscape evolution with emphasis on interdisciplinary aspects of soil science, hydrology and geomorphology. It aims to disseminate new knowledge and foster better understanding of the physical environment, of evolutionary sequences that have resulted in past and current landscapes, and of the natural processes that are likely to determine the fate of our terrestrial environment. Papers within any one of the above topics are welcome provided they are of sufficiently wide interest and relevance.
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