Kongsfjorden, a fjord in north-western Svalbard, is characterized by large environmental gradients driven by meltwater processes along the margins of tidewater glaciers and the inflow of relatively warm Atlantic Water, the main heat source for the European Arctic. These factors make Kongsfjorden a key area to investigate changes in the polar climate–ocean–glacier system and to examine the resulting effects on the marine environment. The aim of this paper is to synthesize knowledge about the marine sedimentary environment in Kongsfjorden since the last deglaciation. Fjords act as natural sedimentary traps, archiving information about past and present environmental conditions and changes. Geological studies of Kongsfjorden have demonstrated a good potential for reconstructing palaeoenvironments and establishing baselines values for the natural climate changes in the Arctic. Palaeoceanographic reconstructions reveal rising water temperatures similar to modern temperatures ca. 12 000 years ago. The extent of warm Atlantic Water entering the fjords influences processes at, and the stability of, the margins of the tidewater glaciers. Enhanced inflow may cause accelerated glacial melting that, in consequence, leads to an increase in the sediment flux from the glacial catchments into the fjord, as observed ca. 12 000 years ago and at present. However, responses of sediment flux to modern environmental changes remain poorly understood, hence long-term and monitoring studies are needed to quantify and model the effects of climate warming on the sedimentary environment of Kongsfjorden.

中文翻译：

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斯瓦尔巴群岛孔斯峡湾的海洋沉积环境：极地环境变化档案

Kongsfjorden 是斯瓦尔巴群岛西北部的一个峡湾，其特点是由沿潮水冰川边缘的融水过程和相对温暖的大西洋水的流入驱动的大环境梯度，这是欧洲北极的主要热源。这些因素使 Kongsfjorden 成为研究极地气候-海洋-冰川系统变化以及由此对海洋环境产生的影响的关键区域。本文的目的是综合关于上次冰川消退以来孔斯峡湾海洋沉积环境的知识。峡湾充当天然沉积圈闭，存档有关过去和现在的环境条件和变化的信息。Kongsfjorden 的地质研究显示了重建古环境和建立北极自然气候变化基线值的良好潜力。古海洋学重建显示水温升高，类似于现代温度。12000年前。大西洋暖水进入峡湾的程度会影响潮水冰川边缘的过程和稳定性。流入量增加可能会导致冰川融化加速，从而导致从冰川集水区到峡湾的沉积物通量增加，正如观察到的那样。12 000 年前和现在。然而，沉积物通量对现代环境变化的响应仍然知之甚少，