Deglaciation in an area on west Greenland : A Geomorphological studie

The aim of this report is to describe the deglaciation in an area on west Greenland in the vicinity of Kangerlussuaq. To do this, the geomorphological landforms were mapped by studying areal photographs and by a two week field study where key areas were examiend. The landforms were transferred to a map using ArcGis and each key area were interpreted.The majority of the geomorphological formations were formed during the last deglaciation and consists of morain ridges, kettle topography in both till and glacifluvium, glacifluvial deltas, two fossil sandurs, and lateral terraces. Based on key areas and an inversion model a geomorphological map was created to illustrate the deglaciation, using the least complex explanation of the genesis of the landforms. The results show that the ice played a major role by damming lakes which enabled formation of many meltwater chanels and delta formations on higher elevations. The morain ridges and lateral terraces showed the extent of the ice margin during the halts in the ice retreat. The deglaciation was dated with help from earlier studies and the conclusion was that the deglaciation started between 7900 and 6700 yr BP. And the area was free from ice 7100-6500 yrs BP