The new kids on the block of Arctic coasts – formation and morphodynamics of paraglacial moraine lagoons in Svalbard

Owczarek, Zofia; Kostrzewa, Oskar; Piskorski, Wojciech; Strzelecki, Mateusz C.

doi:10.5194/tc-20-3619-2026

Articles | Volume 20, issue 6

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3619-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3619-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 20, issue 6

Research article

|

26 Jun 2026

Research article |

| 26 Jun 2026

The new kids on the block of Arctic coasts – formation and morphodynamics of paraglacial moraine lagoons in Svalbard

Zofia Owczarek, Oskar Kostrzewa, Wojciech Piskorski, and Mateusz C. Strzelecki

Data sets

Post-LIA evolution of Svalbard Paraglacial Moraine Lagoon systems Zofia Owczarek and Mateusz Strzelecki https://doi.org/10.48459/c4nw-1g44

Short summary

As Arctic warming speeds glacier retreat, new coastal landscapes emerge. Paraglacial Moraine Lagoons (PMLs), formed by Little Ice Age moraines, now cover 56 % of Svalbard's lagoons, triple their 1930s area. We propose a model of their evolution: erosion by marine forces or stabilization by sediment infill, functioning as sediment traps and biodiversity refuges.