Polar beach-ridges as climate archives (Quaternary of King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica) (Polar Beach)

极地海滩山脊作为气候变化档案的潜力将受到考验。计划中的调查采用的新方法是综合利用地球物理和沉积学数据，破译内部海滩山脊结构。控制滩脊发育的因素是波浪、海平面和泥沙供给。由于所有这些因素都对气候变化产生影响，海滩脊的沉积物有可能成为即使是短期气候变化的宝贵记录。探地雷达（GPR）、沉积学数据、地质测绘、GPS水准测量和放射性碳测年将为我们的解释提供坚实的数据库，并允许进行层序地层解释。将建立一个新的以过程为导向的极地海滩脊成因模型，该模型还可以预测最近全球变暖状况下的变化。为此，将对设得兰群岛南部麦克斯韦湾和邻近的波特湾（乔治王岛）沿岸的海滩山脊系统进行沿着调查。拟议研究的重点是较年轻的全新世沉积物，但较老的海滩系统将被纳入比较，如果存在。

The potential of polar beach-ridges as archives of climate variations will be tested. The new approach of the planned investigations is to decipher the internal beach-ridge architecture using geophysical and sedimentological data in an integrated approach. Controlling factors on beach-ridge development are waves, sea-level, and sediment supply. As all of these react on climatic changes, the sediments of beach ridges bear the potential to host a valuable record of even short climate changes. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR), sedimentological data, geological mapping, GPS leveling, and radiocarbon dating will provide a solid database for our interpretations, and allow for a sequence-stratigraphic interpretation. A new process-oriented model for the genesis of polar beach ridges will be established that also allows predicting changes under the recent global warming regime. For this purpose, beach-ridge systems along the coasts of Maxwell Bay and adjacent Potter Cove (King George Island, South Shetland Islands) will be investigated. The focus of the proposed study is on the younger Holocene sediments, but older beach systems will be incorporated for comparison if present.