Holocene debris flows and snow avalanches in Anestolsdalen, western Norway - recorded from lake deposits and colluvial fans

Climate variability has probably affected the frequency and distribution of debris flows and snow avalanches throughout the Holocene. In this paper, we reconstruct the Holocene history of debris flows and snow avalanches by investigating outcrops in colluvial fans surrounding lake Anest??lsvatnet in western Norway and sediment cores penetrating the lake-floor deposits. We made a detailed map of the surface deposits around the lake. The formation of a large end moraine that dams the lake was radiocarbon dated to 10,200???10,800 cal. yr BP, and correlates to the Erdalen event, a Preboreal glacial oscillation. There are colluvial fans and debris-flow paths and snow-avalanche paths eroded on the steep slopes around the lake. On the western slopes, the fans are dominated by snow avalanches, and on the eastern slopes by debris-flow activity. Three of the lake cores were taken distal to the largest avalanche fan on the western slope, Storeskreda (???Storeskreda??? means ???the big landslide???). Clasts > 2 mm in the lake sediments are interpreted as traces of snow avalanches and sorted sand layers as being derived from debris flows. Loss-on-ignition and magnetic susceptibility measurements document an increased silt content in the lake sediments after c. 6000 cal. yr BP, probably due to the reappearance of local glaciers in the area. Our combined data from the onshore outcrops/pits and lake sediments shows almost continuous snow-avalanche activity and debris-flow activity throughout the last 10,000 years. However, there may have been an increase in the snow-avalanche activity over the last 5000 years.

Automated summary

In this study, the authors reconstruct the Holocene history of debris flows and snow avalanches by investigating surface deposits and sediment cores in western Norway. The results show that there has been continuous debris flow and snow avalanche activity in the region throughout the past 10,000 years, with a possible increase in snow avalanche activity in the last 5,000 years.