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

Abstract

Abstract. As Arctic amplification accelerates glacier retreat, new dynamic landscapes are emerging at the interface of terrestrial and marine systems. This study identifies and analyses a distinct coastal landform: the Paraglacial Moraine Lagoon (PML). Formed by coastal barriers composed of terminal or lateral moraines deposited during the Little Ice Age, PMLs represent a critical yet understudied component of the glacier–climate change feedback system. Using a multi-decadal record (1936–2024) comprising aerial photography, satellite imagery, and the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS), we quantified the evolution of fourteen PML systems across the Svalbard Archipelago. Our results show that PMLs now occupy over 56 % of Svalbard's total lagoon area (ca. 83 km2), nearly triple the area they occupied in the 1930s. We identify two divergent evolutionary trajectories: (1) an erosional – fragmenting pathway (e.g., Tjuvfjordlaguna), where marine forcing leads to barrier narrowing and inlet expansion, and (2) a stabilizing – isolating pathway (e.g., Femtelaguna), where land-terminating glaciers drive rapid terrestrial sediment infilling and barrier progradation. We argue that PMLs function as essential “paraglacial sinks” trapping glaciogenic sediments and organic matter, thereby creating sheltered biodiversity hubs in otherwise harsh coastal environments. As transient features, the formation and eventual destruction of PMLs serve as a high-resolution proxy for the rapid paraglacial adjustment of polar coastlines.