Mountain landscape structure and dynamics under the 20th century climate warming in central Nordenskioldland, Spitsbergen

The mountain landscape of central Nordenskioldland has changed very much since the Little Ice Age which ended there in the 1890s. The 20(th) century climate warming persists until today as a main external factor increasing the Spitsbergen landscape dynamics. The northern slope of Lindstromfjellet-Habergnuten ridge was choosen to recognize the 201 century landscape changes. The extents of glaciation from 1936 (evidenced on the topographical map), 1995 and 2001 were compared to themselves. The detailed landscape mapping at 1:25000 scale, with the help of interpretation of vertical infrared aerial photos of 1990 (from Norsk Polarinstitutt), was carried out in 1995. The same area was re-investigated in 2001. 113 individual geocomplexes were mapped in the area of 2414 ha and divided into 11 types in 1995. 6 completely new geocomplexes were mapped in that area in 2001. Almost all of the types of the geocomplexes undergo a big transformation connected with the 20(th) century climate warming. The landscape type of the upper slopes of the central Nordenskioldland mountains is now in the final stage of transformation from the predominantly glaciated one to the partly unglaciated one.