The continental margin of the Southern Storfjorden trough-mouth fan was investigated within the SVAIS project as a Spanish contribution to IPY Activity N. 367 (Neogene ice streams and sedimentary processes on high- latitude continental margins – NICE STREAMS). The objectives were to investigate the glacially-dominated late-Neogene-Quaternary sedimentary architecture of the NW Barents Sea continental margin and reconstruct it’s sedimentary system in response to natural climate change. The paleo-ice streams in Storfjorden had a small catchment area draining ice from the southern Spitsbergen and Bear Island.

Ground truthing recovered the last few thousands years sedimentary sequence thought to represent last deglaciation phase. Detailed palaeostratigraphic investigations together with paleomagnetic and rock magnetic analyses and AMS dating define the constraints for high-resolution inter-core correlation and dating. Most of the cores contain at the base gravity-mass deposits including debris flows and over-consolidated glacigenic diamicton that are overlain by an oxidized interval originated at the release and sink of fresh, cold and oxygenated melt-waters at the inception of the deglaciation phase.

On the upper slope the oxidized interval is overlain by several meters of finely-laminated mud containing sandy layers cyclically recurring every 10 cm. Textural and compositional analyses suggest preferential deposition by settling from meltwater sediment-laden plumes (plumites) occurred during deglaciation.

In the deeper part of the slope the plumites consist of crudely laminated, terrigenous, almost barren sediments that are overlay by intensively bioturbated, bioclasts-rich mud representing the most recent interglacial sedimentation.

On the continental shelf, the upper sequence contains dispersed cm-thick bivalve’s shells suggesting an oxygenated and nutrient-rich environment (interglacial) overlaying an interval of terrigenous, barren sediments (deglaciation). The short core’s length suggests the presence of stiffer/coarser sediments at the base that could not be sampled.