Little Ice Age terminal and retreat moraines in Kollerfjorden, NW Spitsbergen

Many glaciers on Svalbard thickened and advanced during the Little Ice Age (LIA), which occurred between about 1400 and 1920 in the archipelago (Werner 1993). A terminal transverse ridge, along with associated distal depressions and lobes, marks the maximum extent of the advance of Kollerbreen glacier at the beginning of the twentieth century. Historical records, such as the map from Isachsen's 1909–10 expedition, and terrestrial lateral moraines identified on aerial photographs, provide further evidence that the terminal and transverse ridges represent the LIA limit and subsequent retreat of Kollerbreen. The numerous moraines deposited during retreat from the LIA maximum extent provide insight into the pattern and rate of deglaciation to the present tidewater margin of Kollerbreen. Marine-terminating glaciers in the adjacent fjords advanced similar distances during the LIA (Sexton et al. 1992).