Austre Lovénbreen: the glacier forefieldThe glacier forefield is particularly interesting because of the wide range of landforms and the processes in operation. Landforms include an outer belt of a moraine-mound complex (hummocky moraine), sheets of diamicton (basal till) resting on weathered bedrock, flutes, supraglacial debris-stripes derived from medial moraines, glaciofluvial sediments and kettle ponds. There is also extensive geochemical precipitation of iron-rich and siliceous minerals, probably toxic and bearing some resemblance to acid-mine drainage, although totally natural. | |||
 Weak sunlight, diffused by cirrostratus clouds, is reflected in a meltstream flowing from the snout of Austre Lovénbreen. (JA) |  Telephoto view along the Brřggerhalvřya mountain front, denoting the boundary between the mountainous Neoproterozoic metamorphic rocks and younger (Carboniferous, Tertiary) strata; viewed from Austre Lovénbreen. (MH) |  Stripes of angular debris, extending across the forefield of Austre Lovénbreen, are derived from medial moraines. The orange coloured areas denote seepage of geochemically (iron-) rich waters from bedrock. (MH) |  Extensive areas of the proglacial area of Austre Lovénbreen are draped with diamicton (interpreted as basal till), but where meltwater emerges from the glacier, this sheet is dissected. (MH) |
 Brown subglacially derived meltwater has here cut down both through the basal till and the weathered Carboniferous bedrock. (MH) |  Angular debris of supraglacial (rockfall) derivation draped over the basal till in the forefield of Austre Lovénbreen. (MH) |  Large solitary angular boulder of conglomerate (an erratic) on the forefield of Austre Lovénbreen, probably displaced from the bed locally. (MH) |  Beautifully striated boulder of limestone, lodged in the basal till on the forefield of Austre Lovénbreen. (MH) |
 Glaciofluvial deposits at the SE margin of Austre Lovénbreen, showing dissection by a succession of glacial meltwater channels. (MH) |  Cross-section through the glaciofluvial gravels, illustrating their steep prograded nature from rapid deposition and contact with basal glacial sediment. (MH) |  Heavily fractured and weathered bedrock in front of Austre Lovénbreen, with blocks partly displaced by glacial erosion. (MH) |  Here the bedrock is largely covered by diamicton (interpreted as basal till), but shows collapse features in the bedrock. (MH) |
 View of snout of Austre Lovénbreen from the NW, illustrating a large area affected by geochemically rich waters. (MH) |  Small waterfall near snout of Austre Lovénbreen, illustrating orange (iron-rich) and white (siliceous) chemical precipitates. (MH) |  Close-up view of orange iron-stained mud resulting from precipitation from water oozing from the bedrock. (MH) |  Close-up view of orange iron-coated pebbles, resting on a silicified stream bed. (MH) |
 This striking orange iron-coated cobble was found lying on a fluvially modified part of the proglacial area of Austre Lovénbreen. (MH) |  Moss clump growing on the outer Neoglacial moraine of Austre Lovénbreen. (MH) |  Complete reindeer skull with antlers found on the proglacial area of Austre Lovénbreen. (MH) |  Mountains at the head of Austre Lovénbreen are reflected in this kettle pond in the glacier’s outer moraine. (MH) |
| Most of these photographs were taken in July-August 2009. The glacier and its forefield have been described in the following papers: Glasser, N. F. and Hambrey, M. J. 2001. Styles of sedimentation beneath Svalbard valley glaciers under changing dynamic and thermal regimes. Journal of the Geological Society, London 158(4), 697-707. Hambrey, M. J. and Glasser, N. F. 2003. The role of folding and foliation development in the genesis of medial moraines: examples from Svalbard glaciers. Journal of Geology 111, 471-485. | |||