ABSTRACT

Mineralogical studies of recent glacial sediments within an active glacial fiord have shown distinctive sub-arctic characteristics and remarkable uniformity both over wide areas and with depth. Such sediments are thus most suitable for the study of pore water-sediment relationships. For the major cations, the ion exchange capacity of the coexisting sediment is shown to be the principal parameter controlling the composition of the interstitial water, and these ions demonstrate some different exchange features at depth compared with surface samples. Trace metal concentrations appear to be unrelated to the major ions of the various phases. The proposed relationships are shown for a representative piston core profile.