Sandbanks, sandwaves and megaripples on Spitsbergenbanken, Barents Sea

Abstract

Recently acquired multibeam echosounder data from the shallowest part (26–53 m depth) of Spitsbergenbanken in the western Barents Sea reveal a variety of bedforms, including megaripples, sandwaves and sandbanks. The bedforms exhibit varying degrees of superimposition and differ in their age of formation and present depositional regime, being either active or moribund. These are the first observations of co-occurring current induced bedforms in the western Barents Sea and provide evidence of a high energy environment in the study area. The bedforms indicate both sediment erosion and transport and confirm that there is enough sand available in this area to maintain them. Such conditions are not known to be common in the western Barents Sea and reflect the unique oceanographic and benthic environment of Spitsbergenbanken.