Advances on submarine geomorphology at the Fjord system of Gran Campo Nevado (~52°S)

The glacial history of Patagonia has been built from paleoclimate records found at the margin of the former Patagonian Ice-sheet. However, current deglaciation models of Patagonia still have spatio-temporal gaps to be filled. In this direction, the study of the submerged paleo-climate records at the Patagonian Fjord system and pro-glacial lakes could fill these gaps and enhance our knowledge on deglaciation in Patagonia. However, the exploration of such remote areas is hindered by logistic challenges and rough weather conditions.

In November of 2018 we collected the first high-resolution swath multibeam echosounder (MBES) bathymetry of Senos Icy and Glacier, the southern section of Canal Gajardo and Estero Portaluppi, which are fjords located at the flanks of Gran Campo Nevado. In this work, we present this new bathymetry and its first geomorphological interpretation. The analysis revealed a heterogeneous seafloor with geomorphological features related to glacial dynamics. The data interpretation is supplemented by shallow sub-bottom profiles that have been also acquired during that survey. We think that such information is the baseline for future exploration of these fjords focused on the already identified submerged glacial bedforms and their chronology.