Lithological and Geochemical Characteristics of Morpholithogenesis in Buor-Khaya Bay

The paper presents the general lithological and geochemical characteristics of subsea permafrost and thawed bottom sediments from three cores drilled in Buor-Khaya Bay. The lithological, organic chemical, and microscopic data revealed spatial differences of Quaternary sedimentation and sedimentary evolution, which are determined by riverine dynamics, cryogenic processes, coastal abrasion, and ice activity in the studied part of the Laptev Sea. A variety of grain sizes and genetic types of deposits was revealed, most of which represented by alluvial sands. A large number of plant remains were found, which mainly contribute to the total organic carbon pool. The data indicate a pronounced polygenetic origin of the studied sediments, where the terrigenous supply of sedimentary material significantly dominates under alternating coastal Arctic morpholithogenesis conditions.