Site U1618. Proceedings of the International Ocean Discovery Program

The Vestnesa Ridge is an east–west oriented sediment drift on the western continental margin of Svalbard, shaped by tectonics, sedimentation, and climate. Formed under persistent bottom currents associated with the West Spitsbergen Current (WSC) since the Fram Strait opening (17–10 Ma), its sediment record reflects Pliocene–Pleistocene glaciations, ice sheet dynamics, and Arctic sea ice fluctuations. Depositional processes include glaciogenic debris flows, ice rafting, subglacial meltwater plumes, and bottom-current sedimentation. The ridge also hosts active methane seepage, gas hydrates, and associated fluid migration, evidenced by pockmarks, chimneys, and bottom-simulating reflectors. Vestnesa Ridge is divided into East and West sectors with distinct morphology and seepage activity, providing insights into glacial, oceanographic, and geochemical processes on the western Svalbard margin.