Monitoring of the Arctic region: contribution of the Arkhangelsk seismic network

We evaluate the contribution of the Arkhangelsk seismic network to the recording of seismic events of the Arctic region. The evaluation is performed by means of the general analysis of the network seismic catalog, evaluation of the magnitude sensitivity, and comparative analysis of the Arkhangelsk network catalogs with NORSAR seismological data services and the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It is established that the Arkhangelsk network has a rather high sensitivity and records the intra-plate and inter-plate seismic activity in the Arctic Region. Due to the start of the seismic station operation on the Franz Josef Land Archipelago, there is a capability to record earthquakes, data on which are missing in the catalogs of well-known seismological data services.     

Upper Ocean Temperatures Hit Record High in 2020

The long-term warming of the ocean is a critical indicator of both the past and present state of the climate system. It also provides insights about the changes to come, owing to the persistence of both decadal variations and secular trends,which the ocean records extremely well(Hansen et al., 2011;IPCC, 2013;Rhein et al., 2013;Trenberth et al., 2016;Abram et al., 2019).     

Subgrade-reinforcement techniques for the dangerously deforming sections of railway lines in the north of the Russian Far East

This paper lists difficult railway construction conditions that are typical for the northern areas of the Russian Far East. Permafrost-bound issues of railway and highway construction and operation are described. Some of the authors'' developments for subgrade stabilization in the foregoing conditions are given as examples.     

The ecosystem of Lake Kenon: past and present (Transbaikal Territory,Russia)

Present-day conditions of the Lake Kenon ecosystem are determined by a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors.We have estimated the effects of a complex of factors on the condition of the abiotic environment and on specific biological components in the lake ecosystem.Change in biogenic load has caused an increase in the role of phytoplankton in the general balance of organic matter during the high-water period.Charophytes are the main dominants of bottom vegetation.Anthropogenic load has caused a decrease in both fish species and fish capacity.The lake application as a water reservoir-cooler has influenced the average annual water mineralization(from 420 mg/L to 530.0 mg/L with a maximum 654 mg/L in 1993) and fluctuations in its hydrochemical composition.The present composition of the lake is sulfate-hydrocarbonate-chloride calcium-sodic-magnesium in character.SO 4 – content is twice as much as the maximum permissible concentration in fishery waters.Water drainage from an ash disposal area to the lake has caused an increase in chemical-element concentrations including the heavy metals.Hg concentration in Perca fluviatilis muscles is 0.5 μg/g dry wt.Thus,understanding directions in the ecosystem of the water reservoir-cooler under changing hydrological conditions will let us forecast the consequences of new combined heat and power plant operation.     

Distribution of Sessile Invertebrates in a Rocky Sublittoral Community off Rimsky‐Korsakov Islands (Sea of Japan)

Abstract. The dependence of the vertical distribution of sessile macrobenthos upon environmental physical factors was studied in a community inhabiting rocky substrata at 2 to 15 m depth near the Rimsky‐Korsakov Islands (Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan). Three separate groups of species were distinguished within this community. The main dominant species are the anthozoan Metridium senile and the mussel Crenomytilus grayanus. Water movement, bottom inclination and topographic position of the studied sites in respect to prevailing water flows influence the spatial structure of sessile invertebrates. No vertical zonation in the scale of the studied sublittoral area below the 2 m depth level was observed. The studied factors are believed to condition the observed mosaic of patches characterized by specific composition, with a single species being dominant.     

Woolly rhino discovery in the lower Kolyma River

A nearly complete frozen mummy of a woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis Blum., 1799) was discovered in a gold mine on the lower reaches of the Kolyma River, north–eastern Siberia. This is the first find of the whole body of woolly rhino in permafrost. A large part of the mummified body was preserved, including the left part of the body, covered by skin, including skin of the head and ear, fore and hind legs. The skull with 2 horns and the lower jaw were also preserved. Most of the internal organs were lost, except the intestines, stomach, and their contents. A rib fragment from this individual was dated by AMS-radiocarbon method to 39,140 ± 390 years BP (OxA-18755). Spore and pollen analyses of the stomach contents indicate that grasses and sagebrushes formed the main part of the diet of C. antiquitatis in this region of Arctic Siberia.     

Isotopic composition of dissolved inorganic carbon in subsurface sediments of gas hydrate-bearing mud volcanoes, Lake Baikal: implications for methane and carbonate origin

We report on the isotopic composition of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in pore-water samples recovered by gravity coring from near-bottom sediments at gas hydrate-bearing mud volcanoes/gas flares (Malenky, Peschanka, Peschanka 2, Goloustnoe, and Irkutsk) in the Southern Basin of Lake Baikal. The δ¹³C values of DIC become heavier with increasing subbottom depth, and vary between ?9.5 and +21.4‰ PDB. Enrichment of DIC in ¹³C indicates active methane generation in anaerobic environments near the lake bottom. These data confirm our previous assumption that crystallization of carbonates (siderites) in subsurface sediments is a result of methane generation. Types of methanogenesis (microbial methyl-type fermentation versus CO₂-reduction) were revealed by determining the offset of δ¹³C between dissolved CH₄ and CO₂, and also by using δ¹³C and δD values of dissolved methane present in the pore waters. Results show that both mechanisms are most likely responsible for methane generation at the investigated locations.     

Water vapor variability in the north polar region of Mars from Viking MAWD and MGS TES datasets

Atmospheric water vapor abundances in Mars’ north polar region (NPR, from 60° to 90°N) are mapped as function of latitude and longitude for spring and summer seasons, and their spatial, seasonal, and interannual variability is discussed. Water vapor data are from Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) and the Viking Orbiter (VO) Mars Atmospheric Water Detector (MAWD). The data cover three complete northern spring-summer seasons in 1977-1978, 2000-2001 and 2002-2003, and shorter periods of spring-summer seasons during 1975, 1999 and 2004. Long term interannual variability in the averaged NPR abundances may exist, with Viking MAWD observations showing twice as much water vapor during summer as the MGS TES observations more than 10 martian years (MY) later. While the averaged abundances are very similar in TES observations for the same season in different years, the spatial distributions in the early summer season do vary significantly year over year. Spatial and temporal variabilities increase between L_s ∼ 80-140°, which may be related to vapor sublimation from the North Polar Residual Cap (NPRC), or to changes in circulation. Spatial variability is observed on scales of ∼100 km and temporal variability is observed on scales of <10 sols during summer. During late spring the TES water vapor spatial distribution is seen to correlate with the low topography/low albedo region of northern Acidalia Planitia (270-360°E), and with the dust spatial distribution across the NPR during late spring-early summer. Non-uniform vertical distribution of water vapor, a regolith source or atmospheric circulation ‘pooling’ of water vapor from the NPRC into the topographic depression may be behind the correlation with low topography/low albedo. Sublimation winds carrying water vapor off the NPRC and lifting surface dust in the areas surrounding the NPRC may explain the correlation between the water vapor and dust spatial distributions. Correlation between water vapor and dust in MAWD data are only observed over low topography/low albedo area. Maximum water vapor abundances are observed at L_s = 105-115° and outside of the NPRC at 75-80°N; the TES data, however, do not extend over the NPRC and thus, this conclusion may be biased. Some water vapor appears to be released in plumes or ‘outbursts’ in the MAWD and TES datasets during late spring and early summer. We propose that the sublimation rate of ice varies across the NPRC with varying surface winds, giving rise to the observed ‘outbursts’ at some seasons.     

Magnetic resonance sounding applied to aquifer characterization

Magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) is distinguished from other geophysical tools used for ground water investigation by the fact that it measures a magnetic resonance signal generated directly from subsurface water molecules. An alternating current pulse energizes a wire loop on the ground surface and the MRS signal is generated; subsurface water is indicated, with a high degree of reliability, by nonzero amplitude readings. Measurements with varied pulse magnitudes then reveal the depth and thickness of water saturated layers. The hydraulic conductivity of aquifers can also be estimated using boreholes for calibration. MRS can be used for both predicting the yield of water supply wells and for interpolation between boreholes, thereby reducing the number of holes required for hydrogeological modeling. An example of the practical application of MRS combined with two-dimensional electrical imaging, in the Kerbernez and Kerien catchments area of France, demonstrates the efficiency of the technique.