Inferences concerning climatic change from a deeply frozen lake on Rundfjeld,Ellesmere Island,Arctic Canada

A small lake on top of Rundfjeld, central Ellesmere Island, at an elevation of approximately 830 m, is frozen to the bottom, and the thickness of lake ice present is at least 5.45 m. Under present climatic conditions the lake does not thaw to the bottom, even during the warmest summers; i.e., 3 to 4 m of ice still floored the deepest part of the lake in mid-August 1987. A radiocarbon age determination via accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) on a sample of the filamentous green alga Mougeotia sp., recovered from the lake ice at a depth below 4 m, gave 5730±70 BP (TO-530). The date indicates that the lake was probably completely open for an unspecified period of time during the warmest part of the Hypsithermal Interval. This situation is in agreement with data derived from a variety of other sources in Ellesmere Island and adjacent Greenland.     

Five thousand years of sediment transfer in a high arctic watershed recorded in annually laminated sediments from Lower Murray Lake,Ellesmere Island,Nunavut, Canada

Sediments in Lower Murray Lake, northern Ellesmere Island, Nunavut Canada (81°21′ N, 69°32′ W) contain annual laminations (varves) that provide a record of sediment accumulation through the past 5000+ years. Annual mass accumulation was estimated based on measurements of varve thickness and sediment bulk density. Comparison of Lower Murray Lake mass accumulation with instrumental climate data, long-term records of climatic forcing mechanisms and other regional paleoclimate records suggests that lake sedimentation is positively correlated with regional melt season temperatures driven by radiative forcing. The temperature reconstruction suggests that recent temperatures are ~2.6°C higher than minimum temperatures observed during the Little Ice Age, maximum temperatures during the past 5200 years exceeded modern values by ~0.6°C, and that minimum temperatures observed approximately 2900 varve years BC were ~3.5°C colder than recent conditions. Recent temperatures were the warmest since the fourteenth century, but similar conditions existed intermittently during the period spanning ~4000–1000 varve years ago. A highly stable pattern of sedimentation throughout the period of record supports the use of annual mass accumulation in Lower Murray Lake as a reliable proxy indicator of local climatic conditions in the past.

Small unmanned aerial vehicles for aeromagnetic surveys and their flights in the South Shetland Islands,Antarctica

We developed small computer-controlled unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, Ant-Plane) using parts and technology designed for model airplanes. These UAVs have a maximum flight range of 300–500 km. We planned aeromagnetic and aerial photographic surveys using the UAVs around Bransfield Basin, Antarctica, beginning from King George Island. However, we were unable to complete these flights due to unsuitable weather conditions and flight restrictions. Successful flights were subsequently conducted from Livingston Island to Deception Island in December 2011. This flight covered 302.4 km in 3:07:08, providing aeromagnetic and aerial photographic data from an altitude of 780 m over an area of 9 × 18 km around the northern region of Deception Island. The resulting magnetic anomaly map of Deception Island displayed higher resolution than the marine anomaly maps published already. The flight to South Bay in Livingston Island successfully captured aerial photographs that could be used for assessment of glacial and sea-ice conditions. It is unclear whether the cost-effectiveness of the airborne survey by UAV is superior to that of manned flight. Nonetheless, Ant-Plane 6-3 proved to be highly cost-effective for the Deception Island flight, considering the long downtime of the airplane in the Antarctic storm zone.     

A 300 year record of environmental change from Lake Tuborg, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada

Lamination thickness measurements in sediments from Lake Tuborg, northern Ellesmere Island, Canada document an increase in high-energy hydrologic discharge events from ∼1865 to 1962. The timing of these events corresponds with evidence for an increase in the amount of melt on the adjacent Agassiz Ice Cap, as recorded in ice cores. There appears to have been a non-linear change in depositional energy resulting from a dramatic increase in Agassiz meltwater discharge, particularly after ∼1908. A strong correlation between the Lake Tuborg varve thickness record, the amount of melting on the Agassiz Ice Cap and Eureka 900 mb air temperature records suggests that changes in the height of the freezing level in the atmosphere have affected the extent of summer melting on the Agassiz Ice Cap, leading to high volume discharge events and associated sediment flux to Lake Tuborg.     

Evaluation of stratospheric ozone,temperature, and aerosol profiles from the LOANA lidar in Antarctica

We present an evaluation of observations from the Lidar Ozone and Aerosol for NDACC in Antarctica (LOANA) at the Dumont d’Urville station, Antarctica. This instrument is part of the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC), and ensures continuity with lidar measurements made since 1989 with the previous instrument at this site. This study is based on the dataset from 2008 to 2009, and comparisons are made with observations from balloon soundings, and from three satellite experiments: Aura/MLS, TIMED/SABER, and CALIOP/CALIPSO. The lidar ozone data are in very good agreement with the balloon sounding data (ECC sensor), revealing a bias of less than 3% between 17 and 34 km. For temperature, the lidar shows a low bias of ?3 K at 20 km when compared with Aura/MLS. Between 30 and 50 km, the bias is less than 2 K. We also present our initial results showing diurnal variations in temperature. The amplitude of these diurnal cycles is on the order of 1 K and is unlikely to account for the temperature biases between LOANA and the reference instruments. Comparisons of total attenuated backscatter reveal good qualitative agreement between LOANA and CALIOP, with differences of less than 30% in the derived optical depth.     

Limnological and sedimentary processes at Sawtooth Lake,Canadian High Arctic,and their influence on varve formation

This paper synthesizes data collected to document the modern limnological and sedimentary processes in South Sawtooth Lake located on northern Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada. Field observations show that the finely laminated sediments deposited in the distal basin are formed by the settling of overflows and interflows, and in rare occasions, by non-erosive hyperconcentrated density flows. Thin-sections of these sediments allowed for the classification of the sedimentary fabrics into six facies, each representing different limnological processes. The sediments in this distal basin are considered to be continuous and annually laminated (varved) based on radioisotope analyses, and both limnological and sedimentological evidence.     

Changing characteristics of arctic pressure ridges

The advent of multibeam sonar permits us to obtain full three-dimensional maps of the underside of sea ice. In particular this enables us to distinguish the morphological characteristics of first-year (FY) and multi-year (MY) pressure ridges in a statistically valid way, whereas in the past only a small number of ridges could be mapped laboriously by drilling. In this study pressure ridge distributions from two parts of the Arctic Ocean are compared, in both the cases using mainly data collected by the submarine “Tireless” in March 2007 during two specific grid surveys, in the Beaufort Sea at about 75° N, 140° W (N of Prudhoe Bay), and north of Ellesmere Island at about 83° 20′ N, 64° W. In the Beaufort Sea the ice was mainly FY, and later melted or broke up as this area became ice-free during the subsequent summer. N of Ellesmere Island the ice was mainly MY. Ridge depth and spacing distributions were derived for each region using the boat's upward looking sonar, combined with distributions of shapes of the ridges encountered, using the Kongsberg EM3002 multibeam sonar. The differing shapes of FY and MY ridges are consistent with two later high-resolution multibeam studies of specific ridges by AUV. FY ridges are found to fit the normal triangular shape template in cross-section (with a range of slope angles averaging 27°) with a relatively constant along-crest depth, and often a structure of small ice blocks can be distinguished. MY ridges, however, are often split into a number of independent solid, smooth blocks of large size, giving an irregular ridge profile which may be seemingly without linearity.Our hypothesis for this difference is that during its long lifetime an MY ridge is subjected to several episodes of crack opening; new cracks in the Arctic pack often run in straight lines across the ridges and undeformed ice alike. Such a crack will open somewhat before refreezing, interpolating a stretch of thin ice into the structure, and breaking up the continuity and linearity of the ridge crest. Many such episodes over a number of years can cause the ridge to become simply a series of blocks. This has implications for ridge strength and for permeability to spilled oil. As the percentage of MY ice in the Arctic diminishes, Arctic ridging will be more and more dominated by FY ridges, and we discuss the implications of this change of character of the ice underside in the light of the statistics that we have generated for the two types of ridge.     

Diatom-based Holocene paleoenvironmental records from continental sites on northeastern Ellesmere Island, high Arctic, Canada

Stratigraphic changes in diatom assemblages from four small lakes on northeastern Ellesmere Island, high Arctic, Canada, provide a proxy lake-ice cover and paleoenvironmental record. Low absolute diatom abundances and a benthic Fragilaria (sensu lata) dominated assemblage during the postglacial (< 7.6 ka B.P.) to mid-Holocene record the moderating effects of locally retreating glaciers. Around 5.5 ka B.P. diatom concentrations begin to rise, reaching their highest levels (10⁹ valves per g dry sediment) between 4.2 and 3 ka B.P., interpreted to be the warmest period in this region. Topoclimatic differences between lakes on Hazen Plateau and those lower in Lake Hazen Basin account for the initial decline in diatom abundances in the upper lakes after 3 ka B.P. This change is thought to reflect a lowering of the regional snowline, accordant with widely recognized Neoglacial advances on Ellesmere Island and Greenland. Lakes in lower Lake Hazen Basin maintained extensive summer ice free conditions until ~ 1.9 ka B.P., after which diatom abundances declined, suggesting prolonged summer lake-ice cover through the remainder of the recovered Holocene record. Differences between the records presented here and those from coastal areas of the Canadian high Arctic highlight the unique topoclimatic characteristics and continentality of the Lake Hazen region, and possible effects that local marine environments may have had on coastal records. Such differences serve to demonstrate the inherent geographic variability of paleoenvironmental records from the high Arctic.     

A new approach to quantifying soil temperature responses to changing air temperature and snow cover

Seasonal snow cover provides an effective insulating barrier, separating shallow soil (0.25 m) from direct localized meteorological conditions. The effectiveness of this barrier is evident in a lag in the soil temperature response to changing air temperature. The causal relationship between air and soil temperatures is largely because of the presence or absence of snow cover, and is frequently characterized using linear regression analysis. However, the magnitude of the dampening effect of snow cover on the temperature response in shallow soils is obscured in linear regressions. In this study the author used multiple linear regression (MLR) with dummy predictor variables to quantify the degree of dampening between air and shallow soil temperatures in the presence and absence of snow cover at four Greenland sites. The dummy variables defining snow cover conditions were z = 0 for the absence of snow and z = 1 for the presence of snow cover. The MLR was reduced to two simple linear equations that were analyzed relative to z = 0 and z = 1 to enable validation of the selected equations. Compared with ordinary linear regression of the datasets, the MLR analysis yielded stronger coefficients of multiple determination and less variation in the estimated regression variables.     

罗斯海难言岛地区近地面层风场特征分析及数值模拟

本文介绍了中国第3座南极常年考察站新站址候选地——罗斯海难言岛的基本信息。通过对设在其上的自动气象站的观测数据分析表明,近地面风场主要由下降风控制,西-西北风是6级以上大风的主要风向,最大风力可达12级以上,1月、11月、12月是平均风力较小的三个月份。通过分析基于CFSR海冰资料的Polar-WRF模式模拟结果发现:Polar-WRF模式能模拟出和实测资料十分一致的下降风风场,分辨率越高越能更好的模拟出下降风的特点。难言岛附近强劲的西-西北向下降风是地形强迫的结果;来自Reeves冰川的气流是下降风的主要来源。大风的水平分布范围约为50 km。海拔1 400—300 m为下降风的加速关键区,风速最大的地方在海拔300 m高度的陡坡附近,下降风在抵达难言岛时,由于地面摩擦作用,风力已经有一定的衰减。模拟风场可以对观测资料做出有益的补充。     

ERA40中北半球高纬地区冬季气候变化和冰-气相互作用特征分析

利用欧洲中期天气预报中心(ECMWF)再分析资料(ERA40)分析了最近几十年冬季北半球高纬地区的气候变化和冰-气相互作用特征。在全球增暖背景下,冬季北半球高纬地区增温幅度更大,但温度变化明显具有区域性特点。20世纪70年代末期开始,格陵兰海、巴伦支海及欧亚大陆大部分区域和北美大陆部分区域在增暖,而拉布拉多海、格陵兰和白令海峡区域却变冷。与此对应,中央北极区及气候冰岛低压中心海平面气压在降低,而再往南区域海平面气压在升高。从20世纪70年代开始,格陵兰海和巴伦支海给大气的感热通量和潜热通量增多,这说明由于气温增加,使得海冰密集度减小,海冰对海气感热通量和潜热通量交换的隔离层作用减小,通量交换大大增加。而在挪威海非海冰区,由于气温增加,海气温差减小,海洋给大气的感热通量和潜热通量减少。在拉布拉多海,由于气温降低,海气温差增大,使得海洋给大气的感热通量和潜热通量增加,有利于拉布拉多海海冰的增多。海平面气压、海冰密集度及表面感热通量和潜热通量之和对大气表面温度 EOF 展开第一模时间系数的线性回归结果均与各自的EOF 展开第一模空间分布特征接近。     

Statistical EOF analysis of spatiotemporal glacier mass-balance variability: a case study of Mittivakkat Gletscher,SE Greenland

An Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) variance analysis was performed to map in detail the spatiotemporal variability in individual stake mass-balances (ba) on Mittivakkat Gletscher (MG) – in a region where at present five out of ~20.000 glaciers have mass-balance observations. The EOF analysis suggested that observed ba was summarized by two modes: EOF1 and EOF2 represented 80% (significant) and 6% (insignificant) of the explained variance, respectively. EOF1 captured a decline in ba that was uniformly distributed in space at all stakes. The decline was correlated with albedo observations and air temperature observations from nearby stations. EOF2, however, described variations in ba that were heterogeneously distributed among stakes and associated with local slope and aspect. Low elevation stakes (~<400 m a.s.l.) showed relatively negative (out of phase) correlation and higher elevated stakes relatively positive (in phase) eigenvector correlation values with EOF2. Such relatively negative and positive eigenvector correlation values were present where the constituted of exposed glacier ice or snow cover, respectively. The results from this study show how EOF analyses can provide information on spatiotemporal patterns of glacier mass-balance. Understanding such detailed variabilities in mass-balance on a Greenlandic glacier is of interest because a fifth of the Arctic contribution from glaciers and ice caps to sea-level rise originates from Greenland.     

Fifty years of meteo-glaciological change in Toll Glacier,Bennett Island,De Long Islands,Siberian Arctic

Rapid environmental change has been observed in the De Long Islands, Siberian Arctic, where warming has extensively occurred over the area. To quantitatively evaluate glaciological changes since the 1980s, the climate, mass balance, and the equilibrium line altitude (ELA) of Toll Glacier on Bennett Island were analyzed. Air temperature has increased and solid precipitation has decreased since the 1960s, especially after 2000. The cumulative mass balance of Toll Glacier has had a negative trend since the 1960s and reached approximately −20 m water equivalent (w.e.) in 2000, which is one of the largest changes in the Arctic. These changes are much larger than those in the west Russian Arctic. The warming trend is also correlated with the sea ice distribution in the Siberian Arctic and may lead to feedback effects that cause further Arctic warming.     

Last glacial climate variations on the tropical Leizhou Peninsula,South China

Two cores were recovered from raised peat bogs on the tropical northern Leizhou Peninsula, south China. Multiple sediment variables including organic matter (OM) content, the stable carbon isotope signature of OM, low-frequency magnetic susceptibility and degree of humification, indicate that the regional paleoclimate played an important role in determining the nature of peat that accumulated. Based on comparison with other climate proxies, the bulk peat δ¹³C record was interpreted as an indicator of variation in the East Asian (EA) summer monsoon, and to a lesser extent, the Indian summer monsoon, during the last glacial period between ~49 and 10 cal ka BP. More negative bulk δ¹³C values reflect wetter and warmer conditions, and thus a strong EA summer monsoon. More positive values indicate drier and cooler conditions. A warm and wet period occurred between ~46 and 28 cal ka BP, implying a strengthening of the EA summer monsoon. A climate shift occurred at ~22 cal ka BP and the driest and coldest period appeared between ~19 and 16 cal ka BP, suggesting weakening of the EA summer monsoon. After ~12 cal ka BP, climate shifted towards wetter and warmer conditions again. It has been suggested that variations in orbitally induced solar insolation played a role in the last glacial climate of the study region. Several millennial—scale arid and cold phases characterized by C4 plants, or by more positive δ¹³C values during periods when C3 plants dominated, show agreement with the Greenland GISP2 ice core and the Chinese stalagmite records. Interactions between high northern latitude cold air advection and summer moisture transported across the tropical ocean, and the migration of the mean position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) would have favored these millennial–scale phases. Additionally, changes in heat transport to the North Atlantic would also have influenced climate in the region.     

东北地区气溶胶质量浓度分布特征

为了解东北地区的空气质量状况,2006年7月至2008年4月,选取有代表性的三个城市,用Anderson分级撞击式采样器对沈阳市、长春市和哈尔滨市进行大气气溶胶分级采样,得到逐日气溶胶质量浓度值,气溶胶平均质量浓度沈阳市哈尔滨市长春市,它们均具有明显的季节差异,冬季采暖期污染最重,以煤烟型污染为主,较细粒子所占比重高。非采暖期则以汽车尾气和自然扬尘污染为主,夏秋季节相对最清洁,春季多沙尘。春季沙尘天气与春节期间烟花爆竹造成的污染粒级分布特征不同:沙尘天气时PM10是平时的3倍多,0级和1级等粗粒级增长十分显著,6~8级细粒子增长不明显;烟花爆竹污染时PM10是平时的2倍多,以细粒子增长为主。不同天气情况气溶胶质量浓度存在明显不同,长春市和哈尔滨市清洁大气时粒级集中在8级、0级、1级和5级,且以来自自然源的较粗粒子为主,烟幕天气时PM10、PM2.5和PM1均比清洁大气时高1倍多,其质量浓度随粒径分布也有明显不同,烟幕天气主要集中在5级(1.1~2.1μm)、1级(5.8~9.0μm)和0级(9~10μm)等粒级,并以代表人为源污染的较细粒级增长为主。     

Winter climate change and sea ice-atmosphere interaction at high northern latitudes in ERA40 dataset

Based on the reanalysis dataset ERA40 of European Center of Medium Range Weather Forcast (ECMWF), winter climate change and characteristics of sea ice-atmosphere interaction at high northern latitudes for recent several tens of years are analyzed. Superposed upon the background of global warming, the amplitude of temperature increase in winter at high northern latitudes is bigger and it exhibits different features in different regions. From the end of 1970 s, the Greenland Sea, the Barents Sea and most part of Euro-Asian continent and North American continent are getting warmer, whereas the Labrador Sea, the Greenland and the area around the Bering Strait are getting colder. Meanwhile, the sea level pressure in the central part of the northern polar region and the place where the climatic Icelandic low exist decreases, but in places farther southward it increases. Since the 1970 s, the sensible heat flux and latent heat flux sent to the atmosphere from the Greenland Sea and the Barents Sea has increased, this is mainly due to the reduction of sea ice concentration and the weakening of insulator and shield effect of the solid ice accordingly caused by the increase of air temperature. In sea ice free area of the Norwegian Sea, the sensible heat flux and latent heat flux sent to the atmosphere has reduced due to decrease of temperature and humidity differences between the air and the sea surface caused by increase of air temperature and humidity. In the Labrador Sea, due to decrease of air temperature and humidity and increase of temperature and humidity differences between the air and the sea surface accordingly, the sea gives more sensible heat flux and latent heat flux to the air. This will lead to the growth of sea ice extent there. The features of linear regression of sea level pressure, sea ice concentration and sum of sensible heat flux and latent heat flux toward time series of the leading mode of EOF expansion of surface air temperature are close to those of their own EOF expansion for the leading mode, respectively. This shows that these variables share similar features of variation with time linearly.     

Shrimp trawl catches and stomach contents of redfish, Greenland halibut and starry ray from West Greenland during a 24-hour cycle

A total of 179 redfish (Sebastes spp.), 495 Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) and 133 starry ray (Raja radiata) stomachs were collected from the catch in four bottom trawl hauls carried out at 6-hour intervals on a shrimp fishing ground off West Greenland in September 1991. Between 90 and 96% of the total catch in each of the four trawl hauls consisted of northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) . The fish catches were small and dominated by redfish, Greenland halibut, starry ray and polar cod (Boreogadus saida) . The stomach contents of redfish consisted of crustaceans (mysiids, hyperiids and copepods) followed by cephalopods, northern shrimp and redfish. Fish (mainly redfish), cephalopods and northern shrimp were the most important stomach content of Greenland halibut. The stomach content of starry ray consisted mainly of northern shrimp and redfish. Plots of redfish and shrimp sizes found in the stomachs of Greenland halibut and starry ray versus predator size showed only weak associations indicating that availability overruled the importance of size-dependent prey preference. The present study indicates that redfish, Greenland halibut and starry ray feed throughout the 24-hour cycle with no clear diel feeding rhythms.     

Arctic microbial ecosystems and impacts of extreme warming during the International Polar Year

As a contribution to the International Polar Year program MERGE (Microbiological and Ecological Responses to Global Environmental change in polar regions), studies were conducted on the terrestrial and aquatic microbial ecosystems of northern Canada (details at: http://www.cen.ulaval.ca/merge/). The habitats included permafrost soils, saline coldwater springs, supraglacial lakes on ice shelves, epishelf lakes in fjords, deep meromictic lakes, and shallow lakes, ponds and streams. Microbiological samples from each habitat were analysed by HPLC pigment assays, light and fluorescence microscopy, and DNA sequencing. The results show a remarkably diverse microflora of viruses, Archaea (including ammonium oxidisers and methanotrophs), Bacteria (including filamentous sulfur-oxidisers in a saline spring and benthic mats of Cyanobacteria in many waterbodies), and protists (including microbial eukaryotes in snowbanks and ciliates in ice-dammed lakes). In summer 2008, we recorded extreme warming at Ward Hunt Island and vicinity, the northern limit of the Canadian high Arctic, with air temperatures up to 20.5 °C. This was accompanied by pronounced changes in microbial habitats: deepening of the permafrost active layer; loss of perennial lake ice and sea ice; loss of ice-dammed freshwater lakes; and 23% loss of total ice shelf area, including complete break-up and loss of the Markham Ice Shelf cryo-ecosystem. These observations underscore the vulnerability of Arctic microbial ecosystems to ongoing climate change.     

Bacterial dominance of phototrophic communities in a High Arctic lake and its implications for paleoclimate analysis

The phototrophic communities in meromictic, perennially ice-covered Lake A, on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian High Arctic, were characterized by pigment analysis using high performance liquid chromatography. Samples were taken to determine the vertical changes down the water column as well as a variation between years. These analyses showed that Lake A had distinct phototrophic communities in its oxic and anoxic layers. The pigment analyses indicated that phototrophic biomass in the upper, oxic waters was dominated by picocyanobacteria, while in the lower, anoxic layer photosynthetic green sulphur bacteria were dominant. Interannual variation in pigment concentrations was related to the penetration of photosynthetically active radiation in the water column, suggesting that light availability may be limiting the net accumulation of photosynthetic bacterial biomass in Lake A. Pigment analysis of the surface sediments indicated that deposition was dominated by the photosynthetic sulphur bacterial contribution. The sedimentary record of bacterial pigments in polar meromictic lakes offers a promising tool for the reconstruction of past changes in ice cover and therefore in climate.     

Climatic influences on streamflow and sediment flux into Lake C2, northern Ellesmere Island, Canada

Streamflow, suspended sediment transport and meteorological variables at two elevations were measured through the 1990–1992 field seasons at Lake C2, Northern Ellesmere Island, as part of the Taconite Inlet Lakes Project. The objectives were to determine the extent to which suspended sediment flux responded to climatic variability, and to ascertain which meteorological variable was most strongly associated with daily discharge and sediment load. This study provided a partial test of our hypothesis that the annually-laminated sediments of Lake C2 contain a paleoclimate signal. Streamflow to the lake was almost exclusively the result of snowmelt, in response to inputs of atmospheric energy as measured by air temperature at the median watershed elevation (520 m). Sea-level air temperature, global solar and net all-wave irradiance were less clearly associated with discharge. Fluctuations of discharge and suspended sediment concentration were nearly synchronous, and non-linearly related. Daily sediment discharge was therefore linked by streamflow, with a time lag, to the energy available for snowmelt. Mean daily air temperature and cumulative degree-days above 0 °C, at 520 m elevation, were successfully used to predict the daily and seasonal discharge of runoff and sediment to the lake.This is the third in a series of papers published in this issue on the Taconite Inlet Lakes Project. These papers were collected by Dr R. S. Bradley.