Heavy metals in water, ice and biological material from Spitsbergen, Svalbard

Concentrations of heavy metals Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe, Ni, Cr, Pb, Cd, Hg and Co were determined in surface waters, glacier ice and plant and animal materials from three regions in Spitsbergen, Svalbard. The concentrations of these metals in two samples of surface waters and in the vascular plants from Spitsbergen were found to be lower than what is commonly found in Cental Europe. Elevated concentrations were found in old ice from the surface of a glacier. The concentrations of heavy metals in algae were lower than in vascular plants. The concentrations of metals in the samples of feathers and animal hair from Spitsbergen were higher than what is common for Central Europe.     

Trace element ions in snow,ice and water from Antarctic and Arctic with reference of their water vapor chemistry

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Climate states and variability of Arctic ice and water dynamics during 1946–1997

Recently observed changes in the Arctic have highlighted the need for a better understanding of Arctic dynamics. This research addresses that need and is also motivated by the recent finding of two regimes of Arctic ice - ocean wind-driven circulation. In this paper, we demonstrate that during 1946-1997 the Arctic environmental parameters have oscillated with a period of 10-15 years. Our results reveal significant differences among atmosphere, ice, and ocean processes during the anticyclonic and cyclonic regimes in the Arctic Ocean and its marginal seas. The oscillating behaviour of the Arctic Ocean we call the Arctic Ocean Oscillation (AOO). Based on existing data and results of numerical experiments, we conclude that during the anticyclonic circulation regime the prevailing processes lead to increases in atmospheric pressure, in ice concentration and ice thickness, river runoff, and surface water salinity - as well as to decreases in air temperature, wind speed, number of storms, precipitation, permafrost temperatures, coastal sea level, and surface water temperature. During the cyclonic circulation regime the prevailing processes lead to increased air and water temperatures, wind speed, number of storms,open water periods, and to decreases in ice thickness and ice concentration, river runoff, atmospheric pressure, and water salinity. The two-climate regime theory may help answer questions related to observed decadal variability of the Arctic Ocean and to reconcile the different conclusions among scientists who have analysed Arctic data obtained during different climate states.     

平面冰层覆盖下水中声传播损失特性分析

理论计算了冰层的声波反射系数,分析了平面冰层覆盖下水中声传播损失特性。将冰层视作平面覆盖层,建立了"空气-冰层-水"结构的冰层反射物理模型,结合冰中的物理声学参数,得到冰层反射系数;利用Bellhop海洋声学传播模型得到冰层覆盖下声场的传播损失,对比分析了传播损失与声波频率、声源深度的关系;结合冰层反射系数计算结果,解释了冰下信道具有频率选择性的原因。结果表明,冰层覆盖下声场传播具有明显的频率选择性,这种频率选择性是由声波频率和冰层厚度共同决定的。     

Microbial communities from the sea ice and adjacent water column at the time of ice melting in the northwestern part of the Weddell Sea

Microbial composition-including microalgae, bacteria and protozoans- and potential metabolic activity of its autotrophic compartment were measured in December 1988 in several micro-environments that characterise the North-West Sector of the marginal area of the Weddell Sea; infiltration and band assemblages of ice floes and adjacent waters were investigated. At the time of ice melting, a shift from a diatom dominated population (ice) to a flagellate dominated population (water column) was observed. Nevertheless, this shift was not due to an "inability" of the ice-diatoms to grow in the water colum. Macro-grazing and/or sedimentation are suggested as possible causes of the disappearance of diatoms during ice melting. The remaining small autotrophic forms released by the ice would constitute a significant seeding stock for the growth of ice-edge blooms.     

Amery ice shelf DEM and its marine ice distribution

The Amery Ice Shelf is the largest ice shelf in East Antarctica.A new DEM was generated for this ice shelf,using kriging to interpolate the data from ICESat altimetry and the AIS-DEM.The ice thickness distribution map is conver ted from the new DEM,assuming hydrostatic equilibrium.The Amery Ice Shelf mari ne ice,up to 230 m thick,is concentrated in the northwest of the ice shelf.Th e volume of the marine ice is 2.38×10～3 km～3 and accounts for about 5.6% of t he shelf volume.     

Recent variations of Antarctic temperature, sea ice and ozone

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Vertical distribution and seasonal variation in ice algae biomass in coastal sea ice off Zhongshan Station， East Antarctica

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Phototrophic and heterotrophic nano- and microorganisms of sea ice and sub-ice water in Guba Chupa (Chupa Inlet), White Sea, in April 2002

Autotrophic and heterotrophic flagellates, microalgae and ciliates sampled at four stations in the White Sea in April 2002 were studied using epifluorescence microscopy. The concentrations of phototrophic 1.5 μm algae in the middle and lower part of the ice core were very high: up to 6.1 ± 10⁸ cells I⁻¹ and 194 μg C I⁻¹. Heterotrophic algae made up the largest proportion of the nanoplankton (2-20 μm) and microplankton (20-200 μm) at depths 10-25 m below the ice. The proportion of ciliates ranged from about 0.01% to 18% at different stations and depths. Most of the ciliate biomass in the ice was made up of typical littoral zone species, whereas the water under the ice was dominated by phototrophic Myrionecta rubra . Ice algae, mainly flagellates in the upper ice layer and diatoms in the bottom ice layer, supported the proliferation of heterotrophs, algae and ciliates in early spring. Small heterotrophs and diatoms from the ice may provide food for early growth and development of pelagic copepods. Mass development of the ice algae in early spring appears typical for the seasonal ice of the White Sea. Ice algae differ in species composition from the spring pelagic community and develop independently in time and space from the spring phytoplankton bloom.     

Landslides and relict ice margin landforms in Adventdalen, central Spitsbergen, Svalbard

Two characteristic landforms, landslide blocks and drainage channels, were investigated in Adventdalen, central Spitsbergen. The landslides in the middle reaches of Adventdalen comprise large-scale bedrock slumps which form a hummocky surface on the south slope of Arctowskifjellet. The fourteen recognized landslide blocks are divided into upper and lower sections, according to altitude. The drainage channels consist of tributary rivers to Adventelva which flow in two distinct directions, either parallel with or oblique to the direction of the main river. Glacial deposits were found to cover the ridges between these tributary channels. The upper and lower landslide divisions may indicate former positions of the ice surface, and the channels appear to have originated during the existence of lateral moraine ridges with high ice content. These geomorphological findings have allowed reconstruction of former ice marginal positions, and they strongly suggest the existence of stagnant ice or minor re-advance phases during the course of deglaciation in Adventdalen.     

Determination of ice thickness, subice topography and ice vol-ume at Glacier No. 1 in Tien Shan, China by ground penetrating radar

We describe a radio-echo sounding (RES) survey for the determination of ice thickness, subglacial topography and ice volume of Glacier No. 1 , in Tien Shan, China, using ground-penetrating radar (GPR). Radar data were collected with 100-MHz antennas that were spaced at 4 m with a step size of 8 m. The images produced from radar survey clearly show the continuity of bedrock echoes and the undulation features of the bedrock surface. Radar results show that the maximum ice thickness of Glacier No. 1 is 133 m, the thickness of the east branch of Glacier No. 1 averages at 58. 77 m while that of the west branch of Glacier No. 1 averages at 44. 84 m. Calculation on ice volume indicates that the ice volume of the east branch of Glacier No. 1 is 51. 87 × 106 m3 and that of the west branch of Glacier No. 1 is 20. 21 × 106 m3. The amplitude of the undulation of the bedrock surface topography revealed by radar profiles is larger than that of the glacier surface topography, indicating that the surface relief does     

Summer fast ice evolution off Zhongshan Station,Antarctica

Based on the field data acquired in the program of fast ice observation off Zhongshan Station,Prydz Bay,East Antarctica during the austral summer 2005/ 2006,physical properties evolution of fast ice during the ice ablation season is ana- lyzed in detail.Results show that the annual maximum ice thickness in 2005 occurred in later November,and then ice started to melt,and the ablation duration was 62 days;sea water under the ice became warmer synchronously;corresponding to the warming sea ice temperature,a"relative cold mid-layer"appeared in sea ice;the fast ice marginal line recoiled back to the shore observably,and the recoil distance was 20.9 km from 18 December 2005 through 14 January 2006.In addition,based on the data of sea ice thickness survey along the investigation course of MV Xuelong on December 18 of 2005,the ice thickness distribution paten in the marginal ice zone have been described:sea ice thickness increased,but the diversity of floe ice thick- ness decreased from open water to fast ice zone distinctly.     

Surface reflectance of sea ice and under-ice irradiance in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard

Initial results from a field experiment on fast ice in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, in March 2002 are presented. We measured surface reflectance and under-ice irradiance using an advanced, portable spectroradiometer sensitive in the visible and near-infrared parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, i.e. 350-1100 nm. Under-ice irradiance (UV-A, UV-B and photosynthetically active radiation [PAR]) was measured down to depths of 7.5 m by vertical profiling using a six-channel radiometer. We also present model results of wavelength-dependent transmittance of radiation through a combined snow and sea ice layer for various thicknesses of snow. Model results show that the snow and sea ice is more transparent for solar radiation in the PAR region (400-700 nm) than at shorter and longer wavelengths. This is confirmed by the field measurements. Even very thin snow layers on top of the sea ice efficiently prevent solar radiation from penetrating the snow–sea ice system. For example, a 5 cm thick snow layer reduces under-ice irradiance in the PAR region with a factor of about 10. Measurements of under-ice UV irradiance show that both UV-A and UV-B irradiance is reduced with a factor of more than 10 at depths of 7.5 m below the ice compared to at the ice-sea water interface.     

The role of Pacific water in the dramatic retreat of arctic sea ice during summer 2007

A model study is conducted to examine the role of Pacific water in the dramatic retreat of arctic sea ice during summer 2007.The model generally agrees with the observations in showing considerable seasonal and interannual variability of the Pacific water inflow at Bering Strait in response to changes in atmospheric circulation. During summer 2007 anomalously strong southerly winds over the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean strengthen the ocean circulation and bring more Pacific water into the Arctic than the recent(2000-2006) average.The simulated summer(3 months) 2007 mean Pacific water inflow at Bering Strait is 1.2 Sv,which is the highest in the past three decades of the simulation and is 20%higher than the recent average.Particularly ,the Pacific water inflow in September 2007 is about 0.5 Sv or 50%above the 2000-2006 average.The strengthened warm Pacific water inflow carries an additional 1.0×10~(20) Joules of heat into the Arctic,enough to melt an additional 0.5 m of ice over the whole Chukchi Sea.In the model the extra summer oceanic heat brought in by the Pacific water mainly stays in the Chukchi and Beaufort region,contributing to the warming of surface waters in that region.The heat is in constant contact with the ice cover in the region in July through September.Thus the Pacific water plays a role in ice melting in the Chukchi and Beaufort region all summer long in 2007,likely contributing to up to 0.5 m per month additional ice melting in some area of that region .     

Snow accumulation, melt, mass loss, and the near-surface ice temperature structure of Irenebreen, Svalbard

This study examines the mass balance, accumulation, melt, and near-surface ice thermal structure of Irenebreen, a 4.1 km² glacier located in northwest Spitsbergen, Svalbard. Traditional glaciological mass balance measurements by stake readings and snow surveying have been conducted annually at the glacier since 2002, yielding a mean annual net mass balance of −65 cm w.e. for the period 2002–2009. In 2009, the annual mass balance of Irenebreen was −63 cm w.e. despite above-average snow accumulation in winter. The near-surface ice temperature in the accumulation area was investigated with automatic borehole thermistors. The mean annual surface ice temperatures (September–August) of the accumulation area were −3.7 °C at 1 m depth and −3.3 °C at 10 m depth. Irenebreen is potentially polythermal, with cold ice and a temperate surface layer during summer. This temperate surface layer is influenced by seasonal changes in temperature. In winter, the temperature of all the ice is below the melting point and temperate layers are probably present in basal sections of the glacier. This supposition is supported by the presence of icings in the forefield of Irenebreen.     

Anthropogenic trace metals in an ice core at Vestfonna,Svalbard, Norway

A 211 m depth ice core observation was carried out at the top of the Vestfonna Ice Cap in Nordaustlandet, Svalbard, Norway in 1995. Chronology of the ice core was determined by tritium analysis and comparison to the volcanic eruption of Laki; the resulting accumulation rate is 0.34 0.35 m water eq.·yr -1 for the last 400 year. Concentrations of Al, V, Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Ag, Cd, Pb and U in an ice core have been determined by an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP MS) with a desolvated micro concentric nebulizer, which is a recent development and can achieve high sensitivity with low uptake rate of 60 mL/min. The concentrations of Pb, Cu, and Zn had increased from 1940s declined from 1970s to present. However, the profiles of Pb, Cu, and Zn were different and they seem to be influenced by the difference of sources. Since the ratios between Cu, Pb, and Zn in Svalbard is similar to that in French Alps, the source area of these elements is estimated to be Europe.