Meteorological observations 2003 at the Sermilik Station,Ammassalik Island,Southeast Greenland

Geografisk Tidsskrift, Danish Journal of Geography 105(2):49–56, 2005

Meteorological stations have been in operation since 1993 at Sermilik (65°40'N, 38°10'W), located in southeast Greenland. This note presents meteorological observations for the year 2003, including ground temperature, orographic effect (liquid precipitation) and air temperature lapse rates between two meteorological stations, Station Nunatak (515 m a.s.l.) and Station Coast (25 m a.s.l.).     

Faunal Remains from the Wollaston Forland—Clavering Ø Region,Northeast Greenland—Thule Culture Subsistence in a High Arctic Polynya and Ice-edge Habitat

Geografisk Tidsskrift—Danish Journal of Geography 110(2):175–200, 2010

The GeoArk project conducted interdisciplinary studies between 2003 and 2008 to investigate the Thule culture (c. 1400 AD until c. 1850 AD) in the Wollaston Forland- Clavering Ø region (74°N). Faunal remains of recent excavations and re-analyses of previous excavations of Thule culture seasonal features, winter houses and middens are presented, with an emphasis on the two winter sites of Fladstrand and Dødemandsbugten. The faunal assemblages showed ringed seal (Phoca hispida) to be the key game species, although, with important contingents of narwhal (Monodon monocerosj and caribou (Rangifer tarandus) Thule subsistence was highly dependent on having a well developed procurement system and the sea- and landscape was used differentially during the annual cycle. Hvalros Ø, located at the recurring Sirius Water Polynya, was used as a seasonal aggregation site especially for hunting walrus (Odobenus rosmarusj) throughout the entire Thule culture era. Being a predictable source of meat and blubber, the walrus was of fundamental importance to the Thule Inuit in order to cope with a harsh high arctic environment. The site locations of the study area revealed a continued similar usage of the sea- and landscape for centuries and the analyses documented only minor temporal changes in subsistence patterns.     

Spatiotemporal index for analyzing controls on snow climatology: application in the Colorado Front Range

Mountain snowpacks are important water supplies that are susceptible to climate change, yet snow measurements are sparse relative to snowpack heterogeneity. We used remote sensing to derive a spatiotemporal index of snow climatology that reveals patterns in snow accumulation, persistence, and ablation. Then we examined how this index relates to climate, terrain, and vegetation. Analyses were based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer eight-day snow cover from 2000 to 2010 for a mountain watershed in the Colorado Front Range, USA. The Snow Cover Index (SCI) was calculated as the fraction of years that were snow covered for each pixel. The proportion of SCI variability explained by independent variables was evaluated using regression analysis. Independent variables included elevation, northing, easting, slope, aspect, northness, solar radiation, precipitation, temperature, and vegetation cover. Elevation was the dominant control on SCI patterns, due to its influence on both temperature and precipitation. Grouping SCI values by elevation, we identified three distinct snow zones in the basin: persistent, transitional, and intermittent. The transitional snow zone represents an area that is sensitive to losing winter snowpack. The SCI can be applied to other basins or regions to identify dominant controls on snow cover patterns and areas sensitive to snow loss.     

北极航道海运货流类型及其规模研究

从北极海运货源角度出发,根据北极贸易、油气开发以及远东-西北欧、远东-北美东部当前海运货量状况,分析得出未来北极航道主要货物类型和规模的最大理论值为：（1）从俄罗斯、北欧北极地区到远东的液化天然气单向贸易流型式,到2030年,为1 000万t;（2）从远东到欧美的集装箱货物双向贸易流型式,北极东北航道、中央航道分担远东到西北欧航线的货运量,北极西北航道分担远东到北美东部的货运量,如果技术上能够低成本保障全季航行,按分担传统运河航线50%计算,到2030年,北极航道集装箱货运规模最大值约为1 743万TEU,是2011年传统运河航线的85%。由此得出结论：近中期东北航道天然气运输占据主要地位,但对北极航道更大运输需求是集装箱运输。此外,本文还比较了北极航道与运河航线的成本。     

环北极沉积盆地结构与构造演化特征——来自环北极地质长剖面的证据

通过对北极地区不同盆地结构的系统研究与对比分析,绘制了环北极沉积盆地群长剖面,剖面全长约13 000 km,涉及季曼-伯朝拉盆地等15个盆地和微陆。由于整个剖面尺度巨大,在若干缺乏详细资料的地区采用将邻近地区的其他剖面平移到本剖面中,或由其两侧的剖面地层和构造形式推测。剖面涉及的盆地多属叠合性质,涵盖克拉通盆地、裂谷盆地、前陆盆地、被动大陆边缘盆地等多种盆地类型;各区域沉积厚度差异显著,最厚的东巴伦支海等盆地沉积了自古生界至新生界的地层,沉积厚度可达近15 km ,而沉积最薄处的拉普捷夫海等盆地则只发育了从中生界上白垩统至新生界的沉积,厚度不超过4 km。以北大西洋—北冰洋洋中脊为界,北极地区分属欧亚板块和北美板块,很多盆地为大陆的一部分或大陆向北冰洋的延伸部分（大陆架）。各盆地的发育主要受波罗的板块、西伯利亚板块与劳伦古陆显生宙以来的构造演化控制;加里东运动、埃尔斯米尔运动、海西运动（乌拉尔运动）及大西洋洋脊自南向北的扩张对环北极盆地均有显著影响,具体表现为造成盆地类型的改变、改变盆地沉降速率等。     

Long-term variability in Arctic sea surface temperatures

In this study, we used 30 years of an operational sea surface temperature (SST) product, the NOAA Optimum Interpolation (OI) SST Version 2 dataset, to examine variations in Arctic SSTs during the period December 1981–October 2011. We computed annual SST anomalies and interannual trends in SST variations for the period 1982–2010; during this period, marginal (though statistically significant) increases in SSTs were observed in oceanic regions poleward of 60°N. A warming trend is evident over most of the Arctic region, the Beaufort Sea, the Chuckchi Sea, Hudson Bay, the Labrador Sea, the Iceland Sea, the Norwegian Sea, Bering Strait, etc.; Labrador Sea experienced higher temperature anomalies than those observed in other regions. However, cooling trends were observed in the central Arctic, some parts of Baffin Bay, the Kara Sea (south of Novaya Zemlya), the Laptev Sea, the Siberian Sea, and Fram Strait. The central Arctic region experienced a cooling trend only during 1992–2001; warming trends were observed during 1982–1991 and 2002–2010. We also examined a 30-yr (1982–2011) record of summer season (June–July–August) SST variations and a 29-yr (1982–2010) record of September SST variations, the results of which are discussed.     

基于遥感数据的近40 a弗雷姆海峡海冰输出研究

北极海冰作为一个巨大的淡水资源库, 每年向全球输送大量淡水资源, 从北极输出的海冰在向南输送的过程中融化, 对海洋水循环与水环境产生影响, 进而影响全球气候变化, 弗雷姆海峡作为北极海冰输出的主要通道, 对其研究显得尤为重要。为了解弗雷姆海峡海冰长期输出量, 利用美国冰雪数据中心（NSIDC）发布的海冰密集度、海冰厚度与海冰漂移速度数据, 计算得到 1979 年至 2019 年弗雷姆海峡海冰输出面积通量与 2010 至 2019 年弗雷姆海峡海冰输出体积通量, 并在此基础上分析弗雷姆海峡近 40 a 海冰输出量的变化状况以及弗雷姆海峡海冰输出的年际变化、季节变化, 并分析了影响弗雷姆海峡海冰输出量的可能原因。结果表明: 近 40 a 弗雷姆海峡年均海冰输出面积通量为 7.83×10⁵ km²,近 10 a 弗雷姆海峡海冰年均输出体积通量为 1.34×10⁶ km³, 从长期来看, 弗雷姆海峡海冰输出面积通量呈略微增加趋势, 弗雷姆海峡海冰输出体积通量在 2010—20...     

Electromagnetic characterization of polar ice-wedge polygons: Implications for periglacial studies on Mars and Earth

Polygonal terrain is found in a variety of polar environments on Earth and Mars. As a result, many areas of northern Canada may represent ideal terrestrial analogues for specific regions of Mars - in particular the northern plains. In the Canadian Arctic, polygon troughs are commonly underlain by wedges of massive ice, with rare examples of other wedge types. If the same is true for Mars, this raises interesting implications for the processes that concentrate H₂O at the Martian poles. This study uses an electromagnetic induction sensor to investigate the electromagnetic characteristics of terrestrial polar ice-wedge polygons. Surveys were conducted in two regions of the Canadian Arctic using a DUALEM-1S dual-geometry electromagnetic induction sensor, which measures electrical conductivity in the first 1.5-2 m of the subsurface. At locations where strong geomorphological evidence of ice was found, polygon troughs corresponded to local conductive anomalies. Trenching confirmed the presence of ice wedges at one site and allowed ground-truthing and calibration of the geophysical data. Previously unknown bodies of massive ice were also identified through the use of this geophysical technique. This study shows that an electromagnetic induction sounder is a useful instrument for detecting and mapping out the presence of subsurface ice in the Canadian Arctic. Taking together with its small size, portability and ruggedness, we suggest that this would also be a useful instrument for any future missions to Mars’ polar regions.     

Modelling in‐pool temperature variability in a beaded arctic stream

This study examines the variability of in‐pool temperatures in Imnavait Creek, a beaded arctic stream consisting of small pools connected by shallow chutes, for the purpose of predicting potential impacts of climate variations on the system. To better understand heat fate and transport through this system, the dominant heat sources and sinks creating and influencing thermal stratification within even the smallest and shallowest pools must be quantified. To do this, temperature data were collected vertically within the pool water column and surrounding bed sediments during stratified conditions. These temperature and other supporting data (e.g. instream flow, weather data, and bathymetry) were used to formulate and develop an instream temperature model that captures the site‐specific processes occurring within the pools during summer low flow conditions. The model includes advective, air–water interface, and bed conduction fluxes, simplified vertical exchange between stratified pool layers, and attenuation of shortwave radiation within the water column. We present the model formulation, data collection methods used in support of model development and population, and the resulting model calibration and validation for one of the study pools. We also provide information regarding dominant heat sources and sinks and residence times of different layers within the stratified pool. We found that the dominant heat sources vary between stratified layers and that increases in thaw depths surrounding these pools due to possible climate changes can shift stratification, mixing, and instream storage dynamics, thereby influencing the fate and transport of heat and other constituents of interest (e.g. nutrients). Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling suspended sediment discharge in a glaciated Arctic catchment–Lake Peters,Northeast Brooks Range,Alaska

Seasonal suspended sediment transfer in glaciated catchments is responsive to meteorological, geomorphological, and glacio-fluvial conditions, and thus is a useful indicator of environmental system dynamics. Knowledge of multifaceted fluvial sediment-transfer processes is limited in the Alaskan Arctic – a region sensitive to contemporary environmental change. For two glaciated sub-catchments at Lake Peters, northeast Brooks Range, Alaska, we conducted a two-year endeavour to monitor the hydrology and meteorology, and used the data to derive multiple-regression models of suspended sediment load. Statistical selection of the best models shows that incorporating meteorological or temporal explanatory variables improves performances of turbidity- and discharge-based sediment models. The resulting modelled specific suspended sediment yields to Lake Peters are: 33 (20–60) t km⁻² yr⁻¹ in 2015, and 79 (50–140) t km⁻² yr⁻¹ in 2016 (95% confidence band estimates). In contrast to previous studies in Arctic Alaska, fluvial suspended sediment transfer to Lake Peters was primarily influenced by rainfall, and secondarily influenced by temperature-driven melt processes associated with clockwise diurnal hysteresis. Despite different sub-catchment glacier coverage, specific yields were the same order of magnitude from the two primary inflows to Lake Peters, which are Carnivore Creek (128 km²; 10% glacier coverage) and Chamberlin Creek (8 km²; 23% glacier coverage). Seasonal to longer-term sediment exhaustion and/or contrasting glacier dynamics may explain the lower than expected relative specific sediment yield from the more heavily glacierized Chamberlin Creek catchment. Absolute suspended sediment yield (t yr⁻¹) from Carnivore Creek to Lake Peters was 27 times greater than from Chamberlin Creek, which we attribute to catchment size and sediment supply differences. Our results provide a foundational understanding of the current sediment transfer regime and are useful for predicting changes in fluvial sediment transport in glaciated Alaskan Arctic catchments.