The role of atmospheric precipitation in introducing contaminants to the surface waters of the Fuglebekken catchment, Spitsbergen

Katarzyna Kozak,

Krystyna Kozioł,

Bartłomiej Luks,

Stanisław Chmiel,

Marek Ruman,

Mariusz Marć,

Jacek Namieśnik,

Żaneta Polkowska

Published: Nov. 23, 2015

Although the Svalbard Archipelago is located at a high latitude, far from potential contaminant sources, it is not free from anthropogenic impact. Towards the Fuglebekken catchment, in the southern part of Spitsbergen, north of Hornsund fjord, contaminants can be transported from mainland pollution sources. In the precipitation and surface water collected in the catchment, the following elements were detected and quantified: Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Cs, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, Tl, U, V and Zn. Additionally, pH, electrical conductivity and total organic carbon (TOC) were determined in those samples. The acidic …

Application of remotely piloted aircraft systems in observing the atmospheric boundary layer over Antarctic sea ice in winter

Marius O. Jonassen,

Andreas Scholtz,

Timo Vihma,

Astrid Lampert,

Gert König-Langlo,

Christof Lüpkes,

Priit Tisler,

Barbara Altstädter

Published: Oct. 8, 2015

The main aim of this paper is to explore the potential of combining measurements from fixed- and rotary-wing remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) to complement data sets from radio soundings as well as ship and sea-ice-based instrumentation for atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) profiling. This study represents a proof-of-concept of RPAS observations in the Antarctic sea-ice zone. We present first results from the RV Polarstern Antarctic winter expedition in the Weddell Sea in June–August 2013, during which three RPAS were operated to measure temperature, humidity and wind; a fixed-wing small unmanned meteorological observer (SUMO), a fixed-wing meteorological mini-aerial vehicle, and an …

Arctic climate change in an ensemble of regional CORDEX simulations

Torben Koenigk,

Peter Berg,

Ralf Döscher

Published: March 9, 2015

Fifth phase Climate Model Intercomparison Project historical and scenario simulations from four global climate models (GCMs) using the Representative Concentration Pathways greenhouse gas concentration trajectories RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 are downscaled over the Arctic with the regional Rossby Centre Atmosphere model (RCA). The regional model simulations largely reflect the circulation bias patterns of the driving global models in the historical period, indicating the importance of lateral and lower boundary conditions. However, local differences occur as a reduced winter 2-m air temperature bias over the Arctic Ocean and increased cold biases over land areas in RCA. The projected changes are dominated by …

Mapping lichen distribution on the Antarctic Peninsula using remote sensing, lichen spectra and photographic documentation by citizen scientists

Paula Casanovas,

Martin Black,

Peter Fretwell,

Peter Convey

Published: Dec. 26, 2015

On the Antarctic Peninsula, lichens are the most diverse botanical component of the terrestrial ecosystem. However, detailed information on the distribution of lichens on the Antarctic Peninsula region is scarce, and the data available exhibit significant heterogeneity in sampling frequency and effort. Satellite remote sensing, in particular the use of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), has facilitated determination of vegetation richness and cover distribution in some remote and otherwise inaccessible environments. However, it is known that using NDVI for the detection of vegetation can overlook the presence of lichens even if their land cover is extensive. We tested the …

Summertime plankton ecology in Fram Strait - a compilation of long- and short-term observations

Eva-Maria Nöthig,

Astrid Bracher,

Anja Engel,

Katja Metfies,

Barbara Niehoff,

Ilka Peeken,

Eduard Bauerfeind,

Alexandra Cherkasheva,

Steffi Gäbler-Schwarz,

Kristin Hardge,

Estelle Kilias,

Angelina Kraft,

Yohannes Mebrahtom Kidane,

Catherine Lalande,

Judith Piontek,

Karolin Thomisch,

Mascha Wurst

Published: Dec. 1, 2015

Between Greenland and Spitsbergen, Fram Strait is a region where cold ice-covered Polar Water exits the Arctic Ocean with the East Greenland Current (EGC) and warm Atlantic Water enters the Arctic Ocean with the West Spitsbergen Current (WSC). In this compilation, we present two different data sets from plankton ecological observations in Fram Strait: (1) long-term measurements of satellite-derived (1998–2012) and in situ chlorophyll a (chl a) measurements (mainly summer cruises, 1991–2012) plus protist compositions (a station in WSC, eight summer cruises, 1998–2011); and (2) short-term measurements of a multidisciplinary approach that includes traditional plankton investigations, remote sensing, zooplankton, microbiological …

Variability in transport of terrigenous material on the shelves and the deep Arctic Ocean during the Holocene

Carolyn Wegner,

Katrina E. Bennett,

Anne de Vernal,

Matthias Forwick,

Michael Fritz,

Maija Heikkilä,

Hugues Lantuit,

Michał Laska,

Mateusz Moskalik,

Matt O'Regan,

Agnieszka Promińska,

Volker Rachold,

Jorien E. Vonk,

Magdalena Łacka,

Joanna Pawłowska,

Kirstin Werner

Published: Dec. 9, 2015

Arctic coastal zones serve as a sensitive filter for terrigenous matter input onto the shelves via river discharge and coastal erosion. This material is further distributed across the Arctic by ocean currents and sea ice. The coastal regions are particularly vulnerable to changes related to recent climate change. We compiled a pan-Arctic review that looks into the changing Holocene sources, transport processes and sinks of terrigenous sediment in the Arctic Ocean. Existing palaeoceanographic studies demonstrate how climate warming and the disappearance of ice sheets during the early Holocene initiated eustatic sea-level rise that greatly modified the physiography of the Arctic …

Regional passive seismic monitoring reveals dynamic glacier activity on Spitsbergen, Svalbard

Andreas Köhler,

Christian Weidle,

Steven J. Gibbons,

Christopher Nuth,

Johannes Schweitzer

Published: Dec. 4, 2015

Dynamic glacier activity is increasingly observed through passive seismic monitoring. We analysed near-regional-scale seismicity on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard to identify seismic icequake signals and to study their spatial–temporal distribution within the 14-year period from 2000 until 2013. This is the first study that uses seismic data recorded on permanent broadband stations to detect and locate icequakes in different regions of Spitsbergen, the main island of the archipelago. A temporary local seismic network and direct observations of glacier calving and surging were used to identify icequake sources. We observed a high number of icequakes with clear spectral peaks between …

Status and trends in the structure of Arctic benthic food webs

Monika Ke ̨dra,

Charlotte Moritz,

Emily S. Choy,

Carmen David,

Renate Degen,

Steven Duerksen,

Ingrid Ellingsen,

Barbara Górska,

Jacqueline M. Grebmeier,

Dubrava Kirievskaya,

Dick van Oevelen,

Kasia Piwosz,

Annette Samuelsen,

Jan Marcin Węsławski

Published: May 20, 2015

Ongoing climate warming is causing a dramatic loss of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean, and it is projected that the Arctic Ocean will become seasonally ice-free by 2040. Many studies of local Arctic food webs now exist, and with this review paper we aim to synthesize these into a large-scale assessment of the current status of knowledge on the structure of various Arctic marine food webs and their response to climate change, and to sea-ice retreat in particular. Key drivers of ecosystem change and potential consequences for ecosystem functioning and Arctic marine food webs are identified along the sea-ice …

Environmental significance of Ophiomorpha in a transgressive - regressive sequence of the Spitsbergen Paleocene

Jenȍ Nagy,

Francisco J. Rodriguez Tovar,

Matias Reolid

Published: April 6, 2016

The study focuses on occurrences of Ophiomorpha burrows in a transgressive–regressive succession composing the Early Paleocene Firkanten Formation deposited in paralic, prodelta to delta front conditions in the Central Basin of Spitsbergen. The burrows colonize sandstones of the Todalen Member at four sites and belong to two ichnospecies: Ophiomorpha cf. nodosa, forming dominantly vertical shafts; and O. cf. irregulaire, consisting of horizontal sinuous tunnels ending in subconical shafts. Both species are observed in shoreface sandstones deposited as a barrier bar. Lithological features and stratigraphic positions suggest that the trace-makers preferentially colonized high-energy sand environments. Foraminiferal faunas occurring below and above …

Arctic plants are capable of sustained responses to long-term warming

Robert T. Barrett,

Robert D. Hollister

Published: May 5, 2016

Previous studies have shown that Arctic plants typically respond to warming with increased growth and reproductive effort and accelerated phenology, and that the magnitude of these responses is likely to change over time. We investigated the effects of long-term experimental warming on plant growth (leaf length) and reproduction (inflorescence height, reproductive phenology and reproductive effort) using 17–19 years of measurements collected as part of the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) at sites near Barrow and Atqasuk, Alaska. During the study period, linear regressions indicated non-significant tendencies towards warming air temperatures at our study sites. Results of our meta-analyses on the effect …