Перспективы использования беспилотных летательных аппаратов при поисках мамонтовых бивней в Арктике

 In recent decades, fossil ivory, the tusks of the Siberian mammoth of the late type (Mammuthus primigenius Blumenbach, 1799), has been in great demand on the world market of gemstone raw materials. Fossil ivory is a valuable highly liquid natural raw material of biogenic origin. With its decorative and technological characteristics, it is a fossil analogue of the tusks of the present-day African and Asian elephant (the populations of which are protected by UNESCO), used for the production of carved articles of great aesthetic value. Industrial clusters of mammoth tusks are concentrated in just a few Arctic regions of Russia: the only region today which holds confirmed industrial potential of fossil mammoth ivory (actually recoverable resources) is Northern Yakutia. This is due to the limited number of territories whose paleogeographic and landscape-ecological conditions were favorable for mammoths in the Late Pleistocene, as well as to the taphonomic conditions conducive to the long-term preservation of bone remains in permafrost conditions. Placer accumulations of mammoth tusks are formed as a result of denudation of cryogenic bone reservoirs containing up to 90% ice; the main destructive factors are various types of thermal erosion, which contributes to the formation of new accumulations. Today, just as centuries ago, the search for fossil ivory, is carried out mainly by walking over large areas in remote areas of the Russian Arctic. The search objects are fully or partially exposed fossil ivory lying on the surface (in the surface layer) of present-day sedimentary formations in various landscape-geomorphological and geobotanical settings. The current period of studying and exploiting the natural resources in Russia is characterized by the active use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with video cameras, which significantly reduces the complexity of research in various fields of their application. We have carried out experimental and methodological work for the visual recognition of exposed mammoth tusks in the natural lansetting using a copter-type UAV equipped with video cameras and appropriate computer software. The interval of optimal heights is determined, as well as the possible width of the observation band during the search. The use of UAVs is expected to significantly increase the effectiveness of search through operational visual control of large areas of bone-bearing territories, fixation and coordinate binding of detected mammoth tusks for subsequent targeted and operational collection.В работе оценена возможность применения беспилотного летательного аппарата (БПЛА) при поисках экспонированных мамонтовых бивней в труднодоступных районах Арктики. Приведены результаты опытно-методических исследований, позволившие определить интервал оптимальных высот, а также возможную ширину полосы наблюдений при поисках экспонированных бивней с использованием фото- и видеосъемки с БПЛА при осуществлении поисков. Применение БПЛА обеспечивает возможность оперативного визуального контроля значительных по площади костеносных участков, фиксацию и координатную привязку обнаруженных мамонтовых бивней для последующего целенаправленного и оперативного их сбора

Адаптация озер полуострова Файлдс (о. Кинг Джордж, Восточная Антарктида) к климатическим изменениям и антропогенному воздействию

The load on the Antarctic oases has been recently increasing, with intensive research carried out by various countries and ecological tourism developing. This leads to an increase in the impact on the aquatic ecosystems of the lakes and streams in addition to the warming climate and glacier melting. This paper presents findings from a study of the Fildes Peninsula (King George Island) lakes’ aquatic ecosystems in the summer period of January–February 2020. In addition to results of hydrological and hydrochemical studies, the paper provides data from measurements of the self-cleaning ability of representative oasis lakes, as well as greenhouse gas fluxes from the lakes surface. The water level of the streams decreased 5 times over the summer season, and the water discharge — 10 times. The streams flowing from the glacier have the fullest water. The lakes have a neutral reaction, sometimes weakly alkaline; they are well aerated: the average value of dissolved oxygen in water is 85 %, occasionally supersaturation of up to 137% was observed. The concentration of nutrients in the water has amplitudes that are considerable for Antarctic oases lakes. A significant correlation can only be observed between nitrates and phosphates, and also between the water turbidity and the nutrients’ concentration. Maximum turbidity is observed in lakes with abundant content of bacterial mats. Most of the lakes have hydrochemical type II sodium chloride waters. The assessment of the lake self-cleaning ability using the ratio of destruction and organic matter production showed the general ability of ecosystems to cope with external (natural) pressures on ecosystems, but not in all cases. Eutrophication of the lakes and stream valleys is also noted. Carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption was observed in most of the streams and lakes, in some of them — methane (CH4) absorption as well. However, CH4 is generally emitted from the surface of the lakes. The largest values are recorded for small lakes located on glacial moraines and in places where ornithosoils are present. The agreement of the findings from the hydroecological studies of the Fildes peninsula lakes with those presented earlier by other authors makes it possible to conclude that there is a certain resistance of the lakes to climatic changes, but one can already talk about a significant anthropogenic impact on the freshwater oasis ecosystems.В последнее время возрастает нагрузка на оазисы Антарктиды, что ведет к увеличению нагрузки на водные экосистемы озер и водотоков оазисов на фоне потепления климата и таяния краевой части ледника. В данной работе приведены результаты изучения водных экосистем озер полуострова Файлдс (о. Кинг Джордж) в летний период в январе–феврале 2020 г. Помимо результатов гидрологических и гидрохимических исследований представлены данные измерений самоочищающей способности репрезентативных водоемов оазиса и потоков парниковых газов с поверхности озер. Наиболее полноводными являются водотоки, вытекающие с ледника. Озера имеют чаще всего нейтральную реакцию среды; хорошо аэрированы; концентрация биогенных элементов в воде имеет значительные амплитуды; большинство озер по своему гидрохимическому составу относятся к хлоридно-натриевым водам II типа. Оценка самоочищающей способности озер показала способность водоемов в целом справляться с внешними (природными) нагрузками на экосистемы, но не во всех случаях. Отмечается эвтрофирование озер и долин ручьев. В большинстве водотоков и водоемов происходит поглощение углекислого газа (СО2), в некоторых также метана (СН4). Однако для СН4 в основном характерна эмиссия с поверхности водоемов. Полученные результаты позволяют судить об определенной устойчивости озер к климатическим изменениям, но уже можно говорить о том, что пресноводные экосистемы оазиса испытывают значительную антропогенную нагрузку

Метод краткосрочного прогноза преобладающей ориентации разрывов в ледяном покрове моря Лаптевых в зимне-весенний период

 Sea ice leads are potential routes of easier navigation in the Arctic seas during winter-spring season. Forecasts of the prevailing orientation of ice leads are required for the early selection of the optimal route of a ship in ice. An automated method for short-term forecasting of the prevailing orientation of leads in the Laptev Sea is developed in AARI based on the analog method. Data sources for making a forecast include predictive fields of atmospheric pressure up to 3 days in advance and historical data on surface atmospheric pressure, ice drift and sea ice leads. The data on ice leads are obtained by interpreting SuomiNPP satellite images in a visible and infrared range at 375 m spatial resolution for the cold seasons 2016–2022. The ice drift data are freely available OSI SAF data. In order to make a forecast of the prevailing orientation of leads by a predictive atmospheric pressure field, it is necessary to select from an electronic data archive a historical field of atmospheric pressure that is the most similar to the predictive field. The lead characteristics on the selected date are taken as the predictive ones. Automated selection of an analog consists in searching for an atmospheric pressure field from the electronic data archive which has minimal metrics for the forecast date together with 2 previous days. The metric is calculated as the sum of the squared differences between the change in atmospheric pressure per 1 km in the latitudinal and meridional directions between the predictive atmospheric pressure field and the potential analog field. Actual lead data for a date of the selected analog may not be available due to thick clouds. In this case, the direction of the minor axis of the strain ellipse calculated from ice drift data is taken as the prevailing orientation of leads. The success ratio of diagnostic forecasts by the method developed is 72 %. Comparison of the success ratio of the diagnostic forecasts with the results of inertial and climatic forecasts demonstrates a high effectiveness of the method for cases of abrupt change in the direction of air flows over the Laptev Sea within the first 1–2 days.Разработан способ прогнозирования преобладающей ориентации разрывов в ледяном по[1]крове моря Лаптевых по прогностическим полям атмосферного давления с заблаговременностью до 3 суток на основе метода аналогов. При составлении прогноза используются ретроспективные данные атмосферного давления, дрейфа льда OSI SAF и разрывов, полученные при дешифрировании снимков искусственных спутников Земли SuomiNPP. Изложены алгоритмы для автоматизации процесса составления прогноза по разработанному методу. Сравнение результатов оправдываемости прогностических значений модальной ориентации разрывов, полученных при применении климатического, инерционного и разработанного методов прогноза, выявило высокую эффективность последнего в случаях перестройки поля атмосферного давления

Пространственная изменчивость трендов значительных высот волн в Карском море

 Over the past decades, the extent of sea ice in the Arctic, including the Kara Sea, has been diminishing. This phenomenon has a direct impact on wind waves as the increased expansion of ice-free water influences wave height. Furthermore, alterations in the ice cover also lead to modifications in atmospheric circulation, necessitating a concurrent analysis of wind and waves to refine the understanding of their interrelationships. In this study, wave modeling data were employed using the WAVEWATCH III model and NCEP/CFSR/CFSv2 reanalyzes. Calculations were performed on a non-structural computational grid. The grid covers the Barents and Kara Seas, as well as the entire northern part of the Atlantic Ocean. The spatial resolution varies from ~ 700 m for the coastal zone of the Kara Sea, to ~ 20 km in the open part of the Kara Sea, covering the period from January 1, 1979 to December 31, 2021. Subsequently, average significant wave heights (SWH), maximum SWH, and the 95th percentile of SWH were computed for each grid node on both monthly and yearly basis. The annual values were analyzed for trends and their significance. Calculations were conducted for both the entire period and ice-free period. Positive trends in annual mean values were observed throughout the sea, with the maximum trend occurring near the boundary with the Barents Sea, barely exceeding 0.2 m/10 years. The northern and northeastern parts of the sea were characterized by significant positive trends of the maximum SWH values. Maximum trend values for the 95th percentile of SWH were also evident in the northern part of the Kara Sea. For the ice-free period, maximum trend values were notable for both the annual mean and the 95th percentile of SWH in the northern part of the sea (maximum trend values are approximately 0.25 m/10 years and 0.5 m/10 years, respectively). Significant positive trends in the annual mean SWH were characteristic of the southern part of the sea, while the largest and significant trends for maximum wave heights were observed in the northeast. The assessment of the contribution of wind and ice regimes to the variability of wind waves remains a subject of discussion.В статье проведен пространственный анализ трендов средних, максимальных за год, а также 95-го перцентиля высот значимых волн в Карском море. Анализ трендов выполнен на основе результатов моделирования за период с 1979 по 2021 г. В качестве исходных данных использовались данные о ветре и концентрации льда из реанализов NCEP/CFSR/CFSv2. Оценка трендов высот волн проводилась как для всего периода, так и для безледного. На всей акватории моря величины трендов для среднегодовых значений положительные. Максимальная величина характерна для границы с Баренцевым морем и едва превышает 0,2 м/10 лет. Для безледного периода максимальные величины трендов характерны и для среднегодовых, и для 95-го перцентиля высот волн в северной части моря (максимальные величины трендов ~0,25 м/10 лет и ~0,5 м/10 лет соответственно)

Айсберговая опасность в морях Арктической зоны Российской Федерации в условиях современных климатических изменений

The aim of the research was to study the relationship between the intensity of iceberg formation in the Russian Arctic including the number of icebergs calving annually from outlet glaciers and surface air temperature anomalies. The research was carried out on the basis of satellite monitoring using non-commercial, freely distributed satellite information from optical-electronic satellites Landsat-8 (spatial resolution 15 m) and Sentinel-2 (spatial resolution 10 m) and the radar satellite Sentinel-1 (pixel size 20×40 m). To achieve the aim, an iceberg detection technique was used based on statistical criteria for searching for gradient zones in the analysis of two-dimensional fields of satellite images. Based on the analysis of satellite data of the visible spectral range of the Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 satellites and Sentinel-1 radar data the maximum spatial dimensions of icebergs formed by the outlet glaciers of Severnaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land (ZFI) and Novaya Zemlya in 2012–2022 were estimated. Satellite monitoring of the Severnaya Zemlya region was carried out using visible range images in the spring season (March–May), characterized by the best observation conditions in terms of cloudiness, natural light, and monitoring of icebergs most of which are located in fast ice at this time. Monitoring of the ZFI area was carried out using radar data in the period August-September, corresponding to the minimal ice cover conditions. Satellite monitoring of the Novaya Zemlya region was carried out using visible images in the summer season. In total, about 500 satellite images were analyzed. The discusses the dependence of the intensity of the iceberg formation process on the ice shelf and outlet glaciers with a floating edge on the surface air temperature and the maximum thickness of fast ice. It is shown that the abnormally warm weather that set in 2020 during the period of ice melting led to a sharp intensification of the process of glacier melting in the Russian Arctic and the formation of almost 8,000 icebergs near Severnaya Zemlya, more than 6,600 icebergs near ZFI and over 1,000 icebergs near the western coast of Novaya Zemlya. For all the areas of the Russian Arctic studied in the period 2012–2022 an increase was noted in the maximum observed sizes of icebergs calving from glaciers. The largest iceberg, whose length was 5 km, broke off in 2020 from the Matusevich ice shelf.Исследованы особенности айсбергообразования у основных архипелагов Российской Арктики — Земли Франца-Иосифа, Северной Земли и Новой Земли — за последнее десятилетие, отличавшееся высокой климатической изменчивостью. Для мониторинга айсбергов использованы некоммерческие спутниковые изображения видимого спектрального диапазона спутников Landsat-7, 8 и Sentinel-2, а также радиолокационные снимки Sentinel-1. Показана связь интенсивности айсбергообразования, включая количество айсбергов, ежегодно откалывающихся от выводных ледников, с аномалиями температуры приповерхностного воздуха в Арктике. Максимальная айсберговая активность ледников наблюдалась в рекордно теплом для Арктики 2020 г., размер наибольшего образовавшегося айсберга в этом году составил 5 км

Мониторинг изменений климата в морской Арктике

Changes in the temperature regime of the marine Arctic and the influencing factors are considered based on the current knowledge of the causes of climate change and the use of new data sources. In the Arctic, the warming is developing due to such factors as the increase in the transfer of heat and moisture from the low latitudes. This, in turn, drives the feedbacks in the Arctic climate system, increasing the flow of long-wave radiation to the surface due to rising atmospheric water vapor concentrations and slowing down the growth of the sea ice thickness in winter. The increase in the atmospheric heat transfer to the Arctic is associated with changes in atmospheric circulation, in particular, under the influence of ocean surface temperature anomalies, especially in the low latitudes since the bulk of the heat influx from the from solar radiation and anthropogenic forcing is accumulated here. Analyzing the causes of warming in the Arctic in the 1930s and 40s led researchers to the conclusion that the water influx from the North Atlantic is a factor to consider. Therefore, the influx of warm and salty water is also an important influence on the formation of the climate of the marine Arctic today, which should be taken into account when monitoring the temperature and ice regime of this area. Based on the analysis of the characteristics of climate variability in the marine Arctic and its causes, the article examines representative indicators of climate change in the temperature and ice regime of the marine Arctic and the factors influencing them in the present  period.Получены репрезентативные показатели климатических изменений температурного и ледового режима морской Арктики и влияющих на них факторов в современный период. Использована среднемесячная приповерхностная температура воздуха на гидрометеорологических станциях в этой области, а также данные реанализов. Для характеристики предыстории температурного режима использованы ряды наблюдений с 1901 г. Изменения ледового режима оцениваются по значениям ледовитости на сайте ААНИИ, а влияние температуры океана — по среднемесячным значениями температуры поверхности океана из реанализа HadISST и температуры воды в слое 50–200 м на разрезе по Кольскому меридиану. Связь параметров температурного режима и влияющих факторов характеризуется коэффициентами корреляции и корреляционными графами. Показана определяющая роль в развитии потепления в Арктике тепла и влаги с атмосферными и океанскими переносами из прилегающих и низких широт и возможность перспективной оценки климатических изменений

Региональные особенности повторяемости гололеда на севере европейской территории России на фоне меняющегося климата

Recently, the interest in society in observing and forecasting dangerous meteorological phenomena in the cold period of the year has noticeably grown. In this work, we study the phenomenon of glaze ice in the north of the European territory of Russia in the North-Western Federal District. Here glaze ice (icing) is less frequent than other forms of ice accretion, but its characteristics most often exceed the criteria of dangerous meteorological phenomena. It is a great danger for various areas of the economy, ship navigation, causing an increase in traumatism of the population and damage to infrastructure. In accordance with the aim of the work, the spatial and temporal variability of the frequency of glaze ice accretion on the territory of the North-Western Federal District in the period 1986–2022 is investigated. The results are obtained on the basis of instrumental observations of meteorological stations. Using statistical analysis, the features of mean yearly frequency at each meteorological station were studied. To assess the direction of annual changes in the glaze ice frequency, the linear trend coefficient was calculated for each meteorological station. The least squares method was used for this purpose. It is shown that the maximum number of days with glaze ice occurs in the central part of the North-Western Federal District. This can be attributed to the more frequent movement of Atlantic and southern cyclones to high latitudes and their precipitation, especially at the atmospheric fronts and in the warm sectors of the cyclones, at air temperatures near zero and below. What makes the spatial distribution of glaze ice frequency even more uneven is the presence of uplands in the European territory of Russia. More precipitation falls on their windward slopes, and the temperature decreases with altitude. The findings show that in recent decades there has been an increase in the frequency of the glaze ice phenomenon in the region. At the same time, the interannual variability remains relatively constant. Taking into account the positive trend in the number of glaze ice events and increasing air temperature and precipitation, it is necessary to develop measures to deal with this hazardous phenomenon and minimize damage from it.Выполнен анализ пространственной неоднородности и временных изменений повторяемости гололеда на севере европейской территории России (ЕТР) в Северо-Западном федеральном округе (СЗФО) в период 1986–2022 гг. Показано, что повторяемость гололедных явлений по территории имеет неоднородное распределение. Обсуждаются возможные причины локальных особенностей распределения изучаемого метеорологического явления на территории СЗФО, в частности, влияние общей циркуляции атмосферы и физико-географических особенностей. Исходными данными послужили результаты инструментальных измерений на метеорологических станциях. Обработка данных производилась статистическими методами. Показано, что в центральной части СЗФО повторяемость явления гололеда больше, чем в западной и восточной части округа. Согласно оценке линейных трендов повторяемость гололеда в последние десятилетия возрастала неравномерно по территории СЗФО. Наиболее заметный рост наблюдается в центральной части СЗФО

Памяти Владимира Алексеевича Лихоманова

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Памяти Галины Вячеславовны Сурковой

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Эволюция факторов ликвидации поселений Мурманской области за период 1939–2023 гг.

 Using the example of the Murmansk, the paper considers the character of the processes of settlement liquidation from 1939 to the present is considered. Various reasons for the abolition of settlements in the region in different historical periods have been identified. The first years after the formation of the Murmansk region were characterized by the process of merging of the settlements being liquidated with another one that was higher in status, and the preservation of the residential territory. Later this resulted in the exclusion of the settlements from the accounting data. The main reasons for the abolition of settlements in the Murmansk region are given, which include the withdrawal of residential territories for the construction of hydroelectric power station infrastructure, the loss of economic importance of settlement-forming enterprises due to the exhaustion or the economic inexpediency of extracting and processing of resources (forest or mineral), and the reorganization of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The process of depopulation and abolition of settlements depends on socio-economic factors and reflects the trends in the economic development of the country. Systematized information is presented reflecting the factors of liquidation of settlements with details about the reasons each of the character of this process in different periods. Synthesized data reflecting the current state of the abolished settlements are presented. For the most part, these are non-residential areas with ruined residential and non-residential buildings. Liquidated ancient Pomor’ settlements are widely used for the purpose of summer holidays in the country. A trend is detected for regular cultural events being held on their territory and for their inclusion in tourist and sightseeing routes. Собраны и проанализированы сведения, отражающие в хронологическом порядке процесс снятия с учета населенных пунктов Мурманской области. Выявлены основные причины ликвидации поселений в регионе с учетом его природных и климатических особенностей, а также в контексте социально-экономических условий, господствовавших в России в разные периоды. Уделяется внимание хозяйственному использованию территорий снятых с учета сел и деревень на современном этапе