Just in time: defining historical chronographics

The paper is historical in two respects, both concerned with visual representations of past time. Its first purpose is to enquire how visual representations of historical time can be used to bring out patterns in a museum collection. A case study is presented of the visualisation of data with sufficient subtlety to be useful to historians and curators. Such a visual analytics approach raises questions about the proper representation of time and of objects and events within it. It is argued that such chronographics can support both an externalised, objectivising point of view from ‘outside’ time and one which is immersive and gives a sense of the historic moment. These modes are set in their own historical context through original historical research, highlighting the shift to an Enlightenment view of time as a uniform container for events. This in turn prompts new ways of thinking about chronological visualisation, in particular the separation of the ‘ideal’ image of time from contingent, temporary rendered views

Температурный режим поверхностного слоя ледника Восточный Грёнфьорд (Западный Шпицберген)

Data of thermometry performed in boreholes of the glacier East Grönfjordbreen situated in West Svalbard are presented. The measurements were made within the ice upper layer down to 20 m in spring and summer of 2012–2014. Basing on the temperature distribution in the boreholes the following heat balance elements of the active ice layer were calculated: winter storage of cold, heat losses for thawing and warming of snow and ice. It was found that the main influence on storage of cold in the upper ice layer is exerted by thickness of the snow cover and the summer ablation. Comparison between winter and summer storages of the cold allows drawing the conclusion that the most intensive cooling takes place in central part of the glacier where the snow accumulation is small and the ablation is moderate.Представлены данные термометрии скважин на леднике Восточный Грёнфьорд, полученные в весенний и летний периоды 2012–2014 гг. На основании распределения температуры в скважинах рассчитаны элементы теплового баланса деятельного слоя: зимний запас холода, затраты тепла на таяние и прогрев снега и льда. Основное влияние на величину запаса холода в приповерхностном слое льда оказывают толщина снежного покрова и летняя абляция. Сравнение величины зимнего и летнего запаса холода приводит к выводу, что наиболее интенсивное выхолаживание происходит в центральной части ледника, где наблюдаются небольшое снегонакопление и умеренная абляция льда

Оценка поверхностной абляции и баланса массы ледника Восточный Грёнфьорд (Западный Шпицберген)

Due to climatic changes in Spitsbergen the glaciation of the Nordenskjold Land (West Spitsbergen) has significantly degraded over the past 100 years. Changes in glaciers are undoubtedly associated with intensive melting caused by a rise of summer air temperatures. Based on the results of field measurements of ablation on the East Grenford glacier, data on the ice reduction were obtained since 2004. Analysis of the results showed that magnitude of the surface ablation is in a good agreement with the values calculated by the Krenke–Hodakov formula, in which the argument is the average summer air temperature. The parabolic dependence of the Krenke-Hodakov formula with the exponent of 3.25 presented the best approximation to the field measurements for all high-altitude zones of the glacier with a correlation coefficient of 0.96. The calculated values of ablation of ice and snow were used to estimate the mass balance of the East Grenford glacier since 2004. The calculations were based on the following: measured values of jump in temperature at the boundary of the glacier, averaged values of the air temperature gradient, and averaged data on snow storage on the glacier. Data on the mass balance of the glacier is indicative of its shortening during the last decade, despite the interannual variations. In 2016, the glacier mass balance reached the lowest value equal to −1990 mm, the calculated value was equal to −1960 mm. Analysis of the data demonstrated that the average summer air temperature is the major factor affecting the glacier mass balance. These results may be useful for estimating  melting and mass balance of a number of mountain glaciers of the Nordenskjold Land. Многолетние наблюдения на леднике Восточный Грёнфьорд показали значительное сокращение его площади и снижение поверхности ледника. Расчёт абляции проводился по четырём высотным зонам с учётом реальных значений температурного градиента и температурного скачка на краю ледника. Результаты, полученные на этом леднике, позволяют оценить летнюю абляции и баланс массы горных ледников на западе Земли Норденшельда

Temperature regime of upper layer of the glacier East Grönfjordbreen (West Svalbard)

Data of thermometry performed in boreholes of the glacier East Grönfjordbreen situated in West Svalbard are presented. The measurements were made within the ice upper layer down to 20 m in spring and summer of 2012–2014. Basing on the temperature distribution in the boreholes the following heat balance elements of the active ice layer were calculated: winter storage of cold, heat losses for thawing and warming of snow and ice. It was found that the main influence on storage of cold in the upper ice layer is exerted by thickness of the snow cover and the summer ablation. Comparison between winter and summer storages of the cold allows drawing the conclusion that the most intensive cooling takes place in central part of the glacier where the snow accumulation is small and the ablation is moderate

Estimation of the surface ablation and mass balance of Eustre Grønfjordbreen (Spitsbergen)

Due to climatic changes in Spitsbergen the glaciation of the Nordenskjold Land (West Spitsbergen) has significantly degraded over the past 100 years. Changes in glaciers are undoubtedly associated with intensive melting caused by a rise of summer air temperatures. Based on the results of field measurements of ablation on the East Grenford glacier, data on the ice reduction were obtained since 2004. Analysis of the results showed that magnitude of the surface ablation is in a good agreement with the values calculated by the Krenke–Hodakov formula, in which the argument is the average summer air temperature. The parabolic dependence of the Krenke-Hodakov formula with the exponent of 3.25 presented the best approximation to the field measurements for all high-altitude zones of the glacier with a correlation coefficient of 0.96. The calculated values of ablation of ice and snow were used to estimate the mass balance of the East Grenford glacier since 2004. The calculations were based on the following: measured values of jump in temperature at the boundary of the glacier, averaged values of the air temperature gradient, and averaged data on snow storage on the glacier. Data on the mass balance of the glacier is indicative of its shortening during the last decade, despite the interannual variations. In 2016, the glacier mass balance reached the lowest value equal to −1990 mm, the calculated value was equal to −1960 mm. Analysis of the data demonstrated that the average summer air temperature is the major factor affecting the glacier mass balance. These results may be useful for estimating  melting and mass balance of a number of mountain glaciers of the Nordenskjold Land

Holocene history of the Ullukam Glacier

Using instrumental archives, aerial photographs, satellite images, old maps, descriptions of early explorers and old photographs we identified and mapped nine front positions of the Ullukam Glacier (SW slope of Elbrus) for the period from the end of XIX to the early XXI centuries. In 1884–2009 glacier retreated by 775 m. It advanced from 1971 to 1987 (36 m). The glacier fluctuations in the previous period were reconstructed using geomorphologic data, lichenometry, modern and buried soil description and radiorarbon analyses. We identified three Little Ice Age moraines of almost equal magnitude when the Ullukam Glacier was 889 m longer than in 2009. Two later advances occurred in the first third to middle of XIX century and in 1870s The recent fluctuations of the Ullukam Glacier closely correspond to the retreat two other glaciers in Elbus area. The location of the buried soil in the valley of Ullukam glacier brings evidence that the glacier have not advanced lower than 2813 m a.s.l. at least during the last four thousand years

Radiocarbon Dating of Medieval Buildings in the Mountainous Part of Ingushetia (Northern Caucasus, Russia)

There are hundreds of preserved medieval buildings in the mountainous part of Ingushetia, including Christian churches, crypts, temples, sanctuaries, battle towers, and living buildings. The chronology of their construction period is still questioned, as there are no radiocarbon (14C) dates published for these buildings and their dating is mainly based on architectural features, a few historical sources, and sometimes on accompanying archaeological material. The aim of this study is to assess more precisely the period of their construction. To do this, we selected the 10 most prominent medieval buildings that contain wooden construction elements and sampled these wooden elements in order to apply 14C accelerator mass-spectrometry dating (AMS) followed by wiggle-matching. From two of these buildings, plaster and mortar were also sampled for 14C AMS dating. This is the first time that these kinds of analyses have been performed for medieval buildings from the mountainous part of Ingushetia. For 6 out of 10 buildings, we acquired sufficiently precise dates that helped us to clarify their construction period. For the other 4 buildings, the acquired dates are still informative but could be refined further with additional 14C analyses. The calibrated dates obtained cover the period from AD 662 until recent time with the majority of them concentrated in 15th-17th centuries. © 2019 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona

К голоценовой истории ледника Уллукам

Using instrumental archives, aerial photographs, satellite images, old maps, descriptions of early explorers and old photographs we identified and mapped nine front positions of the Ullukam Glacier (SW slope of Elbrus) for the period from the end of XIX to the early XXI centuries. In 1884–2009 glacier retreated by 775 m. It advanced from 1971 to 1987 (36 m). The glacier fluctuations in the previous period were reconstructed using geomorphologic data, lichenometry, modern and buried soil description and radiorarbon analyses. We identified three Little Ice Age moraines of almost equal magnitude when the Ullukam Glacier was 889 m longer than in 2009. Two later advances occurred in the first third to middle of XIX century and in 1870s The recent fluctuations of the Ullukam Glacier closely correspond to the retreat two other glaciers in Elbus area. The location of the buried soil in the valley of Ullukam glacier brings evidence that the glacier have not advanced lower than 2813 m a.s.l. at least during the last four thousand years.Представлена реконструкция колебаний ледника Уллукам во второй половине голоцена. На основе сравнения аэрофото- и космических снимков, старых фотографий и карт реконструировано девять положений языка ледника за последние 125 лет. С 1884 по 2009 г. ледник сократился в горизонтальной проекции на 775 м, а высота его фронта повысилась на 190 м. На основе датирования лихенометрическим методом установлено, что две молодые морены возникли в первой трети – середине XIX в. и в 1870-х годах. На расстоянии 1,5 км от современного конца ледника найдена погребённая почва, возраст которой, согласно радиоуглеродному датированию, составляет 3580±80 л.н. Ненарушенность почвенного профиля показывает, что ледник не спускался до высоты 2813 м, по крайней мере, в последние четыре тысячелетия, а возможно и с начала голоцена