Environmental pollution impact on radiation properties of atmosphere, snow and ice cover: Study from Barentsburg (Spitsbergen Archipelago)

The value of the albedo of snow and ice surface is associated with the texture and structure of the surface layer of snow or ice (sea ice, glaciers), the peculiarities of the vertical redistribution of contaminations in this layer (mineral or organic particles of various concentrations, the size and shape), temperature regime of the surface layer of the atmosphere. Identifying links with the albedo characteristics of natural and artificial contamination is very important. For example, the results of mathematic modeling the evolution of ice sheets, sea ice and snow cover demonstrate the high sensitivity of the model to this parameter. Original results in the framework of this problem were obtained by researches from AARI and St. Petersburg State University during the 2010-2012 years on Svalbard in the vicinity of the Russian mining settlement Barentsburg. We present original results showing the relationship of "albedo-contaminations" and the influence of anthropogenic factors. The estimation of solar radiation that penetrates deep into the snow, and the impact of contamination on its redistribution in the snow thickness were obtained

Metadata for a long-term climate series from the Russian meteorological station “Pyramiden” (1948-1957) at Svalbard ( Short Communication)

Soviet weather station "Pyramiden" was located in the same mining settlement on the northern shore of the Mimer bukta (Billefjorden, West Spitsbergen Island). Research station operated from 1948 to 1957, as a branch of Barentsburg research observatory (Grnfjorden, West Spitsbergen Island). It was the only station that held regular meteorological observations in the inland areas of the archipelago. Observational data (in the form of handwritten books and tables) are preserved in state fond of Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI, St. Petersburg, Russia). So far, these data have not been digitized and with their help not conducted any climate researches. Fruitful scientific collaboration between MET-Norway (Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Oslo) and AARI helped preserve these unique data to the polar scientific community. Now specialists-climatologists of both institutions complete joint climate researches that in the near future will be available to scientists, studying modern climate changes in the polar regions of the Earth

Comparative analysis of Russian and Norwegian precipitation gauges, measurements in Barentsburg, Western Spitsbergen

Comparative analysis of records of two gauges with different wind shields (Tretyakov gauge and Geonor T200-B) were done, based on time series of parallel measurement in Barentsburg settlement, Svalbard, during two winter times in period from September 2014 to July 2016. All collected data of solid precipitation were divided into two ranges with different wind speed conditions. As it was known from earlier papers, Tretyakov gauge measurements tend to underestimate solid precipitation in case when precipitation is not intensive and wind speed is less than 5 m s-1. Opposite results were obtained for blizzard conditions (wind speed is more than 6 m s-1): Tretyakov gauge shows greater values for amount of solid precipitation than Norwegian sensor. Preliminary results in Barentsburg cannot be described as conclusive ones. Estimation of solid precipitation on Spitsbergen measured by different gauges needs further and more detailed research, which includes fieldwork in Barentsburg in spring, such as detailed snow surveys in the settlement

Sea ice metadata for Billefjorden and Grnfjorden, Svalbard

Description of sea ice conditions in the fjords of Svalbard is crucial for sea transport as well as studies of local climate and climate change. Old observations from the Russian Hydrometeorological stations in the mining settlements Barentsburg (Grnfjorden) and Pyramiden (Billefjorden) have now been digitized. These visual and instrumental observations are archived in the State Archive of Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) and Murmansk Branch of the Russian Hydrometeorological Service. In this paper, we bring an overview of the sea ice metadata with few examples of yearly changes in sea ice extent

Air temperature variations and gradients along the coast and fjords of western Spitsbergen

Daily temperature measurements from six meteorological stations along the coast and fjords of western Spitsbergen have been digitized and quality controlled in a Norwegian, Russian and Polish collaboration. Complete daily data series have been reconstructed back to 1948 for all of the stations. One of the station’s monthly temperature series has previously been extended back to 1898 and is included in this study. The long-term series show large temperature variability on western Spitsbergen with colder periods in the 1910s and 1960s and warmer periods in the 1930s, 1950s and in the 21st century. The most recent years are the warmest ones in the instrumental records. There is a positive and statistically significant trend in the annual times series for all of the stations; however, the strongest warming is seen in winter and spring. For the period 1979-2015, the linear trends range from 1.0 to 1.38°C/decade for the annual series and from 2.0 to 2.38°C/decade in winter. Threshold statistics demonstrate a decrease in the number of cold days per year and an increase in the number of warm days. A decreasing inter-annual variability is observed. In winter, spring and autumn, the stations in the northernmost areas of west Spitsbergen and in the innermost parts of Isfjorden are the coldest ones. In summer, however, the southernmost station is the coldest one