Variability of Wind Speed and Direction over the NW Spitsbergen in the Period 1901-2010 Using Era-20C Reanalises

Celem opracowania jest poznanie warunków anemologicznych w okresie 1901-2010 w rejonie północno-zachodniego Spitsbergenu. W tym celu posłużono się reanalizami ERA-20C. Uzyskane wyniki porównano z przebiegiem temperatury powietrza w tym rejonie. Nad obszarem NW Spitsbergenu przeważają kierunki wiatru NNE i NE (w sumie 21,9%). Najrzadziej występuje wiatr z kierunków zachodnich (W, WNW, NW, WSW, łącznie 9,7%). Można również zaobserwować, wyraźnie różniącą się strukturę częstości kierunków wiatru w porach roku. Średnia prędkość wiatru według reanaliz w latach 1901-2010 w przyjętym punkcie węzłowym wyniosła 5,6 ms-1. Prędkość wiatru w tym okresie wykazała znaczną zmienność z roku na rok. Stwierdzono przy tym istotny statystycznie (na poziomie 0,05) rosnący trend prędkości wiatru, wynoszący 0,5 ms-1 /100 lat.The aim of the study was to know the wind conditions in the period 1901-2010 over the north-western Spitsbergen. For this purpose they are used ERA-20C reanalises. The results were compared with the course of air temperature in this region. Over the area of NW Spitsbergen predominate wind direction NNE and NE (total of 21.9%). The least frequent wind direction is from the west (W, WNW, NW, WSW, a total of 9.7%). Observed also differing structure of the frequency of wind direction, depending on the season. The average wind speed in the years 1901-2010 in the was 5.6 ms-1. Wind speed during this period showed considerable variability from year to year. It has been found that a statistically significant (at the 0.05 level) growing trend of wind speed (0.5 ms-1 /100 years)

Impact of water tourism activity in forest-waterside ecotones on the example of the Beldany Lake

The aim of this study was to recognize the threats to waterside stands and their ecotones growing on the banks of the Bełdany Lake heavily utilised by tourists. The method applied included of stand and bank inspection along 33 300 m of the shoreline, as well as polling tourists. The signs of damage caused by tourists were found every 330 meters of the shoreline, on average. The reed belt was most threatened. The places of its depletion can be spotted every 450 meters. Also waterside stands are exposed to penetration. A belt of 50 m or more in width is penetrated by about 60% tourists. The damage caused consist of soil compaction, disappearance of natural herb layer species, harvesting of wood for making fires, damage to trees, leaving litter in forests, or making fires

Spatial differentiation of air temperature and relative air humidity in the Kaffiøyra region (NW Spitsbergen) in summer season 2014

W artykule przedstawiono zróżnicowanie przestrzenne temperatury oraz wilgotności powietrza w rejonie Kaffiøyry (NW Spitsbergen) w sezonie letnim 2014 r. Na podstawie pomiarów na stanowiskach położonych na różnych wysokościach nad poziomem morza przeanalizowano zmiany temperatury i wilgotności powietrza w pionie, obliczono pionowe gradienty tych elementów. Uzyskane wyniki odniesiono do pionowych sondaży atmosfery wykonywanych w pobliskiej stacji w Ny Ålesund. Temperatura oraz wilgotność względna powietrza wykazują znaczne zróżnicowanie przestrzenne. Relacje między stanowiskami zmieniają się z dnia na dzień w zależności od rodzaju mas powietrza oraz zachmurzenia. Stwierdzono również zmienność pionowych gradientów temperatury i wilgotności względnej powietrza w cyklu dobowym.This article presents the spatial diversity of temperature and relative humidity of the air in the area of Kaffiøyra (NW Spitsbergen). In the summer season of 2014 (21 July – 31 August), observations were carried out at 9 measurement points equipped with temperature and humidity recorders. The points were located in two terrain profiles: the mountains where the highest point was situated at 590 m a.s.l. in the Prins Heinrichfjella range and from the terminal moraines to the firn field (375 m a.s.l.) of the Waldemar Glacier. On the basis of the measurements taken at the sites situated at different absolute heights vertical changes in air temperature and humidity were analysed and lapse rate of air temperature gradients were determined. The results were referenced to vertical atmospheric soundings carried out at the nearby station in Ny Ålesund. The air over NW Spitsbergen (Ny Ålesund) demonstrated a mean vertical lapse rate of 0.61˚C/100 m at the atmospheric layer up to six or seven hundred metres. On most days normal stratification was observed, where temperature fell with height, on 3 days a ground-level air temperature inversion occurred and on 9 days a temperature inversion occurred in the free troposphere. In the area of Kaffiøyra, air temperature decreased with height from 5.5°C on the coast (KH) to 2.5°C at 590 m a.s.l. (PH2). On the Waldemar Glacier, the mean air temperature ranged from 5.0°C on the moraines (ATA) to 3.6°C on the firn field (LW2). The relationship between the sites changed on a daily basis, depending on the cloud amount, insolation and local circulation (e.g. connected with the influence of foenic wind). Averaged lapse rate in relation to the coast (KH) reached between 0.84°C/100 m (LW1-KH) and 0.39°C/100 m (KU-KH) or 0.40°C/100 m (ATA-KH). The mountain tops (PH1 and PH2) are also distinguished by their smaller lapse rate. An inversion in the vertical distribution of air temperature was also frequent and, for example, at the KT site it occurred at 33.9% of the hours and at 28.7% at ATA. On the Waldemar Glacier, inversion occurred at a frequency of 16.3% at its front (LW1) to 8.8% at its firn field (LW2). On the mountain tops, the inversion occurred at a frequency of 18% (PH2). The relative humidity of the air over Spitsbergen is high due to the prevalence of maritime air masses. According to the soundings conducted at Ny Ålesund, the humidity increased with the height, however in 13 cases a vertical inversion of relative humidity occurred – the overground air layers proved more saturated with water vapour. On Kaffiøyra, the average relative humidity of the air was 87.7% and increased up to approx. 500 m, above which it slightly dropped. This results from a high frequency of occurrence of Stratus clouds which do not reach the higher tops. The vertical gradients of relative humidity were diverse: at most sites, the relative humidity increased with the height, for example at the PH1 site, the gradient was 3.12%/100 m. A greater diversity of the relative humidity was typical of the hours around midday