Author: climat25

• Mountain and volcanic permafrost
• Subsea permafrost
• Subglacial permafrost
• Permafrost processes
• Permafrost modelling and mapping
• Constructions on frozen ground
• Permafrost microbiology and astrobiology
• Permafrost dating and paleoreconstructions
• Permafrost-affected soils and biosystems
• Permafrost biogeochemistry
• Permafrost hydrology and hydrogeology
• Permafrost long-term monitoring
• Constructions on frozen ground

•   Geopolitics in a Changing Arctic
•   Marine harvesting in the Arctic
•   Arctic Marine Productivity 

The Jurassic/Cretaceous transition was accompanied by significant changes in palaeoceanography and palaeoenvironments in the Tethyan Realm, but outside the Tethys such data are very scarce. Here we present results of a study of the most complete section in the Panboreal Superrealm, the Nordvik section. Belemnite δ¹⁸O data show an irregular decrease from values reaching up to +1.6‰ in the Middle Oxfordian and from +0.8 to −1.7‰ in the basal Ryazanian, indicating a prolonged warming. The biodiversity changes were strongly related to sea-level oscillations, showing a relatively low belemnite and high ammonite diversity during sea-level rise, accompanied by a decrease of the macrobenthos taxonomical richness. The most prominent sea-level rise is marked by the occurrence of open sea ammonites with Pacific affinities. Peak abundances of spores and prasinophytes correlate with a negative excursion in organic carbon δ¹³C near the J/K boundary and could reflect blooms of green algae caused by disturbance of the marine ecosystem.

Keywords: Biodiversity; stable isotopes; J/K boundary; Arctic Realm; palaeoceanography

(Published: 25 March 2014)

Citation: Polar Research 2014, 33, 19714, http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/polar.v33.19714

The aim of the study was to specify the concentration of selected chemical elements in surface waters of King George Island, off the western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. The research encompassed six streams, a lake and an artificial water reservoir located on the western coast of Admiralty Bay. Measured hydrochemical parameters included pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), and total and dissolved forms elements such as Al, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Mn, Fe, As and Se. The values of pH, conductivity and TDS had the following ranges: 6.09–8.21, 6.0–875 µS cm⁻¹ and 7.0–975 mg/L, respectively, and were typical for surface waters of Antarctica. Wide disparities were discovered regarding concentrations of the investigated elements, ranging from <0.01 µg/L for Cd to 510 µg/L for Fe, and differing from one water body to another. The investigated elements are discussed with reference to environmental conditions and anthropogenic factors. Concentrations of total and dissolved forms of elements are considered in connection with the composition of soil in their surroundings and with atmospheric deposition, mostly such as that took place locally. The increased levels of Pb and Zn concentrations in the immediate proximity of a research station suggested anthropogenic contamination.

Keywords: Antarctic surface waters; total and dissolved elements; baseline elements values; anthropogenic metal contamination

(Published: 21 March 2014)

To access the supplementary material for this article, please see Supplementary files in the column to the right (under Article Tools).

Citation: Polar Research 2014, 33, 21417, http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/polar.v33.21417

Natural catastrophic events such as heavy rainfall and windstorms may induce drastic decreases in breeding success of animal populations. We report the impacts of summer rainfalls on the reproductive success of ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea) in north-east Greenland. On two occasions, at Amdrup Land in July 2009 and at Station Nord in July 2011, we observed massive ivory gull breeding failures following violent rainfall and windstorms that hit the colonies. In each colony, all of the breeding birds abandoned their eggs or chicks during the storm. Juvenile mortality was close to 100% at Amdrup Land in 2009 and 100% at Station Nord in 2011. Our results show that strong winds associated with heavy rain directly affected the reproductive success of some Arctic bird species. Such extreme weather events may become more common with climate change and represent a new potential factor affecting ivory gull breeding success in the High Arctic.

Keywords: Pagophila eburnea; breeding failure; Greenland; endangered species; summer precipitation; climate change.

(Published: 13 March 2014)

The use of biologging instruments has greatly improved our understanding of the behaviour, physiology and ecology of free-ranging marine mammals. However, handling wild animals and attaching instruments to streamlined bodies can cause stress and potentially influence behaviour and swimming/diving energetics. The goals of this study, undertaken on Bouvetøya, were (1) to determine if the first trip to sea after instrumentation is representative of subsequent trips in lactating Antarctic fur seals, to explore potential handling effects and assess possible biases in having multiple short-duration deployments (inflating N, using a limited number of tags) and (2) to evaluate potential effects of two different instrument combinations (SMRU satellite data relay loggers and very high frequency radio transmitters versus Wildlife Computers time–depth recorders and very high frequency radio transmitters) on trip durations, dive parameters, female body condition and pup growth. Handling did not appear to have any effects on the parameters studied; data from the first and second trips did not differ significantly. This implies that multiple short-term deployments are unlikely to result in biased data in this species. Instrument type did have measurable effects; time-at-sea was greater and pup growth was lower for pairs in which mothers carried bulkier instruments. This suggests that instrument streamlining is important to avoid negative impacts and that bulkier equipment should be deployed on lactating females with caution and only for short periods. The study highlights that instrument effects should be taken into account when comparing data from experiments collected using different equipment packages.

Keywords: Bioenergetics; biologging; instrument effects; SRDLs; TDRs; VHFs

(Published: 21 February 2014)

Citation: Polar Research 2014, 33, 21630, http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/polar.v33.21630