scholarly journals Preliminary assessment of thaw slump hazard to Arctic cultural heritage in Nordenskiöld Land, Svalbard

Landslides ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ionut Cristi Nicu ◽  
Luigi Lombardo ◽  
Lena Rubensdotter
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Aerial Images ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Preliminary Assessment ◽  
North West ◽  
North East ◽  
Norwegian Polar Institute ◽  
High Level

AbstractPermafrost-dependent landslides occur in a range of sizes and are among the most dynamic landforms in the Arctic in the warming climate. Retrogressive thaw slumps (RTSs) are enlarging landslides triggered by thawing and release of excess water from permafrost ground ice, causing smaller or larger collapses of ground surface, which in turn exposes new permafrost to rapid thawing and collapse. In this study, a preliminary assessment of previous thaw slump activity in Nordenskiöld Land area of Svalbard is made based on remote sensing digitisation of 400 slump-scar features from aerial images from the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI). RTS properties and distribution are analysed with an emphasis on their implications for the preservation of the Svalbard’s cultural heritage (CH). Our analysis shows that the areas where RTS scars and CH co-exist in Nordenskiöld Land are, at present, limited and cover mainly areas distributed along north-west (Colesbukta, Grønfjorden, Kapp Starostin), north-east (Sassendalen and Sassenfjorden) and south-west (Van Muydenbukta) coastlines. Taking into consideration the preliminary aspect of this inventory and study, it can be stated that for now, RTS and CH sites do not have a high level of co-existence, except for eight sites which are located at less than 100 m to a RTS and one site that is located inside a currently inactive slump-scar. Further mapping of RTS will be undertaken in order to have a complete picture of these climate triggered landslides potentially threatening the Arctic CH. The results of this study, even if preliminary, can be used by local authorities and stakeholders in prioritising future documentation and mitigation measures and can thus present a powerful tool in disaster risk reduction.

Hydrogenetic Fe-Mn crusts from European seas: source of potentially economic cobalt mining.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Egidio Marino ◽  
Javier González ◽  
Teresa Medialdea ◽  
Luis Somoza ◽  
Rosario Lunar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lithium Ion ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
World Production ◽  
Critical Metals ◽  
North West ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
The World

<p>The world increasing demand of electric vehicles (EVs) that use lithium-ion batteries (LIB), in which cobalt is one of the essential elements, focused the attention on its demand that is calculated will increase of 7-13% annually until 2030. The actual production of cobalt, usually extract as by-product of nickel and copper mine, is reduced to almost 20 countries between which the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the bigger producer with 55% of the world production. In Europe cobalt is produced only in Finland that actually provides 2.300 tonnes, the 2% of the world production. In this way several projects have been promoted by European Union, with the Raw Material Initiative, in order to find and evaluate the sustainable production of important materials in Europe.</p><p>MINDeSEA[1] project is part of the GeoERA and represent the collaboration of 12 national geological institution partners, to characterize marine deposits and their contents in Critical Raw Materials (CRM) and to generate a comprehensive cartography and metallogenic models of them. The first preliminary map produced in 2019 represents the localization and evaluation of cobalt rich deposits in the oceans within the EEZ and ECS of the European countries.  Cobalt deposits are represented essentially by hydrogenetic Fe-Mn crusts located essentially in the Macaronesian area of the north east Atlantic Ocean (in the Portugal and Spain), submarine plateaus, as the Galicia Bank (in the north west Spanish) and in the Arctic Ocean ridges (Norway and Iceland). The report differentiates between occurrences (<0.05 wt. %) and deposits (>0.05 wt. %), with the possibility of more than 200 Mt resources per potential deposit.</p><p>Detailed mineralogical, geochemical and metallogenic studies are being developed in crusts from the Macaronesia. Fe-Mn crusts absorb dissolved elements in seawaters on the surface of the fresh precipitated oxy-hydroxides during their slow growth through millions of years. Several elements are concentrated in Fe-Mn crusts and between them cobalt is one of the most enriched trace metals (average 0.6 wt. %) accompanied by other strategic and critical metals such as nickel, copper, tellurium, molybdenum and rare earth elements plus yttrium (REY) (respectively 3000, 500, 150, 500 and 3500 µg/g). Micro Raman and micro X-Ray diffraction can be used to differentiate the mineralogy in laminae of less than 20 microns. On the other hand, electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA) and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), are useful in order to quantify contents of CRM in the different mineral phases. These are innovative techniques in order to identify critical-elements bearing minerals and thus choose the metallurgic method for a more efficient and sustainable extraction of the interesting elements.</p><p>The evaluation of a seamount as a future mine site has to take into account all these mineralogical and chemical features as well as a proper knowledge of the seamount (morpho-structure, geology, oceanography, ecosystems) and the Fe-Mn crust thickness and extension</p><div><br><div> <p>[1] This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 731166</p> </div> </div>

Implements from High-Level Gravel near Canterbury

1933 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reginald A. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Bench Mark ◽  
The West ◽  
North West ◽  
The Road ◽  
North East ◽  
The Right ◽  
High Level ◽  
Steep Hill

Though the terrace gravels and palaeoliths of north-west Kent are well-known, there is little published on the stratigraphy of implements elsewhere in the county, except the Sturry deposits, two miles north-east of Canterbury (Archaeologia, LXXIV, 117). The geological Drift map is old (the latest edition issued in 1875), and there is no memoir to elucidate any but the Dartford area; but in 1925 the geology of the Canterbury district was described by Messrs. Dewey, Wooldridge, Cornes and Brown in the Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, vol. XXXVI, pp. 257–290, and Messrs. Wooldridge & Kirkaldy read a paper to that Association this April on the physiographic evolution of north-east Kent, which throws much light on the problem presented by the Fordwich flints.Formerly the port of Canterbury, Fordwich lies on the right or southern bank of the Great Stour opposite Sturry, and at the foot of a steep hill, which rises to 150 ft. and leads to an elevated plain between the valleys of the Great and Little Stour. In the angle between the road leading due southfrom Fordwich and that from Stodmarsh to Canterbury, west of Moat Cottages (6 in. O.S. map, Kent, XLVI, N.E.), gravel has been worked over a considerable area, the depth being about 7 feet on the east and over 20 feet at the west end. The nearest bench-mark is 151·4 feet and the base of the gravel on the west is therefore about 130 feet O.D., rising to the east. The tongue of high ground between the rivers is covered in patches with gravel and brick-earth resting on Thanet Sand, and forms a plateau about 5 miles long at about the 100 ft. level.

scholarly journals Entrepreneurship and Self-Sustainability in Nigeria

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 258
Author(s):  
Timothy T. Alabar ◽  
Mtswenem Paul Shima
Keyword(s):  
Survey Design ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
North Central ◽  
North West ◽  
North East ◽  
South West ◽  
High Level ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities ◽  
Purposive Sample ◽  
West North Central

<div><p><em>The need for this study arose from the worrisome state of unemployment in the country and the obvious neglect of the direct effect of entrepreneurship to entrepreneurs. The study therefore, attempts to ascertain the possible relationship between entrepreneurship and self sustainability in Nigeria. The study adopted a survey design and the six Geo-political zones of the country; south-east, south-south, south-west, north central, north east and north west constituted the population for the study from which a purposive sample of ten (10) entrepreneurs from each zone was taken with particular reference to those that have survived the five (5) years of existence and the total was 60. Data so collected was presented in tabular form and analyzed. The Friedman’s Chi-square was instrumental in the test of the hypothesis formulated and the result showed a significant positive relationship between entrepreneurship and self-sustainability in Nigeria. The study therefore, recommended that considering the pivotal role that entrepreneurship plays in enhancing self-sustainability in the economy, all hands must be on desk to encourage and support entrepreneurial activities in order to curb the high level menace of unemployment rate as well as provide  a supporting ground for economic sustainability of the country.</em></p></div>

scholarly journals Population genetics meets phylogenetics: new insights into the relationships among members of the genus Euthynnus (family Scombridae)

Hydrobiologia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Ollé ◽  
Laura Vilà-Valls ◽  
Jaime Alvarado-Bremer ◽  
Genoveva Cerdenares ◽  
Thuy Yen Duong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Genetic Divergence ◽  
East Atlantic ◽  
North West ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Worldwide Distribution ◽  
Allopatric Species ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
High Level

AbstractEuthynnus (family Scombridae) is a genus of marine pelagic fish species with a worldwide distribution that comprises three allopatric species: E. alletteratus, E. affinis and E. lineatus. All of them targeted by artisanal and commercial fisheries. We analyzed 263 individuals from Atlantic and Pacific Oceans using two genetic markers, the mtDNA Control Region (350 bp) and nuclear calmodulin (341 bp). The results obtained challenge the phylogeny of this group. We found a deep genetic divergence, probably at species level, within E. alletteratus, between the North Atlantic-Mediterranean and the Tropical East Atlantic. This deep genetic divergence was tested with several species delimitation methods. This complete phylogeographic association between the North Atlantic and the Tropical East Atlantic support the hypothesis of two cryptic species. In addition, population genetic heterogeneity was detected between the North East Atlantic–Mediterranean and North West Atlantic regions. Our results indicate two scales of differentiation in what is currently considered a single population. Accordingly, for management purposes, the populations of E. alletteratus, should be divided into a minimum of three management units. On the other hand, the high level of differentiation found in E. alletteratus contrasts with the shallow genetic divergence of E. affinis and E. lineatus.

scholarly journals Preliminary assessment of distribution and population size of wintering Little Bustards Tetrax tetrax in Iran

2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 279-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
MOHAMMAD E. SEHHATISABET ◽  
FAZEL ABDI ◽  
ABBAS ASHOORI ◽  
ABOLGHASEM KHALEGHIZADEH ◽  
ALI KHANI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Nationwide Survey ◽  
Preliminary Assessment ◽  
The Caspian Sea ◽  
Northern Iran ◽  
North West ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Tetrax Tetrax ◽  
Wintering Population

SummaryLittle Bustard Tetrax tetrax surveys were conducted in Iran in autumn and winter from 2005/2006 to 2008/2009. Across northern Iran, Little Bustard presence was confirmed at 15 of the 84 sites visited during the surveys. Three main wintering regions were identified: the Moghan Plain in the north-west of the country, the Turkmen Sahra Plain at the south-east corner of the Caspian Sea and the Sarakhs Plain in the north-east, close to the Afghan border. Up to 10,050 individuals were counted in winter 2009 in the Moghan Plain, which was recognised as the most important area for wintering Little Bustards in Iran. The species was also found in good numbers in Miankaleh, Gomishan, Soufikam, Shour Lake and Sarakhs. Flocks comprising 51 to 500 individuals were the most commonly observed and represented 32% of occurrences. A marked increase in wintering population size was noted in recent years. The main wintering period in Iran extends from November to February. At a national scale, we estimated the Iranian wintering population of Little Bustards at 5,000–10,000 individuals. This preliminary assessment suggests the need for a nationwide survey, emphasising in particular the western, south-western and central parts of the country that were overlooked in our study. It suggests further that Little Bustards in Iran would greatly benefit from national and regional conservation programmes.

scholarly journals Impact of the mining industry on surface waters in the Arctic zone of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

2021 ◽  
Vol 885 (1) ◽  
pp. 012048
Author(s):  
M I Ksenofontova
Keyword(s):  
Surface Waters ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Specific Effect ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Zone ◽  
North West ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
The Republic ◽  
High Concentrations

Abstract The article presents the results of hydrochemical studies of northern rivers of the Arctic zone of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). It was revealed that the background hydrochemical composition of surface waters in the study area is diverse: from hydrocarbonate-sodium waters in the North-West and hydrocarbonate-sulphate waters in the North-East of Yakutia. During the study of the microelement composition of surface waters in the Arctic zone, high concentrations of total iron, manganese, and copper are found everywhere, indicating their natural origin. In places where groundwater influence is observed we found that the characteristic elements are lithium, strontium and barium. Analysing the research results, we can say that each mining enterprise has its own specific effect on surface waters, which makes its own adjustments to the chemical composition of surface waters.

scholarly journals Grounding line migration from 1992 to 2011 on Petermann Glacier, North-West Greenland

2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (236) ◽  
pp. 1104-1114 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANNA E. HOGG ◽  
ANDREW SHEPHERD ◽  
NOEL GOURMELEN ◽  
MARCUS ENGDAHL
Keyword(s):  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Ocean Dynamics ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Line Position ◽  
Ice Shelf ◽  
North West ◽  
North East ◽  
Tide Model ◽  
Ice Stream ◽  
Grounding Line

ABSTRACTWe use satellite radar interferometry to investigate changes in the location of the Petermann Glacier grounding line between 1992 and 2011. The grounding line location was identified in 17 quadruple-difference interferograms produced from European Remote Sensing (ERS)-1/2 data – the most extensive time series assembled at any ice stream to date. There is close agreement (20.6 cm) between vertical displacement of the floating ice shelf and relative tide amplitudes simulated by the Arctic Ocean Dynamics-based Tide Model 5 (AODTM-5) Arctic tide model. Over the 19 a period, the groundling line position varied by 470 m, on average, with a maximum range of 7.0 km observed on the north-east margin of the ice stream. Although the mean range (2.8 km) and variability (320 m) of the grounding line position is considerably lower if the unusually variable north-east sector is not considered, our observations demonstrate that large, isolated movements cannot be precluded, thus sparse temporal records should be analysed with care. The grounding line migration observed on Petermann Glacier is not significantly correlated with time (R2 = 0.22) despite reported ice shelf thinning and episodes of large iceberg calving, which suggests that unlike other ice streams, on the south-west margin of the Greenland ice sheet, Petermann Glacier is dynamically stable.

scholarly journals Changes in background aerosol composition in Finland during polluted and clean periods studied by TEM/EDX individual particle analysis

2006 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
pp. 5049-5066 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. V. Niemi ◽  
S. Saarikoski ◽  
H. Tervahattu ◽  
T. Mäkelä ◽  
R. Hillamo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Paper Industry ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Particle Analysis ◽  
Aerosol Composition ◽  
Biological Origin ◽  
Size Fractions ◽  
North West ◽  
Intermediate Period ◽  
North East ◽  
Pollution Episode

Abstract. Aerosol samples were collected at a rural background site in southern Finland in May 2004 during pollution episode (PM1~16 µg m−3, backward air mass trajectories from south-east), intermediate period (PM1~5 µg m−3, backtrajectories from north-east) and clean period (PM1~2 µg m−3, backtrajectories from north-west/north). The elemental composition, morphology and mixing state of individual aerosol particles in three size fractions were studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalyses. The TEM/EDX results were complemented with the size-segregated bulk chemical measurements of selected ions and organic and elemental carbon. Many of the particles in PM0.2–1 and PM1–3.3 size fractions were strongly internally mixed with S, C and/or N. The major particle types in PM0.2–1 samples were 1) soot and 2) (ammonium)sulphates and their mixtures with variable amounts of C, K, soot and/or other inclusions. Number proportions of those two particle groups in PM0.2–1 samples were 0–12% and 83–97%, respectively. During the pollution episode, the proportion of Ca-rich particles was very high (26–48%) in the PM1–3.3 and PM3.3–11 samples, while the PM0.2–1 and PM1–3.3 samples contained elevated proportions of silicates (22–33%), metal oxides/hydroxides (1–9%) and tar balls (1–4%). These aerosols originated mainly from polluted areas of Eastern Europe, and some open biomass burning smoke was also brought by long-range transport. During the clean period, when air masses arrived from the Arctic Ocean, PM1–3.3 samples contained mainly sea salt particles (67–89%) with a variable rate of Cl substitution (mainly by NO3−). During the intermediate period, the PM1–3.3 sample contained porous (sponge-like) Na-rich particles (35%) with abundant S, K and O. They might originate from the burning of wood pulp wastes of paper industry. The proportion of biological particles and C-rich fragments (probably also biological origin) were highest in the PM3.3–11 samples (0–81% and 0–22%, respectively). The origin of different particle types and the effect of aging processes on particle composition and their hygroscopic and optical properties are discussed.

Preserving Irreplaceable National Digital Cultural Heritage in the Arctic World Archive

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-41
Author(s):  
Morten Thorkildsen ◽  
Jahn-Fredrik Sjøvik ◽  
Bendik Bryde
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Digital Cultural Heritage
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