Migrated oil on Novaya Zemlya, Russian Arctic: Evidence for a novel petroleum system in the eastern Barents Sea and the Kara Sea

AAPG Bulletin ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 94 (6) ◽  
pp. 791-817 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Hendrik van Koeverden ◽  
Hans Arne Nakrem ◽  
Dag Arild Karlsen
Keyword(s):  
Barents Sea ◽  
Kara Sea ◽  
Petroleum System ◽  
Russian Arctic ◽  
Novaya Zemlya

scholarly journals Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) of the Barents, Kara and Laptev seas

2002 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrei N Boltunov ◽  
Stanislav E Belikov
Keyword(s):  
Barents Sea ◽  
Anthropogenic Pollution ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Kara Sea ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Polar Cod ◽  
Russian Arctic ◽  
Novaya Zemlya Archipelago ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Novaya Zemlya

This paper reviews published information on the white whale or beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) inhabiting the Barents, Kara and Laptev seas. Some data obtained during multi-year aerial reconnaissance of sea ice in the Russian Arctic are also included. Ice conditions, considered one of the major factors affecting distribution of belugas, are described. The number of belugas inhabiting the Russian Arctic is unknown. Based on analysis of published and unpublished information we believe that the primary summer habitats of belugas in the Western Russian Arctic lie in the area of Frants-Josef Land, in the Kara Sea and in the western Laptev Sea. Apparently most belugas winter in the Barents Sea. Although it has been suggested that a considerable number of animals winter in the Kara Sea, there is no direct evidence for this. Apparent migrations of animals are regularly observed at several sites: the straits of the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, the waters north of the archipelago, and Vilkitskiy Strait between the Kara and Laptev seas. Calving and mating take place in summer, and the beluga mother feeds a calf for at least a year. Females mature earlier than males, and about 30% of mature females in a population are barren. Sex ratio is apparently close to 1:1. The diet of the beluga in the region includes fish and crustaceans and shows considerable spatial and temporal variations. However, polar cod (Boreogadus saida) is the main prey most of the year, and whitefish (Coregonidae) contribute in coastal waters in summer. Usually belugas form groups of up to 10 related individuals of different ages, while large aggregations are common during seasonal migrations or in areas with abundant and easily available food. Beluga whaling in Russia has a history of several centuries. The highest catches were taken in the 1950s and 1960s, when about 1,500 animals were caught annually in the Western Russian Arctic. In the 1990s, few belugas were harvested in the Russian Arctic. In 1999 commercial whaling of belugas in Russia was banned. Belugas can be caught only for research, cultural and educational purposes and for the subsistence needs of local people. With the absence of significant whaling, anthropogenic pollution seems to be the major threat for the species.

scholarly journals Assessment of initial seismic impacts on the northern part of the Barents Sea shelf (Novaya Zemlya region) for the purpose of seismic microzoning in the areas of prospective hydrocarbon mining

2019 ◽  
pp. 38-47
Author(s):  
I. G. Mindel ◽  
B. A. Trifonov ◽  
M. D. Kaurkin ◽  
V. V. Nesynov
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Arctic Shelf ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Russian Arctic ◽  
Seismic Microzoning ◽  
Novaya Zemlya ◽  
The Barents Sea ◽  
National Task ◽  
Seismic Impacts

In recent years, in connection with the national task of developing the Arctic territories of Russia and the perspective increase in the hydrocarbon mining on the Arctic shelf, more attention is being paid to the study of seismicity in the Barents Sea shelf. The development of the Russian Arctic shelf with the prospect of increasing hydrocarbon mining is a strategically important issue. Research by B.A. Assinovskaya (1990, 1994) and Ya.V. Konechnaya (2015) allowed the authors to estimate the seismic effects for the northern part of the Barents Sea shelf (Novaya Zemlya region). The paper presents the assessment results of the initial seismic impacts that can be used to solve seismic microzoning problems in the areas of oil and gas infrastructure during the economic development of the Arctic territory.

scholarly journals Lateglacial and early-Holocene environments of Novaya Zemlya and the Kara Sea Region of the Russian Arctic

The Holocene ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonid Serebryanny ◽  
Andrei Andreev ◽  
Evgeniya Malyasova ◽  
Pavel Tarasov ◽  
Fedor Romanenko
Keyword(s):  
Kara Sea ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
Russian Arctic ◽  
Novaya Zemlya

scholarly journals The ringed seal (Phoca hispida) in the western Russian Arctic

1998 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanislav E Belikov ◽  
Andrei N Boltunov
Keyword(s):  
Barents Sea ◽  
White Sea ◽  
Ringed Seal ◽  
Kara Sea ◽  
Russian Arctic ◽  
The White Sea ◽  
Phoca Hispida ◽  
Ringed Seals ◽  
The Barents Sea ◽  
Fast Ice

This paper presents a review of available published and unpublished material on the ringed seal (Phoca hispida) in the western part of the Russian Arctic, including the White, Barents and Kara seas. The purpose of the review is to discuss the status of ringed seal stocks in relation to their primary habitat, the history of sealing, and a recent harvest of the species in the region. The known primary breeding habitats for this species are in the White Sea, the south-western part of the Barents Sea, and in the coastal waters of the Kara Sea, which are seasonally covered by shore-fast ice. The main sealing sites are situated in the same areas. Female ringed seals become mature by the age of 6, and males by the age of 7. In March-April a female gives birth to one pup in a breeding lair constructed in the shore-fast ice. The most important prey species for ringed seals in the western sector of the Russian Arctic are pelagic fish and crustaceans. The maximum annual sealing level for the region was registered in the first 70 years of the 20th century: the White Sea maximum (8,912 animals) was registered in 1912; the Barents Sea maximum (13,517 animals) was registered in 1962; the Kara Sea maximum (13,200 animals) was registered in 1933. Since the 1970s, the number of seals harvested has decreased considerably. There are no data available for the number of seals harvested annually by local residents for their subsistence.

Functioning of phytoplankton in the bays of Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, Kara Sea ​​ (Blagopoluchiya Bay) during summer.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina Sergeeva ◽  
Olga Vorobieva
Keyword(s):  
Photosynthetic Activity ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Kara Sea ◽  
Cell Counting ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Phytoplankton Production ◽  
Russian Arctic ◽  
Novaya Zemlya Archipelago ◽  
Novaya Zemlya ◽  
Glacier Melting

<p>Pronounced changes in the climate system that lead to a significant reduction in sea ice cover and active glacier melting provoke the great interest in ecosystem studies of archipelago bays in the high Arctic. In addition to increasing the duration of the open water period, the glacier melting increases the fresh water discharge from the archipelagos and thereby affects the coastal ecosystems of the Arctic region. There is practically no information about the ecosystems of the archipelago bays of the seas of the Russian Arctic due to the inaccessibility. Within the framework of the program “Investigation of the Russian Arctic ecosystems” in 2007-2020 held by Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, modern comprehensive studies of ecosystems of Novaya Zemlya bays, including phytoplankton (as primary producer of organic matter) were carried out. The most frequent observations were conducted in Blagopoluchiya Bay (North Island of Novaya Zemlya Archipelago), which has several coastal runoffs of glacial origin flow.</p><p>We found that despite the constant enrichment with allochthonous suspended matter and nutrients with runoff from Novaya Zemlya to the Blagopoluchiya Bay there was no increase in phytoplankton production during the summer open water period (Borisenko et al. Thesis EGU21-9528). On the contrary, the quantitative characteristics of phytoplankton in euphotic layer were extremely low: 0.2-0.7 mkgC/l and 0.03 - 0.15 mkgChl/l. Obviously the inclusion of allochthonous nutrients in local production cycles over the sea part of the bay was difficult.</p><p>To clarify the reasons of such low phytoplankton productivity against the background of the enrichment with nutrients of ​​Blagopoluchiya Bay, multifactorial experiments were carried out on the monoculture of the cosmopolitan diatom <em>Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii</em> Cleve, 1873, which is one of the dominant species in the Novaya Zemlya bays. Algae culture was isolated from the phytoplankton community of the Kara Sea and adapted to a salinity of 31 psu, typical for Novaya Zemlya bays. In addition to routine cell counting under microscope we used PAM-fluorometry to control the growth characteristics of algae that makes it possible to observe the photosynthetic activity of algae.</p><p>It was shown that the functioning of algae is greatly influenced by a significant gradients in salinity. When fresh runoff from Novaya Zemlya is mixed with the seawater of the bay, marine planktonic algae experience significant osmostress and immediately settle down and die off. With a slight dilution (up to 29-30 psu) of sea water by freshwater from the archipelago, the algae functioned well and doubled their biomass for 2-3 days. At the same time, we found that the algae were well adapted to a significant range of illumination: 40-200 µE, which apparently allows them to maintain high level of photosynthetic activity under the changing arctic illumination during the Arctic summer at high latitudes.</p><p>This study was performed within the framework of the state assignment of IO RAS, (topic no. 0149-2019-0008) and supported by the Russian Foundation of Basic Research (projects no. 18–05–60069Arctic and 19-04-00322 А).</p>

scholarly journals Geochemical properties of the water–snow–ice complexes in the area of Shokalsky glacier, Novaya Zemlya, in relation to tabular ground-ice formation

2005 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. 249-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.O. Leibman ◽  
S.M. Arkhipov ◽  
D.D. Perednya ◽  
A.S. Savvichev ◽  
B.G. Vanshtein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Barents Sea ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Kara Sea ◽  
Ice Formation ◽  
Geochemical Data ◽  
Ground Ice ◽  
Novaya Zemlya ◽  
Geochemical Properties ◽  
Glacier Ice ◽  
Structural Aspects

AbstractTabular (massive) ground ice in periglacial areas of the Russian Arctic (Barents and Kara Sea coasts) is considered to be a remnant of past glacial epochs and is thus used as proof of the glacial extent. In this paper, we argue that the origin of these tabular ice bodies, which can be used as archives of specific climatic conditions and periglacial environments, is intra-sedimentary (migration/intrusion). The objective of this study is to establish geochemical benchmarks describing the ice formation from atmospheric moisture and compare them with geochemical data of tabular ground ice. Shokalsky glacier on Novaya Zemlya (NZ), on the east coast of the Barents Sea, was chosen as a possible moisture source for the formation of tabular ground ice at the key section ‘Shpindler’ on Yugorsky peninsula, on the south coast of the Kara Sea. Tabular ice in the Shpindler section was compared to the Shokalsky glacier ice in both isotope/geochemical and structural aspects. In general, the hydrochemical properties of glacier ice at NZ and ground ice from Shpindler are closely correlated, while stable-isotope, microelemental and microbiological properties are substantially different. It was concluded that glacier ice most likely participated in the formation of tabular ground ice, but only as a source of refrozen meltwater.

scholarly journals Satellite ice extent, sea surface temperature, and atmospheric methane trends in the Barents and Kara seas

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ira Leifer ◽  
F. Robert Chen ◽  
Thomas McClimans ◽  
Frank Muller Karger ◽  
Leonid Yurganov
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Sea Surface Temperature ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Kara Sea ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Atmospheric Methane ◽  
Sea Ice Extent ◽  
Novaya Zemlya ◽  
Barents And Kara Seas

Abstract. Long-term (2003–2015) satellite-derived sea-ice extent, sea surface temperature (SST), and lower tropospheric methane (CH4) of the Barents and Kara Seas (BKS) were analyzed for statistically significant anomalies and trends for 10 focus areas and on a pixel basis that were related to currents and bathymetry. Large positive CH4 anomalies were discovered around Franz Josef Land (FJL) and offshore west Novaya Zemlya in September. Far smaller CH4 enhancement was around Svalbard, downstream of known seabed seepage. Strongest SST increase was southeast Barents Sea in June due to strengthening of the warm Murman Current (MC) and in the south Kara Sea in September, when the cold Percey Current weakens. These regions and around FJL exhibit the strongest CH4 growth. Likely sources are CH4 seepage from subsea permafrost and hydrates and the petroleum reservoirs underlying the central and east Barents Sea and the Kara Sea. The spatial pattern was poorly related to depth, and better explained by shoaling. Peak CH4 anomaly is several months after peak SST, consistent with a several month delay between SST and seabed temperature. Continued MC strengthening will increase heat transfer to the BKS, rendering the Barents Sea ice-free in about 15 years.

scholarly journals Atmosphere–ocean exchange of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Russian Arctic Ocean

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaowen Ji ◽  
Evgeny Abakumov ◽  
Xianchuan Xie
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
Gas Phase ◽  
Wet Deposition ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Kara Sea ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Russian Arctic ◽  
East Siberian Sea ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic

Abstract. Heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can greatly influence biotic activities and organic sources in the ocean. However, fluxes of these compounds as well as their fate, transport, and net input in the Arctic Ocean have not been thoroughly assessed. During April–November of the 2016 Russian High Latitude Expedition, 51 air (gases, aerosols, wet deposition) and water samples were collected from the Russian Arctic within the Barents Sea, Kara Sea, Leptev Sea, and East Siberian Sea. Here, we report on the Russian Arctic assessment of the occurrence in dry and wet deposition of 35 PAHs and 9 metals (Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Hg), as well as the atmosphere–ocean fluxes of 35 PAHs and Hg0. We observed that Hg was mainly in the gas phase and Pb was most abundant in the gas phase compared with the aerosol and dissolved water phases. Mn, Fe, Pb, and Zn showed apparently higher levels than the other metals in the three phases. According to the results for the 35 detected PAHs, the concentrations of PAHs in aerosols and the dissolved water phase were about one magnitude higher than those in gas. The abundances of higher molecular weight PAHs were highest in the aerosols. Higher levels of both heavy metals and PAHs were observed in the Barents Sea, Kara Sea, and East Siberian Sea, which were close to areas with urban and industrial sites. Diagnostic ratios of phenanthrene / anthracene to fluoranthene / pyrene showed a pyrogenic source for the aerosols and gases, while the patterns for the dissolved water phase were indicative of both petrogenic and pyrogenic sources; pyrogenic sources were most prevalent in the Kara Sea and Leptev Sea. These differences between air and seawater reflect the different sources of PAHs through atmospheric transport, which included anthropogenic sources for gases and aerosols and mixtures of anthropogenic and biogenic sources along the continent in the Russian Arctic. The average dry deposition of ∑9metals and ∑35PAHs was 1749 ng m−2 d−1 and 1108 ng m−2 d−1, respectively. The average wet deposition of ∑9metals and ∑35PAHs was 33.29 μg m−2 d−1 and 221.31 μg m−2 d−1, respectively. For the atmosphere–sea exchange, the monthly atmospheric input of ∑35PAHs was estimated at 1040 tonnes. The monthly atmospheric Hg input was approximately 530 tonnes. These additional inputs of hazardous compounds may be disturbing the biochemical cycles in the Arctic Ocean.

scholarly journals Identification and characteristics of surge-type glaciers on Novaya Zemlya, Russian Arctic

2009 ◽  
Vol 55 (194) ◽  
pp. 960-972 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie L. Grant ◽  
Chris R. Stokes ◽  
Ian S. Evans
Keyword(s):  
Barents Sea ◽  
Russian Arctic ◽  
Median Length ◽  
Novaya Zemlya Archipelago ◽  
Novaya Zemlya ◽  
The Barents Sea ◽  
Surface Slopes ◽  
Catchment Areas ◽  
Median Area ◽  
Median Slope

AbstractWe present a comprehensive new inventory of surge-type glaciers on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, using high-resolution (up to 4 m) satellite imagery from 1976/77 (Hexagon), 1989 (Landsat TM), 2001 (Landsat ETM+) and 2006 (ASTER). A total of 692 glaciers and their forelands were observed for glaciological and geomorphological criteria indicative of glacier surging (e.g. looped moraines, heavy surface crevassing, surface potholes, thrust-block moraines, concertina eskers). This enabled the identification of 32 potential surge-type glaciers (compared with four previously identified) representing 4.6% of the total but 18% by glacier area. We assess the characteristics of surge-type glaciers. Surge-type glaciers are statistically different from non-surge-type glaciers in terms of their area, length, surface slope, minimum elevation, mid-range elevation and terminus type. They are typically long (median length 18.5 km), large (median area 106.8 km2) outlet glaciers, with relatively low overall surface slopes (median slope 1.7°) and tend to terminate in water (marine or lacustrine). They are predominantly directed towards and located in the more maritime western region of the Russian Arctic, and we suggest that surge occurrence might be related to large and complex catchment areas that receive increased delivery of precipitation from the Barents Sea.

scholarly journals Atmosphere–ocean exchange of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Russian Arctic Ocean

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (22) ◽  
pp. 13789-13807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaowen Ji ◽  
Evgeny Abakumov ◽  
Xianchuan Xie
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
Gas Phase ◽  
Wet Deposition ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Kara Sea ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Russian Arctic ◽  
East Siberian Sea ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic

Abstract. Heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can greatly influence biotic activities and organic sources in the ocean. However, fluxes of these compounds as well as their fate, transport, and net input to the Arctic Ocean have not been thoroughly assessed. During April–November of the 2016 “Russian High-Latitude Expedition”, 51 air (gases, aerosols, and wet deposition) and water samples were collected from the Russian Arctic within the Barents Sea, the Kara Sea, the Laptev Sea, and the East Siberian Sea. Here, we report on the Russian Arctic assessment of the occurrence of 35 PAHs and 9 metals (Pb, Cd, Cu, Co, Zn, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Hg) in dry and wet deposition as well as the atmosphere–ocean fluxes of 35 PAHs and Hg0. We observed that Hg was mainly in the gas phase and that Pb was most abundant in the gas phase compared with the aerosol and dissolved water phases. Mn, Fe, Pb, and Zn showed higher levels than the other metals in the three phases. The concentrations of PAHs in aerosols and the dissolved water phase were approximately 1 order of magnitude higher than those in the gas phase. The abundances of higher molecular weight PAHs were highest in the aerosols. Higher levels of both heavy metals and PAHs were observed in the Barents Sea, the Kara Sea, and the East Siberian Sea, which were close to areas with urban and industrial sites. Diagnostic ratios of phenanthrene/anthracene to fluoranthene/pyrene showed a pyrogenic source for the aerosols and gases, whereas the patterns for the dissolved water phase were indicative of both petrogenic and pyrogenic sources; pyrogenic sources were most prevalent in the Kara Sea and the Laptev Sea. These differences between air and seawater reflect the different sources of PAHs through atmospheric transport, which included anthropogenic sources for gases and aerosols and mixtures of anthropogenic and biogenic sources along the continent in the Russian Arctic. The average dry deposition of ∑9 metals and ∑35 PAHs was 1749 and 1108 ng m−2 d−1, respectively. The average wet deposition of ∑9 metals and ∑35 PAHs was 33.29 and 221.31 µg m−2 d−1, respectively. For the atmosphere–sea exchange, the monthly atmospheric input of ∑35 PAHs was estimated at 1040 t. The monthly atmospheric Hg input was approximately 530 t. These additional inputs of hazardous compounds may be disturbing the biochemical cycles in the Arctic Ocean.

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