1928 research outputs found
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Environment and Rights
Full text linkIn this issue, we feature Dmitry Berezhkov, the first political refugee representing the indigenous northern peoples of Russia, and Udege Pavel Sulyandziga, the only foreign agent among the indigenous peoples of the Arctic. They discuss the impact of the war in Ukraine on the rights of indigenous peoples in Russia and shed light on the largest environmental protest campaigns in Russia's Arctic regions, along with the consequences of international environmental organizations leaving Russia
Assessment of Greenland surface melt algorithms based on DMSP and SMOS data
Full text linkSatellite-borne microwave radiometers provide essential measurements to study the surface melt state of ice sheets. Therefore, selecting suitable microwave radiometer data is critical to characterize the spatial distribution of surface melt. In this study, we investigated the Greenland Ice Sheet and evaluated the usefulness, as climate indicators, of data acquired by microwave radiometers onboard the F17 satellite of the United States of America Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) and the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite of the European Space Agency. First, surface melt was simulated using the DMSP dataset as input for a brightness temperature threshold algorithm, the Microwave Emission Model of Layered Snowpacks (MEMLS2), and the SMOS dataset as input for the L-band Specific MEMLS (LS-MEMLS). For accuracy evaluation, the simulation results were then compared with surface melt estimates derived from air temperature measurements at Automatic Weather Stations and from ice surface temperature measurements from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite-borne instrument. Our results show that global (over Greenland) MEMLS2 simulation performance (overall accuracy 83%) was higher than that of LS-MEMLS (overall accuracy 78%). However, in southeastern Greenland, MEMLS2 omission error was markedly higher than that of LS-MEMLS, whereas LS-MEMLS could detect longer-lasting surface melt than MEMLS2. This analysis showed that DMSP-based surface melt simulations are more accurate than SMOS-based simulations, thereby providing a data selection reference for surface melt studies of the Greenland Ice Sheet
Evaluation of meteorological predictions by the WRF model at Barrow, Alaska and Summit, Greenland in the Arctic in April 2019
Full text linkAccurate meteorological predictions in the Arctic are important in response to the rapid climate change and insufficient meteorological observations in the Arctic. In this study, we adopted a high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to simulate the meteorology at two Arctic stations (Barrow and Summit) in April 2019. Simulation results were also evaluated by using surface measurements and statistical parameters. In addition, weather charts during the studied time period were also used to assess the model performance. The results demonstrate that the WRF model is able to accurately capture the meteorological parameters for the two Arctic stations and the weather systems such as cyclones and anticyclones in the Arctic. Moreover, we found the model performance in predicting the surface pressure the best while the performance in predicting the wind the worst among these meteorological predictions. However, the wind predictions at these Arctic stations were found to be more accurate than those at urban stations in mid-latitude regions, due to the differences in land features and anthropogentic heat sources between these regions. In addition, a comparison of the simulation results showed that the prediction of meteorological conditions at Summit is superior to that at Barrow. Possible reasons for the deviations in temperature predictions between these two Arctic stations are uncertainties in the treatments of the sea ice and the cloud in the model. With respect to the wind, the deviations may source from the overestimation of the wind over the sea and at coastal stations
Solutions for Sustainable Economic Development - 4th Arctic Science Ministerial Meeting Report
Full text linkArctic Science Ministerial is a unique form of scientific cooperation that traditionally advocates preserving the Arctic region as a territory of peace, stability and constructive interaction focused on achieving concrete, practical results in the interests of all people in the northern latitudes, including indigenous peoples.
The Russian Federation continues the coordinating functions within the ASM adopted from previous coordinators on June 16, 2021 at the final ASM3 webinar, and on October 14, 2021 in Reykjavik, Iceland at the annual international Arctic Circle Assembly, based on the continuity of previous ASM and the increasing relevance of scientific research in the Arctic.
This book provides an overview of past events - webinars, participation in conference roundtables - with the aim of sharing scientific experience of Arctic research and forming informational materials to support science and higher education activities through international organizations and forums in the Arctic zone, supporting and updating the database of Arctic research projects carried out by scientific and educational organizations, including jointly, as well as through international.
The information base for this work was the results of feedback assessment from Russian and foreign scientific and educational organizations, data on international projects in the Arctic, materials from the websites of the Arctic Council https://arctic-council.org/ and the working groups of the Arctic Council. In addition, climate, geological, biological, sociological, and technological research was used as the basis for developing strategies for sustainable economic development in the Arctic that take into account the interests of all stakeholders, including indigenous peoples, environmental organizations, industry, and government agencies
Investigating the impact of atmospheric parameters on sea ice variability in and around Svalbard
Full text linkRecent research has shown that winter warmings are phenomenally high compared to summer warmings over the poles, especially over the Arctic. Taking the current scenario into account, this paper attempts to understand the atmospheric variables causing sea ice variability over and around the region of Svalbard for seasons; winter, spring, summer and autumn for the span of 42 years (1979–2021). The variability in atmospheric and oceanic parameters namely temperature, precipitation, wind speed, and sea surface salinity are analysed over inter-spatial, inter-seasonal and inter-annual domains. Winters are characterized by inter-annual increasing trend in temperature. During 1981–1990 the rise from the decadal mean is found to be 0.39 K·a–1, during 1991–2000 it is 0.20 K·a–1, during 2001–2010 it is 0.04 K·a–1 and during 2011–2020 it is 0.23 K·a–1. Interestingly while considering inter-spatial domains, the region southwest to Svalbard seems to be wetter (0.05 mm·(10 a)–1) compared to its northeast (–0.03 mm·(10 a)–1). Across all the three domains, wind speeds are highest during autumn and then decrease subsequently through summer, spring and are least during winter. Wind is predominantly from the south, and hence it is suspected to carry hot Atlantic air. Additionally, the significant role of salinity in the ocean also plays a key role in governing the fate of sea ice conditions. The long-term forecasts of temperature over sea ice of Svalbard are alarming especially for the winter ice (r=–0.84). Correlation matrices between atmospheric and sea ice parameters are shown to gain a better understanding on their inter relation
Arctic Shipping Status Report #4 - Flag States of Ships in the Arctic
Full text linkShip registration –or the flag under which a ship sails –plays a vital function in maritime safety and security as well as protection and preservation of the marine environment.
By linking a ship to a State, the system of ship registration creates international legal rights and obligations, both for the ship and for the State whose flag the ship flies.
This Arctic Ship Status Report (ASSR) analyzes the number of ships operating in the Arctic in 2022 by their Flag State. It also provides a basic summary of some of the legal rights and obligations of Flag States and ships flying their flags when operating in the Arctic
Northern Notes 58 - Onwards, To the Arctic Congress
Full text linkSummer has finally arrived here on the North Norwegian coast, and even as pleasant
as the mild summer weather is, there is no denying that this spring has reminded us
of how fragile susceptible we are to changes in climate and weather. The latter is
something we as northerners have been resilient to since… forever, but the slow but
relentless changes in the overall climate leaves us with more precipitation, warmer
winters and locked-in weather systems. In Nordland this has manifested in a two
month long rainy season during what is usually spring. Modelling shows that the
Lofoten Islands may very well be snow-free in 2070, and data shows that, as an
example, Vågan municipality receives 60% more precipitation now than in the 1960s
We hope that as we brace for the consequences of lack of action on climate change,
our community remain firm in our commitment to keep focusing on lives lived in the
north, and how to secure it. Do continue to let us know what you’re all up to, we at
Northern Notes would love to be able to show more of all the wonderful work that is
being done out there
Development potential of the Northeast Passage based on a multinomial-logit-based stochastic user equilibrium model
Full text linkWe developed a multinomial-logit-based stochastic user equilibrium (MNL SUE) model incorporating time value of cargo to investigate future proportions of cargo flow through the Northeast Passage (NEP) and the Suez Canal Route between representative ports. We studied navigation during the ice-free and ice-covered seasons using sea ice projections for 2070 based on 1991–2021 NEP ice data. Sailing distance and time between selected ports are lower via the NEP than the Suez Canal Route. Under the scenario of year-round operation of the NEP, the proportion of cargo flow through the NEP is estimated to be 68.5%, which represents considerable commercial potential. Proportions are higher for the ice-free season and for ports at high latitudes. We also assessed flow under different scenarios. Under the scenario of fuel price increase, proportion of flow through the NEP in the ice-covered season is expected to increase. If time value is ignored, flow through the NEP is expected to increase all year round. If shippers become more cost-conscious, flow through the NEP is also expected to increase
Evolution and impacts of the United States’ Arctic strategy and China’s responses
Full text linkOn 7 October, 2022, the Biden administration released an updated version of the National Strategy for the Arctic Region based on new developments in the Arctic region and global affairs. This strategy emphasizes traditional security issues in the Arctic, attaches great importance to climate governance in the region, and advocates for restoring American leadership through international cooperation. In view of the strong influence of the United States (U.S.) in the Arctic region, the changes of the U.S. Arctic strategy will inevitably have an impact on China’s scientific research rights, economic interests, and governance rights in the Arctic region. To respond to the new situation brought about by the changes in the U.S. Arctic strategy, China should take the initiative to maintain positive relationships with all Arctic countries, and continue its active participation in Arctic affairs
Chlorella across latitudes: investigating biochemical composition and antioxidant activities for biotechnological applications
Full text linkWith the present day rise of interest in acquiring sustainability in the pharmaceutical industry, there has been an emphasis on finding natural resources to replace the use of synthetic compounds used in products. Microalgae have garnered significant attention owing to their natural and sustainable capability to produce a diverse array of bioactive compounds. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the biochemical composition and antioxidant properties of Chlorella strains from a tropical region (Chlorella UMACC 051 and Chlorella UMACC 038) and a polar region (Chlorella UMACC 250 and Chlorella UMACC 234). The cultures were grown for 10 d. At the end of the experiment, the specific growth rate, chlorophyll-a content, carotenoid content, biomass, and biochemical composition such as carbohydrate, protein and lipid content were determined. In addition, the phytochemical properties were determined using a total phenolic assay while the antioxidant activities were determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Of all Chlorella strains tested, the tropical Chlorella UMACC 051 showed the fastest growth rate and biomass while the polar Chlorella UMACC 234 contained the highest pigment content and tropical Chlorella UMACC 038 has the highest total phenolic content. The biochemical composition analysis showed all strains have a high lipid content ranging from 45.36% to 60.30% dry weight. All Chlorella strains exhibited a small amount of antioxidant activity (15.42% to 30.15%) and total phenolic content ranging from 1.91 ± 0.04 to 4.43 ± 0.10 mg GAE·g–1 dry weight. The results indicated that polar Chlorella UMACC 234 has the most potential in containing significant amounts of bioactive compounds