Polar Research (E-Journal)
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The Troll Observing Network (TONe): A contribution to improving observations in the data-sparse region of Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica
No full textUnderstanding how Antarctica is changing and how these changes influence the rest of the Earth is fundamental to the future robustness of human society. Strengthening our understanding of these changes and their implications requires dedicated, sustained and coordinated observations of key Antarctic indicators. The Troll Observing Network (TONe), now under development, is Norway’s contribution to the global need for sustained, coordinated, complementary and societally relevant observations from Antarctica. When fully implemented within the coming three years, TONe will be a state-of-the-art, multi-platform, multi-disciplinary observing network in data-sparse Dronning Maud Land. A critical part of the network is a data management system that will ensure broad, free access to all TONe data to the international research community
Drivers of spatio-temporal variations in summer surface water temperatures of Arctic Fennoscandian lakes (2000–21)
No full textThe Arctic region is covered with numerous small lakes whose ecosystems are vulnerable to current climate warming and resultant changes in water temperature, ice-cover duration and lake levels. Data on thermal features of these lakes are sparse, which hinders our understanding of the possible ecosystem impacts of the warming climate and climate feedbacks at larger spatial scales. We investigated spatial–temporal variations of lake surface water temperatures (LSWT) in 12 Arctic lakes in north-west Finnish Lapland and explored the predominant drivers of LSWTs by continuous year-round observations. The lake surface temperature data were recorded using thermistors at bi-hourly resolution during the years 2000, 2007–08 and 2019–2021. A large regional heterogeneity was observed in the timing of the maximum and minimum LSWTs and the overall patterns of the annual cycle. Our results reveal that July air temperature, maximum lake depth and altitude explained most of the variance in the summer LSWT (> 85%). The remaining variance was related to geographic location (longitude and latitude), lake morphometric features, such as lake area and catchment area, and certain physico-chemical characteristics, such as Secchi depth and dissolved organic carbon content. Our results provide new insights into thermal responses of different types of small Arctic lakes to climate change
Widespread exposure to Francisella tularensis in Rangifer tarandus in Canada and Alaska
No full textThe range of tularemia, a disease caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis, may expand alongside climate change in the North. Transmission occurs via biting arthropods, contaminated water sources, infected animal tissues and fluids and even aerosolized bacteria. Little research has been published on F. tularensis in northern Canada. We investigated whether Rangifer (caribou and reindeer) in Canada and Alaska are exposed to F. tularensis, as they provide significant cultural and subsistence value. From 2016 to 2020, 336 serum samples were collected from Rangifer across 17 herds, including captive reindeer in Alaska (n = 30) and wild caribou across Canada (n = 306) during collaring or harvesting efforts. Using a microagglutination test, we detected antibodies against F. tularensis in 7% of captive reindeer (CI95 2–21), 6% of migratory tundra caribou (CI95 4–11) and 10% of mountain woodland caribou (CI95 6–17), with the highest seroprevalence observed in animals from Nunavut (17%) and British Columbia, Canada (18%). Ten of the herds (n = 10/17; 59%) had at least one positive animal. Evidence of exposure to F. tularensis indicates that further studies are needed to characterize sources of transmission for Rangifer species and any potential health effects following infection
Polar vortex weakening and its impact on surface temperature in recent decades
No full textThe stratospheric polar vortex (SPV) weakening is linked to surface circulation changes. This study employs statistical analysis using reanalysis data to compare the anomalous SPV behaviour in the Northern (NH) and Southern (SH) hemispheres and its downward impacts on surface climate. The onset of annual SPV weakening occurs in mid-January and late September in the NH and SH hemispheres, respectively. Following the onset of SPV weakening, stratospheric polar cap height (PCH) anomalies were strongly correlated with tropospheric PCH anomalies. Significant cold anomalies were observed over Eurasia within 30 days after SPV weakening onset in the NH, whereas warming responses occurred in the SH 30–60 days after onset over Antarctica, except in the Antarctic Peninsula. These contrasting surface temperature responses to SPV weakening events in both hemispheres are the results of changes in the geopotential height in the troposphere, reminiscent of the change in geopotential height in the lower stratosphere, with a trough over Eurasia in the NH, and a higher height anomaly over East Antarctica in the SH. SPV changes have played a role in modulating surface climate via a downward influence on tropospheric circulation in recent decades. Even though they show a weakening trend in both hemispheres, SPV changes cannot fully explain long-term temperature trends. This is partially because SPV trends observed during the analysis period are relatively weak. This study enhances our understanding of the characteristics of the SPV coupled with troposphere circulation and can contribute to improved surface weather forecasting
Some considerations regarding corporate social responsibility in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia
No full textCorporate social responsibility (CSR) practices—by which companies contribute positively to society through their voluntary actions and initiatives—have advanced slowly in Russia. In Russia, the separation between the state and business is not clear, as is the difference between state-owned companies and nominally ‘private’—but still state-controlled—companies, and this has shaped CSR. CSR as practiced in Russia is state-initiated to an extent greater than that in many other countries. The Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YNAO), in the Russian Arctic, has a significant population of indigenous people whose way of life has traditionally been based on reindeer herding, fishing and other subsistence activities that are threatened by the ecological damage caused by the hydrocarbon extraction that is carried out in the region by large state-owned or state-controlled corporations such as the parastatal corporation Gazprom. CSR has the potential to ameliorate some of the problems faced by residents of the YNAO, including difficulties relating to transportation, the supply of goods, health care and environmental protection. To achieve this, the CSR roles of the different parties involved need to be better defined and the CSR actions should shift emphasis from modernizing the larger settlements of the YNAO to improving the lives of people who maintain a more traditional way of life on the tundra. Drawing on interviews, government and company documents, and Russian and non-Russian scholarly papers, this Perspective piece considers some aspects of CSR in the YNAO and points to topics of future research
Sedimentary facies and mineral provenance of Upper Triassic sandstones offshore Kvitøya, Svalbard: implications for palaeogeographic interpretations in the northern Barents Shelf area
No full textUpper Triassic (Carnian) sandstones of the De Geerdalen Formation cored south of the island of Kvitøya (80°N), north-easternmost Svalbard, are described in terms of sedimentary facies and petrography and compared regionally in the northern Barents Shelf. The succession off Kvitøya is characterized by its great thickness and is dominated by deltaic deposits with high sand content of lithic–feldspathic compositions. Comparison of sediment facies and sandstone compositions with adjacent areas suggest that the succession off Kvitøya is part of a larger delta system with its main sediment source from the east. The delta sedimentation was terminated by marine transgression in the earliest Norian. The sandstone compositions off Kvitøya differ from nearby locations by the higher content of cherty rock fragments and reworked volcanic debris in the Kvitøya sandstone, which is most distinct in the lower part of the succession. Provenance signatures are investigated by mineral–chemical analysis of detrital feldspars, rock fragments, garnet and Cr-spinel, characterizing a wide variety of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary terranes, including palaeo-Urals and areas farther to east. Additional, more proximal sediment source areas may also have existed that could explain the increased sediment thickness and the mineralogical immature sandstone compositions of the Carnian sediments off Kvitøya
Norwegian killer whale movements reflect their different prey types
No full textNorwegian killer whales (Orcinus orca) are thought to be generalists that feed primarily on fish, but some individuals have been observed targeting pinnipeds. In the study reported here, field observations of foraging behaviours formed the basis of a priori classification as either seal-eaters or fish-eaters. Concurrent collection of photographic identification and biopsies for stable isotope analysis were used to validate prey choice classification. We found through satellite tracking that whales classified as seal-eaters took different paths south after leaving the northern fjords seemingly optimized for pinniped predation. Specifically, we found that seal-eaters took paths that tightly followed the coastline, remaining on average 6.9 ± 10.7 km (mean ± SD, n = 315) from the coast, whereas fish-eaters moved offshore along the continental shelf, travelling on average 45.1 ± 30.2 km (n = 1534) from the coast. We also found that, compared to fish-eaters, seal-eaters displayed more movements directed towards harbour seal haul-outs (p = 0.001). As expected, our data suggest that the fish-eaters feed primarily on fish, whilst seal-eaters appear to opportunistically use diverse foraging strategies optimized for either fish or seals based on availability and preference. Our findings demonstrate that tracking data can elucidate Norwegian killer whale movements associated with different prey types and selection
Cretaceous–Palaeogene lobsters, Hoploparia stokesi (Weller, 1903), from Antarctica: historical review, and transfer of specimens from the United States Polar Rock Repository
No full textThe nephropid lobster Hoploparia stokesi (Weller 1903a) is widely distributed among the islands of the Antarctic Peninsula, where it occurs in strata of Cretaceous (Campanian–Maastrichtian) to Palaeogene (Paleocene) age. Specimens of H. stokesi collected during expeditions in the 1980s that were in the collection of the United States Polar Rock Repository at The Ohio State University have been transferred to the Orton Geological Museum, joining other geological collections from Antarctica. Some of the transferred specimens are voucher specimens described or illustrated in earlier published work
Garbage consumption by Arctic terrestrial predators in one of the most pristine land areas on Earth
No full textGarbage may cause substantial environmental perturbations, in part because of its consumption by wildlife. Such consumption may have direct health implications for animals and may also influence trophic relationships. Even in pristine Arctic ecosystems, wildlife feeding in marine environments consume garbage in the form of plastic debris transported by ocean currents. We show that Arctic wildlife in pristine terrestrial environments may also ingest garbage or food items derived from abandoned camp sites. We found the remains of a chocolate wrapper and a milk powder bag in two Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) scats and a piece of cloth in an Arctic wolf (Canis lupus arctos) scat collected near Nares Strait, northern Greenland, one of the most pristine terrestrial wilderness regions on Earth. Found on Washington Land and associated with long-abandoned camp sites, these three scats were among 657 Arctic fox scats and 92 wolf scats collected as part of a larger study. Our study demonstrates that these two highly opportunistic predators managed to consume garbage despite the almost complete lack of human activity in this High-Arctic region. Our results highlight that abandoned anthropogenic material in the High Arctic may function as a source of garbage for local terrestrial wildlife over extended time periods, and that garbage consumption may become a potential issue if human activity in remote Arctic regions increases