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1
Casey, K. A. "Supraglacial dust and debris: geochemical compositions from glaciers in Svalbard, southern Norway, Nepal and New Zealand." Earth System Science Data Discussions 5, no. 1 (2012): 107–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/essdd-5-107-2012.
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Abstract. Alpine glacier samples were collected in four contrasting regions to measure supraglacial dust and debris geochemical composition and quantify regional variability. A total of 70 surface glacier ice, snow and debris samples were collected in Svalbard, southern Norway, Nepal and New Zealand. Trace elemental abundances in snow and ice samples were measured via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Supraglacial debris mineral, bulk oxide and trace element composition were determined via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). A total of 45 major, trace and rare earth elements and 10 oxide compound abundances are reported. Elemental abundances revealed sea salt aerosol and metal enrichment in Svalbard, low levels of crustal dust and marine influences to southern Norway, high crustal dust and anthropogenic enrichment in the Khumbu Himalayas, and sulfur and metals attributed to quiescent degassing and volcanic activity in northern New Zealand. Rare earth element and Al/Ti elemental ratios demonstrated distinct provenance of particulates in each study region. Ca/S elemental ratio data showed seasonal denudation in Svalbard and southern Norway. Ablation season atmospheric particulate transport trajectories were mapped in each of the study regions and suggest provenance pathways. The in situ data presented provides first-order glacier surface geochemical variability as measured in the four diverse alpine glacier regions. The surface glacier geochemical data set is available from the PANGAEA database at doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.773951. This geochemical surface glacier data is relevant to glaciologic ablation rate understanding as well as satellite atmospheric and land-surface mapping techniques currently in development.
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Sollid, Johan Ludvig, and Leif Sørbel. "Rock glaciers in Svalbard and Norway." Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 3, no. 3 (1992): 215–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ppp.3430030307.
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BONAN, DAVID BROOKING, JOHN ERICH CHRISTIAN, and KNUT CHRISTIANSON. "Influence of North Atlantic climate variability on glacier mass balance in Norway, Sweden and Svalbard." Journal of Glaciology 65, no. 252 (2019): 580–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2019.35.
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ABSTRACTClimate variability can complicate efforts to interpret any long-term glacier mass-balance trends due to anthropogenic warming. Here we examine the impact of climate variability on the seasonal mass-balance records of 14 glaciers throughout Norway, Sweden and Svalbard using dynamical adjustment, a statistical method that removes orthogonal patterns of variability shared between each mass-balance record and sea-level pressure or sea-surface temperature predictor fields. For each glacier, the two leading predictor patterns explain 27–81% of the winter mass-balance variability and 24–69% of the summer mass-balance variability. The spatial and temporal structure of these patterns indicates that accumulation variability for all of the glaciers is strongly related to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), with the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) also modulating accumulation variability for the northernmost glaciers. Given this result, predicting glacier change in the region may depend on NAO and AMO predictability. In the raw mass-balance records, the glaciers throughout southern Norway have significantly negative summer trends, whereas the glaciers located closer to the Arctic have negative winter trends. Removing the effects of climate variability suggests it can bias trends in mass-balance records that span a few decades, but its effects on most of the longer-term mass-balance trends are minimal.
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Koroleva, Natalia. "Phytosociological evaluation of terrestrial habitat types in Pyramiden area (Svalbard, Norway)." Czech Polar Reports 4, no. 2 (2014): 193–211. http://dx.doi.org/10.5817/cpr2014-2-20.
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Natural habitats in the area of Pyramiden town (Svalbard, Norway) were assessed as a part of landscape planning for purposes of tourism development. Habitat types evalu-ation was done by using phytosociological units and assessed by IUCN categories. Altogether, 15 main habitat types were united in following groups: 1. Arctic tundra, 2. Barrens, screes, young alluvia areas and glaciers, 4. Wetlands and marshes, 5. Meadows and grasslands, 6. Anthropogenic open plant communities.
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Eiken, Trond, Jon Ove Hagen, and Kjetil Melvold. "Kinematic GPS survey of geometry changes on Svalbard glaciers." Annals of Glaciology 24 (1997): 157–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0260305500012106.
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The difficulty of using traditional direct mass-balance methods on large glaciers and ice caps requires the development of new methods. The objective of this paper is to evaluate whether a precise global positioning system (GPS) survey of geometry changes can be used to detect and monitor mass-balance changes. A joint project between Norway, Poland and Russia has investigated three high-altitude, large ice masses on Spitsbergen (Lomonosovfonna, Amundsenisen and Kongsvegen). The GPS survey was conducted using two methods. (1) Static GPS survey of stakes drilled into the ice was used for flow-velocity and emergence-velocity measurements. (2) Kinematic GPS survey was used to measure longitudinal profiles of surface elevation between the stakes. The accuracy of the measurements has proved to be better than 5 cm in horizontal position and 10 cm in height. Comparisons show that the GPS survey is applicable and gives sufficient accuracy to replace traditional methods and is thus especially useful on large glaciers where traditional surveying by electronic distance meter is impossible.
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Eiken, Trond, Jon Ove Hagen, and Kjetil Melvold. "Kinematic GPS survey of geometry changes on Svalbard glaciers." Annals of Glaciology 24 (1997): 157–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.3189/s0260305500012106.
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The difficulty of using traditional direct mass-balance methods on large glaciers and ice caps requires the development of new methods. The objective of this paper is to evaluate whether a precise global positioning system (GPS) survey of geometry changes can be used to detect and monitor mass-balance changes. A joint project between Norway, Poland and Russia has investigated three high-altitude, large ice masses on Spitsbergen (Lomonosovfonna, Amundsenisen and Kongsvegen). The GPS survey was conducted using two methods.(1)Static GPS survey of stakes drilled into the ice was used for flow-velocity and emergence-velocity measurements.(2)Kinematic GPS survey was used to measure longitudinal profiles of surface elevation between the stakes.The accuracy of the measurements has proved to be better than 5 cm in horizontal position and 10 cm in height. Comparisons show that the GPS survey is applicable and gives sufficient accuracy to replace traditional methods and is thus especially useful on large glaciers where traditional surveying by electronic distance meter is impossible.
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Lovell, Harold, Edward J. Fleming, Douglas I. Benn, Bryn Hubbard, Sven Lukas, and Kathrin Naegeli. "Former dynamic behaviour of a cold-based valley glacier on Svalbard revealed by basal ice and structural glaciology investigations." Journal of Glaciology 61, no. 226 (2015): 309–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.3189/2015jog14j120.
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AbstractLarge numbers of small valley glaciers on Svalbard were thicker and more extensive during the Little Ice Age (LIA), demonstrated by prominent ice-cored moraines up to several kilometres beyond present-day margins. The majority of these glaciers have since experienced a long period of strongly negative mass balance during the 20th century and are now largely frozen to their beds, indicating they are likely to have undergone a thermal transition from a polythermal to a cold-based regime. We present evidence for such a switch by reconstructing the former flow dynamics and thermal regime of Tellbreen, a small cold-based valley glacier in central Spitsbergen, based on its basal sequence and glaciological structures. Within the basal sequence, the underlying matrix-supported diamict is interpreted as saturated subglacial traction till which has frozen at the bed, indicating that the thermal switch has resulted in a cessation of subglacial sediment deformation due to freezing of the former deforming layer. This is overlain by debris-poor dispersed facies ice, interpreted to have formed through strain-induced metamorphism of englacial ice. The sequential development of structures includes arcuate fracture traces, interpreted as shear planes formed in a compressive/transpressive stress regime; and fracture traces, interpreted as healed extensional crevasses. The formation of these sediment/ice facies and structures is indicative of dynamic, warm-based flow, most likely during the LIA when the glacier was significantly thicker.
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Lydersen, Christian, Philipp Assmy, Stig Falk-Petersen, et al. "The importance of tidewater glaciers for marine mammals and seabirds in Svalbard, Norway." Journal of Marine Systems 129 (January 2014): 452–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2013.09.006.
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Lewandowski, Marek, Monika A. Kusiak, Tomasz Werner, et al. "Seeking the Sources of Dust: Geochemical and Magnetic Studies on “Cryodust” in Glacial Cores from Southern Spitsbergen (Svalbard, Norway)." Atmosphere 11, no. 12 (2020): 1325. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/atmos11121325.
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Natural mineral particulate matter deposited from aerosols and trapped in glaciers—herein defined as “cryodust”—may be an excellent indicator of atmospheric circulation, if terrestrial sources of dust can be identified. In this study, we analyzed the composition of cryodust in shallow ice cores taken from five glaciers in Southern Spitsbergen (Svalbard Archipelago, Northern Norway). The chemical composition, magnetic properties and radiogenic ages of individual grains were measured, where possible, to provide indicators of source areas. To identify mineral and rock fragments, solid particulates were examined by Scanning Electron Microscope fitted with a backscattered electron and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopic detectors. An Electron MicroProbe was employed for the U-Th-Pb chemical dating of monazite grains. Magnetic measurements comprised analyses of magnetic susceptibility (κ) vs. temperature (T) variations and determination of magnetic hysteresis parameters. Monazite ages span 445–423 Ma, consistent with mineral growth during the Caledonian orogeny. Caledonian rocks are exposed in the Nordaustlandet area of North-Eastern Svalbard, and this is the most probable source for monazite grains. Magnetic analyses show a predominance of ferrous (FeII) over ferric (FeIII) phases, consistent with a lack of input from subtropical sources. The results from both methods are consistent with local sources of dust from exposures in the Svalbard archipelago.
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Evans, Ian. "Glacier distribution and direction in Svalbard, Axel Heiberg Island and throughout the Arctic: General northward tendencies." Polish Polar Research 32, no. 3 (2011): 199–238. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/v10183-011-0015-7.
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Glacier distribution and direction in Svalbard, Axel Heiberg Island and throughout the Arctic: General northward tendenciesArctic glaciers depend on supply of moisture, mostly from the Atlantic. The snowline is remarkably high in northeast Siberia, remote from this source. Because of differential solar radiation receipt, local glaciers have a northward-facing tendency throughout the Arctic. This is weaker than in dry mid-latitudes but low sun angles enhance the effects of shading, compensating for the broader range of aspects (i.e.slope directions) illuminated in summer. Statistics from the World Glacier Inventory and other sources show that mass balance differences between slopes of different aspects give both more glaciers, and lower glaciers, facing the favoured direction: usually North. This is clear, for example, for local glaciers (and for all small glaciers) in central Spitsbergen and in Axel Heiberg Island. Wind effects (drifting snow to leeward slopes) are much less important, except in northwest Europe from Norway to Novaya Zemlya which is under the strong influence of westerly winds, greatest in the Polar and Sub-polar Urals. A thorough analysis is provided of aspect data for local glaciers within and near the Arctic Circle, and of variation in glacier mid-altitude with aspect and position. There is consistency between mean glacier aspect (in terms of numbers) and aspect with lowest glaciers, everywhere except in Wrangel Island.
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Vacquié-Garcia, J., C. Lydersen, TA Marques, M. Andersen, and KM Kovacs. "First abundance estimate for white whales Delphinapterus leucas in Svalbard, Norway." Endangered Species Research 41 (February 27, 2020): 253–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/esr01016.
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The Svalbard Archipelago (Norway) is experiencing rapid declines in the seasonal duration and extent of sea-ice cover, and local tidewater glaciers are melting. These environmental changes represent a threat to ice-associated species in the region, including white whales Delphinapterus leucas. However, no estimates of stock size or trends are available for this stock. An aerial survey was conducted during the summer of 2018, covering the coastlines of all major islands in Svalbard, as well fjords and open ocean areas. A total count was attempted for the coastlines, while coverage of the fjords and open ocean areas was designed as distance-sampling line transects. In total, 265 white whales were detected in 22 groups along the 4965 km of coastline coverage. No whales were observed on fjord (1481 km) or open ocean transects (535 km). After correcting for surface availability using behavioural data from the same area (in summer) and making adjustments for small areas not flown during the survey, the stock size was estimated to be 549 individuals (95% CI: 436%%CONV_ERR%%723). This estimate is surprisingly low given that this species is one of the most frequently observed cetaceans in the area, but it confirms suspicions based on difficulties in finding animals when operating white whale tagging programmes over the past decade. This first population estimate is important in the context of the rapid environmental change taking place in the Arctic and for providing a baseline for comparison with future estimates.
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Oerlemans, J., R. P. Bassford, W. Chapman, et al. "Estimating the contribution of Arctic glaciers to sea-level change in the next 100 years." Annals of Glaciology 42 (2005): 230–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.3189/172756405781812745.
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AbstractIn this paper, we report on an approach to estimate the contribution of Arctic glaciers to sea-level change. In our calculation we assume that a static approach is feasible. We only calculate changes in the surface balance from modelled sensitivities. These sensitivities, summarized in the seasonal sensitivity characteristic, can be used to calculate the change in the surface mass budget for given anomalies of monthly temperature and precipitation. We have based our calculations on a subdivision of all Arctic ice into 13 regions: four sectors of the Greenland ice sheet; the Canadian Arctic >74˚N; the Canadian Arctic <74˚N; Alaska, USA; Iceland; Svalbard; Zemlya Frantsa Iosifa, Russia; Novaya Zemlya, Russia; Severnaya Zemlya, Russia; and Norway/Sweden >60˚N. As forcing for the calculations, we have used the output from five climate models, for the period 2000–2100. These models were forced by the same greenhouse-gas scenario (IPCC-B2). The calculated contributions to sea-level rise in the year 2100 vary from almost zero to about 6 cm. The differences among the models stem first of all from differences in the precipitation. The largest contribution to sea-level change comes from the Greenland ice sheet. The glaciers in Alaska also make a large contribution, not because of the area they cover, but because they are more sensitive than other glaciers in the Arctic. The climate models do not agree on regional patterns. The runoff from Svalbard glaciers, for instance, increases for two models and decreases for the three other models. We conclude that the uncertainty due to a simple representation of the glaciological processes is probably smaller than the uncertainty induced by the differences in the climate-change scenarios produced by the models.
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Johansen, Bernt E., Stein Rune Karlsen, and Hans Tømmervik. "Vegetation mapping of Svalbard utilising Landsat TM/ETM+ data." Polar Record 48, no. 1 (2011): 47–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247411000647.
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ABSTRACTThe overall objective of this paper is to present and discuss the most recently developed vegetation map for Svalbard, Arctic Norway. The map is based on satellite images in which several Landsat TM/ETM+ images were processed through six operational stages involving: (1) automatic image classification, (2) spectral similarity analysis, (3) generation of classified image mosaics, (4) ancillary data analysis, (5) contextual correction, and (6) standardisation of the final map products. The developed map is differentiated into 18 map units interpreted from 37 spectral classes. Among the 18 units separated, six of the units comprise rivers, lakes and inland waters, glaciers, as well as non- to sparsely vegetated areas. The map unit 7 is a result of shadow effects and different types of distortions in the satellite image. The vegetation of the remaining eleven units varies from dense marshes and moss tundra communities to sparsely vegetated polar deserts and moist gravel snowbeds. The accuracy of the map is evaluated in areas were access to traditional maps have been available. The vegetation density and fertility is reflected in computed NDVI values. The map product is in digital format, which gives the opportunity to produce maps in different scales. A map sheet portraying the entire archipelago is one of the main products from this study, produced at a scale of 1:500,000.
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Nixon, Sophie L., Jon P. Telling, Jemma L. Wadham, and Charles S. Cockell. "Viable cold-tolerant iron-reducing microorganisms in geographically diverse subglacial environments." Biogeosciences 14, no. 6 (2017): 1445–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-1445-2017.
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Abstract. Subglacial environments are known to harbour metabolically diverse microbial communities. These microbial communities drive chemical weathering of underlying bedrock and influence the geochemistry of glacial meltwater. Despite its importance in weathering reactions, the microbial cycling of iron in subglacial environments, in particular the role of microbial iron reduction, is poorly understood. In this study we address the prevalence of viable iron-reducing microorganisms in subglacial sediments from five geographically isolated glaciers. Iron-reducing enrichment cultures were established with sediment from beneath Engabreen (Norway), Finsterwalderbreen (Svalbard), Leverett and Russell glaciers (Greenland), and Lower Wright Glacier (Antarctica). Rates of iron reduction were higher at 4 °C compared with 15 °C in all but one duplicated second-generation enrichment culture, indicative of cold-tolerant and perhaps cold-adapted iron reducers. Analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA genes indicates Desulfosporosinus were the dominant iron-reducing microorganisms in low-temperature Engabreen, Finsterwalderbreen and Lower Wright Glacier enrichments, and Geobacter dominated in Russell and Leverett enrichments. Results from this study suggest microbial iron reduction is widespread in subglacial environments and may have important implications for global biogeochemical iron cycling and export to marine ecosystems.
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Hagedorn, Birgit, and Bent Hasholt. "Hydrology, geochemistry and Sr isotopes in solids and solutes of the meltwater from Mittivakkat Gletscher, SE Greenland." Hydrology Research 35, no. 4-5 (2004): 369–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/nh.2004.0028.
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This study was initiated to investigate elemental fractionation and Sr isotope systematics associated with glacial erosion by direct comparison of particulate and dissolved load in glacial runoff. Discharge measurements along with chemical and Sr isotope investigations were carried out at the Mittivakkat Gletscher (Glacier), Ammassalik Ø, Southeast Greenland. Major bedrock types are the Ammassalik Intrusive Complex (AIC) of mafic composition and garnet–granite gneiss (GGG) of acidic composition. Mechanical denudation rates (1 mm a−1) reflected in the major outflow are in the range of temperate valley glaciers in Norway. Chemical denudation rates (32 t km−2 a−1) and estimated rates of CO2 drawdown by silicate weathering (720–100 kgC km−2 a−1) are low compared to global mean and match values measured for High Arctic glaciers on Svalbard. The contrast in chemical and Sr isotope composition of bedrock makes Sr isotope ratios a powerful tool for determining source areas of solid and dissolved load. High Ca/K ratios in water compared to suspended particulate matter (SPM) indicate faster dissolution of Ca minerals. By contrast, in GGG bedrock, where biotite and K-feldspar are abundant, Sr isotope ratios in solutes are higher than in SPM, supporting preferential release of 87Sr from a K-mineral lattice.
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Winsvold, Solveig H., Andreas Kääb, Christopher Nuth, Liss M. Andreassen, Ward J. J. van Pelt, and Thomas Schellenberger. "Using SAR satellite data time series for regional glacier mapping." Cryosphere 12, no. 3 (2018): 867–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-867-2018.
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Abstract. With dense SAR satellite data time series it is possible to map surface and subsurface glacier properties that vary in time. On Sentinel-1A and RADARSAT-2 backscatter time series images over mainland Norway and Svalbard, we outline how to map glaciers using descriptive methods. We present five application scenarios. The first shows potential for tracking transient snow lines with SAR backscatter time series and correlates with both optical satellite images (Sentinel-2A and Landsat 8) and equilibrium line altitudes derived from in situ surface mass balance data. In the second application scenario, time series representation of glacier facies corresponding to SAR glacier zones shows potential for a more accurate delineation of the zones and how they change in time. The third application scenario investigates the firn evolution using dense SAR backscatter time series together with a coupled energy balance and multilayer firn model. We find strong correlation between backscatter signals with both the modeled firn air content and modeled wetness in the firn. In the fourth application scenario, we highlight how winter rain events can be detected in SAR time series, revealing important information about the area extent of internal accumulation. In the last application scenario, averaged summer SAR images were found to have potential in assisting the process of mapping glaciers outlines, especially in the presence of seasonal snow. Altogether we present examples of how to map glaciers and to further understand glaciological processes using the existing and future massive amount of multi-sensor time series data.
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Doherty, S. J., S. G. Warren, T. C. Grenfell, A. D. Clarke, and R. E. Brandt. "Light-absorbing impurities in Arctic snow." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 10, no. 8 (2010): 18807–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-10-18807-2010.
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Abstract. Absorption of radiation by ice is extremely weak at visible and near-ultraviolet wavelengths, so small amounts of light-absorbing impurities in snow can dominate the absorption of solar radiation at these wavelengths, reducing the albedo relative to that of pure snow, contributing to the surface energy budget and leading to earlier snowmelt. In this study Arctic snow is surveyed for its content of light-absorbing impurities, expanding and updating the 1983–1984 survey of Clarke and Noone. Samples were collected in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Svalbard, Norway, Russia, and the Arctic Ocean during 2005–2009, on tundra, glaciers, ice caps, sea ice, frozen lakes, and in boreal forests. Snow was collected mostly in spring, when the entire winter snowpack is accessible for sampling. Sampling was carried out in summer on the Greenland ice sheet and on the Arctic Ocean, of melting glacier snow and sea ice as well as cold snow. About 1200 snow samples have been analyzed for this study. The snow is melted and filtered; the filters are analyzed in a specially designed spectrophotometer system to infer the concentration of black carbon (BC), the fraction of absorption due to non-BC light-absorbing constituents and the absorption Ångstrom exponent of all particles. The reduction of snow albedo is primarily due to BC, but other impurities, principally brown (organic) carbon, are typically responsible for ~40% of the visible and ultraviolet absorption. The meltwater from selected snow samples was saved for chemical analysis to identify sources of the impurities. Median BC amounts in surface snow are as follows (nanograms of carbon per gram of snow): Greenland 3, Arctic Ocean snow 7, melting sea ice 8, Arctic Canada 8, Subarctic Canada 14, Svalbard 13, Northern Norway 21, Western Arctic Russia 26, Northeastern Siberia 17. Concentrations are more variable in the European Arctic than in Arctic Canada or the Arctic Ocean, probably because of the proximity to BC sources. Individual samples of falling snow were collected on Svalbard, documenting the springtime decline of BC from March through May. Absorption Ångstrom exponents are 1.5–1.7 in Norway, Svalbard, and Western Russia, 2.1–2.3 elsewhere in the Arctic, and 2.5 in Greenland. Correspondingly, the estimated contribution to absorption by non-BC constituents in these regions is ~25%, 40%, and 50%, respectively. It has been hypothesized that when the snow surface layer melts some of the BC is left at the top of the snowpack rather than being carried away in meltwater. This process was observed in a few locations and would cause a positive feedback on snowmelt. The BC content of the Arctic atmosphere has declined markedly since 1989, according to the continuous measurements of near-surface air at Alert (Canada), Barrow (Alaska), and Ny-Ålesund (Svalbard). Correspondingly, the new BC concentrations for Arctic snow are somewhat lower than those reported by Clarke and Noone for 1983–1984, but because of methodological differences it is not clear that the differences are significant.
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Hågvar, Sigmund, Mauro Gobbi, Rüdiger Kaufmann, et al. "Ecosystem Birth near Melting Glaciers: A Review on the Pioneer Role of Ground-Dwelling Arthropods." Insects 11, no. 9 (2020): 644. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects11090644.
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As glaciers retreat, their forelands represent “natural laboratories” for the study of primary succession. This review describes how certain arthropods conquer pristine ground and develop food webs before the establishment of vascular plants. Based on soil samples, pitfall traps, fallout and sticky traps, gut content studies, and some unpublished data, we compare early arthropod succession on glacial forelands of northern Europe (Iceland, Norway including Svalbard, and Sweden) and of the Alps (Austria, Italy). While macroarthropod predators like ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae), harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones), and spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) have usually been considered as pioneers, assumed to feed on airborne prey, this review explains a different pattern. Here, we highlight that springtails (Collembola), probably feeding on biofilm made up of algae or cyanobacteria, are super-pioneers, even at high altitudes and under arctic conditions. We also point out that macroarthropod predators can use locally available prey, such as springtails or non-biting midges (Diptera: Chironomidae). Pioneer arthropod communities vary under different biogeographical and climatic conditions. Two pioneer food webs, from northern Europe and the Alps, respectively, differed in structure and function. However, certain genera and orders were common to both. Generalists and specialists live together in a pioneer community. Cold-adapted specialists are threatened by glacier melting.
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Braithwaite, Roger J., and Sarah C. B. Raper. "Glaciological conditions in seven contrasting regions estimated with the degree-day model." Annals of Glaciology 46 (2007): 297–302. http://dx.doi.org/10.3189/172756407782871206.
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AbstractWe apply the degree-day model to seven glacial regions that offer contrasting conditions and are well documented in the World Glacier Inventory. The regions are: Axel Heiberg Island in Arctic Canada; Svalbard; northern Scandinavia; southern Norway; the Alps; the Caucasus; and New Zealand. We estimate the average equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) for each half-degree latitude/longitude grid square from the median elevations of glaciers within the square and we extrapolate temperature from the UEA/CRU (Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia) gridded climatology. Using the degree-day model, we calculate annual accumulation at the ELA, equal to ablation at the ELA, and other quantities like summer mean temperature, length of melt season, balance gradients and the sensitivity of mass balance to temperature and/or precipitation changes. Glaciers can be characterized on a scale from cold-dry (Axel Heiberg Island) to warm-wet (New Zealand) corresponding to the contrast between maritime and continental climates. Mass-balance sensitivities to temperature and/or precipitation changes are relatively small for dry-cold climate and relatively high for warm-wet climate. We could extend the approach to other glacier regions but we note that there are large areas for which ELA data are not available as they are still not covered by the World Glacier Inventory.
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Doherty, S. J., S. G. Warren, T. C. Grenfell, A. D. Clarke, and R. E. Brandt. "Light-absorbing impurities in Arctic snow." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 10, no. 23 (2010): 11647–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-11647-2010.
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Abstract. Absorption of radiation by ice is extremely weak at visible and near-ultraviolet wavelengths, so small amounts of light-absorbing impurities in snow can dominate the absorption of solar radiation at these wavelengths, reducing the albedo relative to that of pure snow, contributing to the surface energy budget and leading to earlier snowmelt. In this study Arctic snow is surveyed for its content of light-absorbing impurities, expanding and updating the 1983–1984 survey of Clarke and Noone. Samples were collected in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Svalbard, Norway, Russia, and the Arctic Ocean during 1998 and 2005–2009, on tundra, glaciers, ice caps, sea ice, frozen lakes, and in boreal forests. Snow was collected mostly in spring, when the entire winter snowpack is accessible for sampling. Sampling was carried out in summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet and on the Arctic Ocean, of melting glacier snow and sea ice as well as cold snow. About 1200 snow samples have been analyzed for this study. The snow is melted and filtered; the filters are analyzed in a specially designed spectrophotometer system to infer the concentration of black carbon (BC), the fraction of absorption due to non-BC light-absorbing constituents and the absorption Ångstrom exponent of all particles. This is done using BC calibration standards having a mass absorption efficiency of 6.0 m2 g−1 at 550 nm and by making an assumption that the absorption Angstrom exponent for BC is 1.0 and for non-BC light-absorbing aerosol is 5.0. The reduction of snow albedo is primarily due to BC, but other impurities, principally brown (organic) carbon, are typically responsible for ~40% of the visible and ultraviolet absorption. The meltwater from selected snow samples was saved for chemical analysis to identify sources of the impurities. Median BC amounts in surface snow are as follows (nanograms of carbon per gram of snow): Greenland 3, Arctic Ocean snow 7, melting sea ice 8, Arctic Canada 8, subarctic Canada 14, Svalbard 13, Northern Norway 21, western Arctic Russia 27, northeastern Siberia 34. Concentrations are more variable in the European Arctic than in Arctic Canada or the Arctic Ocean, probably because of the proximity to BC sources. Individual samples of falling snow were collected on Svalbard, documenting the springtime decline of BC from March through May. Absorption Ångstrom exponents are 1.5–1.7 in Norway, Svalbard, and western Russia, 2.1–2.3 elsewhere in the Arctic, and 2.5 in Greenland. Correspondingly, the estimated contribution to absorption by non-BC constituents in these regions is ~25%, 40%, and 50% respectively. It has been hypothesized that when the snow surface layer melts some of the BC is left at the top of the snowpack rather than being carried away in meltwater. This process was observed in a few locations and would cause a positive feedback on snowmelt. The BC content of the Arctic atmosphere has declined markedly since 1989, according to the continuous measurements of near-surface air at Alert (Canada), Barrow (Alaska), and Ny-Ålesund (Svalbard). Correspondingly, the new BC concentrations for Arctic snow are somewhat lower than those reported by Clarke and Noone for 1983–1984, but because of methodological differences it is not clear that the differences are significant. Nevertheless, the BC content of Arctic snow appears to be no higher now than in 1984, so it is doubtful that BC in Arctic snow has contributed to the rapid decline of Arctic sea ice in recent years.
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Pettersen, Bjørn Ragnvald. "A historical review of gravimetric observations in Norway." History of Geo- and Space Sciences 7, no. 2 (2016): 79–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/hgss-7-79-2016.
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Abstract. The first gravity determinations in Norway were made by Edward Sabine in 1823 with a pendulum instrument by Henry Kater. Seventy years later a Sterneck pendulum was acquired by the Norwegian Commission for the International Arc Measurements. It improved the precision and eventually reduced the bias of the absolute calibration from 85 to 15 mGal. The last pendulum observations in Norway were made in 1955 with an instrument from Cambridge University. At a precision of ±1 mGal, the purpose was to calibrate a section of the gravity line from Rome, Italy, to Hammerfest, Norway. Relative spring gravimeters were introduced in Norway in 1946 and were used to densify and expand the national gravity network. These data were used to produce regional geoids for Norway and adjacent ocean areas. Improved instrument precision allowed them to connect Norwegian and foreign fundamental stations as well. Extensive geophysical prospecting was made, as in other countries. The introduction of absolute gravimeters based on free-fall methods, especially after 2004, improved the calibration by 3 orders of magnitude and immediately revealed the secular changes of the gravity field in Norway. This was later confirmed by satellite gravimetry, which provides homogeneous data sets for global and regional gravity models. The first-ever determinations of gravity at sea were made by pendulum observations onboard the Norwegian polar vessel Fram during frozen-in conditions in the Arctic Ocean in 1893–1896. Simultaneously, an indirect method was developed at the University of Oslo for deducing gravity at sea with a hypsometer. The precision of both methods was greatly superseded by relative spring gravimeters 50 years later. They were employed extensively both at sea and on land. When GPS allowed precise positioning, relative gravimeters were mounted in airplanes to cover large areas of ocean faster than before. Gravimetry is currently being applied to study geodynamical phenomena relevant to climate change. The viscoelastic postglacial land uplift of Fennoscandia has been detected by terrestrial gravity time series as well as by satellite gravimetry. Corrections for local effects of snow load, hydrology, and ocean loading at coastal stations have been improved. The elastic adjustment of present-day melting of glaciers at Svalbard and in mainland Norway has been detected. Gravimetry is extensively employed at offshore oil facilities to monitor the subsidence of the ocean floor during oil and gas extraction.
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Hamilton, Charmain D., Jade Vacquié-Garcia, Kit M. Kovacs, Rolf A. Ims, Jack Kohler, and Christian Lydersen. "Contrasting changes in space use induced by climate change in two Arctic marine mammal species." Biology Letters 15, no. 3 (2019): 20180834. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0834.
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Global warming is inducing major environmental changes in the Arctic. These changes will differentially affect species owing to differences in climate sensitivity and behavioural plasticity. Arctic endemic marine mammals are expected to be impacted significantly by ongoing changes in their key habitats owing to their long life cycles and dependence on ice. Herein, unique biotelemetry datasets for ringed seals (RS; Pusa hispida ) and white whales (WW; Delphinapterus leucas ) from Svalbard, Norway, spanning two decades (1995–2016) are used to investigate how these species have responded to reduced sea-ice cover and increased Atlantic water influxes. Tidal glacier fronts were traditionally important foraging areas for both species. Following a period with dramatic environmental change, RS now spend significantly more time near tidal glaciers, where Arctic prey presumably still concentrate. Conversely, WW spend significantly less time near tidal glacier fronts and display spatial patterns that suggest that they are foraging on Atlantic fishes that are new to the region. Differences in levels of dietary specialization and overall behavioural plasticity are likely reasons for similar environmental pressures affecting these species differently. Climate change adjustments through behavioural plasticity will be vital for species survival in the Arctic, given the rapidity of change and limited dispersal options.
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Raper, S. C. B., and R. J. Braithwaite. "Glacier volume response time and its links to climate and topography based on a conceptual model of glacier hypsometry." Cryosphere Discussions 3, no. 1 (2009): 243–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tcd-3-243-2009.
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Abstract. Glacier volume response time is a measure of the time taken for a glacier to adjust its geometry to a climate change. It is currently believed that the volume response time is given approximately by the ratio of glacier thickness to ablation at the glacier terminus. We propose a new conceptual model of glacier hypsometry (area-altitude relation) and derive the volume response time where climatic and topographic parameters are separated. The former is expressed by mass balance gradients which we derive from glacier-climate modelling and the latter are quantified with data from the World Glacier Inventory. Aside from the well-known scaling relation between glacier volume and area, we establish a new scaling relation between glacier altitude range and area, and evaluate it for seven regions. The presence of this scaling parameter in our response time formula accounts for the mass balance elevation feedback and leads to longer response times than given by the simple ratio of glacier thickness to ablation. Volume response times range from decades to thousands of years for glaciers in maritime (wet-warm) and continental (dry-cold) climates, respectively. The combined effect of volume-area and altitude-area scaling relations is such that volume response time can increase with glacier area (Axel Heiberg Island and Svalbard), hardly change (Northern Scandinavia, Southern Norway and the Alps) or even get smaller (The Caucasus and New Zealand).
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Raper, S. C. B., and R. J. Braithwaite. "Glacier volume response time and its links to climate and topography based on a conceptual model of glacier hypsometry." Cryosphere 3, no. 2 (2009): 183–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-3-183-2009.
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Abstract. Glacier volume response time is a measure of the time taken for a glacier to adjust its geometry to a climate change. It has been previously proposed that the volume response time is given approximately by the ratio of glacier thickness to ablation at the glacier terminus. We propose a new conceptual model of glacier hypsometry (area-altitude relation) and derive the volume response time where climatic and topographic parameters are separated. The former is expressed by mass balance gradients which we derive from glacier-climate modelling and the latter are quantified with data from the World Glacier Inventory. Aside from the well-known scaling relation between glacier volume and area, we establish a new scaling relation between glacier altitude range and area, and evaluate it for seven regions. The presence of this scaling parameter in our response time formula accounts for the mass balance elevation feedback and leads to longer response times than given by the simple ratio of glacier thickness to ablation at the terminus. Volume response times range from decades to thousands of years for glaciers in maritime (wet-warm) and continental (dry-cold) climates respectively. The combined effect of volume-area and altitude-area scaling relations is such that volume response time can increase with glacier area (Axel Heiberg Island and Svalbard), hardly change (Northern Scandinavia, Southern Norway and the Alps) or even get smaller (The Caucasus and New Zealand).
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Lawson, E. C., J. L. Wadham, G. P. Lis, et al. "Identification and analysis of low molecular weight dissolved organic carbon in subglacial basal ice ecosystems by ion chromatography." Biogeosciences Discussions 12, no. 16 (2015): 14139–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bgd-12-14139-2015.
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Abstract. Glacial runoff is an important source of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) for downstream heterotrophic activity, despite the low overall DOC concentrations. This is because of the abundance of bioavailable, low molecular weight (LMW) DOC species. However, the provenance and character of LMW-DOC is not fully understood. We investigated the abundance and composition of DOC in subglacial environments via a molecular level DOC analysis of basal ice, which forms by water/sediment freeze-on to the glacier sole. Spectrofluorometry and a novel ion chromatographic method, which has been little utilised in glacial science for LMW-DOC determinations, were employed to identify and quantify the major LMW fractions (free amino acids, carbohydrates and carboxylic acids) in basal ice from four glaciers, each with a different basal debris type. Basal ice from Joyce Glacier (Antarctica) was unique in that 98 % of the LMW-DOC was derived from the extremely diverse FAA pool, comprising 14 FAAs. LMW-DOC concentrations in basal ice were dependent on the bioavailability of the overridden organic carbon (OC), which in turn, was influenced by the type of overridden material. Mean LMW-DOC concentrations in basal ice from Russell Glacier (Greenland), Finsterwalderbreen (Svalbard) and Engabreen (Norway) were low (0–417 nM C), attributed to the relatively refractory nature of the OC in the overridden paleosols and bedrock. In contrast, mean LMW-DOC concentrations were an order of magnitude higher (4430 nM C) in basal ice from Joyce Glacier, a reflection of the high bioavailability of the overridden lacustrine material (>17 % of the sediment OC comprised extractable carbohydrates, a proxy for bioavailable OC). We find that the overridden material may act as a direct (via abiotic leaching) and indirect (via microbial cycling) source of DOC to the subglacial environment and provides a range of LMW-DOC compounds that may stimulate microbial activity in wet sediments in current subglacial environments.
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O'Donnell, Emily C., Jemma L. Wadham, Grzegorz P. Lis, et al. "Identification and analysis of low-molecular-weight dissolved organic carbon in subglacial basal ice ecosystems by ion chromatography." Biogeosciences 13, no. 12 (2016): 3833–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-3833-2016.
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Abstract. Determining the concentration and composition of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in glacial ecosystems is important for assessments of in situ microbial activity and contributions to wider biogeochemical cycles. Nonetheless, there is limited knowledge of the abundance and character of DOC in basal ice and the subglacial environment and a lack of quantitative data on low-molecular-weight (LMW) DOC components, which are believed to be highly bioavailable to microorganisms. We investigated the abundance and composition of DOC in basal ice via a molecular-level DOC analysis. Spectrofluorometry and a novel ion chromatographic method, which has been little utilized in glacial science for LMW-DOC determinations, were employed to identify and quantify the major LMW fractions (free amino acids, carbohydrates, and carboxylic acids) in basal ice from four glaciers, each with a different type of overridden material (i.e. the pre-entrainment sedimentary type such as lacustrine material or palaeosols). Basal ice from Joyce Glacier (Antarctica) was unique in that 98 % of the LMW-DOC was derived from the extremely diverse free amino acid (FAA) pool, comprising 14 FAAs. LMW-DOC concentrations in basal ice were dependent on the bioavailability of the overridden organic carbon (OC), which in turn was influenced by the type of overridden material. Mean LMW-DOC concentrations in basal ice from Russell Glacier (Greenland), Finsterwalderbreen (Svalbard), and Engabreen (Norway) were low (0–417 nM C), attributed to the relatively refractory nature of the OC in the overridden palaeosols and bedrock. In contrast, mean LMW-DOC concentrations were an order of magnitude higher (4430 nM C) in basal ice from Joyce Glacier, a reflection of the high bioavailability of the overridden lacustrine material (> 17 % of the sediment OC comprised extractable carbohydrates, a proxy for bioavailable OC). We find that the overridden material may act as a direct (via abiotic leaching) and indirect (via microbial cycling) source of DOC to the subglacial environment and provides a range of LMW-DOC compounds that may stimulate microbial activity in wet subglacial sediments.
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Garcia-Lopez, Eva, Irene Rodriguez-Lorente, Paula Alcazar, and Cristina Cid. "Microbial Communities in Coastal Glaciers and Tidewater Tongues of Svalbard Archipelago, Norway." Frontiers in Marine Science 5 (January 14, 2019). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00512.
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Pusz, Wojciech, and Jacek Urbaniak. "Airborne fungi in Longyearbyen area (Svalbard, Norway) — case study." Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 193, no. 5 (2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10661-021-09090-2.
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AbstractStudies on the presence of atmospheric fungi in both Arctic and Antarctic polar areas are rare, and many of them were carried out briefly. Currently, when climate change is a fact, polar areas may be subject to various changes and fluctuations, negatively affecting sensitive polar ecosystems. The paper presents the results of tests on presence of fungi in the air over 30 years after the last investigations at the Svalbard Archipelago. A total of fifteen taxa of fungi were isolated in area of Longyearbyen, the majority of which were saprotrophic fungi of the genus Cladosporium that are associated with dead organic matter. Therefore, the presence of this taxon may be a good bioindicator of changes occurring in the Arctic environment, indirectly indicating the melting of glaciers and exposing increasingly larger areas inhabited by microorganisms, including fungi, which increase in number in the air. Additionally, the number of tourists visiting Longyearbyen is increasing, which may significantly affect the number and type of fungi in the air.
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Lovell, Harold, and Clare M. Boston. "Glacitectonic composite ridge systems and surge-type glaciers: an updated correlation based on Svalbard, Norway." arktos 3, no. 1 (2017). http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s41063-017-0028-5.
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