Multidisciplinary Oceanographic Studies in the White Sea in April 2003 (original) (raw)
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The earth's climate evolves continuously; these environmental changes are particular visible inside the Polar regions. This work is an investigation of physical variability in the White sea and around the island of Novaya Zemlya positioned between the Barents and Kara Sea. The proprieties on which the study is based are temperature salinity and currents. Our data was obtained through direct measurements along 9 transections in the three different seas. Most of the data was used to reinforce the understanding of the general circulation. In particular, one northern transect in the Kara sea tends to show that the waters from the Atlantic now go deeper into the Kara sea. The flow has a signature characterized by warmer temperatures and higher salinity, which hints out its origins from lower latitudes traveling over Scandinavia and into the polar circle. These anomalies are confirmed by results from recent models and expedition that aim at tracing the path of the Atlantic waters into the Arctic seas.
Natural conditions of the Kara and Barents seas : proceedings of the Russian-Norwegian Workshop -95
1997
Current publication contains summaries of the reports presented at the workshop and the scientific seminar "Naturai Conditions of the Kara and the Barents Seas" held at the State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation-the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute during the period 28 February-l March 1995. The workshop and the seminar were organized within the fr amework of the annual Russian-Norwegian Working Meeting between the AARI and the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI). The aim of the workshop was to assess our leve! of knowledge about the nature of the region, identify directions of research activities for 1995-1 999 and coordinate joint Russian-Norwegian studies. 134 scientists participated in the Scientific Seminar. 16 plenary and 112 poster papers in physical oceanography, meteorology, hydrology of the estuaries and land water, sea chemistry (inc1uding contamination transfer and transformation), biology and sedimentology were present ed and discussed by representatives fr om 45 scientific institutions of Russia, Norway and the USA. As a result of the discussions, the research priorities for Russian-Norwegian cooperation in the Kara and the Barents Seas were outlined fo r the next 5-year period, which can serve as a basis for the Agreement on Scientijic-Technical Cooperation between Russia and Norway for 1996-1999 with regard to studies in the Arctic region. It was agreed that studies within the fr amework of Russian-Norwegian Scientific Cooperation should be related to and coordinated with such large international projects for Arctic studies as ACSYS, AM AP and LOICZ. Scientists fr om different institutions emphasized the need to further develop and adopt joint programs for investigating the Barents and the Kara Sea regions under the aegis of the Ministry for Science and Technical Policy of the Russian Federation and the corresponding Ministry in Norway. Participants in the workshop agreed that the State Scientific Center of the RF the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute and the Norwegian Polar Institute could be coordinators of these programrnes. Current collection of the reports is published according to the recommendations of the workshop. No corrections or alterations have been made in the contributions received by the Norwegian Polar Institute which has published the report. The contents of the artic1es are the sole responsiblity of the authors.-1 2-Plenary reports February 28-March l, 1995 SCIENTIFIC RESULTS OF THE RUSSIAN-NORWEGIAN EXPEDITION STUDIES IN 1993-1994 V.A. Volkov (AARI) and T Vinj e (NP) Cooperation between the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute and the Norsk Polar Institute was initiated in 1988 (see Table l) by signing the known Agreement between the USSR GKNT (Ministry for Science and Technical Policy of the Russian Federation now) and the Norwegian Research Council in the area of natural sciences (NA VF). Its new stage began in 1993-1994. It is characterized by a significantly expanded study area inc1uding the eastern Barents and the Kara Seas with bays and straits, updated scientific programs, improved methodologies, development of a comprehensive approach. Studies of naturai communities currently inc1ude contamination of water, ice and soil; optical characteristics of sea water; sea/air interaction processes; atmospheric aerosols. In 1993-1994 the main goal of the scientific program remained study of water salinity-ice and heat exchange through the main straits, assessment of interannual and interseasonal exchange variability, identification of the mechanisms of water mass transformation and bottom water formation, in particular, of the heat exchange processes between Atlantic water and the layers above and below. In recent years full scale data necessary for the development of climatic programs were accumulated and the ideas related to transfer and transformation of contaminants in the region were actively evolved. These objectives are consistent with the goals of the international project: "Arctic Climate System Study" (A CS YS) within the fr amework of the World Climate Research Program. They also have a potential with regard to implementing the national programs of Russia and Norway in the fr amework of the international Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (A MAP). In 1993-1994 fo ur Russian-Norwegian expeditions were carried out: * two aboard the Norwegian RIV "L ance " (1993, 1994) in the Barents Sea * two aboard the Russian RIV "Pavel Bashmakov" (1993) and "Iv an Petrov" (1994) in the Barents and the Kara Seas. The aim of the joint program onboard the RIV "L ance " in 1993 was to study sea/air energy exchange and measure the albedo of puddles. A conc1usion about a weak albedo dependence on the puddle depth should be considered an important result. This conc1usion was later confirm ed by model experiments. A joint AARI-NP program carried out onboard the RIV "L ance " in 1994 was predominantly oceanogarphic. During the cruise 93 oceanographic stations were occupied and ice samples collected for contamination determination. Due to a favourable ice situation, it was possible to perform observations on the continental slope in the northern Barents Sea and in the Arctic Basin, the region rarely visited by the research vessels. As a result, unique data on warm Atlantic water circulation were obtained. By analyzing these data and the data obtained earlier under the Russian Norwegian oceanographic program, the pathways of the Atlantic water inflow to the Barents Sea from the north were specified and the water exchange volurne estimated. During the first Russian-Norwegian cruise to the Kara Sea in 1994 aboard the RIV "Pavel Bashmakov " the objectives were mainly oceanographic: monitoring of the ice-hydrological regime, study of fr ontal zones, estimates of the heat-mass exchange between water masses of different origin, study of the influence of icebergs on structure of oceanographic fields, etc. For the first time, a set of hydrooptical measurements (attenuation coefficient and colour index) was conducted. In 1993 as a result of the specific conditions of atmospheric dynamics, a rare distribution of freshened water on the Kara Sea surface was formed, off the coasts of N ovaya Zemlya the area of river water spreading was observed, and in the shallow Ob'-PRODUCTION OF MONTHLY MEAN CLIMATOLOGICAL ARCHIVES OF SALINITY, TEMPERATURE, CURRENT AND SEA LEVEL FOR THE NORDIC SEAS. H. Engedahl (NMI) , B.AAdlandsvik (IMR) and E.A Martinsen (NMI) Considered is the use of numerical mo dels to enhance the information contained in oceanographic observations. For this purpose the three-dimensional baroclinic, primitive equation ocean model (ECOM-3D) was used to produce climatological dynamically consistent data archives containing monthly mean fields of sea surface elevation, currents, salinity and temperature. The archives cover the North Sea, the Norwegian and Greenland Seas, the Barents Sea, the Kara Sea and parts of the Arctic Ocean with a horizontal grid size of 20km. In the vertical the fields are stored at 31 standard oceanographic levels fr om O to 4500 metres. First, a Hydrographical Archive was produced based on climatological data fr om Sidney Levitus and Peter Damm, and refined with observed hydrographic data collected by The Institute of Marine Research (IMR). Then, the model was run in diagnostic mode with the fields of salinity and temperature fr om the Hydrographic Archive held fixed, unt il a stationary circulation was obtained. The produced dynamically adjusted fi elds of sea level and cur rent constitute the Diagnostic Archive. To obtain dynamically consistent fields of salinity and temperature together with sea level and current, the model was further run prog nostically for seven years, fo rced by monthly mean wind stress, fr esh water runoff, M2 tide, and boundary values taken fr om the Diagnostic Archive. The so produced archive was denoted the Prognostic Archive. The Hydrographic and Diagnostic Archives provide a satisfactory description of the monthly mean oceanic circu lation in the areas of interest. The Prognostic Archive pro vides more realistic features and a more detailed structure. In spite of some weaknesses in the model produced circula tion, both the Diagnostic and Prognostic Archives should be valuable for regional modelling purposes. The trans ports through various sections, including the Atlantic inflow through the Shetland-Faeroes channel, are all reasonable, and could be used as boundary conditions for higher resolution ocean models, which were ap pli ed for the hindcast simulations. Finally, this work shows the advantages of combining hydrographic observations and numerical models.-1 8-MAIN FEATURES OF THE OCEANOGRAPHIC REGIME OF THE KARA SEA VA. Va lka v and V T Saka la v (AA RI) The Kara Sea belongs by type to the ice-covered marginal seas. The main features of the hydrological regime of the sea are primarily governed by a small amount of solar heat as a result of the high-Iatitudinal location of the sea, the ice cover presence (the sea area is covered by drifting ice for 9 months during a year), the inflow of co Id water fr om the Arctic Basin, penetration of Atlantic and Barents water and an exceptionally strong fr eshening effect of the runoff of the great Siberian rivers. The hydrological regime of the sea is greatly influenced by the highly irregular coastline, relative isolation fr om the ambient seas and a complicated bottom topography. Sea water structure is governed by a whole complex of natural processes. The largest amplitudes of fluctuations are observed in the seasonal cycle depending on annual variations of solar radiation and seasonal variations of water phase changes, as well as on changes in water salinity and density characteristics related to the annua l cycle of the fr eshwater balance. The variability of hydrological pro cess es is also affected by fr eshwater runoff fluctuations, snow and ice melting, ice...
Ecological investigations in the Barents Sea, August 1985. Report from Pro Mare-cruise no. 5
1986
length, weight, maturity stage, stomach filling degree and age of capelin. Some capelin were also preserved by freezing for later identification of stomach content in relation to food resources. RESULTS Only a part of the data collected during the cruise are worked up until now. In this report, the horizontal and vertical distribution of temperature and salinity are briefly described together with the distribution of chlorophyll ~ and nutrients. In addition, some selected stations (which were common for most of the participating scientists) are described in more detail. The zooplankton results are concentrated to the description of its vertical distribution and species composition. Horizontal distribution of hydrography and chlorophyll a The horizontal distribution of temperature and salinity at 50 m are shown in Fig. 2. This depth is below the pycnocline, and the water masses are therefore not influenced either by melt water .or by temperature heating from the atmosphere. Consequently, Fig. 2 indicates the areas which were occupied by Arctic and Atlantic water masses, and also shows the position of the qceanic Polar front. Water with temperature below o 0 c and with salinity from 34.4 to. 34.6°/oo is usually characterized as Arctic water (LOENG 1985), while water of.-At'la'ntic orig_ i.n. iri ,thi-s. . ar.e.a ,.ha•s "s _ alini ty , a-b:ove 0 .-.. '. .. .. 0 ". . • 34.9 /oo. . Water with sa~inity between 34-;6 and 34.9 • /oo is a mixture between these two main water masses. The position of the soutbqoing BeaI: Island Current is easily seen between the tw~• sh~~P fro~ts in the temperature distribution along the eastern slope of the Svalbard Bank, from Hopen 0 south to Bear Island. the core had a temperature below-1 C. The western front was against a •penna-nent_ ~.ddy above the most shallow part of the bank area, whi'le • the .• eastern front was against the Atlantic water which is flowing northwar4s. 40 1. 0 0. 1 x Eco l ogical inve s ti gations in t he Barent s Sea , Augus t 1985. Report f r om PRO MARE-cru ise no 5. Ecologic al investigations in the Ba r ents Sea, August 1985.
Results of multidisciplinary oceanographic studies in the White Sea in June 2000
2003
Multidisciplinary oceanographic studies of the White Sea were carried out in the regions of the Gorlo, of the Basin, and of Kandalaksha Bay including the estuaries of the Niva, Kolvitsa, and Knyazhaya rivers. The hydrographic survey revealed long-living stepwise structures and inversions in the vertical profiles of temperature and salinity formed due to the tidal mixing of saline and cold Barents Sea waters and warmer White Sea waters in the Gorlo area. The biological studies revealed the principal features of the distribution, abundance, and species composition of phyto-and zooplankton in all the areas studied. They showed the tolerance of the principal zooplankton species to desalination in the estuaries. The studies of the suspended matter in the estuaries clearly demonstrated physical and chemical transformations of the matter supplied by the rivers. The data on the vertical particle flux in the deep-water part of Kandalaksha Bay showed the difference between the subsurface layer and the near-bottom layer, which could result from the sinking of the products of the spring phytoplankton bloom and from the supply of the suspended terrigenous matter from the nepheloid layer formed by the tidal currents.
Polar biology, 2003
Various abiotic and biotic parameters, including phytoplankton distribution, were studied to investigate seasonal changes within the fast-ice cover in Chupa Inlet, a freshwater-influenced Arctic-like fjord in Kandalaksha Bay (White Sea). Sea ice and under-ice water were collected along transects in the inlet in February and April 2002. Ice-texture analysis, salinity and d 18 O values indicated that the complete ice sheet had transformed within 2 months. This resulted from an upward growth of snow ice and subsequent melting at the underside of the ice, which makes a comparison between the two sampling periods difficult in terms of defining temporal developments within the ice. Nutrients, DOC and DON concentrations in the under-ice water were typical for Russian Arctic rivers. Concentrations of nitrate, silicate and DOC in the ice were lower, which is attributed to a loss as the ice forms. The concentrations were also modified by biological activity. In February, there was a strong correspondence between the distribution of biological parameters, including particulate and dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen (POC and PON, DOC and DON) and inorganic nutrients (nitrate, nitrite, phosphate and silicate), which was not the case in April. The correlation between both DOC and DON with ammonium indicates heterotrophic activity within the winter ice collected in February. Seaice organisms were distributed throughout the ice, and several assemblages were found in surface layers of the ice. In April, a more ''typical'' distribution of biomass in the ice was measured, with low values in the upper part and high algal concentrations in the lower sections of the ice, characteristic of a spring ice-algal bloom. In contrast to the February sampling, there was evidence that the ice-algal assemblage in April was nitrogen-limited, with total inorganic nitrogen concentrations being <1 lM and a mean inorganic nitrogen to phosphorus ratio of 2.8. The ice assemblages were dominated by diatoms (in particular, Nitzschia spp.). There were temporal shifts in the assemblage composition: in February, diatoms accounted for 40% and in April for >98% of all organisms counted.
Journal of Marine Systems, 2000
. The main physical and ecological processes associated with the summer melt period in the marginal ice zone MIZ were Ž . investigated in a multidisciplinary research programme ICE-BAR , which was carried out in the northern Barents Sea during June-August 1995-1996. This study provided simultaneous observations of a wide range of physical and chemical factors of importance for the melting processes of sea ice, from its southernmost margins at about 77.58N to the consolidated Arctic pack ice at 81.58N. This paper includes a description of the oceanographic processes, ice-density packing and structures in cores, optical properties of water masses and the ice, characteristics of the incident spectral radiation and chlorophyll -leading to primary production.
Towards the Marine Arctic Component of the Pan-Eurasian Experiment
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions
The Arctic marine climate system is changing rapidly, seen as warming of the ocean and atmosphere, decline of sea ice cover, increase in river discharge, acidification of the ocean, and changes in marine ecosystems. Socioeconomic activities in the coastal and marine Arctic are simultaneously changing. This calls for establishment of a marine Arctic component of the Pan-Eurasian Experiment (MA-PEEX). There is a need for more in-situ observations on the marine atmosphere, sea ice, and ocean, but increasing the amount of such observations is a pronounced technological and logistical challenge. The SMEAR (Station Measuring Ecosystem-Atmosphere Relations) concept can be applied in coastal and archipelago stations, but in the Arctic Ocean it will probably be more cost-effective to further develop a strongly distributed marine observation network based on autonomous buoys, moorings, Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV), and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). These have to be supported by research vessel and aircraft campaigns, as well as various coastal observations, including community-based ones. Major manned drifting stations may occasionally serve comparable to terrestrial SMEAR Flagship stations. To best utilize the observations, atmosphere-ocean reanalyses need to be further developed. To well integrate MA-PEEX with the existing terrestrial/atmospheric PEEX, focus is needed on the river discharge and associated fluxes, coastal processes, as well as atmospheric transports in and out of the marine Arctic. More observations and research are also needed on the specific socioeconomic challenges and opportunities in the marine and coastal Arctic, and on their interaction with changes in the climate and environmental system. MA-PEEX will promote international collaboration, sustainable marine
Comparison of the physical environment of some Arctic seas
Cold Regions Science and Technology, 1999
Extensive experience on construction, deployment and operation of Arctic offshore structures has been accumulated by the western oil companies in the Beaufort Sea. The transfer of this experience to the Russian Arctic offshore can be facilitated by a comprehensive comparison of the environmental conditions of the Beaufort Sea and Russian Arctic seas such as the Barents, Pechora and Kara. The environmental factors of wind, waves, temperature, current and ice conditions for each sea are reviewed and compared. q
Journal of Marine Systems, 2002
The project ''Climatic variability and vertical carbon flux in the marginal ice zone in the central Barents Sea'' was initiated to fill some of the gaps in our knowledge on the biological processes related to the dynamic hydrography in the Barents Sea. A previously modelled transect from the Atlantic waters, crossing the Polar Front into the Arctic waters and the MIZ in the central Barents Sea, was investigated to cover the zonal structure and different water masses. The present paper describes the hydrography, nutrients and Chl a distribution in March, May 1998 and July 1999 along this transect. Based on the nutrient consumption, the new production is estimated and discussed as related to topography, water masses and climate change. Atlantic water dominated in south with a Polar Front shaped by the bank topography, and water with more Arctic characteristics in north. A high, uniform nutrient regime in March was depleted giving a spring bloom in May with Chl a accumulation < 100 m in the Atlantic dominated region. The phytoplankton biomass was concentrated in the upper 30 m in the strongly stratified MIZ. The new production estimates for the period ranged 30 -80 g C m À 2 (0.5 -1.4 g C m À 2 day À 1 ). New production rates were closely related to the mixing depth with highest rates in the deeper mixed Atlantic region and trenches where the Polar Front was located. Non-Si demanding species were more important for new production in the deeper mixed regions. Seasonal changes from May to July was most likely masked by interannual variations as the July cruise took place the following year, characterised as a warmer year than 1998 in the Barents Sea due to increased Atlantic inflow in 1999 A locally produced cold but saline water mass observed on Sentralbanken in March and May resulting from the freezing process in the waters above the bank was replaced by warmer waters in July and the strongly stratified MIZ was pushed further north. Interannually variable hydrographic regimes in different regions influence the new production and the biological community in the Barents Sea. D Seasonal and interannual variability 0924-7963/02/$ -see front matter D 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 9 2 4 -7 9 6 3 ( 0 2 ) 0 0 1 6 7 -7