A baseline survey of the geochemical characteristics of the Arctic soils of Alexandra Land within the Franz Josef Land archipelago (Russia)

Abstract

The compositions of soils and their parent materials were studied within one of the most northern land areas of the world — the island of Alexandra Land of the Franz Josef Land archipelago. Contents of 65 trace and major elements were determined using atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP-MS). Other analyzed characteristics included soil pH, particle-size distribution and contents of carbon and nitrogen. The bedrock had an alkaline pH, whereas the soil pH ranged from weakly acid to alkaline. The textural class of the soils predominantly corresponded to sandy loam. The contents of clay and silt increased with depth due to the migration of these fractions with groundwater. The studied soils were formed on basalts with high contents of MgO, Fe2O3, TiO2, Cu, Co, V, Ni, Cr, Zn, and low contents of Pb and Hg. The present study confirms that the FJL basalts are similar to the Siberian Platform basalts in composition and belong to the continental basalt series. The composition of soils was generally similar to that of the bedrock. Compared to other Arctic archipelagos (i.e., Svalbard, Severnaya Zemlya), the soils of Alexandra Land are characterized by increased contents of Cu, Mn, Co, and Fe and reduced contents of Hg, Pb, and Cd. The median concentrations (mg kg−1) of trace elements in the soils were as follows: Cu—142, Zn—100, Ni—72, Pb—2.4, Cd—0.1, and Hg—0.0052. The low contents of Hg, Pb, and Cd in the soils are indicative of low inputs of these elements from both long-range transport and local sources of pollutants.