Russian Arctic Research Articles

Развитие методики 3D-сейсморазведки в арктическом регионе

This article discusses the technological aspects of developing a methodology for detailed seismic surveying using the 3D method in the Russian Arctic. The primary aim is to enhance the economic efficiency of the exploration stage in oil and gas field development. The paper highlights the significance and substantiates the advantages of 3D seismic surveys that make it possible to drill production wells without the need for exploratory drilling. It is established that the principal impediment to technological advancements in seismic surveying within Arctic regions is the restrictive policies of Western nations, which primarily take the form of sanctions. Factors influencing the economic efficiency of seismic surveying include the quality of fieldwork management and workers' professional skills, both of which can catalyze the evolution of seismic survey techniques. The article presents an illustrative case of detailed seismic surveys conducted on the Gyda Peninsula. An innovative seismic survey technique is introduced, and an integrated indicator, which is grounded in criteria reflecting the quality of work, is proposed and employed for an objective assessment of economic efficiency. The proposed methodology has been successfully tested, proving its advantages, and the results obtained are of value for the sector of seismic surveying. It is proposed that the methodology should be used by geophysical companies deploying high-density seismic survey methods to find new hydrocarbon fields in northern territories.

Управление предпринимательскими сетями арктических территорий: методика проектирования сетевой архитектуры и ее реализация на Python

This study aims to develop a methodology for designing entrepreneurial networks based on assessing the potentials of actors, which are social and economic groups participating in entrepreneurial relations localized in the territories of the Russian Arctic. The objective is to ensure the reasoned participation of actors in network alliances. Methodological approaches and results of assessing the entrepreneurial potential of actors were previously presented, with the author developing approaches that account for the regional features of Arctic processes and allow for broad interpretation. To achieve this, the potential of various actors, or stakeholders operating in Arctic territories, is evaluated. This involves the use of indicators to integrate data in order to detail entrepreneurial properties. Among the indicators are involvement in creating business infrastructure, the scale of activity, innovative endeavors, professionalism of public organizations, and the efficiency of government administration in fostering a favorable investment climate. Other indicators include population engagement in innovation-driven processes (the degree of integration of local and scientific knowledge achieved by establishing formal and informal institutions and programs for interaction between the population and scientific communities; the degree of development of public institutions as subjects of the transfer of innovative solutions between participants in the territorial innovation system, etc.), the degree of monopolization of the territory's economy, the presence of large venture investors, and the venture policy of corporations indicating the stage of territory development. The article's objective is to lay theoretical foundations and methodological provisions for designing the architecture of Arctic network alliances. The focus is on ensuring maximum entrepreneurial potential, considering Arctic processes and their rapid recombination amid swift changes in the business environment. As a result, the author proposes a methodological approach to identifying actors in entrepreneurial networks and connections that support relationships between central actors. This identification is based on the target function of maximizing and restructuring entrepreneurial potential in the Arctic, whose calculation is automated through the use of the Python programming language. The article introduces the author's version of software for generating management information for network brokers. All data for assessment and design can be obtained from official open sources, ensuring the speed of data collection and processing. Research plans involve developing provisions of a methodology focused on the meso-level of the Russian Arctic macroregion for territorial, production, and socio-economic systems with significant potential for forming relations in the innovation economy.

Early Beringian Traditions: Functioning and Economy of the Stone Toolkit from Swan Point CZ4b, Alaska

AbstractThe pressure knapping technique develops circa 25,000 cal BP in Northeast Asia and excels at producing highly standardized microblades. Microblade pressure knapping spreads throughout most of Northeast Asia up to the Russian Arctic, and Alaska, in areas where the human presence was unknown. Swan Point CZ4b is the earliest uncontested evidence of human occupation of Alaska, at around 14,000 cal BP. It yields a pressure microblade component produced with the Yubetsu method, which is widespread in Northeast Asia during the Late Glacial period. Through the techno-functional analysis of 634 lithic pieces from this site, this study seeks to identify the techno-economical purposes for which the Yubetsu method was implemented. Data show that the microblade production system is related to an economy based on the planning of future needs, which is visible through blanks standardization, their overproduction, their functional versatility, and the segmentation of part of the chaîne opératoire. This expresses the efficiency and economic value of the microblade production system. The flexible use of pressure microblades identified at Swan Point CZ4b is also found in Japan, Korea, Kamchatka, and the North Baikal region, suggesting that their modes of use accompany the spread of early microblade pressure knapping over an immense territory across Beringia.

Перспективы развития научно-популярного туризма в Арктике

The development of the Arctic territories of the Russian Federation is especially relevant in an unstable geopolitical situation, due to the importance of the region for national security. One of the prospective directions of Arctic exploration is the development of popular science tourism. The aim of the work is to determine the vector of development of popular science tourism in the subjects of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation in order to increase the scientific and technological potential of Russia, strengthen the presence of the Russian Federation in the Arctic, and attract young people to research projects related to the sustainable development of the Russian Arctic. As a result of the analysis of the theoretical aspects of popular science tourism, its essence and principles were clarified, and the relevance of the study was revealed based on the popularity of Internet queries. With the help of the "sales funnel", a model of involving potential stakeholders in science is built. A study of the current situation in the field of popular science tourism has revealed its insufficient distribution in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. To determine the most attractive Arctic regions in order to develop popular science tourism, an analysis of the dynamics and structure of indicators characterizing the tourist potential of the territory, which formed the basis for the point rating assessment of the regions included in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, was carried out. According to the results of the study, it was revealed that the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Republic of Karelia and the Murmansk Region.

Iceberg danger in the seas of the Russian Federation Arctic Zone under modern climate change conditions

The aim of the research was to study the relationship between the intensity of iceberg formation in the Russian Arctic including the number of icebergs calving annually from outlet glaciers and surface air temperature anomalies. The research was carried out on the basis of satellite monitoring using non-commercial, freely distributed satellite information from optical-electronic satellites Landsat-8 (spatial resolution 15 m) and Sentinel-2 (spatial resolution 10 m) and the radar satellite Sentinel-1 (pixel size 20×40 m). To achieve the aim, an iceberg detection technique was used based on statistical criteria for searching for gradient zones in the analysis of two-dimensional fields of satellite images. Based on the analysis of satellite data of the visible spectral range of the Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 satellites and Sentinel-1 radar data the maximum spatial dimensions of icebergs formed by the outlet glaciers of Severnaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land (ZFI) and Novaya Zemlya in 2012–2022 were estimated. Satellite monitoring of the Severnaya Zemlya region was carried out using visible range images in the spring season (March–May), characterized by the best observation conditions in terms of cloudiness, natural light, and monitoring of icebergs most of which are located in fast ice at this time. Monitoring of the ZFI area was carried out using radar data in the period August-September, corresponding to the minimal ice cover conditions. Satellite monitoring of the Novaya Zemlya region was carried out using visible images in the summer season. In total, about 500 satellite images were analyzed. The discusses the dependence of the intensity of the iceberg formation process on the ice shelf and outlet glaciers with a floating edge on the surface air temperature and the maximum thickness of fast ice. It is shown that the abnormally warm weather that set in 2020 during the period of ice melting led to a sharp intensification of the process of glacier melting in the Russian Arctic and the formation of almost 8,000 icebergs near Severnaya Zemlya, more than 6,600 icebergs near ZFI and over 1,000 icebergs near the western coast of Novaya Zemlya. For all the areas of the Russian Arctic studied in the period 2012–2022 an increase was noted in the maximum observed sizes of icebergs calving from glaciers. The largest iceberg, whose length was 5 km, broke off in 2020 from the Matusevich ice shelf.

CIVIC IDENTITY AND FAMILY MEMORY OF THE URBAN YOUTH IN THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC ZONE (ON SOCIOLOGICAL SURVEYS IN POMORIE)

The article represents data from sociological research held in 2021–2023 among the youth of the Arkhangelsk region (Pomorie), characterizing the state and characteristics of civic identity, its relationship to family history, which, in its turn, is treated as the basic level of historical memory. The specificity of the indicators is determined, among other, by the fact that they were obtained in the most ethnically homogeneous region of the Russia with the largest proportion of ethnic Russians in the population. Surveys of people, primarily aged 18–25 are, are presented in comparison with data from projects on similar topics implemented by leading sociological centers in Russia. Materials from Pomorie, i.e. in one of the bearing regions of the Russian Arctic zone, indicate that representatives of the post-Soviet generation in the Arkhangelsk agglomeration have a generally formed identity, based on the awareness of the legal connection with the state, as states by the novels in Russian Constitution from 2020 and the principles of current Russian nation-building policy. Another significant trend is changes in young people’s interpretation of ethnicity is performed in increasing importance of culture and language as its main criteria. Surveys also have confirmed the growing interest of young people to family history, with an average level of knowledge, as well as the presence of a personal, emotionally charged attitude towards the main events of Russian history. The presented results indicate the demand for new tools for stimulating, supporting and satisfying youth’s interest in history, which prospectively is an effective factor in the formation of a stable civic identity among a generation that in the next decade will form the majority in the political, economic, scientific and cultural elite of the Russian Federation.

Improving the current configuration of the Russian Federation Arctic Zone, with account to international environmental cooperation within the framework of the Arctic Council

This article analyzes the problems of correlating the space within which the Russian Federation’s special state policy is implemented, considering Russia’s international obligations, to the actual status of the Arctic territories. The boundaries of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation (AZRF) and the territories specified by the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) working group of the Arctic Council are only partially coincident and vary in different regions. This discrepancy can be explained by the lack of uniform criteria for the identification of the southern border of the Arctic zone, while international projects aimed at preserving the natural environment and biodiversity in the Arctic are being implemented in these territories. A number of territories have been proposed for inclusion in the Arctic zone as part of the final stage of the Russian Arctic. It is important to define the Arctic zone in order to address the problems of protecting the environment and biological resources of the territory and ensuring the social and economic well-being of the Arctic population.

Cetacean fauna of the southern part of the Barents Sea in winter 2019–2023 under changing climate conditions

Biophysical changes occurring in Arctic marine ecosystems under the influence of climatic factors may affect cetaceans staying here. For this reason, the urgent task is to conduct regular monitoring of marine mammals in order to assess the state of their populations and preserve the biodiversity of species. We analyzed the results of ship-based surveys of marine mammals carried out by the Polar branch of VNIRO in January–March 2019–2023 in the south of the Barents Sea and compared them with the observation data of earlier years. As the studies have shown, the winter cetacean fauna is currently represented by six species of baleen Mysticeti and toothed Odontoceti whales. White-beaked dolphin Lagenorhynchus albirostris Gray, 1846 was the most abundant and widespread species among all cetaceans; however, since 2022 we have seen a decrease in both the number of observations and abundance of this species. Fin whale Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758 and killer whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus, 1758 were regularly registered in the study area, while sightings of harbor porpoise Phocoena phocoena Linnaeus, 1758 and humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae Borowski, 1781 were single. Comparative analysis of the obtained data with the materials of 2012–2013 revealed some changes in the cetacean fauna that occurred during the last decade. In the waters of the southern part of the Barents Sea, there began met species that had not been previously recorded in our surveys, first of all, minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacépède, 1804 and humpback whale. The materials we collected expanded our understanding of cetaceans staying in the western sector of the Russian Arctic during the winter.

ARCTIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP: LEGAL ASPECTS

The article considers the issues of legal regulation of economic activities in the Arctic zone of Russia. The main areas of small and medium-sized businesses in the Russian Arctic for the development of entrepreneurial activity were studied. An analysis of a special subject of entrepreneurial activity in the Arctic zone of Russia, which receives the status of a resident, is given. Arctic economic activity has been identified at the current stage in Russia as an independent institution of entrepreneurial law, which in the future research will give a big impetus to development in terms of the adoption of regulatory legal acts. Based on the analysis of legal acts, the state, as a guarantor of the development of economic relations, is obliged to subsidize with cash the main types of small and medium-sized entrepreneurial activities in the Arctic zone of Russia, and on the other hand, large commercial companies must reimburse the costs for manufacturers of local products. It was proposed to develop electronic trade on the territory of Russia, accordingly, there is a need to connect all Arctic entities to high-speed Internet. It was concluded that for the legal regulation of complex relations, the Arctic Code of Russia should be adopted.

Использование водного транспорта в логистике арктического туризма

The success of Arctic tourism development is associated with solving the problem of delivering tourists to the places of their interest. “The Concept for the Development of Cruise Tourism”, approved by the government of the Russian Federation in 2022, suggests that overcoming the transport problem in the Arctic is possible thanks to water transport. It can be used in the logistics of Arctic tourism as a way of transporting tourists on routes and for organizing sea and river cruises. We have examined the current use of water transport in the organization of tourist routes in the Russian sector of the Arctic based on information from river and sea cruise operators. In addition, we have identified regions where water transport is used to organise passenger transport. In the European part of the Russian Arctic, water transport is most actively used for river cruises. Arctic river cruises provide tourists with the opportunity to travel in areas where there is no special infrastructure. In this case, river routes usually start southwards in the most populated regions. In the Asian part of the Russian Arctic the number of cruises is smaller, they are carried out only on three rivers — the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena. But there are also regular passages that can be used by tourists travelling to the Arctic. Using content analysis of tourists’ reviews of Arctic river cruises we have identified the main drawbacks of their organization. SWOT analysis of the use of water transport in the logistics of Arctic tourism showed what hinders its development. The main problems of water transport use in the Arctic include the ageing of vessels, passenger safety, short navigation period and shallowing of waterways. The most promising ways for the use of water transport in Arctic tourism are inland waterways in the European part of the Russian Arctic, the White Sea and the Barents Sea.

Модель электорального поведения резидента Арктической зоны РФ на региональных выборах высшего должностного лица (2013–2022 гг.)

Being one of the strategically important regions for the development of the Russian Federation and a variety of aspects of its security, the Arctic represents a platform for defending the country’s national priorities. The nature of the policy pursued in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation determines the status of the state as an Arctic power. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the electoral preferences and to design the electoral model of the residents of the Russian Arctic in the elections of the highest official of the region in the period from 2013 to 2022. By means of multifactor comparative analysis using the clustering methodology, the author managed to determine such variables for the construction of the electoral model of a resident of the Russian Arctic zone as the level of electoral activity, voting for typical and atypical candidates and for the conditionally designated candidate “against all” as a marker of legitimate support for registered candidates and/or protest voting. The study revealed that, unlike the other federal subject’s voters, residents of the Russian Arctic take a more active part in the election of the head of the region, providing electoral support to the candidates of the “United Russia”, although in some cases atypical voting was observed, the percentage of which was insignificant. At the same time, the data obtained show that the number of invalid ballots is higher in the Arctic regions than in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Thus, the constructed model of electoral behavior of the resident of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation in the implementation of regional policy in the region allows taking into account not only quantitative, but also qualitative parameters of electoral preferences of the Arctic residents to predict the results of future elections.

Убывающие города российской Арктики: статистические тренды и публичный дискурс о причинах оттока населения

The purpose of the article is to determine the most significant causes of population decline in the regions of the Russian Arctic. The object of the study was the urban population of the subjects of the Russian Arctic. The concept of a declining city, which has received various interpretations both in foreign and domestic scientific thought, was chosen as a theoretical framework for understanding the problem. In this article, the decline of cities is understood as a cumulative result of economic and demographic factors that cause population decline in the form of natural loss and migration outflow. On the basis of statistical data, a steady demographic decline was recorded in the cities of the subjects of the Russian Arctic. This made it possible to confirm the validity of the use of this concept in relation to these territories. Based on the materials of domestic and foreign studies, the most general, systemic factors of population decline in the regions of the Russian Arctic were identified, such as: the historical context and the policy of Soviet industrialization, the specifics of the local (regional) identity of the inhabitants of the northern territories, global demographic trends. At the empirical level, a more detailed analysis of the subjective perception of the reasons for the outflow of the population from the Murmansk Oblast, reflected in the public discourse of the participants of the online community of the city of Murmansk in the social network VKontakte, was carried out. The initial analysis base included posts and comments of the community for 20212022 (a total of 23.817 posts and 926.583 comments), the target sample included 268 posts and 2621 comments. Open and axial coding techniques were used to identify three groups of urban development issues as causes of the outflow of population from the region: 1) natural and climatic conditions, 2) quality of life, 3) prospects for the development of the city. Quantitative analysis of the number of comments (under posts) and likes (under comments) allowed us to identify the most significant and persistent problems, which, of course, are of increased interest to representatives of municipal and regional authorities.

Culturable Microorganisms of Aerosols Sampled during Aircraft Sounding of the Atmosphere over the Russian Arctic Seas

Atmospheric sounding using the Tu-134 Optik aircraft-laboratory was conducted in September 2020 over the seas of the Russian sector of the Arctic Ocean, namely the Barents, Kara, Laptev, East Siberian, Chukchi and Bering seas. Unique samples of atmospheric aerosols at altitudes from 200 and up to 10,000 m were taken, including samples for the identification of cultivated microorganisms and their genetic analysis. Data on the concentration and diversity of bacteria and fungi isolated from 24 samples of atmospheric aerosols are presented; the main phenotypic and genomic characteristics were obtained for 152 bacterial cultures; and taxonomic belonging was determined. The concentration of cultured microorganisms detected in aerosols of different locations was similar, averaging 5.5 × 103 CFU/m3. No dependence of the number of isolated microorganisms on the height and location of aerosol sampling was observed. The presence of pathogenic and condto shitionally pathogenic bacteria, including those referred to in the genera Staphylococcus, Kocuria, Rothia, Comamonas, Brevundimonas, Acinetobacter, and others, as well as fungi represented by the widely spread genera Aureobasidium, Aspergillus, Alternaria, Penicillium, capable of causing infectious and allergic diseases were present in most analyzed samples. Obtained data reveal the necessity of systematic studies of atmospheric microbiota composition to combat emerging population diseases.

The regional shifts in public employment: Russian Arctic

The paper examines the issue of enhancing the efficiency of regional public employment systems. A region's sectoral employment pattern serves as an indicator of its socioeconomic development level. Understanding structural shifts occurring in response to inter-industry labor flows is critical to achieve effective employment policies. In this study, we propose a classification of economic sectors that uses as key criterion the impact on public employment of structural shift components (national share, industrial mix, regional shift) and can be used as a tool for evaluating the effectiveness of regions’ sectoral policies and for identifying industries with potential for job creation. The analysis demonstrates the significance of Groups 1–3economic sectors, for which the local share is positive and exceeds the national and industry mix share, in the efforts to increase regional employment. We evaluate the employment potential of the Russian Arctic regions’ economic sectors through identifying their core industries and relative concentration. By using as example the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), we demonstrate the scholarly and practical value of the proposed classification in enhancing the effectiveness and objectivity of local sectoral policies. We further provide the analysis of share the national, sectoral, and regional factors represent in sectoral employment shift, and present the industries that have played a dominant role in the Republic of Sakha's employment growth. Using the proposed classification, we evaluate the efficiency of the employment policy of the region under study and propose recommendations for growth in sectoral employment.

Citizen science in studying the microplastic pollution of the Russian Arctic

Abstract The article presents a long-term study (2020–2022) on microplastic pollution in the seas of the Russian Arctic using the citizen science method. Methodological approaches to sample collection and their laboratory processing for isolating microplastic particles from environmental samples are presented, as well as some results of studying the role of the North Cape Current in microplastics transfer from the North Atlantic region to the Russian part of the Barents Sea. The joint cooperation between public organizations and scientific institutes is shown to be effective in providing science-based methodological approaches to volunteers conducting research in hard-toreach regions of the Arctic. The published guidelines and educational materials are publicly available to everyone interested in using them in future research.

Differentiation of general education quality in single-industry Arctic towns as assessed by educational participants

Arctic territories, whose development is clearly focal in nature, are characterized by a higher proportion of single-industry towns in the total number of municipal divisions as compared to the national average. The uneven development of areas dominated by individual monopsonists manifests itself in different spheres, including the education system. The article summarizes the results of studying the quality differentiation of general education in single-industry Arctic towns. In this study, the author analyzed the results of a questionnaire survey carried out among the parents of students in general education institutions located in seven Arctic regions of the Russian Federation. Through comparison of the received responses, the author identified areas that distinguish the situation with education quality distribution in single-industry towns of the Russian Arctic from other territories of this macroregion.

Characterizing Dissolved Organic Matter and Other Water-Soluble Compounds in Ground Ice of the Russian Arctic: A Focus on Ground Ice Classification within the Carbon Cycle Context

Characterizing Dissolved Organic Matter and Other Water-Soluble Compounds in Ground Ice of the Russian Arctic: A Focus on Ground Ice Classification within the Carbon Cycle Context

Numerical Simulation of the Time Series of Bioclimatic Indices in the Russian Arctic Based on a Stochastic Weather Generator

Numerical Simulation of the Time Series of Bioclimatic Indices in the Russian Arctic Based on a Stochastic Weather Generator

Морская транспортировка нефти на экспорт с месторождений Арктики

The prospects for the development of transportation of crude oil from the Arctic shelf, incl. in the Eastern sector of the Russian Arctic are analyzed. Projects for the production and resources of hydrocarbons have been identified and mentioned ones will become the basis for the development of cargo transportation along the NSR in the medium and long term. The study of existing options for the transportation of hydrocarbons from the shelf of the Far East and the Russian Arctic showed the relevance of using schemes using shuttles and floating oil storage facilities. The expert approach identified the key groups of vessels necessary for the implementation of work on the shelf. The structure of fleet demand visualized in the article takes into account technologies for the development and maintenance of offshore hydrocarbon fields. As an example, the calculation of the required number of shuttles with transshipment through a floating oil storage facility or directly to the port of destination from an offshore ice-resistant fixed platform in key directions was made. The tanker Vasily Dinkov (Panamax type) and the tanker Gulf America (Aframax type) were used as prototypes. The key aspects that need to be taken into account when using the specified technological scheme of transportation are highlighted: ensuring year-round transportation; taking into account best practices and compatibility with existing schemes for the delivery of crude oil to the final ports of destination; optimal choice of transshipment points. It is also necessary to clarify the size groups of vessels on each of the routes and the size and type of floating oil storage facilities. Since the Arctic is a very sensitive area to the impact of the man-made environment, special attention is paid to environmental risks that increase with the intensification of navigation in the NSR water area.

Anthropogenic Influence on Tropospheric Reactive Bromine Since the Pre‐industrial: Implications for Arctic Ice‐Core Bromine Trends

AbstractTropospheric reactive bromine (Bry) influences the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere by acting as a sink for ozone and nitrogen oxides. Aerosol acidity plays a crucial role in Bry abundances through acid‐catalyzed debromination from sea‐salt‐aerosol, the largest global source. Bromine concentrations in a Russian Arctic ice‐core, Akademii Nauk, show a 3.5‐fold increase from pre‐industrial (PI) to the 1970s (peak acidity, PA), and decreased by half to 1999 (present day, PD). Ice‐core acidity mirrors this trend, showing robust correlation with bromine, especially after 1940 (r = 0.9). Model simulations considering anthropogenic emission changes alone show that atmospheric acidity is the main driver of Bry changes, consistent with the observed relationship between acidity and bromine. The influence of atmospheric acidity on Bry should be considered in interpretation of ice‐core bromine trends.