Baydaratskaya Bay Research Articles

Pb-210 Dating of Ice Scour in the Kara Sea

Ice scours are formed when the keels of floating icebergs or sea ice hummocks penetrate unlithified seabed sediments. Until now, ice scours have been divided into “relict” and “modern” according to the water depth that corresponds with the possible maximum vertical dimensions of the keels of modern floating icebergs. However, this approach does not consider climatic changes at the present sea level, which affect the maximum depth of ice keels. We present an application of 210Pb dating of the largest ice scour in the Baydaratskaya Bay area (Kara Sea), located at depths of about 28–32 m. Two sediment cores were studied; these were taken on 2 November 2021 from the R/V Akademik Nikolay Strakhov directly in the ice scour and on the “background” seabed surface, not processed via ice scouring. According to the results of 210Pb dating, the studied ice scour was formed no later than the end of the Little Ice Age. Based on the extrapolation of possible sedimentation rates prior to 1917 (0.22–0.38 cm/year), the age of the ice scour is estimated to be 1810 ± 30 AD. The mean rate of ice scour filling with 70 cm thick sediments from the moment of its formation is around 0.33 cm/year.

Using images from Landsat satellites to characterize the transformations of the ground cover at the Bovanenkovo–Baydaratskaya Bay section of the route of the Bovanenkovo–Ukhta gas pipeline

By the case of the Bovanenkovo–Baydaratskaya Bay section of the route of the two underground gas pipelines located on the Yamal Peninsula, the possibility of using images from Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 satellites to characterize the transformations of the ground cover associated with the laying of pipelines is shown. The studies were carried out using seven summer time images (July, August) for the period from 2009 to 2020 based on parameters characterizing the chlorophyll content in the vegetation cover – the vegetation index (NDVI), the moisture index (NDWI) and the albedo (Alb) of the surface. In the year of laying the pipelines, directly above them, the average values of these parameters sharply decrease, and after 5–7 years, the values of the NDVI and NDWI indices stabilize to the initial values. During the same period, the average values of Alb increase by 13–15% relative to the initial level. According to the analyzed parameters, signs of disturbance and restoration of the ground vegetation cover are not recorded at a distance of more than 70–90 m from the central axis of each of the pipelines. In general, by the end of the analyzed period, no dominant changes in the NDVI, NDWI and Alb parameters are observed, indicating the transformations of the biophysical properties of the surface, which increase the likelihood of degradation of permafrost and destabilization of the state of pipelines.

Multi-Parameter Protocol for Geocryological Test Site: A Case Study Applied for the European North of Russia

An increase in air temperature leads to a significant transformation of the relief and landscapes of the Arctic. The rate of permafrost degradation, posing a profound change in the Arctic landscape, depends on air temperature, vegetation cover, type of soils, surface and ground waters. The existing international circumpolar programs dedicated to monitoring the temperature state of permafrost TSP (Thermal State Permafrost) and active layer thickness CALM (Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring) are not sufficient for a comprehensive characterization of geocryological conditions. Yet, no standardized protocol exists for permafrost monitoring and related processes. Here, we propose a novel multi-parameter monitoring protocol and implement it for two sites in the European part of the Russian Arctic: the Yary site along the coast of the Baydaratskaya Bay in the Kara Sea (68.9° N) within the continuous permafrost area and the Hanovey site in the Komi Republic (67.3° N) within the discontinuous permafrost area. The protocol includes drilling boreholes, determining the composition and properties (vegetation cover and soils), snow cover measurement, geophysical imaging, active layer estimation and continuous ground temperature measurements. Ground temperature measured in 2014–2020 revealed that amplitudes of surface temperature fluctuations had no significant differences between the Yary and Hanovey sites, while that the mean annual temperatures between the areas had a considerable difference of greater than 3.0 °C. The period of the presence of the active layer changed with the year (e.g., ranging between 135 and 174 days in the Yary site), showing longer when the air temperatures in summer and the preceding winter were higher. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) allowed determining the permafrost distribution and active layer thicknesses. Thermometry results were consistent with our geophysical data. Analyzing the composition and properties of frozen soils helped better interpret the data of geophysical and temperature measurements. By integrating the study of the soil properties, ground temperatures, and ERT, our work allowed us to fully characterize these sites, suggesting that it helps better understand the thermal state at any other research sites in the European north of Russia. Our suggested monitoring protocol enables calibrating and verifying the numerical and analytical models of the heat transfer through the earth’s surface.

Техническое состояние магистрального газопровода Бованенково — Ухта на подводном переходе через Байдарацкую губу

The actual issue of the operation of the main gas pipeline Bovanenkovo - Ukhta at the underwater crossing of the Baydaratskaya Bay is to clarify the parameters of its technical condition. In this paper, an analysisof the technical condition of the underwater gas pipeline crossing was carried out on the basis of an instrument-diving survey and underwater technical work on the underwater gas pipeline, which revealed the presence of sectionsof the gas pipeline in an unproject position and damage to the coating of the welded joints of the gas pipeline.

НАПРЯЖЕННО-ДЕФОРМИРОВАННОЕ СОСТОЯНИЕ УЧАСТКА МАГИСТРАЛЬНОГО ГАЗОПРОВОДА БОВАНЕНКОВО - УХТА ПОДВОДНОГО ПЕРЕХОДАЧЕРЕЗ БАЙДАРАЦКУЮ ГУБУ ПОСЛЕ ВСПЛЫТИЯ

An urgent issue of the operation of the Bovanenkovo - Ukhta main gas pipeline at the underwater crossing of the Baydaratskaya Bay is the clarification of the parameters of the stress-strain stateof the pipes after surfacing. In this paper, the values of bending mechanical stresses arising in the metal of a pop-up gas pipeline are determined.

Modelling the seasonal variations of soil temperatures in the Arctic coasts

The soil temperature within the Arctic coasts within the continuous permafrost is not widely measured; the temporal and spatial resolutions of the measured temperature observations are relatively high. In this study, we examined the methods to interpolate, hindcast and forecast temperature measurements within the active layer and shallow permafrost when the temperature measurements at the surface or near the surface are available. The temperature variations along the year are periodic, and hence attempts are made to express the seasonal variations with a combination of periodic function (Fourier components); which are used as boundary conditions to reach the analytical solutions. The temperature measurements from surface to about 10 metre of depths at the Baydaratskaya Bay, Kara Sea are available. We adopted a data-driven model based on simplified analytical closed-form solution derived from the boundary conditions. The parameters of the solution are calibrated from the field measurements and validated with field observations. The model then can be used to hindcast and forecast temperature at any points within the soil.

Snow Patches and Their Influence on Coastal Erosion at Baydaratskaya Bay Coast, Kara Sea, Russian Arctic

The Arctic coastal environment is a very dynamic system and sensitive to any changes. In our research we demonstrate that nivation (snow patch activity) impacts the Arctic landscape especially in the coastal dynamic at the western part of Russian Arctic. During fieldwork, snowbanks were described and studied and their qualitative role in the development of coastal systems was revealed for Baydaratskaya Bay coast, the Kara Sea. On one side, the large snow cover protects the coastal slope from thermodenudation and thermoabrasion; on the other side, a thick layer of snow affects the ground temperature regime. During snow melting, snow patches contribute to the removal of material from the coastal slope. The quantitative effect of snow on the ground temperature regime was assessed according to numerical simulations. The critical snow thickness was determined based on a calculation. Critical snow thicknesses based on simulation and field data correlated well. The numerical simulation showed the talik formation under the snow patch. Talik size essentially depends on the freezing temperature of sediment (influenced by salinity). The changes of ground temperature regime might further generate thawing settlement of sediment under snow and contribute to beach topography, which might be a trigger for thermoabrasion.

ASSESSMENT OF NATURAL CONDITIONS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF LANDFALL OF TRANSITION OF THE BOVANENKOVO-UKHTA GAS PIPELINE THROUGH THE BAIDARATSKAYA GUBA (KARA SEA) ACCORDING TO REMOTE SENSING DATA

The results of multi-temporal aerospace imagery of the coast of the Baydaratskaya Bay (Kara Sea) interpretation are presented. In order to draw up a sketch map for the estimated zoning of the territory according to the construction conditions of the onshore sections of the Bovanenkovo-Ukhta gas pipeline, studies were carried out. The methods, consisting of 3 stages, was used: 1) sequential of aerial photographs and satellite images interpretation of different scales; 2) spatial comparison of the obtained interpretation results with the available cartographic materials of geotechnical surveys; 3) drawing up maps and sketch maps of various contents, including the final sketch map of the estimated zoning according to the degree of favorableness of the territory for the construction of gas pipelines. Landsat satellite images (1999–2000) with a resolution of 30 m, as well as aerial photographs of 1949–1950, scale 1:60 000, covering the southern part of the coast of the Baydaratskaya Bay were used for interpretation. The retreat of the gulf coasts, changes in the configuration of the coastline, river channels in their deltaic parts, changes in the size of thermokarst lakes have been discovered over the past 50 years in the course of analysis and interpretation of Earth remote sensing data. The amount of coastal retreat varies in different parts of the coast of the Baydaratskaya Bay from 30 to 90 m, i.e. the rate of retreat of the coastline is between 0.6 and 1.8 m / year has been established. The places of development of thermokarst and polygonal wedge ice, as well as active river erosion, have been identified by deciphering signs. At the third, final stage of the studies performed, based on the analysis of natural factors that determine the patterns of distribution of the studied hazardous processes and phenomena, a schematic assessment zoning of the studied territory was carried out according to the degree of its favorableness for the construction of onshore sections of the gas pipeline. Three types of areas: unfavorable, relatively unfavorable and favorable are noted on the sketch map

Использование тепловых снимков со спутника Landsat 7 при картографировании тундровых ландшафтов на примере участка газопровода "Бованенково – Байдарацкая Губа"

The article considers the possibility of using thermal images from Landsat 7 satellites to characterize and clarify the degree of surface drainage when mapping tundra landscapes by the case of the test section of the Bovanenkovo – Baydaratskaya Bay gas pipeline (the Yamal Peninsula). The images constructed using the LST (surface temperature) and NDWI (surface moisture) parameters based on the 1999 and 2000 survey data from the Landsat 7 satellite have a fairly high repeatability and good correspondence with the gradations of the degree of surface drainage according to the landscape map (scale 1:10 000), built using an image from the GeoEye-1 satellite. After a number of transformations, thermal images from the Landsat 7 satellite with a spatial resolution of 60 m can be used as an additional material for characterizing and clarifying the degree of drainage of the surface of tundra landscapes, including for large-scale thematic mapping.

A Probabilistic Model of Coastal Bluff-Top Erosion in High Latitudes Due to Thermoabrasion: A Case Study from Baydaratskaya Bay in the Kara Sea

Arctic coastal erosion demands more attention as the global climate continues to change. Unlike those along low-latitude and mid-latitude, sediments along Arctic coastlines are often frozen, even during summer. Thermal and mechanical factors must be considered together when analysing Arctic coastal erosion. Two major erosion mechanisms in the Arctic have been identified: thermodenudation and thermoabrasion. Field observations of Arctic coastal erosion are available in Baydaratskaya Bay in the Kara Sea. The objective of this study is to develop a probabilistic model of thermoabrasion to simulate the measured coastal erosion at two sites where observations suggest thermoabrasion is dominant. The model simulates two time periods: (a) the summer of 2013 (2012–2013) and (b) the summer of 2017 (2016–2017). A probabilistic analysis is performed to quantify the uncertainties in the model results. The input parameters are assumed to follow normal and lognormal distributions with a 10% coefficient of variation. Monte Carlo simulation is applied to determine the erosion rates for the two different cases. The simulation results agree reasonably well with the field observations. In addition, a sensitivity analysis is performed, revealing a very high sensitivity of the model to sea-level changes. The model indicates that the relation between sea-level rise and thermoabrasional erosion is exponential.

A Probabilistic Model of Coastal Bluff-Top Erosion in High Latitudes Due to Thermoabrasion: A Case Study from Baydaratskaya Bay in the Kara Sea

A Probabilistic Model of Coastal Bluff-Top Erosion in High Latitudes Due to Thermoabrasion: A Case Study from Baydaratskaya Bay in the Kara Sea

Некоторые предварительные результаты биологических исследований в Карском море на НИС «Профессор Леванидов» в сентябре 2019 г.

Results of biological studies conducted at RV “Professor Levanidov” in September 2019 in the Kara Sea at depths of 18-533 m presented. During the research period, phytoplankton blooms were not observed, almost no meroplankton, eggs, and crustacean nauplia were found in samples. The bulk of communities was formed by copepods, euphausiid and chaetognaths, jellyfish and snow crab larvae were widely met. Increased biomass was observed in deep-water areas in the north, and minimal biomass was found in desalinated shelf areas in the south of the sea. In trawl catches among invertebrates, snow crab dominated with maximum catches in the north off Cape Zhelaniya and in the southwest near Kara Strait. Echinoderms and coral polyps made a significant contribution to benthic biomass. Maximum catches of invertebrates were recorded in deep-sea areas: in the north near Cape Zhelaniya (south of the St. Anna Trench) and southwest (south of Novaya Zemlya Trough). In trawl catches, Liparidae, Zoarcidae, and Cottidae were most species diverse. Dominant species in terms of occurrence and abundance was Polar cod with maximum concentrations recorded in the southern part of the sea off Kara Strait. Its abundance in 2019 compared to previous studies increased according to bottom trawl surveys and remained almost the same according to acoustic data. The most catches included American plaice with biomass 190 thousand tons. In the southeastern part of the sea near Yamal Peninsula, Pacific herring with a biomass of 214 thousand tons has been recorded. Increased concentrations of navaga with catches up to 115 specimens per haul were found near the coasts of Yamal Peninsula and Baydaratskaya Bay. Feeding habits of common fish species were studied. Diet composition and high feeding intensity indicated favorable forage conditions. Ontogenetic changes of diet composition of individual species were revealed. An extremely high level of Polar cod cannibalism observed.

Stable but fragile: long-term dynamics of arctic benthic macrofauna in Baydaratskaya Bay (the Kara Sea)

Climate change and direct impacts of human activity are often considered among the main drivers of ecosystem dynamics; however, their relative importance for high-Arctic marine systems is not clearly understood. The Baydaratskaya Bay (southwestern part of the Kara Sea) was not subject to any human activity until 2011, when the construction of the underwater portion of a gas pipeline began; thus, it is a good place to investigate this issue. We used data on the macrobenthos from 1945 to 2013 to assess temporal variability and reveal either decadal-scale trends or construction impacts on the ecosystem. Until 2013, no evidence of long-term changes was detected in biomass, diversity, species composition, functional structure, and biogeographic attributes of the fauna. The ecological status was permanently evaluated as undisturbed. In 2013, however, an extensive shift occurred in the deep-sea area close to the pipeline trench. Benthic biomass and diversity decreased abruptly; while total abundance increased. The functional structure changed. Large bivalves almost completely disappeared, abundance of gastropods and amphipods dropped sharply, while the abundance of small opportunistic polychaetes increased abruptly. Benthic quality assessment indices indicated the deterioration of the community. The most likely reason for such catastrophic changes was the direct impact of dredging and dumping of sediments during pipeline burial from 2012 to 2013. We conclude that the benthic macrofauna in Baydaratskaya Bay has remained relatively stable over the last several decades without any signs of climate-driven borealization. Recent human activity, however, caused local but rapid and strong response, indicating the high sensitivity and vulnerability of this ecosystem.

Cliff retreat of permafrost coast in south‐west Baydaratskaya Bay, Kara Sea, during 2005–2016

AbstractRecent years of increasing air temperature in the Arctic have led to a significant increase in the rate of retreat of permafrost coast, which has threatened livelihoods and infrastructure in these areas. The Kara Sea hosts more than 25% of the total Arctic coastline. However, little is known about how coastal erosion in the Kara Sea may have changed through time, and the climatic and environmental drivers remain unclear. Here we study coastal dynamics along a 4‐km stretch of permafrost and sea‐ice‐affected coastline in south‐west Baydaratskaya Bay of the Kara Sea, western Siberia, between 2005 and 2016, by using handheld differential GPS mapping and satellite imagery. We identified temporal and spatial variations in the retreat rates, ranging between 1.0 (+0.1/−0.6) and 1.9 (+0.7/−1.3) m/yr over the studied coastline during 2005–2016. We also made ground temperature measurements, subsurface resistivity measurements and estimates of wave energy flux of wind‐driven ocean waves, to investigate the dominant climatic factors influencing the observed retreat rates through time. We found that wind‐driven wave activity during sea‐ice‐free days influences the magnitude of coastal retreat in the study area, while recent temperature rise has contributed less to enhancing coastal retreat during the study period. This suggests that the amount of eroded sediment and the associated release of nutrient to the nearshore zone are controlled by the magnitude of wave activity, which may influence infrastructure along the permafrost coast and marine ecosystems in the proximal ocean.

Migrations of Bewick’s Swan (Cygnus bewickii): New Data on Tagging the Migration Routes, Stopovers, and Wintering Sites

The migration corridors of Bewick’s swan, which inhabits the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, were identified in 2015–2017 using GPS-GMS transmitters. It was shown that even the individuals that inhabit the same region widely used different wintering sites. The birds that nest and molt in southern Yamal (Baydaratskaya Bay) were found to migrate through two corridors: the eastern corridor that leads to southeastern China and the western one that leads to the Caspian Sea, the Evros River delta, countries of Central and Middle Asia, and northwestern China. Fourteen key stopover sites were revealed. We explain the appearance of new Asian and European wintering sites by the general increase in the species’ numbers and believe that the decrease in the size of the Northern European population that has been observed since the mid-1990s is due to a loss of natural habitats. We have shown for the first time that the wintering range of Bewick’s swan with the revealed Asian wintering sites being taken into account is quite large. As the climate changes, some stopover sites can be used as wintering sites, which may lead to an even greater expansion of the wintering range of the species in the future.

Long-term changes in the ichthyofauna of the Pechora Sea in response to ocean warming

Ichthyological studies are an important part of the research effort on the water ecosystems of the Arctic. However, data on the changes in the ichthyofauna of the Arctic seas are scarce and contradictory. We studied species composition of trawl catches made in 1980–2015 in the coastal and the open part of the Pechora Sea (south-eastern Barents Sea). We determined the relative abundance (individuals per hour of trawling) of the dominant fish species in the coastal and the open zone and described the taxonomic status of fish and their ecological grouping by distribution area and predominant type of feeding. Cluster analysis revealed four groups of study years similar in respect of the proportion of dominant fish species in trawl catches. The species diversity of the ichthyofauna increased over the study period and so did the number of predominantly Arctic species in the catches. On the contrary, the proportion of Arctic species such as polar cod decreased. In our opinion, this was caused by the changes in the mean water temperature, which showed a tendency to increase over the study period. A comparative analysis of the ichthyofauna of the Pechora Sea and the Baydaratskaya Bay of the Kara Sea revealed differences in the dominance of Arctic and boreal fishes, which might have been associated with the differences in the mean annual temperature in these water bodies. Our results can be used as background data for further monitoring of climate change.

Dynamics of Permafrost Coasts of Baydaratskaya Bay (Kara Sea) Based on Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing Data

Arctic coasts composed of frozen deposits are extremely sensitive to climate change and human impact. They retreat with average rates of 1–2 m per year, depending on climatic and permafrost conditions. In recent decades, retreat rates have shown a tendency to increase. In this paper, we studied the coastal dynamics of two key sites (Ural and Yamal coasts) of Baydaratskaya Bay, Kara Sea, where a gas pipeline had been constructed. Based on multi-temporal aerial and satellite imagery, we identified coastal erosion rates at several time lapses, in natural conditions and under human impact, and discussed their temporal variability. In addition to planimetric (m/yr), we calculated volumetric (m3/m/yr) retreat rates of erosional coasts using ArcticDEM. We also estimated the influence of geomorphology, lithology, and permafrost structure of the coasts on spatial variations of their dynamics. Erosional coasts of the Ural key site retreat with higher mean rates (1.2 m/yr and 8.7 m3/m/yr) as compared to the Yamal key site (0.3 m/yr and 3.7 m3/m/yr) due to their exposure to higher open sea waves, more complex lithology, higher ice content and lower coastal bluffs. Since the 1960s, coastal retreat rates have been growing on both coasts of Baydaratskaya Bay; we relate this effect with Arctic climate warming. From the 1960s to 2005, such growth was moderate, while in 2005–2016 it became rapid, which may be explained by the enhanced wave and thermal action or by the onset of industrial development. The adjacent coastal segments, originally accumulative, remained relatively stable from the 1960s to 2005. After 2005, a considerable part of them began to retreat as a result of changing weather conditions and/or increasing human impact.

The Influence of Climate Change on the Intensity of Ice Gouging of the Bottom by Hummocky Formations

In the present work, several results of repeated sounding of bottom ice gouging microrelief within the area of the underwater pipeline crossing of the Baydaratskaya Bay, Kara Sea, are presented. Based on the results of the monitoring, as well as the analysis of literature sources and modeling it has been established that under the conditions of climate warming and sea ice reduction, the zone of the most intensive ice gouging is shifted landwards, on shallower water areas.

Composition, structure and properties of frozen and thawed deposits on the Baydaratskaya Bay coast, Kara Sea.

Composition, structure and properties of frozen and thawed deposits on the Baydaratskaya Bay coast, Kara Sea.

Cостав, строение и свойства мерзлых и талых отложений побережья Байдарацкой губы Карского моря

Cостав, строение и свойства мерзлых и талых отложений побережья Байдарацкой губы Карского моря