Kanin Peninsula Research Articles

A New Chromosome Race of the Common Shrew (Sorex Araneus) in the Kanin Peninsula, NW Russia

A new chromosome race of the common shrew (Sorex araneus) in the Kanin Peninsula, NW Russia

Late Quaternary ice sheet history of northern Eurasia

The maximum limits of the Eurasian ice sheets during four glaciations have been reconstructed: (1) the Late Saalian (>140 ka), (2) the Early Weichselian (100–80 ka), (3) the Middle Weichselian (60–50 ka) and (4) the Late Weichselian (25–15 ka). The reconstructed ice limits are based on satellite data and aerial photographs combined with geological field investigations in Russia and Siberia, and with marine seismic- and sediment core data. The Barents-Kara Ice Sheet got progressively smaller during each glaciation, whereas the dimensions of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet increased. During the last Ice Age the Barents-Kara Ice Sheet attained its maximum size as early as 90–80,000 years ago when the ice front reached far onto the continent. A regrowth of the ice sheets occurred during the early Middle Weichselian, culminating about 60–50,000 years ago. During the Late Weichselian the Barents-Kara Ice Sheet did not reach the mainland east of the Kanin Peninsula, with the exception of the NW fringe of Taimyr. A numerical ice-sheet model, forced by global sea level and solar changes, was run through the full Weichselian glacial cycle. The modeling results are roughly compatible with the geological record of ice growth, but the model underpredicts the glaciations in the Eurasian Arctic during the Early and Middle Weichselian. One reason for this is that the climate in the Eurasian Arctic was not as dry then as during the Late Weichselian glacial maximum.

Neoproterozoic high-grade metamorphism of the Kanin Peninsula, Timanide Orogen, northern Russia

Abstract Throughout most of the exposed Timanide Orogen, the grade of regional metamorphism does not exceed greenschist facies. Only on the Kanin Peninsula and in the northernmost Timan and in a few of the drillcores that sample basement beneath the Pechora Basin, are amphibolite facies rocks present. This study presents new P-T estimates by garnet-biotite geothermometry and GASP geobarometry from the high-grade rocks of the Kanin Peninsula, together with a new structural interpretation of the SE-Kanin area. Thick metaturbiditic successions show an increase of metamorphic grade downwards from low greenschist to high amphibolite facies. On the SE Kanin Peninsula, peak metamorphic conditions are estimated to have reached c. 0.72 GPa and c. 610 °C. These inferred Late Proterozoic successions were thickened by thrust-stacking and emplaced southwestwards onto low-grade metamorphic pericratonic sedimentary rocks of the East European Craton during the Timanian Orogeny. Timing of metamorphism is inferred to be late Neoproterozoic, but radiometric ages are not well constrained and more work is needed. The new field observations and analytical results suggest that high-grade regional metamorphism is not confined to the Timan-Kanin area. This is of importance when considering the geophysical data over the Pechora Basin and Barents Sea, particularly the interpretation of crustal velocity structure. Higher velocities, often inferred to represent pre-Riphean basement, may well be related to Neoproterozoic and Mesoproterozoic complexes.

Neoproterozoic, passive-margin, sedimentary systems of the Kanin Peninsula, and northern and central Timan, NW Russia

Abstract Neoproterozoic, slope-to-basin, lithostratigraphic successions are discontinuously exposed within the Timan Range, in NW Russia, NE of a faulted basinal margin that marks the outer edge of a former, fluvial to shallow-marine, pericratonic domain. The Mid to Late Riphean, deep-water depositional systems of the Kanin Peninsula, and northern and central Timan attain considerable thicknesses, up to 10 000 m in the case of Kanin Peninsula. Basements to these successions are nowhere exposed. Although the successions accumulated along a comparatively stable, passive margin of Baltica, there are notable differences in sedimentary facies from area to area. Whereas the successions in northern and central Timan preserve a record of relative stability, with sedimentation keeping pace with subsidence, the nearby Kanin succession shows evidence of repeated faulting. This may reflect a non-contemporaneity of the diverse successions or a segmentation of the basin margin. Comparisons are also made with deep-water, turbidite-fan systems in northwestern parts of the Timan-Varanger Belt, on the Rybachi and Varanger Peninsulas. The lateral differences in sedimentary facies in these areas, seen in relation to the situation in Timan and Kanin, do, in fact, suggest that the 1800 km long Timanian Basin margin may have been segmented, and possibly into sub-basinal domains.

Moult and autumn migration of non-breeding Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Geese Anser erythropus mapped by satellite telemetry

In this study we demonstrate that non-breeding adult Lesser White-fronted Geese Anser erythropus from the Fennoscandian breeding population may undertake long-distance moult migration eastwards. Of three individuals equipped with satellite transmitters at a spring staging site in northern Norway, two migrated to moulting sites in the area of Kolgujev Island and Kanin Peninsula, while the third headed towards the Taimyr Peninsula, all in northern Russia. The first leg of the moult migration route for non-breeders was between Finnmark, Norway and the Kanin Peninsula area in north-western Russia, a similar route to that taken on autumn migration by Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Geese that had bred successfully. After the moulting period, one of the individuals followed a south-western route to Poland and Germany, where it spent the first part of the winter. The satellite signals from the other two geese ceased abruptly in early autumn, indicating that the birds may have been illegally shot in Russia. Locating new moulting and migration stopover sites is of crucial importance for the conservation of the critically endangered Fennoscandian subpopulation of this species.

Migration of Fennoscandian lesser white-fronted geese Anser erythropus mapped by satellite telemetry

Since staging and wintering sites of the globally threatened lesser white-fronted goose Anser erythropus are poorly known, satellite transmitters were used to map autumn and winter migration routes of four individuals. After having spent c. 2 weeks at a post-moulting staging place in Finnmark, north Norway, all individuals flew directly to the Kanin Peninsula, northwest Russia. Later, two of the geese migrated along a westerly route to East Germany, where one of the geese disappeared, and to Hungary and Greece. The other two individuals followed an easterly route. One was shot close to the west side of the Ural mountains, whereas the other individual disappeared in the Ob valley, Russia. The results might indicate a higher hunting pressure along the eastern route than along the western route.

Late Weichselian deglaciation of the Barents Sea and low salinity events in the Norwegian Sea

Abstract The glacial geomorphology of the northwestern Russian Plain, Pechora lowland, northern Urals and southern Novaya Zemlya was mapped using Landsat satellite imagery. The deglaciation of the ice sheets around the Barents Sea was outlined using geological mapping, published land uplift data and previous observations. The amount of glacial meltwater produced during the deglaciation is compared with other freshwater sources. Freshwater discharges from proglacial lakes are approximated using this ice sheet reconstruction. Variations in precipitation are estimated using ice accumulation rates from an ice core in Greenland. The ice sheets spreading from the continent and islands surrounding the Barents Sea melted quickly 14-9 ka BP . According to glacial flow patterns and the compilation of 14 C dates, the separation of the Scandinavian and Novaya Zemlya ice sheets occurred in the marine zone between the Kanin and Kola Peninsulas at about 13 ka BP . The Dvina-Pechora proglacial lake, which had accumulated south of the confluence zone, drained into the Barents Sea, west of the Kanin Peninsula. The size of the lake was about 350 000 km 2 and the volume of water of the order of 10 000 km 3 , equivalent to a 3 cm global sea-level rise. Low salinity periods at 15-13 ka BP have been reported in the North Atlantic and Norwegian Sea. These have been associated either with active glacier calving and melting or with changes in the oceanic circulation system. The rapid decay of the ice sheets at 14-11 ka BP yielded meltwater about 600 km 3 /year, but the greatly increased precipitation during the Bölling interstadial at 12.3 ka BP became the most important source of freshwater entering the sea. The proposed freshwater pulse from the proglacial lake was a short-lasting event, but it may possibly be recorded in the marine stratigraphy by the oxygen isotope signal preserved in calcite from planktonic foraminifera.

Breeding range expansion of Barnacle and Brent Geese in the Russian European North

In 1990 a large settlement of Barnacle Geese, Branta leucopsis, was discovered in salt marsh grassland near Shoina (67°50?N. 44°10?E), on the Kanin Peninsula, Russia. The settlement consisted of approximately 350 breeding pairs in 1990 and 400–450 pairs in 1991. Three nests of the Brent Goose (B.b.bernicla) were also found at the edge of the Barnacle Goose colonies. These high Arctic goose species, which traditionally have their breeding grounds in northern Russia, have begun colonising on the Kanin Peninsula only recently, the Barnacle Goose since the early 1980s and the Brent Goose since 1990. Factors contributing to the successful colonisation of these two goose species on the Kanin Peninsula and to the present day expansion of the Barnacle Goose breeding range are discussed.

Breeding range expansion of barnacle and brent geese in the Russian European North

In 1990 a large settlement of Barnacle Geese, Branta leucopsis, was discovered in salt marsh grassland near Shoina (67°50?N. 44°10?E), on the Kanin Peninsula, Russia. The settlement consisted of approximately 350 breeding pairs in 1990 and 400–450 pairs in 1991. Three nests of the Brent Goose (B.b.bernicla) were also found at the edge of the Barnacle Goose colonies. These high Arctic goose species, which traditionally have their breeding grounds in northern Russia, have begun colonising on the Kanin Peninsula only recently, the Barnacle Goose since the early 1980s and the Brent Goose since 1990. Factors contributing to the successful colonisation of these two goose species on the Kanin Peninsula and to the present day expansion of the Barnacle Goose breeding range are discussed.

Paleozoological Division of Pleistocene Marine Basins on Arctic Coast of Eurasia: ABSTRACT

Stratigraphic and paleontologic data on the Pleistocene marine transgressions make it possible to establish biogeographic regions and subregions in the late glacial (interstadial), ultimate, and penultimate interglacial stages. Morphologic stability of species suggests that the ecology was unchanged, and that the zoogeographical units established recently by Z. A. Filatova can be used for reconstruction. In nearshore zones of Mindel-Riss sea basins (Stor, Holstein, North, Kolvin-Padymey, Sanchugovka, Pinakul seas), the northern limit of the Atlantic middle boreal subregion was near Denmark, the high boreal subregion was in the eastern part of the Pechora Land, and the low arctic boundary was on the right tributaries of the Yenisey River. The Pacific boreal region extended to the west coast of Bering Strait. Open shelves were inhabited by low arctic mollusks on the western side of Eurasia; east from the Kanin Peninsula there lived high arctic species now distributed in the Eurasian marine province (fauna with Propeamussium groenlandicum, Bathyarca, and Cuspidaria). In the Riss-Wurm (Eem, Boreal, Kazantzevo, Val'katlen) seas, the boundaries of the Atlantic middle boreal and high boreal subregions were in the North Dvina River basin and on the Pyasina River, respectively. The Atlantic low arctic subregion was connected with the Pacific. A province with a Portlandia fauna was present in the eastern Baltic. In the Bolling-Allerod stage, middle boreal mollusks were distributed as far north as Bergen; high boreal mollusks reached Tromso and the Danish Straits. Pacific low arctic species were displaced to 175°W long. The Mindel, Riss, and Wurm seas were inhabited by arctic mollusks along the entire coast. End_of_Article - Last_Page 2510------------

Equisetum pratense Ehrh. in Arctic Alaska

In my attempted appraisal of The Real Arctic and its Pteridophyta,' I concluded (p. 44) that, Among other Pteridophyta that require confirmation are reports of Equisetum pratense Ehrh. as persisting north of our southern boundary in some parts of Eurasia. This had reference especially to such modern reports as those of I. A. Perfilev2 from Kolguev Island, and of V. N. Andreev3 from two localities in the northeastern portion of the Kanin Peninsula, which left very little room for doubt that this plant indeed inhabited those low-arctic parts of eastern Europe. Andreev's reports were accepted by Prof. Eric Hulten, who also reported the species to go far north (possibly into the Arctic) in parts of Asia.4 However, in view of the frequent misidentification of other species (in particular some phases of the notoriously variable E. arvense) as E. pratense, it was felt wisest to withhold judgment on the propriety of admitting the latter, mainly southern species, into the arctic flora.