Kolguev Island Research Articles

STUDY OF STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL COMPOSITION OF SOIL HUMUS ACIDS OF EURO-ARCTIC REGION BY MOLECULAR ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY (UV / VISIBLE)

Results of the structural and functional composition of soil humus acids in the Euro-Arctic Region are presented. The molecular absorption spectroscopy (UV / visible) was used to evaluate eco-protective role of soils in relation to heavy metals, which is especially important for the sensitive soils of the Arctic, formed under the influence of cryogenic processes. Different types of soils of the Euro-Arctic region: gleyish easy loamy pelosi on loamy moraine (Kanin Peninsula, Cape Kanin Nos); humus peat oligotrophic soil (Kolguev Island, Bugrino village); typical non-calcic loamy gley soil (Vaigach Island); gray humous iron sandy lithozem (Archipelago Franz Josef Land, Heys Island) were analyzed. An alkaline solution of sodium pyrophosphate was used to extract humus acids for investigate of the structural and functional composition. Humic, fulvic and gimatomelanic acids were extracted from a humus by conforming solvents with additional fulvic acids extraction by adsorption chromatography using activated carbon as a sorbent. UV mini-1240 spectrophotometer (Shimadzu) was used to record the UV / visible spectra using 0.005% alkaline solutions (0.1 N NaOH) of humus acids. It was demonstrated that humic and gimatomelanoic acids of humus peat oligotrophic soil have more developed peripheral aliphatic component. These acids have more ability to bind heavy metals and show their eco-protective role. The humus acids of other types of soils region have a more developed aromatic component in the Euro-Arctic. Such parameters as: calculated by the Pieravuori formula aromaticity, extinction coefficient Е0.005%1cm,465, adsorption ratio D400 /D600, characterizing the degree of humification and the adsorption ratio D465 / D650, characterizing the degree of aromatic nucleus condensation and conjugate fragments were used in the quantitative assessment of the nature of humus acids. Quantitative analysis of UV/visible spectra confirmed that the maximum barrier mechanism with respect to heavy metals will be the humic and gimatomelanoic acids of humus-peat oligotrophic soil, due to the high content of phenolic and carboxyl groups in these molecules, oxidation and a more developed chain of conjugated bonds in them in comparison with other acids. However, it was found that in all types of soils studied the process of humus formation proceeds mainly by a degradation type, that is, in the direction of formation of fulvic acids. Forcitation:Prilutskaya N.S., Korel'skaya T.A., Popova L.F. Study of structural and functional composition of soil humus acids of euro-arctic region by molecular absorption spectroscopy (UV / visible). Izv. Vyssh. Uchebn. Zaved. Khim. Khim. Tekhnol. 2018. V. 61. N 2. P. 97-103

Migratory birds are the source of highly toxic organic pollutants for indigenous people in the Russian Arctic

Polychlorinated biphenyls are highly toxic organic contaminants. Due to their chemical properties they had wide application in industry and agriculture in the 20th century. In 2001 the production of PCBs has been prohibited almost worldwide. Environmental contamination has been found in soils, water, and air where there were PCB production sites. They have been detected in fish, birds and animals of migratory species, retaining transboarding transfer. Several migratory species of birds (Taiga bean goose, greater white-fronted goose, lesser white fronted goose and barnacle goose) are a diet for indigenous people. PCBs accumulating in the human body affect all systems and organs. This article reviews the contribution of migratory bird species in transboarding transfer of highly toxic contaminants in the Nenets Autonomous Area, Kolguev island (Russian Arctic).

An integrative taxonomic approach confirms the valid status of Bombus glacialis, an endemic bumblebee species of the High Arctic

The evolutionary biogeography of the Arctic Ocean islands is a relatively little-known topic. The Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, a severe mountain land of glaciers, rocks, Arctic deserts and tundra, is among the most enigmatic places in the world because it was a closed area for more than half a century. Here, we report the results of an integrative study of Bombus glacialis Friese, 1902, which has been described from the archipelago. We found that this island lineage has a high level of mtDNA COI gene divergence and a unique nucleotide substitution in the nDNA EF-1α gene but is a sister taxon of B. lapponicus and B. sylvicola. A redescription of the species using Friese’s syntype and newly collected topotypes from Novaya Zemlya is presented. Our results confirm the species status of B. glacialis from Novaya Zemlya, although its relationships with morphologically similar lineages inhabiting other High Arctic areas (Kolguev Island, Kanin Peninsula and Wrangel Island) should be determined in the future. Overall, new findings highlight that the Arctic Ocean archipelagos could preserve cold-tolerant Quaternary relict lineages of invertebrates, which currently may be on the brink of extinction due to climate warming.

Geological and geodynamic reconstruction of the East Barents megabasin from analysis of the 4-AR regional seismic profile

The article considers problems related to the geological structure and geodynamic history of sedimentary basins of the Barents Sea. We analyze new seismic survey data obtained in 2005–2016 to refine the geological structure model for the study area and to render it in more detail. Based on the data of geological surveys in adjacent land (Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land, and Kolguev Island), drilling, and seismic survey, we identified the following geodynamic stages of formation of the East Barents megabasin: Late Devonian rifting, the onset of postrift sinking and formation of the deep basin in Carboniferous–Permian, unique (in terms of extent) and very rapid sedimentation in the Early Triassic, continued thermal sinking with episodes of inversion vertical movements in the Middle Triassic–Early Cretaceous, folded pressure deformations that formed gently sloping anticlines in the Late Cretaceous–Cenozoic, and glacial erosion in the Quaternary. We performed paleoreconstructions for key episodes in evolution of the East Barents megabasin based on the 4-AR regional profile. From the geometric modeling results, we estimated the value of total crustal extension caused by Late Devonian rifting for the existing crustal model.

Rough-legged buzzards, Arctic foxes and red foxes in a tundra ecosystem without rodents.

Small rodents with multi-annual population cycles strongly influence the dynamics of food webs, and in particular predator-prey interactions, across most of the tundra biome. Rodents are however absent from some arctic islands, and studies on performance of arctic predators under such circumstances may be very instructive since rodent cycles have been predicted to collapse in a warming Arctic. Here we document for the first time how three normally rodent-dependent predator species—rough-legged buzzard, arctic fox and red fox – perform in a low-arctic ecosystem with no rodents. During six years (in 2006-2008 and 2011-2013) we studied diet and breeding performance of these predators in the rodent-free Kolguev Island in Arctic Russia. The rough-legged buzzards, previously known to be a small rodent specialist, have only during the last two decades become established on Kolguev Island. The buzzards successfully breed on the island at stable low density, but with high productivity based on goslings and willow ptarmigan as their main prey – altogether representing a novel ecological situation for this species. Breeding density of arctic fox varied from year to year, but with stable productivity based on mainly geese as prey. The density dynamic of the arctic fox appeared to be correlated with the date of spring arrival of the geese. Red foxes breed regularly on the island but in very low numbers that appear to have been unchanged over a long period – a situation that resemble what has been recently documented from Arctic America. Our study suggests that the three predators found breeding on Kolguev Island possess capacities for shifting to changing circumstances in low-arctic ecosystem as long as other small - medium sized terrestrial herbivores are present in good numbers.

The distribution and biology of Pararctia subnebulosa (Dyar, 1899) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), the largest tiger moth species in the High Arctic

The polar tiger moth Pararctia subnebulosa (Dyar 1899) (Erebidae: Arctiinae) is one of the few conspicuous and largest Lepidoptera species in the High Arctic. However, the biology and distribution patterns of this remarkable species have not been sufficiently studied. In the present note, we summarize known data for the species localities, provide DNA barcode data and describe the immature stages and a gregarious parasitoid. The species was collected from Kolguev Island, Arctic European Russia, for the first time. This locality is situated 500 km westward from a previously known species recording in the Yugor Peninsula, which substantiates that P. subnebulosa is also a member of the European fauna. DNA barcode data revealed that the Kolguev specimen shares a close haplotype with those from Chukotka at distance ca. 5,000 km. However, a specimen from Canada has a highly divergent haplotype that indicates that the Russian populations are a separate cryptic species, P. tundrana Tshistjakov 1990. We provide the first data for an assessment of the role of Meteorus parasitoid pressure on the imago abundance of P. subnebulosa. Among 87 moth larvae collected from the Yugor Peninsula, only eight larvae (9.2 %) developed into imagoes, and all of the others (79 ind., 90.8 %) were lost due to parasitoid invasion. DNA barcode data show that this parasitoid is a sister to Meteorus acerbiavorus (Braconidae, Euphorinae). Our findings highlight the existence of multiple cryptic refugia in Beringia and an important role of parasitoids in the suppression of Arctic Lepidoptera populations.

Типология территориальных единиц растительности для целей крупномасштабного картографирования (на примере острова Колгуев)

A typological scheme of territorial units of vegetation (TUV) developed on the basis of the large-scale map of theKolguev Island is presented. Four basic rank typological units (division, class, group and type) define TUV positions in the hierarchical system of vegetation cover. The concepts of diagnostic syntaxon and combination of diagnostic syntaxa that occur exclusively or primarily within these typological units are introduced. Prodromus of the Kolguev Island vegetation consists of 42 syntaxa (association / subassociation / type of community). 38 types of TUV from 22 groups (8 homogeneous and 14 heterogeneous – serial and ecological ranks, complexes and combinations), assigned to 15 classes and 3 divisions are allocated on the vegetation map in 1 : 50 000 scale. The categories of different rank can be used as dynamic elements of the map legend. This approach gives us a possibility to combine the syntaxonomic diversity of plant communities and typology of TUV.

Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis) feeding ecology and trophic relationships on Kolguev Island: The usage patterns of nutritional resources in tundra and seashore habitats

Insight into colonization of new areas by invasive species and their relationships with aboriginal species is a major challenge in ecology, allowing for prediction of the outcome of biological invasions. In this context, the current expansion of the Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis) is of great interest. The seasonal dynamics of Barnacle Goose feeding and the structure of its diet on Kolguev Island during the nesting and postnesting periods (May 27–July 29) have been examined. The diet structures of the invasive Barnacle Goose and the aboriginal species White-fronted goose (Anser albifrons) and Bean goose (A. fabalis) have been compared. The probability of interspecific competition and the ecological advantages in the diet patterns of these species have been estimated. If the Barnacle Goose population on Kolguev Island continues to increase, this may led to a decline in the population of aboriginal species of geese on the island.

Gamasid mites (Parasitiformes, Mesostigmata) of the European arctic and their distribution patterns

Analysis has been completed of all the available material on gamasid mites from insular and continental territories of the Barents Sea region. A total of 116 species has been revealed, including 9 new to science. The species Gamasus armatus L. Koch, 1879 is transferred to the genus Gamasodes Oudemans, 1939, thus becoming Gamasodesarmatus (L. Koch, 1879), comb. n. Six species of gamasid mites occur even at the thermal limit in the Northern Hemisphere, on the ice-free grounds of Franz Josef Land (with mid-July temperatures ranging from −1.2°C to +1.6°C). On Svalbard, 25 species have been recorded, as compared to 27 on Novaya Zemlya, 39 on Vaigach Island, 43 on Kolguev Island, 50 in the Pechora Bay, 37 on Kanin Peninsula, and 58 on the Eastern Murman coast. Despite the differences in the quality and quantity of material obtained during 30 years from numerous collectors, a relation between species diversity and summer heat supply has been revealed (linear regression coefficient: 0.816; significance level: 99%). The most diverse families are Ascidae (23 species, including 20 species of Arctoseius), Parasitidae (15, including 6 species of Vulgarogamasus), and Zerconidae (14, including 11 species of Zercon). The species Zercon michaeli Halaskova, 1977, Zercon solenites Haarlov, 1942, Parasitellus papei (Karg, 1985), Parasitellus arcticus (Karg, 1985), and Halolaelaps gerlachi Hirschmann, 1966 have been recorded in Russia for the first time. The species Zercon acanticus Blaszak, 1978, Poecilochirus nordi Davydova, 1971, Euryparasitus tori Davydova, 1970, Gamasellus tundriensis Davydova, 1982, Arctoseius nikolskyi Makarova et Petrova, 1992, and Neoseiulus ellesmerei (Chant et Hansell, 1971) are new to the European list. The specific gamasid mites associated with lemmings or bumble-bees are absent on Franz Josef Land and Svalbard, since both archipelagoes were almost completely glaciated in the Late Pleistocene. An obviously temporary population of a member of the family Macrochelidae, namely, of the dung-compost cosmopolitan species Macrocheles muscaedomesticae (Scopoli, 1772) was first recorded in the High Arctic (Spitsbergen). Distribution ranges of many species, mainly of those of the genus Arctoseius, lie within the Metaarctic (sensu Yurtsev, 1977). High Arctic patterns have been confirmed for Arctoseius tschernovi Makarova, 2000, A. babenkoi Makarova, 2000, A. productus Makarova, 2000, Neoseiulus sp. aff. tibielingmiut (Chant et Hansell, 1971). However, quite a few of the species traditionally considered as “arctic” and inhabiting mainly arctic landscapes in North America and the western Palaearctic, have also been found in the Siberian mountains as far southwards as the Altai-Sayan mountain system: Antennoseius oudemansi (Thor, 1930), Proctolaelaps parvanalis (Thor, 1930), Zerconopsis labradorensis Evans et Hyatt, 1960, Zerconmichaeli, Zercon solenites, etc. Similar arcto-montane patterns have also been revealed for some “mountain” species: Trachytes hirschmanni Hutu, 1973, Syskenozercon kosiri Athias-Henriot, 1976, Veigaia belovae Davydova, 1979, Iphidinychus gaieri (Schweizer, 1961), and Zercon spp. As the climate becomes milder, the total share of arctic and arcto-montane species in the individual regions of the European Arctic gradually drops from 100% (Franz Josef Land) to 12% (Eastern Murman coast).

Barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis) feeding ecology and trophic relationship on Kolguev Island: the patterns of use of the nutritional resources in tundra and seashore habitats

Barnacle goose (<i>Branta leucopsis</i>) feeding ecology and trophic relationship on Kolguev Island: the patterns of use of the nutritional resources in tundra and seashore habitats

Faults in Quaternary cover as a relfection of basement tectonics: Kolguev island, barents sea

The paper is concerned with the results of the detailed study of dislocations in the Pliocene-Quaternary loose sediments exposed as cliffs extending for ∼30 km along the rectilinear shore of Kolguev Island. According to seismic data, this lineament is related to the Coastal Fault in the lower part of the sedimentary cover. A system of faults longitudinal, diagonal, and transverse relative to the shoreline is established from observations at the cliffs. Their arrangement in plan view corresponds to the geometry of the right-lateral shear zone, the axis of which almost coincides with the shoreline. This has allowed us to identify the faults as secondary disturbances in the region of dynamic effect of the Coastal Fault in the basement. The kinematics of the secondary faults and their dip azimuth are consistent with echeloned geometry in plan view. The low-angle dip of the reverse-strike-slip faults observed at the outcrops is caused by their near-surface flattening toward the subsided block. The shallow-seated dislocations are related to ductile lateral shear in the vertical plane. The lower layers of the sedimentary cover mimic the horizontal movements in the basement more closely than the upper layers. The data obtained indicate high neotectonic activity of the Barents Sea shelf and specify the geodynamic setting of the region in the Pliocene and Quaternary.

The fauna and ecology of butterflies (Lepidoptera, Rhopalocera) of the Kanin Peninsula and Kolguev Island

A total of 29 butterfly species in the forest-tundra and 14 species in the hypoarctic tundra were recorded on the Kanin Peninsula. Six species of butterflies were identified on Kolguev Island. The data on the fauna and distribution of species in the forest-tundra of the Kanin Peninsula are generally typical of this natural zone (Chernov and Tatarinov, 2006). The faunas of the northern part of the Kanin Peninsula and the southern part of Kolguev Island comprise fewer species, including those of the Arctic complex. This phenomenon is related to the coastal position of the regions, the cool summer and strong winds. On Kolguev Island, seasonal migrants appear simultaneously with the local species or considerably later. The most abundant species in the forest-tundra of the Kanin Peninsula are Erebia disa, Oeneis norna, Clossiana freija, Pieris napi, and Vacciniina optilete. The dominant species in southern tundra localities are Erebia euryale, E. pandrose, and Boloria aquilonaris, which coincides with the result of the 1903 research (Poppius, 1906). Only the dewy ringlet Erebia pandrose was recorded regularly in the south of Kolguev Island in 2009. In spite of the impoverished fauna of Rhopalocera some butterfly species clearly prevail in abundance and inhabit a wide range of biotopes, which agrees with the concept of compensatory mechanisms (Chernov, 2005). A high abundance of E. pandrose is a specific feature of the northern part of the Kanin Peninsula and Kolguev Island, pointing to the connection of the biota of these territories with the Subarctic regions of Fennoscandia.

Acritarchs from the Cambrian‐Ordovician boundary interval on Kolguev Island, Arctic Russia

New evidence from taxonomically rich and age‐diagnostic acritarch assemblages is used to recognize Upper Cambrian and Tremadoc strata in the Bugrino 1 and North‐Western 202 boreholes on Kolguev Island, Arctic Russia. The position of the boundary between the Cambrian and Ordovician systems in the sedimentologically continuous successions is inferred, as are stratigraphic intervals equivalent to the Late Cambrian Peltura and Acerocare trilobite zones of Baltica. This is the first paleontological documentation of Cambrian strata on the island and, on a regional scale, within the Pechora Basin and northeastern Europe. The newly established biostratigraphy provides the maximum relative age for the basal portion of the sedimentary cover overlying the Timanian angular unconformity, which separates the sediments from deformed and metamorphosed basement. In turn, it constrains the time‐span of the hiatus as pre‐Late Cambrian and thus is significant for reconstructing the timing of the major tectonic events in this region of the Baltica palaeocontinent. Twenty‐seven acritarch species are described in detail and 10 taxa are left under open nomenclature. The taxonomic attribution of several species is revised. The diagnosis of the genus Acanthodiacrodium is restricted, and those of Dasydiacrodium and Polygonium are emended. New combinations are proposed for the species Actinotodissus crinitus, A. formosus and Solisphaeridium akrochordum, and new emendations and combinations for Actinotodissus polimorphus, A. secundarius, and A. spinutisus. A new species, Solisphaeridium Chinese, is recognized. The stratigraphic ranges of taxa are compiled from global records and extension of some species ranges is suggested.

Upper Cambrian-Ordovician successions overlying Timanian complexes: new evidence of acritarchs and brachiopods from Kolguev Island, Arctic Russia

Drillholes to several kilometres depth on Kolguev Island in the southern Barents Sea have sampled early Palaeozoic successions, known elsewhere in the Pechora Basin to overlie Neoproterozoic basement complexes. New studies on acritarch microfossils from the lowermost part of the Palaeozoic succession (c. 4500 m depth), reached by the Bugrino 1 and North-Western 202 boreholes, revealed diverse and biostratigraphically significant assemblages, which indicate the position of the Cambrian-Ordovician boundary in a sedimentologically continuous offshore marine succession. Upper Cambrian strata equivalent to the Peltura and Acerocare zones are distinguished on the basis of common taxa known from the neighbouring East European Platform and other areas in Baltica, Avalonia, and Gondwana. Invertebrate faunas, including brachiopods, problematic mollusc and phyllocarid arthropods, are revised taxonomically; they are indicative for the Tremadocian and Arenigian stages in the upper part of the succession. The Cambrian strata are insofar documented by fossil record only on the Kolguev Island, although their extension (of various series) in other areas of the Pechora Basin is claimed on the grounds of geophysical data and/or is inferred from geological successions. This new biostratigraphic evidence and facies development suggest that the Upper Cambrian-Tremadocian platformal deposits were likely widely distributed over the northeastern Baltica, as they were in the East European Platform and Baltoscandia. They were accumulated on a stable and passive margin of the craton with steady subsidence and a high rate of sedimentation.

Late Cambrian relative age constraints by acritarchs on the post-Timanian deposition on Kolguev Island, Arctic Russia

Abstract Platformal sedimentary successions, inferred to overlie folded Neoproterozoic basement complexes and the post-Timanian unconformity, were studied in the Bugrino 1 and North-Western 202 boreholes on Kolguev Island, southern Barents Sea. They yielded diverse, age-diagnostic acritarchs and some shelly fossils. The Upper Cambrian strata, referred to the Peltura and Acerocare zones, are recognized by means of acritarch taxa known from the East European Platform and other areas in Baltica, Avalonia, and Gondwana. Shelly faunas of brachiopods, phyllocarid crustaceans and problematic molluscs are indicative of the Tremadoc and Arenig stages in the upper part of the succession. The boreholes did not reach the Timanian unconformity and older Cambrian strata may be present. Within the area of the Pechora Basin, Cambrian strata have been identified with certainty only on Kolguev Island. Further east in the Polar Urals, Upper Cambrian strata are present and Lower or Middle Cambrian and Vendian strata have been claimed, though not yet proven. They are reported from several localities, but the fossils are poorly documented. The biostratigraphic evidence and facies development indicate that Upper Cambrian deposits may have been distributed widely along the northeastern margin of Baltica, as they were on the East European Craton and in Baltoscandia.

ACRITARCHS FROM THE CAMBRIAN-ORDOVICIAN BOUNDARY INTERVAL ON KOLGUEV ISLAND, ARCTIC RUSSIA

Abstract New evidence from taxonomically rich and age-diagnostic acritarch assemblages is used to recognize Upper Cambrian and Tremadoc strata in the Bugrino 1 and North-Western 202 boreholes on Kolguev Island, Arctic Russia. The position of the boundary between the Cambrian and Ordovician systems in the sedimentologically continuous successions is inferred, as are stratigraphic intervals equivalent to the Late Cambrian Peltura and Acerocare trilobite zones of Baltica. This is the first paleontological documentation of Cambrian strata on the island and, on a regional scale, within the Pechora Basin and northeastern Europe. The newly established biostratigraphy provides the maximum relative age for the basal portion of the sedimentary cover overlying the Timanian angular unconformity, which separates the sediments from deformed and metamorphosed basement. In turn, it constrains the time-span of the hiatus as pre- Late Cambrian and thus is significant for reconstructing the timing of the major tectonic even...

Heavy metals in the soils Euro-Arctic territories

The features of metal accumulation by the Arctic soils are analyzed. The data of a comparative analysis content of total and metals mobile forms in natural and anthropogenic soils in the Euro-Arctic region are presented. Such areas studied: Frans Joseph Land, Spitsbergen, Solovetsky, Novaya Zemlya, Kolguev Island, cape Kanin Nos, Varnek, Sosnovets Island. The chemical analysis was carried out with the use of modern instrumental methods and certified methods: by X-ray fluorescence and atomic absorption methods. The degree of soil contamination was assessed by the maximum permissible concentrations exceeding and biogeochemical coefficients. Analysis of the experimental data has shown that metals accumulation by different types of soils is ambiguous: zinc and lead predominate in the arctic and tundra bog soils, manganese and cobalt in the non-gley and gley tundra soils, and cobalt and lead in the podzolic and alluvial meadow soils. Correlation analysis revealed the dependence of the metals accumulation with such physicochemical parameters as the content of physical clay, organic matter and the pH of the soil solution. According to the total pollution index (Zc), calculated related to clark, a dangerous level of contamination have the Arctic soils of Pyramid settlement, tundra non-gley soils of cape Belyy Nose, alluvial meadow acidic soils of Dixon settlement and peat soils of Sosnowiec Island. Tundra gley soils in Cape Kanin Nos have a moderately dangerous level of pollution. At the same time, the soils have an acceptable level of contamination with metals mobile forms. Practically all of the examined elements are represented by non-mobile forms, which are confirmed by the high value of the protective soils coefficients.

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.

Notes on the Glacial Geology of Arctic Europe and its Islands. Part I.: Kolguev Island

During the month of July 1895, after two ineffectual attempts to reach Novaya Zemlya, owing to the great accumulation of ice in Barents Sea, we ran down the dge of the ice-pack, which extended intact from Novaya Zemlya to the northern end of the Island of Kolguev. We were fortunate enough to meet with a day so fine and a sea so smooth that our party of five persons landed without difficulty at the mouth of the Gobista River, on the southwestern side of Kolguev. Our yacht was sent back to Vardö for coal, and we reminded on Kolguev for ten days, encountering very inclement weather. A most opportune break in an almost continuous series of gales and fogs enabled us to leave Kolguev on the return to our vessel, without difficulty or danger. The Island of Kolguev lies in Barents Sea, distant some 50 miles from the manland of Arctic Russia, and about 130 miles southwest from the nearest part of Novaya Zemlya. Its greatest breadth is about 50 miles, and its extreme length 40 miles; the general shape is oval. The superficial area may be roughly estimated at 2000 square miles. As a familiar comparison, we might liken it in extent to our East Anglian country of Norfolk. The soundings between Kolguev and the mainland of Europe do not exceed 30 fathoms, while, in all probability, 70 fathoms is the extreme depth between it and Novaya Zemlya. Kolguev, however, differs completely in geological structure from the mountainous islands