Northern Kara Sea Research Articles

Tectonic Basis for Oil and Gas Potential in the North Kara Prospective Oil and Gas Region (Western Arctic, Russia)

—Russia’s Arctic shelf and, in particular, the Kara Sea shelf, is one of the unique regions in the world with enormous hydrocarbon potential; however, due to the harsh climate conditions, it has been studied unevenly. The lack of deep and parametric drilling data in the northern Kara Sea leads to numerous uncertainties in regional geological structure models and, as a consequence, in assessing the resource potential of this Arctic region. A vast number of 2D CDP seismic explorations were carried out in the northern Kara Sea. The results of these studies made it possible to refine the geological structure of the Kara Plate, substantiate the boundaries of the North Kara independent prospective oil and gas region and promising areas within it, and assess hydrocarbon resources.

Stratigraphic Drilling in the Northern Kara Sea: First Case and Preliminary Results

Abstract —Until recently, the sedimentary cover age and composition of the marginal North Kara Basin (northern part of the Kara Sea, Russian Arctic) remained uncertain because of the absence of direct data from parametric and exploration wells. Taking into consideration the absolute importance of these issues for understanding the regional geology of the Arctic shelf and evaluating its petroleum potential, Rosneft Oil Company, together with AO RosGeo, drilled ten shallow stratigraphic wells in fall 2020 using the research vessel (RV) Bavenit to reveal the complete stratigraphic range of the North Kara Basin. The ultrahigh-resolution (UHR) seismic survey was carried out by the RV Kapitan Voronin to adjust the well site locations and integrate the well sections into the regional geological model based on 2D seismic data during the drilling campaign. As a result, 300 m core was recovered from 11 Paleozoic and two Mesozoic stratigraphic units, previously investigated by 2D seismic and outcrop studies of the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago. Lab analyses (biostratigraphy, lithology, sedimentology, geochemistry, and other types of core analysis) were performed at Lomonosov Moscow State University. We present obtained lab results confirming that the main part of the North Kara Basin section belongs to the Paleozoic; late Cambrian–Late Devonian rock ages have been derived. Several Paleozoic units tend to be older than those in previously published models. Core samples include mainly terrigenous rocks with insignificant carbonate presence. Paleozoic units are overlain by a thin Mesozoic terrigenous section dated from Middle Triassic to Middle Jurassic above a distinct angular unconformity. After a thorough analysis of all the lab results, we will obtain data on the ages of sedimentary units, as well as their lithology and depositional environments, and establish elements of the hydrocarbon system (source rocks, reservoirs, and seals) to evaluate the North Kara Basin petroleum potential with lesser uncertainty. We suppose that our results will significantly contribute to establishing a stratigraphic framework, reconstructing the basin history, and evaluating the petroleum potential of the whole Arctic region.

1933 Arctic Expedition on the Icebreaking Steamer A. Sibiryakov: Personal Diary of the Microbiologist B. L. Isachenko

In 1933, a scientific expedition to the northern Kara Sea on the icebreaking steamer A. Sibiryakov was conducted, organized by the All-Union Arctic Institute. Among the expedition participants was the founder of Russian marine and geological microbiology, Academician B. L. Isachenko (also spelled Issatschenko), who kept a personal diary during the expedition. This article analyzes this valuable historical source that contains the descriptions of various events that occurred during the expedition and Isachenko’s opinion on these events as well as his reflections on the optimal forms of organizing Arctic expeditions. The diary also sheds light on the inner world of the scientist who found himself in the extreme working conditions. The results he obtained during the expedition lead to the conclusions about the global human impact and future immense burden on the Arctic ecosystem.

Seasonal Variability in the Sedimentary Matter Flux on the Shelf of the Northern Kara Sea

Seasonal Variability in the Sedimentary Matter Flux on the Shelf of the Northern Kara Sea

Phytoplankton of the St. Anna Trough: Influence of Abiotic Factors

Samples were collected in the area of the St. Anna Trough in the northern Kara Sea in September 2015 and July–August 2016. Based on salinity and temperature distribution, four areas have been distinguished: the shelf adjacent to the St. Anna Trough, the shelf edge, and the upper and lower parts of the continental slope. The variability of the structure of phytoplankton communities has been analyzed in view of environmental conditions in the distinguished areas. It is shown that changes in the species structure of phytoplankton are more associated with seasonal reorganization in the community than with the effect of river runoff and waters of the Barents Sea and Atlantic. In the shelf area, the presence of Barents Sea winter water led to an increase in the number of species of early spring diatoms and an increase in the abundance of early and late spring diatoms. An increase in the abundance and biomass of phytoplankton and changes in their vertical distribution in mid-July–early August occurred against the effect of Barents Sea and Atlantic waters on the area and desalination of the upper layer under the effect of river runoff in early September.

Feeding of Greenland halibut Reinhardtius hippoglossoides (Pleuronectidae) in the Kara Sea

Feeding of Greenland halibut Reinhardtius hippoglossoides in the northern Kara Sea was studied based on data collected in summer–autumn 2007–2013. The main food of all size groups of halibut were fish—up to 98% of weight of the food bolus. Larger individuals had lower intensity of feeding as compared to juveniles, which was probably owing to the lack of suitable food for large fish and, along with gonad maturation process, could be one of the reasons of their migration to the Barents Sea. The northern part of the Kara Sea, as well as the adjacent areas of Barents Sea, can be considered as an important area of habitation of juvenile Greenland halibut of the Norwegian–Barents Sea population.

Hydrographic responses to regional covariates across the Kara Sea

The Kara Sea is a shelf sea in the Arctic Ocean which has a strong spatiotemporal hydrographic variation driven by river discharge, air pressure, and sea ice. There is a lack of information about the effects of environmental variables on surface hydrography in different regions of the Kara Sea. We use a hierarchical spatially varying coefficient model to study the variation of sea surface temperature (SST) and salinity (SSS) in the Kara Sea between years 1980 and 2000. The model allows us to study the effects of climatic (Arctic oscillation index (AO)) and seasonal (river discharge and ice concentration) environmental covariates on hydrography. The hydrographic responses to covariates vary considerably between different regions of the Kara Sea. River discharge decreases SSS in the shallow shelf area and has a neutral effect in the northern Kara Sea. The responses of SST and SSS to AO show the effects of different wind and air pressure conditions on water circulation and hence on hydrography. Ice concentration has a constant effect across the Kara Sea. We estimated the average SST and SSS in the Kara Sea in 1980–2000. The average August SST over the Kara Sea in 1995–2000 was higher than the respective average in 1980–1984 with 99.9% probability and August SSS decreased with 77% probability between these time periods. We found a support that the winter season AO has an impact on the summer season hydrography, and temporal trends may be related to the varying level of winter season AO index.

The structure and distribution of the phytoplankton community in the deep region of the Northern Kara Sea

The phytoplankton community and its distribution were investigated in the eastern branch of the St. Anna Trough and over the adjacent Kara Sea shelf in September 2011 and in August 2014. The spatial and seasonal differences in the phytoplankton structure were analyzed in connection with ice melting and changes in the temperature, salinity, and biogenic regime. Four 4 zones were defined: the Kara Sea shelf, the upper part of the St. Anna Trough slope, the lower part of the St. Anna Trough slope, and its deep part. It was shown that over the Kara Sea shelf where riverine runoff influence was observed, the phytoplankton community differs from the community of the St. Anna Trough in both investigated periods: in September and August. Rearrangement of the phytoplankton community was observed in the frontal zone associated with the upper part of the slope in September of 2011. The main features of this rearrangement were a change in dominant species composition and a 1.5–2-fold increase in the number and biomass of algae. Over the lower part of the slope and deep area of the St. Anna Trough in August 2014 and September 2011, the phytoplankton community was at different successive stages: in August, at the late spring and summer stage, and in September, at the summer–autumn stage.

Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers and crenarchaeol record post-glacial sea level rise and shift in source of terrigenous brGDGTs in the Kara Sea (Arctic Ocean)

This study evaluates the glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) distribution and provenance in sediments (spanning a minimum of 13.3ka) from the St. Anna Trough (Northern Kara Sea). The site has experienced extensive fluctuation in the delivery of river-derived organic matter (OM), caused by a eustatic change in sea level. This is in line with the record of the concentration of the isoprenoid GDGT, crenarchaeol, produced by marine Thaumarchaota, which was low at the bottom of the core, increasing gradually in the most shallow unit. The concentration of branched (br)GDGTs showed an opposite trend and a marked shift in distribution. The deepest sediments (>10ka), with a distribution currently encountered in surface sediments in front of the Yenisei River, are characterized by terrigenous brGDGTs, whereas the distribution in the shallowest unit (<10ka) is strongly influenced by marine, in-situ brGDGTs. During the shift from terrigenous to marine-sourced brGDGTs, there was one horizon where a pronounced shift in the brGDGT distribution was observed and the brGDGT concentration significantly decreased. As the brGDGTs delivered to the current Kara Sea system are derived from several sources, we postulate that a temporary change in the relative importance of the brGDGT sources happened during this interval. Both in-situ production and changing brGDGT provenance have implications for paleoclimate reconstruction using brGDGTs. In-situ production of marine brGDGTs results in a higher reconstructed pH. However, these in-situ produced brGDGTs did not influence the reconstructed mean annual air temperature (MAT), when the MATmrs calibration was used. Changes in the relative contribution of brGDGT sub-pools were shown, however, to influence both soil pH reconstruction and MAT reconstruction.

Atlantic water flow into the Arctic Ocean through the St. Anna Trough in the northern Kara Sea

The Atlantic Water flow from the Barents and Kara seas to the Arctic Ocean through the St. Anna Trough (SAT) is conditioned by interaction between Fram Strait branch water circulating in the SAT and Barents Sea branch water—both of Atlantic origin. Here we present data from an oceanographic mooring deployed on the eastern flank of the SAT from September 2009 to September 2010 as well as CTD (conductivity-temperature-depth) sections across the SAT. A distinct vertical density front over the SAT eastern slope deeper than ∼50 m is attributed to the outflow of Barents Sea branch water to the Arctic Ocean. In turn, the Barents Sea branch water flow to the Arctic Ocean is conditioned by two water masses defined by relative low and high fractions of the Atlantic Water. They are also traceable in the Nansen Basin downstream of the SAT entrance. A persistent northward current was recorded in the subsurface layer along the SAT eastern slope with a mean velocity of 18 cm s−1 at 134–218 m and 23 cm s−1 at 376–468 m. Observations and modeling suggest that the SAT flow has a significant density-driven component. It is therefore expected to respond to changes in the cross-trough density gradient conditioned by interaction between the Fram Strait and Barents Sea branches. Further modeling efforts are necessary to investigate hydrodynamic instability and eddy generation caused by the interaction between the SAT flow and the Arctic Ocean Fram Strait branch water boundary current.

A lithosphere-scale structural model of the Barents Sea and Kara Sea region

Abstract. We introduce a regional 3-D structural model of the Barents Sea and Kara Sea region which is the first to combine information on the sediments and the crystalline crust as well as the configuration of the lithospheric mantle. Therefore, we have integrated all available geological and geophysical data, including interpreted seismic refraction and reflection data, seismological data, geological maps and previously published 3-D models into one consistent model. This model resolves four major megasequence boundaries (earliest Eocene, mid-Cretaceous, mid-Jurassic and mid-Permian) the top crystalline crust, the Moho and a newly calculated lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary (LAB). The thickness distributions of the corresponding main megasequences delineate five major subdomains (the northern Kara Sea, the southern Kara Sea, the eastern Barents Sea, the western Barents Sea and the oceanic domain comprising the Norwegian–Greenland Sea and the Eurasia Basin). Relating the subsidence histories of these subdomains to the structure of the deeper crust and lithosphere sheds new light on possible causative basin forming mechanisms that we discuss. The depth configuration of the newly calculated LAB and the seismic velocity configuration of the upper mantle correlate with the younger history of this region. The western Barents Sea is underlain by a thinned lithosphere (80 km) resulting from multiple Phanerozoic rifting phases and/or the opening of the NE Atlantic from Paleocene/Eocene times on. Notably, the northwestern Barents Sea and Svalbard are underlain by thinnest continental lithosphere (60 km) and a low-velocity/hot upper mantle that correlates spatially with a region where late Cenozoic uplift was strongest. As opposed to this, the eastern Barents Sea is underlain by a thicker lithosphere (~ 110–150 km) and a high-velocity/density anomaly in the lithospheric mantle. This anomaly, in turn, correlates with an area where only little late Cenozoic uplift/erosion was observed.

Contribution to the liverwort flora of the Russian Arctic. 2: Uedineniya Island (Kara Sea)

Uedineniya Island is an isolated location (27°28–31′ N 82°09–42′ E) in the northern Kara Sea, two degrees south of Vize Island. It has an area of 20 sq. km and represents an erosion accumulative lowland divided by a network of beams and ravines. There were no data on liverworts of this island until the present. This study identifies a small bryophyte collection obtained by I. N. Safronova in 1985 during a few hours on the island. In total, 18 species were recorded. The report fills a gap in the knowledge of liverworts of the isolated remote territories of the Russian Arctic, an area almost inaccessible to botanists. The revealed species composition is common for High Arctic; it has almost no particular features. The second record of Orthocaulis quadrilobus (Lindb.) A. Evans f. cephalozielloides (R. M. Schust.) Potemkin, comb. nov. for the Russian Arctic is noteworthy.

Heat loss from the Atlantic water layer in the northern Kara Sea: causes and consequences

Abstract. A distinct, subsurface density front along the eastern St. Anna Trough in the northern Kara Sea is inferred from hydrographic observations in 1996 and 2008–2010. Direct velocity measurements show a persistent northward subsurface current (~ 18 cm s−1) along the St. Anna Trough eastern flank. This sheared flow, carrying the outflow from the Barents and Kara seas to the Arctic Ocean, is also evident from shipboard observations as well as from geostrophic velocities and numerical model simulations. Although we cannot substantiate our conclusions by direct observation-based estimates of mixing rates in the area, we hypothesize that the enhanced vertical mixing along the St. Anna Trough eastern flank favors the upward heat loss from the intermediate warm Atlantic water layer. Modeling results support this hypothesis. The upward heat flux inferred from hydrographic data and model simulations is of O(30–100) W m−2. The region of lowered sea ice thickness and concentration seen both in sea ice remote sensing observations and model simulations marks the Atlantic water pathway in the St. Anna Trough and adjacent Nansen Basin continental margin. In fact, the sea ice shows a delayed freeze-up onset during fall and a reduction in the sea ice thickness during winter. This is consistent with our results on the enhanced Atlantic water heat loss along the Atlantic water pathway in the St. Anna Trough.

Anomalous Arctic surface wind patterns and their impacts on September sea ice minima and trend

ABSTRACTWe used monthly mean surface wind data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Centers for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis dataset during the period 1979–2010 to describe the first two patterns of Arctic surface wind variability by means of the complex vector empirical orthogonal function (CVEOF) analysis. The first two patterns respectively account for 31 and 16% of its total anomalous kinetic energy. The leading pattern consists of the two subpatterns: the northern Laptev Sea (NLS) pattern and the Arctic dipole (AD) pattern. The second pattern contains the northern Kara Sea (NKS) pattern and the central Arctic (CA) pattern. Over the past two decades, the combined dynamical forcing of the first two patterns has contributed to Arctic September sea ice extent (SIE) minima and its declining trend. September SIE minima are mainly associated with the negative phase of the AD pattern and the positive phase of the CA pattern during the summer (July to September) season, and both phases coherently show an anomalous anticyclone over the Arctic Ocean. Wind patterns affect September SIE through their frequency and intensity. The negative trend in September SIE over the past two decades is associated with increased frequency and enhanced intensity of the CA pattern during the melting season from April to September. Thus, it cannot be simply attributed to the AD anomaly characterised by the second empirical orthogonal function mode of sea level pressure north of 70°N. The CA pattern exhibited interdecadal variability in the late 1990s, and an anomalous cyclone prevailed before 1997 and was then replaced by an anomalous anticyclone over the Arctic Ocean that is consistent with the rapid decline trend in September SIE. This paper provides an alternative way to identify the dominant patterns of climate variability and investigate their associated Arctic sea ice variability from a dynamical perspective. Indeed, this study investigates only the role of surface wind dynamical forcing in resulting September SIE minima and trend in terms of CVEOF, without even considering contributions from other factors.

Biomass of zooplankton in the eastern Arctic Ocean – A base line study

Only a few historical assessments of the zooplankton biomass in the Arctic Ocean exist are difficult to compare due to methodological differences including incomplete sampling of the water column. We present assessments of the zooplankton biomass for 66 locations scattered over the Eurasian and Makarov Basins of the Arctic Ocean and analyze regional variability and factors affecting the biomass distribution. The study is based on material from several summer expeditions of RV Polarstern (1993–1998) that was collected and processed using consistent methods, i.e. stratified sampling of the entire water column from the bottom to the surface with very similar gear and standardized calculation of biomass. Total zooplankton biomass varied strongly from 1.9 to 23.9 g DW m −2 dry mass. Regional variability was mainly related to the circulation pattern, but local food availability was also important. A belt of elevated biomass along the Eurasian continental margin was associated with the advection of Atlantic pelagic populations within the Arctic Ocean Boundary Current along the Siberian shelves and returning branches along mid-ocean ridges. Biomass was highest in the core of the Atlantic inflow and remained rather stable along the continental margins, but species composition changed, pointing to different adaptation levels to local conditions by advected species. Biomass gradually decreased towards the shelves and basins and was lowest in the centers of the basins north of 85°N. In the slope region, three Calanus species ( C. hyperboreus, C. glacialis, C. finmarchicus) and Metridia longa contributed most to the biomass, chaetognaths ( Eukrohnia hamata) were also important. In the basins, C. hyperboreus was dominant, copepods made up to 97% of total biomass. Vertical distribution was similar at all stations with biomass maxima in the upper 50 m layer except for stations near Fram Strait and northern Kara Sea, the gateways of Atlantic water to the Arctic Ocean, where maxima where between 25 and 100 m. As there was only very little interannual variability of temperature and current velocity in the regions of the Atlantic inflow we suggest that the majority of our samples, collected in 1993 and 1995, represents the phase of the 1990s warm event in the Nordic Seas.

Variations in characteristics of the barents branch of the Atlantic Water in the Nansen Basin under the influence of atmospheric circulation over the Barents Sea

The thermohaline structure of the Arctic Basin (AB) of the Arctic Ocean (AO) is determined to a great extent by an intermediate water layer existing under ice at a depth varying from 100 to 700–1000 m. The water layer is formed by warm North Atlantic Water (AW), which enters the AB by two ways: through Fram Strait and the Barents Sea (Fig. 1). The AW arriving to the AB via Fram Strait extends further eastward along the continental slope of the Eurasian Arctic region and forms the Fram Branch (FBAW). The Barents Branch of the AW (BBAW) was formed by the North Atlantic Water entering the Barents Sea between the Spitsbergen Archipelago and the Scandinavian Peninsula. Both branches merge in the northern Kara Sea.

Transport of low 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratio plutonium-species in the Ob and Yenisey Rivers to the Kara Sea

Plutonium (Pu) isotope ratios can be used to differentiate between sources of Pu contamination such as nuclear weapon production, weapon fallout as well as accidental and routine releases from nuclear installations. To obtain information on the contamination level, speciation and sources of Pu in the Ob and Yenisey river systems (Siberia, Russia) and the adjacent Kara Sea, water was size fractionated onboard ship and the concentrations and atom ratios of 240Pu and 239Pu in obtained water fractions (i.e. particles, colloids and low molecular mass species) were determined by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Results show a clear difference in speciation between high 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratio Pu derived from global weapon fallout and low 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratio Pu, presumably originating from weapons grade Pu. In particular, the 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios (mean 0.18 ± 0.06) for particles (> 0.45 μm) could not be distinguished from global fallout Pu (0.17–0.19), whereas for low molecular mass (LMM; < 8 kDa) species the Pu ratio was much lower than for global fallout Pu in both rivers. The difference was especially well pronounced in the Ob (mean 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratio 0.052 ± 0.023), where the difference was statistically significant (paired t-test, P = 0.02, n = 4). The low 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios in filtered (< 0.45 μm) water and especially in the LMM fractions were observed at stations along the whole length of the two sampling transects, extending from the lower parts of the Ob and Yenisey Rivers and into the northern Kara Sea. This provides evidence of long-range transport of Pu from low burn-up or non-civil sources into the Arctic Ocean. Pu appears to be predominantly in a dissolved form (< 0.45 μm) throughout the investigated area. The colloidal fraction (8 kDa–0.45 μm) ranged within 24–78% in the river systems and 8–53% in the Kara Sea. Concentrations of 239,240Pu in filtered (< 0.45 μm) water were very low, ranging from 2.6 to 40.6 mBq m − 3 in the rivers, somewhat higher than in the open Kara Sea (2.4–7.7 mBq m − 3 ) in agreement with previously reported values.

Organic matter deposition along the Kara and Laptev Seas continental margin (eastern Arctic Ocean) during last deglaciation and Holocene: evidence from organic–geochemical and petrographical data

Organic petrologic (maceral analysis) and bulk organic–geochemical studies were performed on five sediment cores from the Eurasian continental margin to reconstruct the environmental changes during the last ∼13 000 yr. The core stratigraphy is based on AMS- 14C dating, and correlation by magnetic susceptibility and lithostratigraphic characteristics. Variations in terrigenous, freshwater, and marine organic matter deposition document paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic changes during the transition from the last deglaciation to the Holocene. Glacigenic diamictons deposited in the St. Anna Trough (northern Kara Sea) during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) are characterized by reworked terrigenous organic matter. In contrast, the Laptev Sea shelf was not covered by an ice-sheet, but was exposed by the lowered sea level. Increased deposition of marine organic matter (MOM) during deglaciation indicates enhanced surface-water productivity, possibly related to influence of Atlantic waters. The occurrence of freshwater alginite gives evidence for river discharge to the Kara and Laptev Seas after the LGM. At the eastern Laptev Sea slope, the first influence of Atlantic water masses is indicated by an increase in the contents of MOM and dinoflagellate cysts, with Operculodinium centrocarpum prior to ∼10 000 yr BP. High sedimentation rates in the Kara and the Laptev Seas with the adjacent slope at the beginning of the Holocene are presumably related to increased freshwater and sediment discharge from the Siberian rivers. Evidence for elevated Holocene freshwater discharge to the Laptev Sea has been found between ∼9.8 and 9 kyr BP, at ∼5 kyr BP and at ∼2.5 kyr BP. In the Kara Sea, an increased freshwater signal is obvious at ∼8.5 kyr BP and at ∼5 kyr BP. Higher portions of MOM were accumulated in the St. Anna Trough and at the Eurasian continental margin at several intervals during the Holocene. Increased primary productivity during these intervals is explained by seasonally ice-free conditions possibly associated with increased inflow of Atlantic waters.

Confluence and redistribution of Atlantic water in the Nansen, Amundsen and Makarov basins

Abstract. The waters in the Eurasian Basin are conditioned by the confluence of the boundary flow of warm, saline Fram Strait water and cold low salinity water from the Barents Sea entering through the St. Anna Trough. Hydrographic sections obtained from RV Polarstern during the summer of 1996 (ACSYS 96) across the St. Anna Trough and the Voronin Trough in the northern Kara Sea and across the Nansen, Amundsen and Makarov basins allow for the determination of the water mass properties of the two components and the construction of a qualitative picture of the circulation both within the Eurasian Basin and towards the Canadian Basin. At the confluence north of the Kara Sea, the Fram Strait branch is displaced from the upper to the lower slope and it forms a sharp front to the Barents Sea water at depths between 100 m and greater than 1000 m. This front disintegrates downstream along the basin margin and the two components are largely mixed before the boundary current reaches the Lomonosov Ridge. Away from the continental slope, the presence of interleaving structures coherent over wide distances is consistent with low lateral shear. The return flow along the Nansen Gakkel Ridge, if present at all, seems to be slow and the cold water below a deep mixed layer there indicates that the Fram Strait Atlantic water was not covered with a halocline for about a decade. Anomalous water mass properties in the interior of the Eurasian Basin can be attributed to isolated lenses rather than to baroclinic flow cores. Eddies have probably detached from the front at the confluence and migrated into the interior of the basin. One deep (2500 m) lens of Canadian Basin water, with an anticyclonic eddy signature, must have spilled through a gap of the Lomonosov Ridge. During ACSYS 96, no clear fronts between Eurasian and Canadian intermediate waters, such as those observed further north in 1991 and 1994, were found at the Siberian side of the Lomonosov Ridge. This indicates that the Eurasian Basin waters enter the Canadian Basin not only along the continental slope but they may also cross the Lomonosov Ridge at other topographic irregularities. A decrease in salinity around 1000 m in depth in the Amundsen Basin probably originates from a larger input of fresh water to the Barents Sea. The inherent density changes may affect the flow towards the Canadian Basin.Key words. Oceanography: general (Artic and Antartic oceanography; descriptive and regional oceanography) Oceanography: physical (hydrography)

A dendrochronological analysis of driftwood in the Northern Dvina delta and on northern Novaya Zemlya

Analysis of the wood anatomy of modern driftwood logs deposited by the Northern Dvina River, Russia, reveals nearly identical amounts of Picea and Pinus in contrast to the driftwood deposits in the European Arctic, which are dominated by Pinus. Two Picea and two Pinus driftwood chronologies that were constructed could be cross‐dated with several chronologies available from the drainage area of the Northern Dvina as well as with driftwood chronologies from Jan Mayen in the Greenland Sea or the Barents Sea coast of north Norway. The degree of cross dating indicates that two major source areas are represented among the driftwood logs examined, i.e., the lower part of the Pinega drainage basin and the eastern central part of the province of Archangel. The origin suggested corresponds with the development of the important logging areas. Driftwood pine and spruce logs from northern Novaya Zemlya cross‐dated with chronologies from northwest Russia and the Lower Angara region reveal a transport of ice‐rafted wood between the Barents Sea and the northern Kara Sea. Two dispersal routes of driftwood from northwest Russia to locations in the Barents Sea and the Norwegian and Greenland Sea are proposed, via a counter‐clockwise circulation in the Barents Sea and via export of drift ice to the Arctic Ocean north of Novaya Zemlya.