Russian Arctic Areas Research Articles

137Cs and isotopic ratios of Pu and U in lichens and mosses from Russian Arctic areas

Knowledge of past anthropogenic sources of radionuclide contamination in Russian Arctic areas is important to assess the radioecological situation of these less-studied regions. Therefore, we investigated the sources of radionuclide contamination in Russian Arctic in the 1990s. Lichen and moss samples were collected from 1993 to 1996 in Kola Peninsula, Franz Josef Land, and few other locations. The activity concentration of 137Cs was determined from the archived samples by gamma spectrometry in 2020. After radiochemical separation of Pu and U isotopes from the lichens and mosses, mass ratios 240Pu/239Pu, 234U/238U, 235U/238U, and 236U/238U were determined by mass spectrometry. 137Cs activity concentrations at the sampling date were found to vary from 3.1 ± 1.4 (Inari, Finnish-Russian border) to 303 ± 7 (Kola Peninsula) Bq/kg. The ranges of isotopic ratios were 0.0592 ± 0.0007 to 0.253 ± 0.082 for 240Pu/239Pu, (4.89 ± 3.91) × 10−5 to (6.86 ± 0.04) × 10−5 for 234U/238U, 0.0072104(21) to 0.007376(41) for 235U/238U, and from below 1 × 10−7 to (2.65 ± 0.19) × 10−6 for 236U/238U, respectively. Based on the measured isotopic ratios and characteristic isotopic ratios of known contamination sources, the main Pu and U sources in the sampled lichens and mosses are global fallout, the Chernobyl accident, and possibly local nuclear activities. These results contribute to further understanding of past nuclear events and resulting nuclear contamination in Russian Arctic terrestrial areas.

Usage of additive technologies in the Arctic region

The article considers the use of additive technologies in the Arctic region as a tool that contributes to the sustainable development of the Arctic territories. The Arctic region is rich in deposits of minerals, hydrocarbons and other strategically important resources for the Russian Federation. In the article described the current use of additive technologies and a classification of additive technologies according to the following criteria: method of layer formation, method of the powder conversion and on the materials being processed. The types of additive technologies for each classification criterion are considered. A conceptual approach of analyzing the capabilities of additive technologies in the Arctic is proposed, it is based on the classification of the Russian Arctic area into subspaces and consideration of the capabilities of additive technologies for each subspace. Due to the fact that human activity in the Arctic is heterogeneous, the entire region can be divided into subspaces for functional purposes. The article presents the results of the analysis of the possibility of using additive technologies in the following Arctic subspaces: base cities, mobile rotational camps, mineral resource extraction territories, recreational territories, fishing territories, the Northern sea route, and infrastructure for the protection of safe existence. The article describes the application of additive technologies taking into account the functional features of each subspace of the region, describes advantages and limitations of using this technology of its use.

Tax and Customs Mechanisms for Regulation of the Russian Arctic Development from the Standpoint of Strengthening National Interests

The subject of the research is the formation of a comprehensive interconnected set of regulatory mechanisms for the socioeconomic development of the Arctic macro-region to meet the new economic requirements. The purpose of the research was to develop an adapted set of tax and customs regulatory mechanisms for the development of the Arctic Area of the Russian Federation from the standpoint of strengthening the national interests and economic security of the country and to identify the main problems in the establishment of a system for financial support and stimulation of the socio-economic development of the Russian Arctic Area. The relevance of the research is due to the fact that the development of the Russian Arctic Area having a substantial natural resource and economic potential determines to a great extent the economic security and sustainable development of the country. The dynamically changing geopolitical and economic situation necessitates seeking new approaches to the formation of the country’s Arctic financial policy alongside the development of effective mechanisms for its implementation in order to ensure sustainable socio-economic development of the Russian Arctic Area. Conclusions: a set of tax and customs mechanisms for the implementation of the state Arctic financial policy was proposed from the standpoint of strengthening national interests aimed at the promotion of investment, business and research activities in the Russian Arctic Area. The comprehensive use of the proposed regulatory mechanisms will improve the effectiveness of investment and financial decisions in the implementation of the state Arctic policy.

Решение проблемы необходимых данных для численного моделирования процессов в Белом море в интересах развития Арктической зоны Российской Федерации

Решение проблемы необходимых данных для численного моделирования процессов в Белом море в интересах развития Арктической зоны Российской Федерации

PROVIDING A COMFORTABLE LIFE ACTIVITY IN THE ARCTIC: PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES

The article contains reasoned proposals on solving the most important problems of perspective development of the Arctic zone territories of the Russian Federation (Russian Arctic) - the consolidation of the population as the main productive force for implementation of the objectives of the state policy of the Russian Federation in the Arctic and the Strategy for socio-economic development of the Russian Arctic and ensuring national security up to 2020. Above mentioned documents as well as the State program of socio-economic development of the Russian Arctic up to 2020 are aimed at achieving a high indicators of a macroregion development, including science and technology development, improvement of the effectiveness of resources utilization of the Arctic zone and continental shelf of the Russian Federation in the Arctic and efficiency improvement of the state management of socio-economic development of the Arctic zone and the quality of life of the population of the Arctic zone. The implementation of the state program should create conditions for accelerated socio-economic development of the Arctic zone, the achievement of the strategic interests and national security of Russia in the Arctic. Among the main tools of its implementation is the creation of economic growth points - index zones. It is obvious that to achieve ambitious aims in production sphere it is necessary to relay on the labour resources of appropriate magnitude and professional training. However, the statistical information analysis on dynamics and factors changes in the population base of subjects of federation and the Arctic municipal formations allowed to detect a systematic outflow of labour resources of the macroregion during the last 10 years. Only in 2015 it amounted 22 835 people of working age. Sociological surveys allowed to discover the main reasons for sustainable migration from the Russian Arctic areas. They are: reduction of labor application area and extreme dissatisfaction with the living conditions (quality of housing and lack of opportunities to improve housing conditions, low level of social sphere development). The criteria for "comfortable living", is at a forefront of the population migration from even large settlements - index zones of the Arctic development.

ISSUES AND PERSPECTIVES OF USING PROJECT-ORIENTED APPROACH IN THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT POLICY

Summarized are fi ndings of the research study “Special-purpose program management of comprehensive development of the Arctic area of the Russian Federation”) based on systems methodology, partially published in 2014-2015 and funded by the Russian Science Foundation. The fi ndings above include substantiation of the uniqueness of the Arctic area of the Russian Federation as an object of public administration and public policy and that of the program of comprehensive development of this area as the Russian Arctic area redevelopment megaproject. The study outcomes also involve: analysis and assessment of the key substantive components and two implementation phases of the program above; analysis and substantiation of the specifi city of using project-oriented approach in the practice of special-purpose program management of development of the Arctic area of the Russian Federation. Briefl y discussed are and evaluation provided of the experiences of using projectoriented approach in practical public administration and public policy in Russia. The key fi nding of the paper, valuable for substantiation of the organizational system and practical issues of the policy above – effi ciency of the megaproject of the region's redevelopment is signifi cantly precipitated by eff ective application of the special-purpose program management approach to the development policy for the Arctic area of the Russian Federation. Within this context the area above is interpreted as a unique and integrated object of the public policy while coordination of every policy actor relies on the shared (single) target of the megaproject and economic, social and infrastructural ties both historically established and those specially designed and organized to implement this megaproject.

Geographical distribution of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in polar bears ( Ursus maritimus) in the Norwegian and Russian Arctic

Geographical variation of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) was studied in blood samples from 90 adult female polar bear ( Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard, Franz Josef Land, Kara Sea, East-Siberian Sea and Chukchi Sea. In all regions, oxychlordane was the dominant OCP. Regional differences in mean levels of HCB, oxychlordane, trans-nonachlor, α-HCH, β-HCH and p,p′-DDE were found. The highest levels of oxychlordane, trans-nonachlor and DDE were found in polar bears from Franz Josef Land and Kara Sea. HCB level was lowest in polar bears from Svalbard. Polar bears from Chukchi Sea had the highest level of α- and β-HCH. The lowest α-HCH concentration was found in bears from Kara Sea. In all the bears, ∑HCHs was dominated by β-HCH. The geographical variation in OCP levels and pattern may suggest regional differences in pollution sources and different feeding habits in the different regions. Polar bears from the Western Russian Arctic were exposed to higher levels of chlordanes and p,p′-DDE than polar bears from locations westwards and eastwards from this region. This may imply the presence of a significant pollution source in the Russian Arctic area. The study suggests that the western Russian Arctic is the most contaminated region of the Arctic and warrants further research.

Birds of the Indigirka River Delta, Russia: Historical and Biogeographic Comparisons

We documented the breeding status and relative abundance of all avian species on the coastal portion of the Indigirka River Delta during spring and summer 1993-95. Data on avifaunal composition were then compared to data from adjacent areas from Eastern Siberia to the Chukotka Peninsula to evaluate how species composition changes longitudinally within the arctic and typical tundra zones of northern Russia. We recorded 63 species on the Indigirka River Delta, 37 (58.7%) of which were confirmed breeders during at least one of the three years. Five new species were recorded breeding (Arenaria interpres, Calidris acuminata, Limnodromus scolopaceus, Stercorarius parasiticus, and Asio flammeus), and 13 previously unrecorded species were observed during this study. We also identified several species of rare or threatened status in Russia and North America, including Branta bernicla, Somateria fischeri, Polysticta stelleri, and Rhodostethia rosea. We used parsimony and distance matrix methods to compare the breeding species richness on the Indigirka River Delta to that of six other Russian Arctic areas. Biogeographic comparisons revealed the presence of two clades in the Russian Arctic: the Lena River Delta east to Chaun Delta and the Chukotka Peninsula.