Siberia Research Articles

Neogene Hydrothermal Fe‐ and Mn‐Oxide Mineralization of Paleozoic Continental Rocks, Amerasia Basin, Arctic Ocean

AbstractRocks dredged from water depths of 1,605, 2,500, 3,300, and 3,400 m in the Arctic Ocean included Paleozoic continental rocks pervasively mineralized during the Neogene by hydrothermal Fe and Mn oxides. Samples were recovered in three dredge hauls from the Chukchi Borderland and one from Mendeleev Ridge north of Alaska and eastern Siberia, respectively. Many of the rocks were so pervasively altered that the protolith could not be identified, while others had volcanic, plutonic, and metamorphic protoliths. The mineralized rocks were cemented and partly to wholly replaced by the hydrothermal oxides. The Amerasia Basin, where the Chukchi Borderland and Mendeleev Ridge occur, supports a series of faults and fractures that serve as major zones of crustal weakness. We propose that the stratabound hydrothermal deposits formed through the flux of hydrothermal fluids along Paleozoic and Mesozoic faults related to block faulting along a rifted margin during minor episodes of Neogene tectonism and were later exposed at the seafloor through slumping or other gravity processes. Tectonically driven hydrothermal circulation most likely facilitated the pervasive mineralization along fault surfaces via frictional heating, hydrofracturing brecciation, and low‐ to moderate temperature Fe‐ and Mn‐rich hydrothermal fluids, which mineralized the crushed, altered, and brecciated rocks.

CHİNESE ZİTHER SE İN ANCİENT AND TRADİTİONAL MUSİCAL AND İNSTRUMENTAL CULTURES OF TURKİC, MONGOLİAN AND TUNGUSKA-MANCHU ETHNİC GROUPS

The relevance of this study is conditioned by the dynamic development of the guzheng zither of medieval and folk instruments of Inner Mongolia, Manchuria (North and North-East China), Mongolia, the Far East and Southern Siberia (Russian Federation), the original prototype of which is one of the oldest string plucked instruments in China – the se zither (瑟). The purpose of the study was to investigate the design features and tuning methods of se zither (瑟). A system of scientific research methods was used, namely organological analysis, comparison, deduction, and abstraction. As a result of the study, it was found that the se zither (瑟) differs from the classical Chinese zither qín (琴). Given the study of historical and archaeological sources of the 7th – 2nd centuries BCE, the oldest area of distribution of the xie zither was found within the ancient kingdom of Chu (6th – early 2nd century BCE), whose population was ethnically different from the Huaxia Chinese, and its modification, the zheng zither (箏), during the Qin dynasty (771 – 221 BCE). In addition, the ways of its infiltration into the medieval instrumentation of the ancient peoples of these regions of Central and South-East Asia were determined. The shape, design features, and the method of tuning with movable stands have established the genetic connection of this type of zither with ancient and traditional instruments of Turkic and Mongolian ethnic groups and its infiltration into the medieval court instruments of the Tunguska-Manchu.

Response of the Cyanobacteria Plankton Community to Anthropogenic Impact in Small Lakes of Urbanized Territory in the Permafrost Zone of Northeast Asia (Eastern Siberia, Yakutia)

In the conditions of growing anthropogenic pressure, aquatic ecosystems all over the world are subject to transformation, expressed in the growth of eutrophication, increase in acidity, changes in water exchange, etc. In the region of Eastern Siberia we studied, located in Yakutia in the middle reaches of the Lena River basin, there is a significant population growth accompanied by advancements in agriculture and public utilities. The region is rich in small lakes, which have been under pressure from human activities for the past few decades. The studied region is located in the permafrost zone and is characterized by severe climatic conditions, cold long winters, short hot summers, and a short ice-free period on reservoirs. We studied 17 lakes of various genesis, with varying degrees of anthropogenic pressure, located in the largest city of the region, small villages, and at different distances from them. Previous studies have established that cyanobacteria constitute the phytoplankton main group in these lakes during the summer period. Therefore, we selected them as the focus for our bioindication analysis. An integrated assessment of the bioindication properties of cyanobacteria, along with chemical water parameters, was undertaken using statistical mapping methods, JASP, and Redundancy Analysis (RDA). This analysis revealed the impact of urbanized areas, characterized by a decrease in pH, runoff of nitrogen compounds, and an increase in organic matter. Despite the cryolithozone harsh conditions, in small lakes of urbanized areas, cyanobacteria exhibit their competitive advantages within the plankton community. The prospect of continuing our work is associated with the need to determine the risk of cyanoHAB development since potentially toxic cyanobacteria have a mass development in a number of lakes.

Estimation of inflow discharge to Lake Baikal at upstream section using different satellite-based precipitation and runoff datasets from Upper Angara and Kichera River basins in East Siberia, Russia

Accurate basin-level river discharge estimation is of vital importance across various fields, including water resources, climate change, natural hazards, biodiversity, and energy production. Normally, gauging stations are deemed the most reliable data source for measuring river discharge. However, a significant proportion of the world’s rivers remain ungauged due to a combination of technical, economic, and political constraints. Encouragingly, recent advancements in remote sensing and satellite observation have opened new avenues for global river discharge monitoring, even in ungauged basins, and the availability of extensive datasets and advancements in computing technologies have facilitated the development of numerous modern data-driven techniques. The general objective of this study is to estimate inflow discharge to Lake Baikal at upstream section from Upper Angara and Kichera River Basins using different satellite precipitation and runoff datasets. According to the calculation result, a higher discharge was observed for the power dataset. The obtained results were used to mitigate floods, droughts, bridge design, manage urban drainage systems, and manage the lake ecosystem.

Gut microbiota biodiversity indices as markers of hyperandrogenemia in women of reproductive age

Introduction. Previously, it was shown that the “classic” phenotypes of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are associated with significant decrease in gut microbiota alpha diversity as compared with healthy women.The aim of the study. To establish cut-off points for alpha diversity indices, significant in polycystic ovarian syndrome with hyperandrogenism.Material and methods. The manuscript presents a sub-study of Eastern Siberia PCOS Epidemiology and Phenotype Study, conducted in Eastern Siberia (Russia) from 2016 to 2019. All participants (175 women of reproductive age: 26 women with PCOS (according to Rotterdam criteria (2003)) and hyperandrogenemia (increased levels of total testosterone (TT) and/or free androgenindex(FAI), and/ordehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS)), 149 – without hyperandrogenemia) were recruited during the annual employment medical assessment. Methods included a questionnaire survey, anthropometry and modified Ferriman – Gallwey score, gynecological examination, pelvic ultrasound, and blood serum tests for TT, DHEAS, sex hormone-binding globulin, FAI, prolactin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and 17-hydroxyprogesterone. Five indices of alpha diversity (amplicon sequencing variant, Shannon index, Simpson index, Chao index, and abundance-based coverage Index) were estimated for the gut microbiota using amplicon metasequencing. Statistical analysis included ROC-analysis for development of cut-off points for the indices, associated with hyperandrogenism in women of reproductive age with PCOS. Results. According to results of ROC-analysis, the greatest sensitivity with moderate specificity, with a high area under the curve was established for the Shannon and Simpson indices with cut-off points classifying women with or without hyperandrogenemia – 5.84 and 0.97, respectively.Conclusions. The developed criteria for assessing alpha diversity using cut-off points for the most significant indices can be useful for monitoring the results of different therapeutic interventions (prebiotics, probiotics, etc.) in hyperandrogenic phenotypes of PCOS.

Genetic diversity of populations of East Siberian ende

Based on nucleotide polymorphism of cpDNA intergenic spacers psbA-trnH, trnL-trnF, and trnS-trnG, we studied the genetic diversity and population structure of a mountain species Oxytropis vasskovskyi Jurtz., endemic to East Siberia. The populations were characterized by medium and high haplotype (0.524–1.000) and low nucleotide (0.0003–0.0008) diversity. Variability distribution analysis showed a moderate level of diff erentiation; the interpopulation component accounted for about 44% of the total genetic variation in O. vasskovskyi. We observed demographic expansion for three of fi ve O. vasskovskyi populations. The haplotypes of the fi ve studied populations form a single complex in the genealogical network, which is probably due to their common origin, relatively recent divergence and incomplete lineage sorting, as well as the existing gene exchange between populations. Thus, in four of the fi ve studied populations, a low level of nucleotide diversity and the absence of nucleotide substitutions were determined, which indicates the need to use certain measures to protect all known habitats, conduct regular monitoring of their state and search for new locations of the species.

Features of Temporal Variability of the Concentrations of Gaseous Trace Pollutants in the Air of the Urban and Rural Areas in the Southern Baikal Region (East Siberia, Russia)

This article presents the results of the automatic monitoring of the concentrations of gaseous impurities of sulfur and nitrogen oxides in the ground-level atmosphere of the urban and rural areas in the Southern Baikal region (East Siberia, Russia). The study was conducted from 2020 to 2023 at the urban Irkutsk station and the rural Listvyanka station located at a distance of 70 km from each other. We calculated the main statistical characteristics of the variations in the concentrations of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide in the ground-level atmosphere and determined a nature of variability in their concentrations on various time scales: annual, weekly, and daily. Annual variabilities of gaseous pollutants in the ground-level atmosphere above the Irkutsk city and the Listvyanka settlement were similar and showed the highest values in winter and the lowest in summer. The daily and weekly dynamics of the nitrogen oxide concentrations in the urban area clearly depended on the increase in the road traffic during rush hours (morning and evening). In the rural area, there was no such dependence. In this area, the daily and weekly variability in the concentrations of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide mainly depended on natural meteorological processes. The work systematizes the meteorological parameters at which the largest amount of anthropogenic impurities enters the air basin of Lake Baikal. The maximum values of acid-forming gas concentrations were observed when the air masses were transferred from the northwest direction, which corresponds to the location of sources in the territory of the Irkutsk–Cheremkhovo industrial hub—the largest concentration of anthropogenic objects in the Irkutsk region.

Kureika–Tunguska Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element, northern East Siberia

The Kureika–Tunguska Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element (KT CTSE) is located in East Siberia. Geologically, it is confined to the homonymic basin in the northwestern part of the Siberian Craton. The basement of the basin is composed of Archean–Early Proterozoic metamorphic rocks. The sedimentary cover is composed of Mesoproterozoic, Neoproterosoic and Early Paleozoic predominantly carbonate rocks capped with a succession of Pennsylvanian–Permian coal-bearing sediments overlain by thick section of Early Triassic tuffs and lavas. The entire sedimentary cover, especially its upper part, is saturated with mafic intrusive bodies. The maximum depth to the top basement can exceed 10 km. The KT CTSE is characterized by a very low degree of exploration. The rather scarce prospecting work carried out on oil and gas in the CTSE has not yet yielded positive results. However, indirect data such as, for example, numerous bitumen fields and evidence of the source rocks are promising for potential discoveries including large hydrocarbon accumulations.

Structural and Crystal-Chemical Features of Mg-Rich Minerals of the Glauconite–Illite Series from Upper Proterozoic Deposits in Eastern and Northern Siberia

Structural and Crystal-Chemical Features of Mg-Rich Minerals of the Glauconite–Illite Series from Upper Proterozoic Deposits in Eastern and Northern Siberia

Phylogeography of the woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) in the Minusinsk Depression of southern Siberia in the Late Pleistocene.

To date, a number of studies have been published on the phylogenetics of woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius), ranging from analyses of parts of the mitochondrial genome to studies of complete nuclear genomes. However, until recently nothing was known about the genetic diversity of woolly mammoths in southern Siberia, in the Minusinsk Depression in particular. Within the framework of this effort, libraries for high-throughput sequencing of seven bone samples of woolly mammoths were obtained, two-round enrichment using biotinylated probes of modern mtDNA of Elephas maximus immobilised on magnetic microspheres and sequencing with subsequent bioinformatic analysis were carried out. Phylogenetic reconstructions showed the presence of all studied mammoths in clade I, which expanded its range. The assignment of mammoth mitotypes in the Minusinsk Depression to different clusters within clade I may indicate a sufficiently high diversity of their gene pool. Phylogeographic reconstructions revealed a genetic proximity of mitochondrial lineages of Late Pleistocene mammoths of the Minusinsk Depression and other regions of eastern Siberia and estimated their divergence time in the range of 100-150 thousand years ago, which indicates active migrations of woolly mammoths over vast territories of eastern Siberia in the late Middle Pleistoceneearly Late Pleistocene.

Transboundary migration of Loxostege sticticalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) among China, Russia and Mongolia.

The beet webworm, Loxostege sticticalis, a worldwide pest of many crops, performs a seasonal migration, causing periodic outbreaks in Asia, Europe and North America. Although long-distance migration is well documented in China, patterns of transboundary migration among China, Russia and Mongolia are largely unknown. We performed a phase analysis of L. sticticalis periodic outbreaks among three countries based on 30 years of historical population data, analyzed the wind systems during migration over boundary regions, and traced the migratory routes in a case study of outbreaks in 2008 by trajectory simulation. Highly synchronized outbreak years of L. sticticalis were observed between China and Mongolia, China and eastern Siberia, China and western Siberia, Mongolia and eastern Siberia, eastern Siberia and western Siberia from 1978 to 2008, indicating possible transboundary migration between these regions. Winds at 300-600 m altitude, where adult migration usually occurs, also showed a high probability of northwestern winds in Haila'er (China), Chita (Russia) and Choybalsan (Mongolia), favoring successful adult migration from these areas to northern and northeastern China. Back trajectory analysis further showed that the first-generation adults that caused the severe outbreak of second-generation larvae in 2008 originated from eastern Siberia, eastern Mongolia, and the boundary regions of China-Russia and China-Mongolia. Our findings demonstrated that the source of L. sticticalis outbreaks in northern China was closely related to the outbreaks in Siberia and Mongolia via long-distance transboundary windborne migration. This information will help guide international monitoring and management strategies against this notorious pest. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

The September 6, 2021 MW 5.4 Tofalaria earthquake at a weakly active segment of the Main Sayan fault (Eastern Siberia)

We study in detail the Mw 5.4 September 6, 2021 Tofalaria earthquake occurred in a mountain area of the Eastern Sayan which is characterized by a low level of seismic activity. An interest in the seismic event is caused, on the one hand, by poor knowledge about stress-strain field of the crust in the considered region, and, on the other hand, by its relation to the NW segment of the ancient Main Sayan fault – a structural boundary between the Sayan-Baikal fold belt and the tectonically stable Siberian platform. Seismic moment tensors and hypocentral depths of the mainshock and its largest aftershock (Mw 4.6) are inverted from intermediate-period surface wave amplitude spectra calculated at the stations located at teleseismic distances. Integral source parameters of the mainshock, characterizing its spatio-temporal development, are also estimated and the fault plane is determined. Epicenters of 31 aftershocks with M ≥ 1.8, occurred up to the end of 2021, are constrained from body waves recorded at regional seismic stations. The obtained results show that the Tofalaria earthquake occurred under the influence of the SW-NE compression, which is observed in Western Mongolia. Focal mechanism of the largest aftershock and the NE elongation of the aftershock epicentral field (22 km) indicate stress redistribution after the mainshock in a local crustal volume, bordered by small-scale faults.

Spatial variability in Arctic–boreal fire regimes influenced by environmental and human factors

Wildfire activity in Arctic and boreal regions is rapidly increasing, with severe consequences for climate and human health. Regional long-term variations in fire frequency and intensity characterize fire regimes. The spatial variability in Arctic–boreal fire regimes and their environmental and anthropogenic drivers, however, remain poorly understood. Here we present a fire tracking system to map the sub-daily evolution of all circumpolar Arctic–boreal fires between 2012 and 2023 using 375 m Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite active fire detections and the resulting dataset of the ignition time, location, size, duration, spread and intensity of individual fires. We use this dataset to classify the Arctic–boreal biomes into seven distinct ‘pyroregions’ with unique climatic and geographic environments. We find that these pyroregions exhibit varying responses to environmental drivers, with boreal North America, eastern Siberia and northern tundra regions showing the highest sensitivity to climate and lightning density. In addition, anthropogenic factors play an important role in influencing fire number and size, interacting with other factors. Understanding the spatial variability of fire regimes and its interconnected drivers in the Arctic–boreal domain is important for improving future predictions of fire activity and identifying areas at risk for extreme events.

Bacterial Communities within the Freshwater Lymnaeid Snail Kamtschaticana kamtschatica (Middendorff, 1850) in Northeastern Siberia

This is the first report on microbial communities associated with the freshwater snail Kamtschaticana kamtschatica inhabiting diverse types of water basins in Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. Using metabarcoding data based on the 16S rRNA gene fragments, taxonomic profiling of bacterial communities associated with snails from three basins of the Magadan Oblast was carried out. Predominant phyla in the studied bacterial communities were Pseudomonadota, Bacillota, Cyanobacteriota, Actinomycetota, Verrucomicrobiota, Planctomycetota, and Bacteroidota. The highest alpha-diversity, according to the Chao1 index, was revealed in the mollusks from the Orotukan reservoir. The relative abundance of bacteria of the genera Snowella, Leptolyngbya, Nodosilinea, Arenimonas, and Polaromonas significantly distinguished the mollusks of this habitat from those of the other two. The greatest similarities in the composition of the microbiota in K. kamtschatica were found for the genus Pseudomonas, which was present in the majority of samples in the amount of more than 1% and was not found in the sediment samples. Obtained data on the diversity and composition of bacterial communities associated with lymnaeid snails are of fundamental importance for the ecology of freshwater mollusks.

Activity of East Siberian Trichoderma Isolates against Plant-pathogenic Microorganisms

The genus Trichoderma comprised important antagonists of pathogenic fungi and can be used in agriculture to combat various plant diseases. In the course of the present work, two micromycete strains were isolated from wood cuts in Eastern Siberia, which were identified by morphological and molecular genetic characteristics as Trichoderma atroviride and Trichoderma harzianum. These Trichoderma strains efficiently inhibited the development of the pathogenic fungi studied (by up to 80%). The data presented in the paper indicate that Trichoderma atroviride and Trichoderma harzianum may be promising for further study of the means of biocontrol of plant diseases.

Intraspecific Variation of Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus in Russia by D-Loop mtDNA Data.

For the first time in Russia, the intraspecific structure of the brown rat Rattus norvegicus was studied using the mitochondrial control region (D-loop) as a molecular marker. The mtDNA sequence was determined in brown rats from eight regions of European and Asian Russia. Three rat clades were identified, including one in European Russia and two in Asian Russia. The synanthropic subspecies R. n. norvegicus was found to have two, European and Asian, lineages. The European lineage included haplotypes from central and southern regions of Russia, and the Asian lineage included haplotypes from Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. The exoanthropic subspecies R. n. caraco from the Russian Far East formed a separate genetic lineage.

Distinguishing Impacts on Winter Temperatures in Northern Mid–High-Latitude Continents during Multiyear and Single-Year La Niña Events: A Modeling Study

Abstract Utilizing a 2200-yr CESM1 preindustrial simulation, this study examines the influence of property distinctions between single-year (SY) and multiyear (MY) La Niñas on their respective impacts on winter surface air temperatures across mid–high-latitude continents in the model, focusing on specific teleconnection mechanisms. Distinct impacts were identified in four continent sectors: North America, Europe, Western Siberia (W-Siberia), and Eastern Siberia (E-Siberia). The typical impacts of simulated SY La Niña events are featured with anomalous warming over Europe and W&E-Siberia and anomalous cooling over North America. Simulated MY La Niña events reduce the typical anomalous cooling over North America and the typical anomalous warming over W&E-Siberia but intensify the typical anomalous warming over Europe. The distinct impacts of simulated MY La Niñas are more prominent during their first winter than during the second winter, except over W-Siberia, where the distinct impact is more pronounced during the second winter. These overall distinct impacts in the CESM1 simulation can be attributed to the varying sensitivities of these continent sectors to the differences between MY and SY La Niñas in their intensity, location, and induced sea surface temperature anomalies in the Atlantic Ocean. These property differences were linked to the distinct climate impacts through the Pacific North America, North Atlantic Oscillation, Indian Ocean–induced wave train, and tropical North Atlantic–induced wave train mechanisms. The modeling results are then validated against observations from 1900 to 2022 to identify disparities in the CESM1 simulation.

Was the steppe bison a grazing beast in Pleistocene landscapes?

The history and palaeoecology of the steppe bison (Bison priscus) remain incompletely understood despite its widespread distribution. Using dental microwear textural analysis (DMTA) and vegetation modelling, we reconstructed the diet and assessed the habitat of steppe bison inhabiting Eurasia and Alaska since the Middle Pleistocene. During the Late Pleistocene, steppe bison occupied a variety of biome types: from the mosaic of temperate summergreen forest and steppe/temperate grassland (Serbia) to the tundra biomes (Siberia and Alaska). Despite the differences in the identified biome types, the diet of steppe bison did not differ significantly among populations in Eurasia. DMTA classified it as a mixed forager in all populations studied. The DMTA of Bb1 bison-a recently identified genetically extinct sister-clade of Bison bonasus-was typical of a highly grazing bovid species and differed from all B. priscus populations. The results of the study temper the common perception that steppe bison were grazers in steppe habitats. The dietary plasticity of the steppe bison was lower when compared with modern European bison and may have played an important role in its extinction, even in the stable tundra biome of eastern Siberia, where it has survived the longest in all of Eurasia.

Time-dependent variations of groundwater radon: Insights from a twelve-year study in the Baikal region, East Siberia, Russia

Time-dependent variations of 222Rn concentration (Q) in groundwater have been monitored for twelve years (2012–2023) at eight sites of groundwater discharge within the Baikal region in East Siberia, Russia. The concentrations of radioactive gas at different sites vary from 30% to 60% of average values (Qav). The sampled waters are of three groups with Qav ≈ 15 Bq/l (I), ≈30 Bq/l (II1), and ≈50 Bq/l (II2). Cluster analysis shows closest linkage between the two subgroups of group II due to similarity in the discharge mechanisms. Fourier analysis of periodic 222Rn behavior reveals major cycles of 365, 180, 126, and 30 days correlated with variations of air temperature and pressure, as well as with the patterns of groundwater discharge. In addition, radon anomalies are related with seismicity. Earthquakes are reflected in the radon field as three distinct anomaly types, occurring either subsequent to or prior to the seismic event. The anomalies responding to earthquake nucleation can be considered as precursors and used in earthquake prediction. The revealed trends make basis for a model designed to predict Q variations in groundwater of the area to 80% average efficiency. The external and internal factors that affect the concentration of radioactive gas in groundwater are linked in a hierarchic system and are classified according to the degree and type of their influence.

Diatoms’ Diversity in the Assessment of the Impact of Diamond and Oil and Gas Mining on Aquatic Ecosystems of the Central Yakut Plain (Eastern Siberia, Yakutia) Using Bioindication and Statistical Mapping Methods

Diamond and oil and gas production carries risks to the aquatic ecosystem. In Eastern Siberia, on the territory of the Central Yakut Plain, mining development of the Yakut diamond-bearing province and Tas-Yuryakh oil and gas condensate field has been underway for several decades. But the problem of studying negative consequences in the region is covered only from the point of view of the impact on terrestrial ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of diamond and oil and gas production on the aquatic ecosystems of the region using the bioindicative properties of diatoms. The work used previously widely tested methods of ecological mapping, JASP, and species–environments relationship analysis. The results of chemical analysis of water showed that in oil and gas production areas, there is no pollution with petroleum products, but the concentration of silicon and zinc is increased. The study identified key pollutants in the Central Yakut Plain and demonstrated the effectiveness of diatoms as bioindicators. Elevated chloride levels were found in diamond mining areas, and increased copper levels were noted in oil production regions. In the diatom flora of the region, 144 species were identified, of which 137 are indicator species. Natural and anthropogenic clusters of environmental factors are identified, characterized by a specific effect on the species composition and taxonomic structure of diatom communities. The results obtained are suitable for assessing the level of anthropogenic impact on aquatic communities of photosynthetic microorganisms in permafrost conditions.