ALBERT

Description: The drilling of the 10.5 m high Nori pingo that stands at 32 m asl in Grøndalen Valley (Spitsbergen) performed in April 2019 reached a depth of 21.8 m bs (core #13, starting from 42.5 m asl, 77.99483 °N, 14.59009 °E) and revealed 16.1 m thick massive ice. The core was obtained with a portable gasoline-powered rotary drilling rig (UKB 12/25, Vorovskiy Machine Factory, Ekaterinburg, Russia). The core pieces with diameter 112-76 mm were lifted for sampling to the surface every 30–50 cm. After documentation and cryolithological description core pieces were sealed in zip lock bags. Ice samples were split in two parts - one part for stable isotope analyses, another part for ion content measurement. They were kept frozen for transportation while sediment samples were kept unfrozen. Moisture content was analyzed in laboratory by measuring sediment samples weight before and after drying. The stable water isotope composition (δ18O and δD) of massive pingo ice was analyzed at the Climate and Environmental Research Laboratory (CERL, Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia) using a Picarro L2120- i analyzer. After every five samples the working standard (SPB-2, δ18O = -9.66 ‰ and δD = -74.1 ‰) was measured. SPB-2 is made of distilled St. Petersburg tap water and is calibrated against the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standards VSMOW-2 (Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water 2), GISP (Greenland Ice Sheet Precipitation), and SLAP-2 (Standard Light Antarctic Precipitation 2). The reproducibility of the results is 0.08 ‰ for δ18O and 0.4 ‰ for δD and was assessed by re-measuring a random selection of 10% of the total samples. The measurement error is thus 1-2 orders of magnitude less than the natural isotopic variability of pingo ice, which is satisfactory for the purpose of this study. The δ18O and δD values are given as per mil (‰) difference to the VSMOW-2 standard. The deuterium excess (d) is calculated as d = δD - 8δ18O29. The ion content of sedimentary permafrost samples from core #13 was estimated after water extraction at the analytical laboratory of RAE-S, Barentsburg. The material was dried and sieved at 1 mm. About 20 g of the sediment were suspended in 100 ml of de-ionized water and filtered through 0.45 μm nylon mesh within 3 minutes after stirring. Electrical conductivity (EC, measured in μS cm-1) and pH values were estimated with a Mettler Toledo Seven Compact S 220. EC values were transformed automatically by the instrument into general ion content (mineralization) values given as mg L-1. Major anions and cations in the water extracts were analyzed by an ion chromatograph (Shimadzu LC-20 Prominence) equipped with the Shimadzu CDD-10AVvp conductometric detector and ion exchange columns for anions (Phenomenex Star-ion A300) and for cations (Shodex ICYS-50). Bicarbonate content was measured by a Shimadzu TOC-L analyzer via catalytic oxidizing at +680o C and subsequent infrared detecting. Melted pingo ice samples from core #13 and spring water samples were analyzed after filtration through 0.45 μm nylon mesh on the same equipment using the same techniques for pH, EC, and ion composition as for sedimentary permafrost samples. Analyses and research were aimed at determining major characteristics of the Nori pingo including its internal structure, groundwater source, and geochemical and isotopic stages of formation.

Description: Parts of the analyses have been carried out in the laboratories of the Russian Scientific Arctic Expedition on Spitsbergen Archipelago (RAE-S) Barentsburg Station. Gravimetric moisture content (ice content) was measured by weighing samples before and after drying at 50°C to relate the weight loss to the total weight of dry samples, expressed as weight percentage (wt%). Hydrochemical analyses of sedimentary permafrost samples was undertaken after water extraction. The material was dried and sieved at 1 mm. About 20 g of the sediment were suspended in 100 ml de-ionised water and filtered through 0.45 µm nylon mesh within 3 minutes after stirring.

Description: The coordinates of the drilling points and of the outcrop, the depths of the drill holes below the surface and the cryolithological description as well as the sample names in the individual drill core segments are shown.

Description: The data contains the list of pingo and pingo-like forms over Svalbard archipelago. Each pingo is assigned with following data: coordinates, absolute height of pingo baseline, height of the mound, diameter of the mound, morphology of the mound, presence or absence of craters and crater lakes, presence or absence and chemical composition of springs/icings, chemical composition of springs/icings if applicable, geomorphological positioning, positioning relative to the local Holocene transgression limit, slope exposition if applicable, observed morphology dynamics, distance to the nearest glacier, presence or absence of vegetation cover, absolute or relative age of pingo formation where available, local geological strata and tectonic province, presence of confirmed or assumed fault line. The data allows to obtain statistics necessary for analizing pingos as phenomena of Svalbard. The Iidentification of pingos is based on Svalbard aerial survey high resolution images which are publicly available at Norwegian Polar Institute online Topo Svalbard DEM resource (https://toposvalbard.npolar.no, 2008-2012). High resolution satellite images covering the whole archipelago are furthermorealso available at the Zoom Earth online database (https://zoom.earth). Pingo positioning, morphology, vegetation cover, presence of craters and distance to glaciers were analyzed using Norwegian Polar Institute Topo Svalbard S0 Terrengmodel Svalbard DEM model (2014) with 2-5 m resolution and orthophoto base map (maximum cache scaling 1:625 and resolution 0.165). Absolute height measurement accuracy is in range of ±2 m. The presence of pingo springs was determined based on earlier reported data (Liestøl, 1977) with addition of pingos where icings are clearly visible on winter/spring Topo Svalbard and Zoom Earth 2018-2020 satellite images. Special information such as absolute age, drilling results, spring composition base on published data (Orvin, 1944; Liestøl, 1977; Yoshikawa and Harada, 1995, Matsuoka et. al, 2004; Hodson et. al, 2020; Demidov et al, 2019; Demidov et. al, 2020, Demidov et. al, 2021). The positioning of pingos relative to the local Holocene transgression limit was determined by comparing pingo baseline heights with the transgression isobase map of Bondevik et al. (1995) and for Grøndalen Valley with Sharin et al. (2014). Geological data is based on bedrock geology, tectonic structure and rock type maps (Geoscience atlas Atlas of Svalbard, 2019). Personal field observations and sampling took place during summer seasons 2017-2020 on pingos of Grøndalen Valley (drilling of 4 pingos) and mounds and thermokarst funnels of Hollenderdalen Valley, in April-May 2020 on pingos and icings of Berzeliusdalen, Aurdalen, Vassdalen and Reindalen, and in March 2021 in Ebbadalen and vales around Pyramiden.

Description: To gain new understanding in this context a total of 19 drill cores complemented by one natural exposure reaching depths below surface between 5 and 25 m was studied, corresponding to sampling heights between 74 m above sea level and 4 m below sea level. The drill transect stretches along about 20 km from the marine terraces at the Isfjorden, along the Grønfjorden and the Grøndalen and Iradalen valleys in the wider area of Barentsburg. Detailed cryolithological descriptions, hydrochemical and sedimentological analyses, and radiocarbon dating were applied to deduce the spatial and temporal evolution of regional permafrost after deglaciation and sea-level adjustment.

Description: The geochronology was established on the basis of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates using a Mini Carbon Dating System (MICADAS) implemented at Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI). Further preparation for AMS radiocarbon dating bulk samples were carried out by the Laboratory of Radiocarbon dating and electron microscopy of the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Their radiocarbon ages were measured by accelerated mass spectrometry (AMS) at the Center for Applied Isotope Studies of the University of Georgia (USA) using the 1.5SDH Pelletron AMS. Sediments were freeze-dried manually homogenized, and split into sub-samples for further analyses: grain-size distribution, mass-specific magnetic susceptibility, total elemental carbon (TC) and nitrogen contents (TN), total organic carbon content (TOC), the δ¹³C of TOC. The total inorganic carbon (TIC) content was calculated by subtracting TOC from TC. For TOC and δ¹³C analyses, samples were decalcified for 3 h at 95°C by adding 1.3 N HCl.

Description: The Russian Arctic scientific expedition on Spitsbergen performs permafrost observations in Barentsburg since 2016, including as a part of the Russian-German initiative to establish a Eurasian Arctic high-latitude permafrost monitoring transect covering the Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land, Severnaya Zemlya, Novosibirskiye Islands and Wrangel Island. The permafrost monitoring network in Barentsburg includes: (1) four temperature monitoring boreholes of the Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost with depth up to 26 m, (2) one site of the Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring Network (CALM) for observing the dynamics of the seasonally thawed active layer equipped with an automatic meteostation, (3) a study area for repeated morphometric and temperature observations of a group of seven pingos, (4) the periodic observation and sampling of a number of groundwater springs, ice blisters and icings, and (5) the periodic ground penetrating radar and electrical survey of glaciogenic and hydrogenic taliks. The ground temperatures at a depth of zero amplitude vary from -2.2 °C to -3.56 °C. Quaternary drill core deposits, formed according to radiocarbon analysis during the period of MIS 3 - MIS 1, have a thickness up to 40 m. In the upper parts deposits are mainly represented by gravel with structureless cryostructure. The lower parts of the core sections are built by clay with streaky cryostructures. Clays are characterized by high salt content and thus freezing temperatures between -1 and -2 °C, which makes them highly sensitive to even slight ground temperature increase. The measurements of the active layer dynamics on a CALM site showed values from 1.15 to 1.60 m with an average of 1.38 m in 2017. The upper boundary of pingos ice body was observed at the depth 1.5 – 13.0 m, thus some of them are degrading or soon will start to degrade due to propagation of 0 °C isotherm to the ice.

Description: Drilling of a 21.8-m-deep borehole on top of the 10.5-m-high Nori pingo that stands at 32 m asl in Grøndalen Valley (Spitsbergen) revealed a 16.1-m-thick massive ice enclosed by frozen sediments. The hydrochemical compositions of both the massive ice and the sediment extract show a prevalence of Na+ and Cl� ions throughout the core. The upper part of the massive ice (stage A) has low mineralization and shows an isotopically closed-system trend in δ18O and δD isotopes decreasing down-core. Stage B exhibits high mineralization and an isotopically semi-open system. The crystallographic structure of Nori pingo’s massive ice provides evidence of several large groundwater intrusions that support the defined formation stages. Analysis of local aquifers leads to suggest that the pingo was hydraulically sourced through a local fault zone by low mineralized sodium–bicarbonate groundwater of a Paleogene strata aquifer. This groundwater was enriched by sodium and chloride ions while filtering through marine valley sediments with residual salinity. The comparison between the sodium–chloride-dominated massive ice of the Nori pingo and the sodium–bicarbonate-dominated ice of the adjacent Fili pingo that stands higher up the valley may serve as an indicator for groundwater source patterns of other Nordenskiöld Land pingos.